1 En die woord van die HERE het tot my gekom en gesê:

2 Mensekind, profeteer teen die profete van Israel wat profeteer, en sê aan die wat profete uit hulle eie hart is: Hoor die woord van die HERE!

3 So spreek die Here HERE: Wee die dwase profete wat agter hulle eie gees aan wandel en agter dinge wat hulle nie gesien het nie.

4 Jou profete, o Israel, is soos jakkalse in puinhope.

5 Julle het in die bresse nie opgegaan nie en die muur nie gebou om die huis van Israel, om in die stryd pal te staan in die dag van die HERE nie.

6 Hulle het nietigheid gesien en leuenagtige waarsêery, hulle wat daar sê: Die HERE het gespreek -- terwyl die HERE hulle nie gestuur het nie; en dan wag hulle op vervulling van die woord!

7 Het julle nie 'n bedrieglike gesig gesien en leuenagtige waarsêery gespreek nie deurdat julle sê: Die HERE spreek, terwyl k nie gespreek het nie?

8 Daarom, so spreek die Here HERE: Omdat julle valsheid gespreek en leuenagtige gesigte gesien het, daarom kyk, Ek het dit teen julle, spreek die Here HERE.

9 En my hand sal wees teen die profete wat bedrieglike gesigte sien en leuens waarsê: hulle sal in die vergadering van my volk nie wees nie en in die boek van die huis van Israel nie opgeskryf word nie en in die land van Israel nie kom nie; en julle sal weet dat Ek die Here HERE is.

10 Omdat, ja, omdat hulle my volk verlei het deur te sê: Vrede! terwyl daar geen vrede is nie; en as die volk 'n muur bou, kyk, dan bepleister hulle dit met los kalk;

11 sê vir hulle wat met los kalk pleister, dat dit sal afval; daar sal 'n oorstromende stortreën kom; en julle, haelstene, sal val en 'n stormwind sal losbreek.

12 En kyk, daar val die muur! Sal dan nie vir julle gesê word: Waar is die pleister waarmee julle gepleister het nie?

13 Daarom, so spreek die Here HERE: Ja, Ek sal 'n stormwind in my grimmigheid laat losbreek, en daar sal 'n oorstromende stortreën kom in my toorn en haelstene in grimmigheid tot vernietiging.

14 En Ek sal die muur afbreek wat julle met los kalk gepleister het, en dit op die grond gooi, sodat sy fondament blootgelê sal word; dan sal die stad val, en julle sal daarin omkom; en julle sal weet dat Ek die HERE is.

15 En Ek sal my grimmigheid laat uitwoed teen die muur en teen hulle wat dit met los kalk gepleister het; en Ek sal vir julle sê: Weg is die muur! En weg is hulle wat dit gepleister het,

16 naamlik die profete van Israel wat profeteer aangaande Jerusalem en vir hom gesigte van vrede sien, terwyl daar geen vrede is nie, spreek die Here HERE.

17 En jy, mensekind, rig jou aangesig teen die dogters van jou volk wat as profetesse optree uit hulle eie hart, en profeteer teen hulle

18 en sê: So spreek die Here HERE: Wee die vroue wat bande vaswerk aan al die gewrigte van die hande en sluiers maak oor die hoof van allerhande mense, groot en klein, om siele te vang. Wil julle siele vang van my volk en siele vir julle voordeel in die lewe hou?

19 En julle ontheilig My by my volk vir 'n paar hande vol gars en vir 'n paar stukke brood om siele dood te maak wat nie moes gesterf het nie, en om siele in die lewe te hou wat nie moes geleef het nie, deurdat julle my volk belieg wat na leuens luister.

20 Daarom, so sê die Here HERE: Kyk, Ek het dit teen julle bande waarmee julle die siele vang soos voëls, en Ek sal hulle van julle arms afskeur; en Ek sal die siele losmaak, die siele wat julle vang soos voëls.

21 Ek sal ook julle sluiers skeur en my volk uit julle hand red, sodat hulle nie meer 'n buit in julle hand sal wees nie; en julle sal weet dat Ek die HERE is.

22 Omdat julle met leuens die hart van die regverdige droewig gemaak het -- terwyl Ek hom geen smart aangedoen het nie -- en die hande van die goddelose versterk het, dat hy van sy slegte weg nie sou terugkeer, om hom in die lewe te hou nie;

23 daarom sal julle geen bedrieglike gesigte meer sien en geen waarsêery meer drywe nie; maar Ek sal my volk uit julle hand red, en julle sal weet dat Ek die HERE is.

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

2 Son of man, be a prophet against the prophets of Israel, and say to those prophets whose words are the invention of their hearts, Give ear to the word of the Lord;

3 This is what the Lord has said: A curse on the foolish prophets who go after the spirit which is in them and have seen nothing!

4 O Israel, your prophets have been like jackals in the waste places.

5 You have not gone up into the broken places or made up the wall for the children of Israel to take your place in the fight in the day of the Lord.

6 They have seen visions without substance and made use of secret arts, who say, The Lord has said; and the Lord has not sent them: hoping that the word would have effect.

7 Have you not seen a vision without substance and have you not falsely made use of secret arts, when you say, The Lord has said; though I have said nothing?

8 So this is what the Lord has said: Because your words are without substance and your visions are false, see, I am against you, says the Lord.

9 And my hand will be against the prophets who see visions without substance and who make false use of secret arts: they will not be in the secret of my people, and they will not be recorded in the list of the children of Israel, and they will not come into the land of Israel; and it will be clear to you that I am the Lord.

10 Because, even because they have been guiding my people into error, saying, Peace; when there is no peace; and in the building of a division wall they put whitewash on it:

11 Say to those who put whitewash on it, There will be an overflowing shower; and you, O ice-drops, will come raining down; and it will be broken in two by the storm-wind.

12 And when the wall has come down, will they not say to you, Where is the whitewash which you put on it?

13 For this reason, the Lord has said: I will have it broken in two by a storm-wind in my passion; and there will be an overflowing shower in my wrath, and you, O ice-drops, will come raining angrily down.

14 So I will let the wall, which you were covering with whitewash, be broken down; I will have it levelled to the earth so that its base is uncovered: it will come down, and destruction will come on you with it; and it will be clear to you that I am the Lord.

15 So I will let loose my passion on the wall in full measure, and on those who put whitewash on it; and I will say to you, Where is the wall, and where are those who put whitewash on it?

16 Even the prophets of Israel who say words to Jerusalem, who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord.

17 And you, son of man, let your face be turned against the daughters of your people, who are acting the part of prophets at their pleasure; be a prophet against them, and say,

18 This is what the Lord has said: A curse is on the women who are stitching bands on all arms and putting veils on the heads of those of every size, so that they may go after souls! Will you go after the souls of my people and keep yourselves safe from death?

19 And you have put me to shame among my people for a little barley and some bits of bread, sending death on souls for whom there is no cause of death, and keeping those souls living who have no right to life, by the false words you say to my people who give ear to what is false.

20 For this cause the Lord has said: See, I am against your bands with which you go after souls, and I will violently take them off their arms; and I will let loose the souls, even the souls whom you go after freely.

21 And I will have your veils violently parted in two, and will make my people free from your hands, and they will no longer be in your power for you to go after them; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

22 Because with your false words you have given pain to the heart of the upright man when I had not made him sad; in order to make strong the hands of the evil-doer so that he may not be turned from his evil way and get life:

23 For this cause you will see no more foolish visions or make false use of secret arts: and I will make my people free from your power; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.