Ezekiel 13–28

Ezekiel Speaks Against False Prophets

13The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ²“Human, prophesy against the prophets of Israel. Say to those who make up their own prophecies: ‘Listen to the word of the Lord. ³This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the foolish prophets who follow their own ideas and have not seen a vision from me! ⁴People of Israel, your prophets have been like wild dogs hunting to kill and eat among ruins. ⁵Israel is like a house in ruins, but you have not gone up into the broken places or repaired the wall. So how can Israel hold back the enemy in the battle on the Lord’s day of judging? ⁶Your prophets see false visions and prophesy lies. They say, “This is the message of the Lord,” when the Lord has not sent them. But they still hope their words will come true. ⁷You said, “This is the message of the Lord,” but that is a false vision. Your prophecies are lies, because I have not spoken.

⁸“ ‘So this is what the Lord God says: Because you prophets spoke things that are false and saw visions that do not come true, I am against you, says the Lord God. ⁹I will punish the prophets who see false visions and prophesy lies. They will have no place among my people. Their names will not be written on the list of the people of Israel, and they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.

¹⁰“ ‘It is because they lead my people the wrong way by saying, “Peace!” when there is no peace. When the people build a weak wall, the prophets cover it with whitewash to make it look strong. ¹¹So tell those who cover a weak wall with whitewash that it will fall down. Rain will pour down, hailstones will fall, and a stormy wind will break the wall down. ¹²When the wall has fallen, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you used on the wall?”

¹³“ ‘So this is what the Lord God says: I will break the wall with a stormy wind. In my anger rain will pour down, and hailstones will destroy the wall. ¹⁴I will tear down the wall on which you put whitewash. I will level it to the ground so that people will see the wall’s foundation. And when the wall falls, you will be destroyed under it. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵So I will carry out my anger on the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. Then I will tell you, “The wall is gone, and those who covered it with whitewash are gone. ¹⁶The prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for the city, when there is no peace, will be gone, says the Lord God.” ’

False Women Prophets

¹⁷“Now, human, look toward the women among your people who make up their own prophecies. Prophesy against them. ¹⁸Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils of every length to trap people! You ruin the lives of my people but try to save your own lives. ¹⁹For handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, you have dishonored me among my people. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed people who should not die, and you have kept alive those who should not live.

²⁰“ ‘So this is what the Lord God says: I am against your magic charms, by which you trap people as if they were birds. I will tear those charms off your arms, and I will free those people you have trapped like birds. ²¹I will also tear off your veils and save my people from your hands. They will no longer be trapped by your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ²²By your lies you have caused those who did right to be sad, when I did not make them sad. And you have encouraged the wicked not to stop being wicked, which would have saved their lives. ²³So you will not see false visions or prophesy anymore, and I will save my people from your power so you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Stop Worshiping Idols

14Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. ²Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ³“Human, these people want to worship idols. They put up evil things that cause people to sin. Should I allow them to ask me for help? ⁴So speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: When any of the people of Israel want to worship idols and put up evil things that cause people to sin and then come to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer them myself for worshiping idols. ⁵Then I will win back my people Israel, who have left me because of all their idols.’

⁶“So say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Change your hearts and lives, and stop worshiping idols. Stop doing all the things I hate. ⁷Any of the Israelites or foreigners in Israel can separate themselves from me by wanting to worship idols or by putting up the things that cause people to sin. Then if they come to the prophet to ask me questions, I, the Lord, will answer them myself. ⁸I will reject them. I will make them a sign and an example, and I will separate them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

⁹“ ‘But if the prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is because I, the Lord, have tricked that prophet to speak. Then I will use my power against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. ¹⁰The prophet will be as guilty as the one who asks him for help; both will be responsible for their guilt. ¹¹Then the nation of Israel will not leave me anymore or make themselves unclean anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord God.’ ”

Jerusalem Will Not Be Spared

¹²The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ¹³“Human, if the people of a country sin against me by not being loyal, I will use my power against them. I will cut off their supply of food and send a time of hunger, destroying both people and animals. ¹⁴Even if three great men like Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that country, their goodness could save only themselves, says the Lord God.

¹⁵“Or I might send wild animals into that land, leaving the land empty and without children. Then no one would pass through it because of the animals. ¹⁶As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves, but that country would become empty.

¹⁷“Or I might bring a war against that country. I might say, ‘Let a war be fought in that land,’ in this way destroying its people and its animals. ¹⁸As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if those three men were in the land, they could not save their sons or daughters. They could save only themselves.

¹⁹“Or I might cause a disease to spread in that country. I might pour out my anger against it, destroying and killing people and animals. ²⁰As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their son or daughter. They could save only themselves because they did what was right.

²¹“This is what the Lord God says: My plans for Jerusalem are much worse! I will send my four terrible punishments against it—war, hunger, wild animals, and disease—to destroy its people and animals. ²²But some people will escape; some sons and daughters will be led out. They will come out to you, and you will see what happens to people who live as they did. Then you will be comforted after the disasters I have brought against Jerusalem, after all the things I have brought against it. ²³You will be comforted when you see what happens to them for living as they did, because you will know there was a good reason for what I did to Jerusalem, says the Lord God.”

Story of the Vine

15The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ²“Human, is the wood of the vine better than the wood of any tree in the forest? ³Can wood be taken from the vine to make anything? Can you use it to make a peg on which to hang something? ⁴If the vine is thrown into the fire for fuel, and the fire burns up both ends and starts to burn the middle, is it useful for anything? ⁵When the vine was whole, it couldn’t be made into anything. When the fire has burned it completely, it certainly cannot be made into anything.”

⁶So this is what the Lord God says: “Out of all the trees in the forest, I have given the wood of the vine as fuel for fire. In the same way I have given up the people who live in Jerusalem ⁷and will turn against them. Although they came through one fire, fire will still destroy them. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord. ⁸So I will make the land empty, because the people have not been loyal, says the Lord God.”

The Lord’s Kindness to Jerusalem

16The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ²“Human, tell Jerusalem about her hateful actions. ³Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says to Jerusalem: Your beginnings and your ancestors were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. ⁴On the day you were born, your cord ⁿ was not cut. You were not washed with water to clean you. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵No one felt sorry enough for you to do any of these things for you. No, you were thrown out into the open field, because you were hated on the day you were born.

⁶“ ‘When I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, I said to you, “Live!” ⁷I made you grow like a plant in the field. You grew up and became tall and became like a beautiful jewel. Your breasts formed, and your hair grew, but you were naked and without clothes.

⁸“ ‘Later when I passed by you and looked at you, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I spread my robe over you and covered your nakedness. I also made a promise to you and entered into an agreement with you so that you became mine, says the Lord God.

⁹“ ‘Then I bathed you with water, washed all the blood off of you, and put oil on you. ¹⁰I put beautiful clothes made with needlework on you and put sandals of fine leather on your feet. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. ¹¹I put jewelry on you:…