Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV)

1 “And as for you, son of man, take up for yourself a tablet, and you shall set it before you. And you shall draw upon it the city of Jerusalem.

2 And you shall set up a blockade against it, and you shall build fortifications, and you shall put together a rampart, and you shall encamp opposite it, and you shall place battering rams around it.

3 And you shall take up for yourself an iron frying pan, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city. And harden your face against it, and it shall be under a siege, and you shall surround it. This is a sign to the house of Israel.

4 And you shall sleep on your left side. And you shall place the iniquities of the house of Israel on it by the number of days that you will sleep on it. And you shall take upon yourself their iniquity.

5 For I have given to you the years of their iniquity, by the number of the days: three hundred and ninety days. And you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

6 And when you will have completed this, you shall sleep a second time, on your right side, and you shall assume the iniquity of the house of Judah for forty days: one day for each year; one day, I say, for each year, have I given to you.

7 And you shall turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and your arm shall be extended. And you shall prophesy against it.

8 Behold, I have surrounded you with chains. And you shall not turn yourself from one side to the other side, until you have completed the days of your siege.

9 And you shall take for yourself wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and vetch. And you shall set them in one vessel, and you shall make for yourself bread by the number of days that you will sleep upon your side: three hundred and ninety days shall you shall eat from it.

10 But your food, which you will eat, shall be in weight twenty staters a day. You shall eat it from time to time.

11 And you shall drink water by measure, one sixth part of a hin. You shall drink it from time to time.

12 And you shall eat it like barley bread baked under ashes. And you shall cover it, in their sight, with the dung that goes out of a man.”

13 And the Lord said: “So shall the sons of Israel eat their bread, polluted among the Gentiles, to whom I will cast them out.”

14 And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Behold, my soul has not been polluted, and from my infancy even until now, I have not eaten anything that has died of itself, nor that which has been torn up by beasts, and no unclean flesh at all has entered into my mouth.”

15 And he said to me: “Behold, I have given to you cow manure in place of human dung, and you shall make your bread with it.”

16 And he said to me: “Son of man, behold: I will crush the staff of bread in Jerusalem. And they will eat bread by weight and with anxiety. And they will drink water by measure and with anguish.

17 So then, when bread and water fail, each one may fall against his brother. And they shall waste away in their iniquities.”

1 “And as for you, son of man, obtain for yourself a sharp knife for shaving hair, and you shall take it and draw it across your head and across your beard. And you shall obtain for yourself a balance for weighing, and you shall divide the hair.

2 A third part you shall burn with fire in the midst of the city, according to the completion of the days of the siege. And you shall take a third part, and you shall cut it with the knife all around. Yet truly, the other third, you shall scatter to the wind, for I will unsheathe the sword after them.

3 And you shall take from there a small number. And you shall bind them in the end of your cloak.

4 And again, you shall take from them, and you shall throw them into the midst of the fire, and you shall burn them with fire. And from it, there shall go forth a fire to the entire house of Israel.”

5 Thus says the Lord God: “This is Jerusalem. I have placed her in the midst of the Gentiles and of the lands all around her.

6 And she has despised my judgments, so as to be more impious than the Gentiles, and my precepts, more so than the lands that are all around her. For they have cast aside my judgments, and they have not walked in my precepts.”

7 For this reason, thus says the Lord God: “Since you have surpassed the Gentiles who are all around you, and have not walked in my precepts, and have not accomplished my judgments, and have not even acted in accord with the judgments of the Gentiles who are all around you:

8 therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, and I myself will accomplish judgments in your midst, in the sight of the Gentiles.

9 And I will do in you what I have not done before, and the likes of which I will not do again, because of all your abominations.

10 Therefore, the fathers shall consume the sons in your midst, and the sons shall consume their fathers. And I will execute judgments in you, and I will winnow your entire remnant in every wind.

11 Therefore, as I myself live says the Lord God, because you have violated my sanctuary with all your offenses and with all your abominations, I also will break into pieces, and my eye will not be lenient, and I will not take pity.

12 One third part of you will die by pestilence or be consumed by famine in your midst. And one third part of you will fall by the sword all around you. Yet truly, one third part of you I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them.

13 And I will fulfill my fury, and I will cause my indignation to rest upon them, and I will be consoled. And they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken in my zeal, when I will have fulfilled my indignation in them.

14 And I will make you desolate, and a disgrace among the Gentiles, who are all around you, in the sight of all who pass by.

15 And you shall be a disgrace and a blasphemy, an example and an astonishment, among the Gentiles, who are all around you, when I will have executed judgments in you, in fury and in indignation and with rebukes of wrath.

16 I, the Lord, have spoken. At that time, I will send among them the most grievous arrows of famine, which shall bring death, and which I will send so that I may destroy you. And I will gather a famine over you, and I will crush the staff of bread among you.

17 And I will send among you famine and very harmful beasts, even unto utter ruin. And pestilence and blood shall pass through you. And I will bring the sword over you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and you shall prophesy against them,

3 and you shall say: O mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills and cliffs and valleys: Behold, I will lead over you the sword. And I will destroy your exalted places.

4 And I will demolish your altars. And your graven images will be broken apart. And I will throw down your slain before your idols.

5 And I will lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel before the face of your idols. And I will scatter your bones around your altars.

6 In all of your habitations, the cities will be made desolate, and the exalted places will be torn down and scattered. And your altars will be broken and destroyed. And your idols will cease to exist. And your shrines will be crushed. And your works will be wiped away.

7 And the slain will fall in your midst. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

8 And I will leave among you those who will escape the sword among the Gentiles, when I will have dispersed you upon the earth.

9 And your liberated shall remember me among the nations to which they were led away as captives. For I have crushed their heart, which fornicated and withdrew from me, and their eyes, which fornicated after their idols. And they will be displeased with themselves over the evils that they have done by all their abominations.

10 And they shall know that I, the Lord, have not spoken in vain, that I would do this evil to them.”

11 Thus says the Lord God: “Strike with your hand, and stomp with your foot, and say: ‘Alas, to all the abominations of the evils of the house of Israel!’ For they will fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.

12 Whoever is far away will die of pestilence. But whoever is near will fall by the sword. And whoever remains and is besieged will die by famine. And I will fulfill my indignation among them.

13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when your slain will be in the midst of your idols, all around your altars, on every exalted hill, and on the summits of all the mountains, and under every dense tree, and under every leafy oak: the places where they burned sweet-smelling incense to all their idols.

14 And I will extend my hand over them. And I will make the earth desolate and destitute: from the desert of Riblah to all their dwelling places. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2 “And as for you, son of man: Thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: The end is coming, the end is coming, over the four regions of the earth.

3 Now the end is over you, and I will send my fury upon you. And I will judge you according to your ways. And I will place all your abominations before you.

4 And my eye will not be lenient over you, and I will not take pity. Instead, I will set your ways upon you, and your abominations will be in your midst. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

5 Thus says the Lord God: “One affliction, behold, one affliction is approaching.

6 The end is coming, the end is coming. It has been vigilant against you. Behold, it is approaching.

7 Destruction is coming over you, who live upon the earth. The time is approaching, the day of slaughter is near, and it is not of the glory of the mountains.

8 Now, very soon, I will pour out my wrath upon you, and I will fulfill my fury in you. And I will judge you according to your ways, and I will set upon you all your crimes.

9 And my eye will not be lenient, nor will I take pity. Instead, I will place your ways upon you, and your abominations will be in your midst. And you shall know that I am the Lord, who is striking.

10 Behold, the day! Behold, it approaches! Destruction has gone forth, the rod has blossomed, arrogance has germinated.

11 Iniquity has risen up into a rod of impiety. There shall be nothing left of them, and of their people, and of the sound of them. And there shall be no rest for them.

12 The time is approaching; the day is very near. Whoever buys should not rejoice. And whoever sells should not mourn. For wrath is over all of their people.

13 For whoever sells will not return to what he has sold, but as yet their life will be among the living. For the vision concerning their entire multitude will not turn back. And man will not be strengthened in the iniquity of his life.

14 Sound the trumpet! Let everyone be prepared! And yet there is no one who may go to battle. For my wrath is over all their people.

