Reproof of False Prophets
(Micah 2:6–11)

1And the word came of YHWH to me, saying: 2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, those prophesying, and say to the prophets of their own heart, hear the word of YHWH! 3Thus says the Lord YHWH: Woe upon the foolish prophets, who are walking after their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4Like jackals among the ruins, your prophets, O Israel, have become. 5You⁺ have not gone up into the breaches, and walled up the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of YHWH.

6They have seen emptiness and lying divination, saying, ‘Thus says YWHW…,’ and YHWH has not sent them; and they hope to establish their word.

7Have you⁺ not seen a vision of emptiness and spoken a lying divination? You say, ‘An utterance of YHWH…,’ and I have not spoken.

8Therefore, thus says the Lord YHWH: Because you⁺ have spoken emptiness, and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you⁺! An utterance of the Lord YHWH. 9And My hand will be against the prophets who are seeing emptiness, and who divine a lie; they will not belong in the assembly of My people, and in the register of the house of Israel they will not be written, and into the land of Israel they will not come. And you⁺ will know that I am the Lord YHWH.

10Because, even because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace!’ When there is no peace, and one is building a wall, and behold them, they plaster it with whitewash, 11you will say to those plastering with whitewash that it will fall! There will be an overflowing rain, and you⁺, O stones of hail, will fall, and a wind of tempests will tear it down. 12And behold, when the wall has fallen, it will not be said to you⁺, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you⁺ plastered it?’

13Therefore, thus says the Lord YHWH: And I will cause to break forth a wind of tempests in My fury, and an overflowing rain there will be in My anger, and stones of hail in My fury to consume! 14And I will break down the wall that you⁺ have plastered with whitewash, and I will make it touch to the ground, and its foundation will be uncovered, and it will fall, and you⁺ will be finished off in the midst of it. And you⁺ will know that I am YHWH.

15And will I accomplish My wrath against the wall, and against those plastering it with whitewash; and I will say to you⁺: ‘The wall is no more, and those plastering it are no more— 16the prophets of Israel are prophesying concerning Jerusalem, and seeing for her visions of peace, and there is no peace! An utterance of the Lord YHWH.’

Reproof of False Prophetesses

17And you, O son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, those prophesying from their own heart, and prophesy against them, 18and say, thus says the Lord YHWH: Woe to those sowing charms on all the wrists of their hands, and making veils for the heads of every height, to hunt for souls! Will you⁺ hunt the souls of My people, and the souls of yourselves keep alive? 19And you⁺ profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley, and for pieces of bread, by putting to death people who should not die, and keeping alive people who should not live, by your⁺ lying to My people who listen to a lie.

20Therefore, thus says the Lord YHWH: Behold, I am against your⁺ charms, by which you⁺ hunt there souls like birds; and I will tear them from your⁺ arms, and I will send away the souls that you⁺ hunt like the souls of birds. 21And I will tear off your⁺ veils, and I will deliver My people from your⁺ hands, and they will be no longer in your⁺ hands as prey! And you⁺ will know that I am YHWH.

22Because you have disheartened the righteous heart with a lie (when I had not grieved him) and strengthened the hands of the wicked, so as not to turn aside from his evil way to save his life, 23therefore emptiness you⁺ will not see, and divination you⁺ will not divine any longer. And I will deliver My people from your⁺ hands, and you⁺ will know that I am YHWH.”