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

Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, dicens:

Word came to me from the Lord:

Son of man, prophesy thou against the prophets of Israel that prophesy: and thou shalt say to them that prophesy out of their own heart: Hear ye the word of the Lord:

Fili hominis, vaticinare ad prophetas Israël qui prophetant, et dices prophetantibus de corde suo: Audite verbum Domini.

Son of man, on the prophets pronounce my doom, the prophets whom Israel heeds; would they prophesy after their own devices? Give them this message from the Lord:

Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit, and see nothing.

Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Væ prophetis insipientibus, qui sequuntur spiritum suum, et nihil vident!

Out upon the reckless prophets, the Lord God says, that follow their own whim, and vision have none!

Thy prophets, O Israel, were like foxes in the deserts.

Quasi vulpes in desertis prophetæ tui, Israël, erant.

Poor Israel, that such foxes as these should burrow among thy ruins!

You have not gone up to face the enemy, nor have you set up a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in battle in the day of the Lord.

Non ascendistis ex adverso, neque opposuistis murum pro domo Israël, ut staretis in prælio in die Domini.

What did you to restore the fortunes of the day, when the Lord’s stroke fell? Not for you to man the breach, to throw up a wall about Israel!

They see vain things, and they foretell lies, saying: The Lord saith: whereas the Lord hath not sent them: and they have persisted to confirm what they have said.

Vident vana, et divinant mendacium, dicentes: Ait Dominus, cum Dominus non miserit eos: et perseveraverunt confirmare sermonem.

Vain vision and cheating hopes are theirs, that warrant from me have none, yet speak in the Lord’s name, and look to see their word fulfilled;

Have you not seen a vain vision and spoken a lying divination: and you say: The Lord saith: whereas I have not spoken.

Numquid non visionem cassam vidistis, et divinationem mendacem locuti estis, et dicitis: Ait Dominus, cum ego non sim locutus?

has the Lord spoken? Not the Lord, only your empty dreams, your lying oracles.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because you have spoken vain things, and have seen lies: therefore behold I come against you, saith the Lord God.

Propterea hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Quia locuti estis vana, et vidistis mendacium, ideo ecce ego ad vos, dicit Dominus Deus.

For these vain visions, these cheating hopes of yours, have at you! says the Lord God.

And my hand shall be upon the prophets that see vain things, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, nor shall they 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.

Et erit manus mea super prophetas qui vident vana, et divinant mendacium: in consilio populi mei non erunt, et in scriptura domus Israël non scribentur, nec in terram Israël ingredientur, et scietis quia ego Dominus Deus:

On false prophet and sightless seer my hand is raised in judgement; never shall they take part in the assembly of Israel, or have their names written in its muster-roll, or find a home in Israel’s land! So shall you learn what manner of God the Lord is.

Because they have deceived my people, saying: Peace, and there is no peace: and the people built up a wall, and they daubed it with dirt without straw.

eo quod deceperint populum meum, dicentes: Pax, et non est pax: et ipse ædificabat parietem, illi autem liniebant eum luto absque paleis.

How dared they cheat my people with false hopes, crying, All’s well, when in truth all went amiss? My people, that strove to build a wall, and here were the prophets plastering it with clay that had no straw in it!

Say to them that daub without tempering, that it shall fall: for there shall be an overflowing shower, and I will cause great hailstones to fall violently from above, and a stormy wind to throw it down.

Dic ad eos qui liniunt absque temperatura, quod casurus sit: erit enim imber inundans, et dabo lapides prægrandes desuper irruentes, et ventum procellæ dissipantem.

Thine to warn these unskilful plasterers that the wall must needs crumble; here is a rain-storm brewing, and I mean to ply it with a volley of great hail-stones, and a tempestuous wind that scatters all before it;

Behold, when the wall is fallen: shall it not be said to you: Where is the daubing wherewith you have daubed it?

Siquidem ecce cecidit paries: numquid non dicetur vobis: Ubi est litura quam linistis?

crumble your wall, shall no one ask what became of the mortar that went to its plastering?

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Lo, I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in my indignation, and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger: and great hailstones in my wrath to consume.

Propterea hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Et erumpere faciam spiritum tempestatum in indignatione mea, et imber inundans in furore meo erit, et lapides grandes in ira in consumptionem.