15 The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine are inside. Whoever is in the field will die by the sword. And whoever is in the city will be devoured by the pestilence and the famine.

16 And those who flee from among them will be saved. And they will be among the mountains, like doves in steep valleys, with everyone of them trembling, each one because of his iniquity.

17 All hands will be weakened, and all knees will flow with water.

18 And they will wrap themselves with haircloth, and dread will cover them. And shame will be upon every face, and baldness will be upon all of their heads.

19 Their silver will be thrown away, and their gold will be like a dunghill. Their silver and their gold will have no power to free them in the day of the fury of the Lord. They will not satisfy their soul, and their bellies will not be filled, because of the scandal of their iniquity.

20 And they have set arrogance as the ornament of their necklaces, and they have made images of their abominations and graven idols. Because of this, I have let it be an uncleanness for them.

21 And I will give it into the hands of foreigners as a spoil, and to the impious of the earth as a prey, and they will defile it.

22 And I will avert my face from them, and they will violate my place of mystery. And untamed persons will enter into it, and they will defile it.

23 Cause it to be closed. For the land has been filled with the judgment of blood, and the city is full of iniquity.

24 And I will lead in the most sinful among the Gentiles, and they will possess their houses. And I will cause the arrogance of the powerful to be quieted. And they will possess their sanctuaries.

25 When anguish overwhelms them, they will seek peace, and there will be none.

26 Disturbance will follow after disturbance, and rumor after rumor. And they will seek the vision of the prophet, and the law will perish from the priest, and counsel will perish from the elders.

27 The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with grief, and the hands of the people of the earth will be greatly disturbed. I will act toward them in accord with their own way, and I will judge them in accord with their own judgments. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”

1 And it happened that, in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, and the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there.

2 And I saw, and behold, there was an image with the appearance of fire. From the appearance of his waist, and downward, there was fire. And from his waist, and upward, there was the appearance of splendor, like the sight of amber.

3 And as the image of a hand went out, it took hold of me by a lock of my head. And the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven. And he brought me into Jerusalem, within a vision of God, next to the inner gate that looked toward the north, where there was stationed an idol of rivalry, so as to provoke an envious emulation.

4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, in accord with the vision that I had seen in the plain.

5 And he said to me: “Son of man, lift up your eyes to the way of the north.” And I lifted up my eyes to the way of the north. And behold, from the north of the gate of the altar was the idol of rivalry, at the same entrance.

6 And he said to me: “Son of man, you see what these ones are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here. Do you not think, then, that I should withdraw far away from my own sanctuary? But if you turn again, you will see even greater abominations.”

7 And he led me in by the door of the atrium. And I saw, and behold, there was an opening in the wall.

8 And he said to me: “Son of man, dig in the wall.” And when I had dug in the wall, there appeared one door.

9 And he said to me: “Enter and see the most wicked abominations which they are committing here.”

10 And entering, I saw, and behold, every kind of image of reptiles and animals, the abominations, and all of the idols of the house of Israel were depicted on the wall all around, throughout the entire place.

11 And there were seventy men out of the elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, standing in their midst, and they stood before the pictures. And each one had a censer in his hand. And a cloud of smoke rose up from the incense.

12 And he said to me: “Certainly, son of man, you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each one while hidden in his chamber. For they say: ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has forsaken the earth.’ “

13 And he said to me: “If you turn again, you will see even greater abominations, which these ones are committing.”

14 And he led me in through the door of the gate of the Lord’s house, which looked toward the north. And behold, women were sitting there, mourning for Adonis.

15 And he said to me: “Certainly, son of man, you have seen. But if you turn again, you will see even greater abominations than these.”

16 And he led me into the inner atrium of the house of the Lord. And behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the vestibule and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east. And they were adoring toward the rising of the Sun.

17 And he said to me: “Certainly, son of man, you have seen. Can this be so trivial to the house of Judah, when they commit these abominations, just as they have committed here, that, having filled the earth with iniquity, they now turn to provoke me? And behold, they are applying a branch to their nose.

