1 ARST Yahweh gave me another message. He said, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 ARST “Son of man, prophesy a warning against the prophets in Israel who are prophesying. Some of them are prophesying things that they themselves have imagined. Say to them,‘Listen to what Yahweh says! BSB BSB: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Tell those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of the LORD!
3 ARST He says,“Terrible things will happen to those wicked prophets who proclaim their own ideas and have not seen any visions from me. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit yet have seen nothing.
4 ARST You Israelite people, your prophets are like jackals in the desert, they are scavengers feeding off of others’ loss. BSB BSB: Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.
5 ARST Because you were listening to them, you have not repaired breeches or strengthened your walls. That needs to be done so that the walls will be strong when I, Yahweh, send your enemies to attack you. BSB BSB: You did not go up to the gaps or restore the wall around the house of Israel so that it would stand in the battle on the Day of the LORD.
6 ARST The visions and prophecies of those prophets are false. They say,‘Yahweh told me this.’ I have not sent them to you to be my prophets, but you expect that what they prophesy will truly happen! BSB BSB: They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.
7 ARST They say that they have seen visions, but those visions are false, and the things that they prophesy are lies. They say,‘Yahweh told me this,’ but I have told them nothing! BSB BSB: Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?
8 ARST Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Because you prophets have said what is false and because your visions are lies, I am opposed to you. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have uttered vain words and seen false visions, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
9 ARST I will strike all you prophets who falsely say that you have seen visions and prophesy things that are lies. You will not have any place among my people, your names will not be listed in the records of the Israelite people, and you will never return to Israel. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. BSB BSB: My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.
10 ARST They deceive my people, saying“Things will go well for us” when things will not go well. It is like they want to make people think that there is a very strong wall when it is not strong. BSB BSB: Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built,
11 ARST So, tell those prophets who cover the wall with whitewash that the wall will surely fall down. It will rain very hard. I will send big hailstones to fall. Very strong winds will blow against it. BSB BSB: tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth.
12 ARST When the wall falls down, the people will certainly say to those prophets,“The white paint certainly did not make the wall strong!” BSB BSB: Surely when the wall has fallen, you will not be asked, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’
13 ARST So this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Because I am very angry with you, I will send enemy armies to destroy Jerusalem. It will be as though I will send a very strong wind and hailstones and very heavy rains to destroy you. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: In My wrath I will release a windstorm, and in My anger torrents of rain and hail will fall with destructive fury.
14 ARST The false prophecies of your prophets are like a wall that they have covered with whitewash, but I will break it down, and shatter it down to the ground, with the result that people can see its foundations. When the wall collapses you also will be killed, and everyone will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. BSB BSB: I will tear down the wall you whitewashed and level it to the ground, so that its foundation is exposed. The city will fall, and you will be destroyed within it. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
15 ARST In that way I will show that I am very angry with the wall and with those who covered it with whitewash. And I will say,“The wall is gone and those who whitewashed it have been killed.” BSB BSB: And after I have vented My wrath against the wall and against those who whitewashed it, I will say to you: ‘The wall is gone, and so are those who whitewashed it—
16 ARST Those are the prophets who prophesied that things would go well for the people in Jerusalem, when things would not go well for them.’ BSB BSB: those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.’
17 ARST So you, son of man, show that you are angry with the women of Jerusalem who prophesy things that they themselves have imagined, and speak true prophesy against them. BSB BSB: Now, O son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them
18 ARST Tell them,‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Terrible things will happen to you women who fasten magic charms on your wrists and make veils of various sizes to put on your heads in order to deceive the people. You think that you will deceive others by telling them that you know what will happen in the future, and you will save your own lives. BSB BSB: and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils for the heads of people of every height, in order to ensnare their souls. Will you ensnare the souls of My people but preserve your own?
19 ARST You dishonored me by telling lies in order to get from my people a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. My people listen to lies; and you women who are lying to them have caused people who did not deserve to die to be killed, and have spared those who should not continue to live.’ BSB BSB: You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.
20 ARST Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say to those women:‘I detest your magic charms by which you deceive people like other people trap birds. I will tear those charms off your wrists, and I will cause the people whom you have deceived to no longer be deceived by you. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I am against the magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. So I will free the souls you have ensnared like birds.
21 ARST I will also tear off your veils and rescue my people from continuing to be deceived by you, and they will no longer be under your control. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. BSB BSB: I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people from your hands, so that they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
22 ARST You have discouraged righteous people by telling them lies when I did not do things to cause them to be sad. And you have encouraged wicked people to keep on doing their wicked behavior; if they had turned away from it, they would have continued to live. BSB BSB: Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,
23 ARST Therefore, you will no longer falsely say that you have seen visions or tell people what will happen in the future in order to please them. I will rescue my people from being deceived by you. And then you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.’” BSB BSB: therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will deliver My people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.