Like a tempestuous wind my anger shall break out, the Lord God says; like the rain-storm my indignation shall be, and like a volley of hail-stones my vengeance shall take toll of you;

And I will break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar: and I will make it even with the ground, and the foundation thereof shall be laid bare: and it shall fall, and shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and you shall know that I am the Lord.

Et destruam parietem quem linistis absque temperamento, et adæquabo eum terræ, et revelabitur fundamentum ejus: et cadet, et consumetur in medio ejus, et scietis quia ego sum Dominus.

down shall come the wall you plastered so ill, razed to earth, and all its foundations shewing, overthrown to your common ruin; so you shall learn what manner of God the Lord is.

And I will accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that daub it without tempering the mortar, and I will say to you: The wall is no more, and they that daub it are no more.

Et complebo indignationem meam in pariete, et in his qui liniunt eum absque temperamento: dicamque vobis: Non est paries, et non sunt qui liniunt eum:

Wall nor plasterer my vengeance shall spare; Down with the wall, my sentence is, and down with the plasterers that plastered it so unworkmanly,

Even the prophets of Israel that prophesy to Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her: and there is no peace, saith the Lord God.

prophetæ Israël, qui prophetant ad Jerusalem, et vident ei visionem pacis, et non est pax, ait Dominus Deus.

Israel’s prophets, that gave Jerusalem comfort, the Lord says, promising all should be well when all went amiss.

And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people that prophesy out of their own heart: and do thou prophesy against them,

Et tu, fili hominis, pone faciem tuam contra filias populi tui quæ prophetant de corde suo: et vaticinare super eas,

There are women, too, among this people of mine who would play the prophetess as their own whim bids them. Turn upon these, son of man, and tell them their doom:

And say: Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to them that sew cushions under every elbow: and make pillows for the heads of persons of every age to catch souls: and when they caught the souls of my people, they gave life to their souls.

et dic: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Væ quæ consuunt pulvillos sub omni cubito manus, et faciunt cervicalia sub capite universæ ætatis ad capiendas animas: et cum caperent animas populi mei, vivificabant animas eorum!

Out upon them, says the Lord God, the women who stitch an elbow-cushion for every comer, make a soft pillow for the heads of young and old! Men’s lives are their prey; shall they cast a net about the lives of Israelites, and save their own?

And they violated me among my people, for a handful of barley, and a piece of bread, to kill souls which should not die, and to save souls alive which should not live, telling lies to my people that believe lies.

Et violabant me ad populum meum propter pugillum hordei, et fragmen panis, ut interficerent animas quæ non moriuntur, et vivificarent animas quæ non vivunt, mentientes populo meo credenti mendaciis.

For a handful of meal, or a crust of bread, they will put me to shame before my own people; will doom to life or death the undeserving, such credence they win from a people ever credulous.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I declare against your cushions, wherewith you catch flying souls: and I will tear them off from your arms: and I will let go the soul that you catch, the souls that should fly.

Propter hoc hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce ego ad pulvillos vestros, quibus vos capitis animas volantes: et dirumpam eos de brachiis vestris, et dimittam animas quas vos capitis, animas ad volandum.

Have at those elbow-cushions of yours, the Lord God says, the nets yonder silly birds are caught in! I mean to snatch them away from your grasp, and set the birds free, those lives you have ensnared with your prophesying.

And I will tear your pillows, and will deliver my people out of your hand, neither shall they be any more in your hands to be a prey: and you shall know that I am the Lord.

Et dirumpam cervicalia vestra, et liberabo populum meum de manu vestra, neque erunt ultra in manibus vestris ad prædandum: et scietis quia ego Dominus.

Your pillows shall be torn in pieces; I will rescue my people from your power, and they shall no longer be yours to ensnare; then you will learn what manner of God the Lord is.

Because with lies you have made the heart of the just to mourn, whom I have not made sorrowful: and have strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his evil way, and live.

Pro eo quod mœrere fecistis cor justi mendaciter, quem ego non contristavi, et confortastis manus impii, ut non reverteretur a via sua mala, et viveret:

You have brought woe on innocent lives, when I was fain to comfort them, confirmed the sinner in those evil ways that shall be his undoing;

Therefore you shall not see vain things, nor divine divinations any more, and I will deliver my people out of your hand: and you shall know that I am the Lord.

propterea vana non videbitis, et divinationes non divinabitis amplius, et eruam populum meum de manu vestra: et scietis quia ego Dominus.

now there shall be no more of your empty visions, there shall be no more divinings; I mean to save my people from your clutches, and you shall know the Lord’s power at last.