18 Therefore, I also will act toward them in my fury. My eye will not be lenient, nor will I take pity. And when they will have cried out to my ears with a loud voice, I will not heed them.”

1 And he cried out in my ears with a loud voice, saying: “The visitations of the city have drawn near, and each one has equipment for killing in his hand.”

2 And behold, six men were approaching from the way of the upper gate, which looks to the north. And each one had equipment for killing in his hand. Also, one man in their midst was clothed with linen, and an instrument for writing was at his waist. And they entered and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 And the glory of the Lord of Israel was taken up, from the cherub upon which he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called out to the man who was clothed with linen and had an instrument for writing at his waist.

4 And the Lord said to him: “Cross through the middle of the city, in the center of Jerusalem, and seal a Tau upon the foreheads of the grieving men, who are mourning over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”

5 And he said to the others, in my hearing: “Cross through the city after him, and strike! Your eye shall not be lenient, and you shall not take pity.

6 Kill, even to utter destruction, old men, young men, and virgins, little ones, and women. But all upon whom see the Tau, you shall not kill. And begin from my sanctuary.” Therefore, they began with the men among the elders, who were before the face of the house.

7 And he said to them: “Defile the house, and fill its courts with the slain! Go forth!” And they went forth and struck down those who were in the city.

8 And when the slaughter was completed, I remained. And I fell upon my face, and crying out, I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Will you now destroy the entire remnant of Israel, by pouring out your fury upon Jerusalem?”

9 And he said to me: “The iniquity of the house of Israel, and of Judah, is vast and exceedingly great, and the land has been filled with blood, and the city has been filled with what is abhorrent. For they have said: ‘The Lord has forsaken the earth,’ and, ‘The Lord does not see.’

10 Therefore, my eye will not be lenient, and I will not take pity. I will repay their own way upon their head.”

11 And behold, the man who was clothed with linen, who had a writing instrument at his back, responded a word, saying: “I have done just as you instructed me.”

1 And I saw, and behold, in the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim, there appeared above them something like the sapphire stone, with the sight of the likeness of a throne.

2 And he spoke to the man who was clothed with linen, and he said: “Enter, between the wheels that are under the cherubim, and fill your hand with the coals of fire that are between the cherubim, and pour them upon the city.” And he entered, in my sight.

3 Now the cherubim were standing before the right side of the house, when the man entered. And a cloud filled the inner court.

4 And the glory of the Lord was lifted up, from above the cherubim, to the threshold of the house. And the house was filled with the cloud. And the court was filled with the splendor of the glory of the Lord.

5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God speaking.

6 And when he had instructed the man who was clothed with linen, saying, “Take fire from the midst of the wheels that are between the cherubim,” he entered and stood next to the wheel.

7 And one cherub extended his hand, from the midst of the cherubim, to the fire that was between the cherubim. And he took and gave it into the hands of the one who was clothed with linen, and he accepted it and went forth.

8 And there appeared amid the cherubim the likeness of the hand of a man, under their wings.

9 And I saw, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim. One wheel was next to one cherub, and another wheel was next to another cherub. And the appearance of the wheels was like the sight of the chrysolite stone.

10 And in their appearance, each one of the four were similar, as if a wheel were in the midst of a wheel.

11 And when they went, they advanced in four parts. And they did not turn as they went. Instead, to the place to which they were inclined to go at first, the rest also followed, and they did not turn back.

12 And their entire body, with their necks and their hands and their wings and the circles, were full of eyes all around the four wheels.

13 And in my hearing, he called these wheels: “constantly changing.”

14 Now each one had four faces. One face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and in the third was the face of a lion, and in the fourth was the face of an eagle.

15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This is the living creature, which I had seen beside the river Chebar.

16 And when the cherubim advanced, the wheels also went beside them. And when the cherubim lifted up their wings in order to be raised up from the earth, the wheels did not remain behind, but they also were beside them.

17 When they were standing, these stood still. And when they were lifted up, these were lifted up. For the spirit of life was in them.

18 And the glory of the Lord went forth from the threshold of the temple, and stood above the cherubim.

19 And the cherubim, lifting up their wings, were raised up from the earth in my sight. And as they went away, the wheels also followed. And it stood at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the Lord. And the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

20 This is the living creature, which I saw under the God of Israel beside the river Chebar. And I understood that they were cherubim.

