The Father Exposes False Prophets
13 1 The word of our Father came to me: 2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart: Hear the word of our Father! 3 This is what the Sovereign Father says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Israel, your prophets are like foxes among the ruins. 5 You have not stepped into the gaps or built up a wall around the house of Israel, so that it might stand firm in the battle on the day of our Father. 6 They have seen false visions and lying divination — those who say, "Our Father declares," when our Father has not sent them; yet they wait for their word to be fulfilled. 1 1 v6 These prophets invoke the Father's own name over words he never gave — a counterfeit claim on his authority, not his true voice. 7 Was it not a false vision you saw and a lying divination you spoke, when you said, "Our Father declares," though I had not spoken?
8 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Father says: Because you have spoken falsehood and seen lies, I am now against you — this is the declaration of the Sovereign Father. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and make lying predictions. They will not belong to the council of my people, nor be written in the register of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Father.
10 Yes, because they have led my people astray, saying "Peace" when there is no peace; and when someone builds a flimsy wall, they coat it over with whitewash. 11 Tell those who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, hailstones will fall, and a stormy wind will burst out. 12 And when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, "Where is the whitewash you coated it with?"
13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Father says: In my wrath I will unleash a stormy wind, in my anger a flooding rain, and in my fury hailstones to bring destruction. 14 I will tear down the wall you coated with whitewash and level it to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare. It will fall, and you will perish within it. Then you will know that I am your Father. 15 So I will spend my wrath on the wall and on those who coated it with whitewash. I will say to you: The wall is gone, and so are those who coated it — 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied about Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace — this is the declaration of the Sovereign Father.
The Father Exposes False Prophetesses
17 And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own heart. Prophesy against them 18 and say: This is what the Sovereign Father says: Woe to the women who sew magic bands on every wrist and make veils for heads of every size, to hunt down souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people and keep your own souls alive? 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread, putting souls to death who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lies to my people who listen to lies.
20 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Father says: I am against your magic bands, with which you trap souls like birds. I will tear them from your arms and set free the souls you trap like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and rescue my people from your hands, and they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am your Father. 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with lies when I had brought him no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked so that he would not turn from his evil way to save his life — 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will rescue my people from your hands, and you will know that I am your Father.