**The False Prophets of Israel**
In the days when the word of the Lord came mightily to Ezekiel, son of Buzi, the priest exiled by the river Chebar, the Lord’s anger burned against those who spoke lies in His name. The land of Israel was filled with deceit, and the hearts of the people were led astray by smooth words and empty promises. Then the Lord spoke to Ezekiel, saying:
*”Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy out of their own hearts. Say to those who prophesy from their own imagination, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’”*
Ezekiel bowed low before the Lord, his spirit heavy with the burden of the message. He rose and stood before the people, his voice like thunder rolling across the valley.
**The Lord’s Judgment Against False Prophets**
*”Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Like jackals among ruins, they scamper about, speaking peace where there is no peace. They whitewash crumbling walls with lies, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ when the Lord has not spoken.”*
The people listened, some with trembling hearts, others with scorn. The false prophets, dressed in fine robes, their faces smug with self-assurance, stood among the crowds, their eyes flashing with defiance. They had built flimsy walls of deception, covering the cracks with false visions and soothing lies.
*”Tell these deceivers,”* the Lord commanded Ezekiel, *”that when the storm comes—the raging winds, the torrents of rain, and the great hailstones—their whitewashed walls will collapse. The people will cry out, ‘Where is the whitewash you slathered on?’ And the false prophets will be buried beneath the rubble of their own lies.”*
Ezekiel’s voice grew louder, his words sharp as a sword. *”Thus says the Lord: I am against those who deceive my people with false visions and lying divinations. They lead my sheep astray, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace. They have not stood in the council of the Lord to see or hear His word. If they had, they would have turned the people from their evil ways!”*
**The Fate of the Deceivers**
The Lord’s wrath was unrelenting. *”Because you have spoken falsehood and seen delusions, your names will be blotted out from Israel. You will not enter the land of my people, nor will you be written in the book of the house of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”*
The false prophets paled, their hands trembling. Some clutched their garments, others muttered curses under their breath. But the word of the Lord would not return void.
*”And you, O women who sew magic charms on your wrists and veils to ensnare souls—you too shall not go unpunished! You hunt my people like birds, trapping them with your sorceries. You profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. Therefore, I will tear your charms from your arms and free those you have ensnared. No more will you deceive the righteous with lies.”*
**The Certainty of God’s Judgment**
Ezekiel’s proclamation echoed through the land, a divine decree that could not be overturned. The false prophets would fall, their lies exposed, their power broken. The people would see at last that the Lord does not tolerate those who twist His words for gain.
*”Then you will know that I am the Lord,”* Ezekiel declared. *”Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies—though I did not cause them grief—and because you have encouraged the wicked to persist in their evil, you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will deliver my people from your hands.”*
And with that, the word of the Lord was fulfilled. The storm came, the walls collapsed, and the deceivers were swept away. The people of Israel, humbled and chastened, turned their hearts once more to the Lord, the only true God, who judges rightly and speaks with unwavering truth.
Thus ended the prophecy against the false prophets, a warning for all generations to heed the voice of the Lord and reject the smooth words of those who speak lies in His name.