21 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. And the likeness of the hand of a man was under their wings.

22 And, concerning the appearance of their faces, these were the same faces that I had seen beside the river Chebar, and the gaze and force of each one of them was to go before his face.

1 And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which looks toward the rising of the sun. And behold, at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men. And I saw, in their midst, Jaazaniah, the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

2 And he said to me: “Son of man, these are men who devise iniquity. And they offer a wicked counsel in this city,

3 saying: ‘Was it so long ago that houses were being built? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.’

4 Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.”

5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me: “Speak: Thus says the Lord: So have you spoken, O house of Israel. And I know the thoughts of your heart.

6 You have killed very many in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.

7 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Your slain, whom you have placed in its midst, these are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. And I will draw you out of its midst.

8 You have dread the sword, and so I will lead the sword over you, says the Lord God.

9 And I will cast you out of its midst, and I will give you over to the hand of the enemies, and I will execute judgments among you.

10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you within the borders of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

11 This city will not be a cooking pot for you, and you will not be like meat in its midst. I will judge you within the borders of Israel.

12 And you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my precepts, and you have not accomplished my judgments. Instead, you have acted in accord with the judgments of the Gentiles, who are all around you.”

13 And it happened that, when I prophesied, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died. And I fell upon my face, and I cried out with a loud voice, and I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Will you cause the consummation of the remnant of Israel?”

14 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

15 “Son of man, your brothers, the men among your close relatives, your brothers and the entire house of Israel, are all among those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said: ‘Withdraw far from the Lord; the earth has been given to us as a possession.’

16 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since I have caused them to be far away, among the Gentiles, and since I have dispersed them among the lands, I will be a little sanctuary for them within the lands to which they have gone.

17 Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from among the peoples, and I will unite you, from the lands into which you were dispersed, and I will give the soil of Israel to you.

18 And they shall go to that place, and they shall remove all the offenses and all its abominations from that place.

19 And I will give them one heart. And I will distribute a new spirit to their interior. And I will take away the heart of stone from their body. And I will give them a heart of flesh.

20 So may they may walk in my precepts, and observe my judgments, and accomplish them. And so may they be my people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for those whose heart walks after their offenses and abominations, I will set their own way upon their head, says the Lord God.”

22 And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels with them. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

23 And the glory of the Lord ascended from the midst of the city and stood above the mountain, which is to the east of the city.

24 And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me into Chaldea, to those of the transmigration, in a vision, in the Spirit of God. And the vision that I had seen was raised up, away from me.

25 And I spoke, to those of the transmigration, all the words of the Lord that he had revealed to me.

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, you live in the midst of a provoking house. They have eyes to see, and they do not see; and ears to hear, and they do not hear. For they are a provoking house.

3 As for you, then, son of man, prepare for yourself the supplies for traveling far away, and travel away in the daytime in their sight. And you shall travel from your place to another place in their sight, so that perhaps they may consider it. For they are a provoking house.

4 And you shall carry your supplies outside, like the supplies of one who is traveling far away, in the daytime in their sight. Then you shall go forth in the evening in their presence, just as one goes forth who is moving far away.

5 Dig for yourself through the wall, before their eyes. And you shall go out through it.

6 In their sight, you shall be carried on shoulders, you shall be carried in the dark. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground. For I have appointed you as a portent for the house of Israel.”

7 Therefore, I did just as he had instructed me. I brought out my supplies in the daytime, like the supplies of one who is moving far away. And in the evening, I dug myself through the wall by hand. And I went out in the dark, and I was carried on shoulders, in their sight.

8 And the word of the Lord came to me, in the morning, saying:

9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you: ‘What are you doing?’

10 Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This is the burden concerning my leader who is in Jerusalem, and concerning the entire house of Israel, who are in their midst.

11 Say: I am your portent. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They will be taken captive and moved far away.

12 And the leader who is in their midst will be carried on shoulders; he will go forth in darkness. They will dig through the wall, so that they may lead him away. His face will be covered, so that he may not see the land with his eye.

