Immerse: Prophets - Flipbook - Page 346
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IMMERSE
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PROPHETS
13:13–14:6
“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will sweep away
your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of
anger, and with hailstones of fury. I will break down your wall right to its
foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that
I am the Lord. At last my anger against the wall and those who covered
it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: ‘The wall and
those who whitewashed it are both gone. They were lying prophets who
claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the
Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’
“Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from
their own imaginations. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sor
row awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young
and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with
magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruc
tion on yourselves? You bring shame on me among my people for a few
handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to
listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to
those who should not live.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against all your magic
charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them
from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage. I
will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will
no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You
have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to
be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even
though they continue in their sins. Because of all this, you will no longer
talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you make predictions.
For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I
am the Lord.”
Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sit
ting with me, this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man,
these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things
that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?
Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel
have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a
prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of
answer their great idolatry deserves. I will do this to capture the minds
and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their
detestable idols.’
“Therefore, tell the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord
