False Prophets Condemned
Study note
God condemned prophets who made up their own messages and claimed they came from God. He compared them to foxes living among ruins, only looking out for themselves. Instead of standing in the gap like brave soldiers to defend Israel, they told comfortable lies. God said these false prophets would be removed from the community, their names erased from Israel's records, and they would never return to the land.
1 The Lord gave me this message. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, speak out against Israel's so-called prophets who are just making things up out of their own imagination. Tell them, 'Listen to what the Lord says!'" Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
3 The Lord God says: "What a disaster awaits these foolish prophets! They follow their own ideas and have never received a single genuine word from God." Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4 "Israel, your prophets act like wild foxes picking through ruins, only out for themselves." O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
5 "You have not stepped up to fix the cracks in the wall. You haven't done anything to protect Israel so it could stand strong when trouble comes." Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.
6 "Their so-called visions are pure fiction, and their predictions are total fabrications. They announce, 'The Lord says,' when the Lord never sent them at all. Yet they still expect their words to come true." They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
7 "Can you honestly say your visions are real? Can you say your predictions come from me? You claim to speak for the Lord, but I never said a word to you!" Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
8 So the Lord God says: "Your visions are fake and your predictions are lies. So I am coming after you," says the Lord God. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.
9 "I will raise my hand against every prophet who sees fake visions and tells lies. They will be shut out of my people's community. Their names will be erased from Israel's official records, and they will never set foot in the land of Israel. Then you will know I am the Lord God." And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
The Whitewashed Wall
Study note
God used a vivid image: the false prophets were like people who cover a badly built wall with white plaster to make it look strong. The wall looks fine on the outside, but when a storm comes, it collapses. The false prophets were promising peace when there was no peace, covering up the nation's problems instead of addressing them. God would send a storm of hail, wind, and rain to tear down the plastered wall, exposing the fraud.
10 "These prophets led my people astray by announcing 'Peace!' when there was no peace at all. When someone throws up a flimsy wall, these prophets come along and slather white plaster on it to make it look solid." Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar:
11 "Warn those plasterers that their wall is going to collapse. A torrential downpour will hit, enormous hailstones will pummel it, and gale-force winds will slam into it." Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
12 "When that wall comes crashing down, people will turn to you and demand, 'What happened to that nice plaster you put on it?'" Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?
13 The Lord God says: "In my rage, I will unleash violent winds. In my fury, I will send flooding rains and destructive hailstones." Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.
14 "I will demolish the wall you plastered so carefully and knock it flat to the ground, exposing its worthless foundation. It will collapse on top of you and crush you. Then you will understand that I am the Lord." So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
15 "Once I have let out all my anger on that wall and on everyone who plastered it, I will tell you, 'The wall is gone. The people who plastered it are gone too.'" Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;
16 "These were Israel's prophets who prophesied about Jerusalem, who claimed to see visions of peace when there was no peace. So says the Lord God." To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.
Women Who Practice Magic
Study note
God also condemned women who practiced a form of sorcery, using magic bands on people's wrists and veils on their heads to supposedly control people's destinies. They would discourage righteous people and encourage wicked people for small payments of barley and bread. God promised to tear these magic items away and free the people who had been trapped by their lies.
17 "Now, son of man, confront the women among your people who invent their own prophecies. Prophesy against them." Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
18 The Lord God says: "Disaster awaits the women who sew magic charms on people's wrists and drape veils over people's heads to trap their souls! You think you can snare my people's lives while keeping yourselves safe?" And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
19 "You have cheapened my name among my people for a few handfuls of grain and scraps of bread. You say people who should live will die, and you say people who should die will live. You do this through the lies you tell my people, and they believe every word." And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
20 So the Lord God says: "I am against those magic charms you use to trap people like birds. I will rip them right off your arms and set the captives free." Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
21 "I will also tear away your veils and free my people from your grip. They will no longer be your prey. Then you will understand that I am the Lord." Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
22 "You have used your lies to crush the spirits of good people, when I never wanted them to suffer. And you have encouraged wicked people to keep doing evil instead of turning around and saving their own lives." Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
23 "Therefore you will never again see phony visions or practice your fortune-telling. I will rescue my people from your clutches. Then you will acknowledge that I am the Lord." Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.