13 And I will extend my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans, but he himself will not see it. And there he shall die.

14 And all who are around him, his guards and his companies, I will scatter into every wind. And I will unsheathe the sword after them.

15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have dispersed them among the Gentiles, and will have sowed them among the lands.

16 And I will leave behind a few men of them, apart from the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence, so that they may declare all their wicked deeds among the Gentiles, to whom they will go. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”

17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

18 “Son of man, eat your bread in consternation. Moreover, drink your water hurriedly and in sorrow.

19 And say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord God, to those who are living in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread in anxiety, and drink their water in desolation, so that the land may be desolate before its multitude, because of the iniquity of all who are living in it.

20 And cities that are now inhabited will become desolate, and the land will be forsaken. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel? saying: ‘The days shall be extended in length, and every vision shall perish.’

23 Therefore, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will cause this proverb to cease, and it shall no longer be a common saying in Israel. And tell them that the days are approaching, and the word of every vision.

24 For there shall be no longer be any empty visions, nor any ambiguous divination in the midst of the sons of Israel.

25 For I, the Lord, will speak. And whatever word I will speak, it shall be done, and it shall not be delayed any more. Instead, in your days, O provoking house, I will speak a word and do it, says the Lord God.”

26 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

27 “Son of man, behold the house of Israel, those who are saying: ‘The visions that this one sees is many days away,’ and, ‘This man prophesies about times that are far away.’

28 Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: No word of mine will be delayed any longer. The word that I will speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God.”

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, prophesy to the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and you shall say to those who prophesy from their own heart: Hear the word of the Lord:

3 Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets, who are following their own spirit, and who see nothing.

4 Your prophets, O Israel, were like foxes in the deserts.

5 You have not gone up against the adversary, and you have not established a wall for the house of Israel, so as to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.

6 They see emptiness, and they foretell falsehoods, saying, ‘The Lord says,’ though the Lord has not sent them. And they continued to affirm what they said.

7 Have you not seen a futile vision and spoken a lying divination? And yet you say, ‘The Lord says,’ though I have not spoken.

8 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since you have spoken emptiness and have seen falsehoods, therefore: behold, I am against you, says the Lord God.

9 And my hand will be over the prophets who are seeing emptiness and divining lies. They shall not be in the council of my people, and they shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israel. Neither shall they enter into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.

10 For they have deceived my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ and there is no peace. And they have built a wall, but they have covered it in clay without straw.

11 Say to those who spread mortar without mixing, that it will fall apart. For there will be an inundating rain, and I will cause full-grown hailstones to rush down from above, and a windstorm to dissipate it.

12 So then, behold: when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you: ‘Where is the mortar with which you covered it?’

13 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: And I will cause a violent wind to burst forth in my indignation, and there will be an inundating rain in my fury, and great hailstones in wrath, to consume.

14 And I will destroy the wall that you have covered without tempering it. And I will level it to the ground, and its foundation will be revealed. And it will fall and be consumed in its midst. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

15 And I will fulfill my indignation against the wall, and against those who cover it without mixing the mortar, and I will say to you: The wall is no more, and those who covered it are no more:

16 the prophets of Israel, who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord God.

17 And as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy from their own heart. And prophesy about them,

18 and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew together little pillows under every forearm, and who make little cushions for the heads of every stage of life, in order to capture souls. And when they have seized the souls of my people, they became the life of their souls.

19 And they violated me among my people, for the sake of a handful of barley and a fragment of bread, so that they would kill the souls that should not die, and enliven the souls that should not live, lying to my people who believe in falsehoods.

20 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your little pillows, with which you catch flying souls. And I will tear them away from your arms. And I will release the souls that you are capturing, the souls that should fly.

21 And I will tear away your little cushions. And I will free my people from your hand. And they shall no longer be a prey in your hands. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

22 For by deception you have caused the heart of the just to grieve, whom I would not sadden. And I have strengthened the hands of the impious, so that he would not be turned back from his evil way and live.

23 Therefore, you shall not see emptiness, and you shall not divine divinations, any more. And I will rescue my people from your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”