Ezekiel 13:17

Easy-to-Read Version

God said, "Son of man, look at the women prophets in Israel. They say the things they want to say, so you must speak against them for me. You must say this to them:

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Now you, son of man, face the women among your people who prophesy out of their own imagination, and prophesy against them.

Hebrew Names Version
You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy you against them,

King James Version
Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

English Standard Version
"And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them

New American Standard Bible
"Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are talking like prophets from their own imagination. Prophesy against them

New Century Version
"Now, human, look toward the women among your people who make up their own prophecies. Prophesy against them.

Amplified Bible
"Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying out of [the wishful thinking of] their own mind (inspiration). Prophesy against them

World English Bible
You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy you against them,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Likewise thou sonne of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesie out of their owne heart: and prophesie thou against them, and say,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own inspiration. Prophesy against them

Legacy Standard Bible
"Now as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own heart. Prophesy against them

Berean Standard Bible
Now, O son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them

Contemporary English Version
The Lord said: Ezekiel, son of man, now condemn the women of Israel who preach messages that come from their own imagination.

Complete Jewish Bible
"You, human being, turn your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own thoughts. Prophesy against them;

Darby Translation
And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them,

George Lamsa Translation
Likewise, you Son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them, and say to them,

Good News Translation
The Lord said, "Now, mortal man, look at the women among your people who make up predictions. Denounce them

Lexham English Bible
"And you, son of man, place your face toward the daughters of your people who prophesy from their imagination, and prophesy against them!

Literal Translation
And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their heart, and prophesy against them,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore (o thou sonne of ma,) set thy face agaynst the doughters of yi people, which prophecie out of their owne hertes: & speake thou prophecie agaynst them,

American Standard Version
And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

Bible in Basic English
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,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

King James Version (1611)
Likewise thou sonne of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people; which prophecie out of their owne heart, and prophecie thou against them,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherefore O thou sonne of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, whiche prophecie out of their owne heartes, and prophecie against them:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou, son of man, set thy face firmly against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them.

English Revised Version
And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou, sone of man, sette thi face ayens the douytris of thi puple, that profesien of her herte; and profesie thou on hem,

Update Bible Version
And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them,

Webster's Bible Translation
Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

New English Translation
"As for you, son of man, turn toward the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination. Prophesy against them

New King James Version
"Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them,

New Living Translation
"Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations.

New Life Bible
"Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are telling what will happen from their own minds. Speak against them,

New Revised Standard
As for you, mortal, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own imagination; prophesy against them

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And thou, Son of man Set thy face against the daughters of thy people, Those who are prophesying out of their own heart, - And prophesy thou against them;

Douay-Rheims Bible
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,

Revised Standard Version
"And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own minds; prophesy against them

Young's Literal Translation
And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, who are prophesying out of their own heart, and prophesy concerning them,

THE MESSAGE
"And the women prophets—son of man, take your stand against the women prophets who make up stuff out of their own minds. Oppose them. Say ‘Doom' to the women who sew magic bracelets and head scarves to suit every taste, devices to trap souls. Say, ‘Will you kill the souls of my people, use living souls to make yourselves rich and popular? You have profaned me among my people just to get ahead yourselves, used me to make yourselves look good—killing souls who should never have died and coddling souls who shouldn't live. You've lied to people who love listening to lies.'

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ God said, "Son of man, look at the women prophets in Israel. They say the things they want to say, so you must speak against them for me. You must say this to them: ¹⁸ ‘This is what the Lord God says: Bad things will happen to you women. You sew cloth bracelets for people to wear on their arms. You make special scarves for people to wear on their heads. You say those things have magic powers to control people's lives. You trap the people only to keep yourselves alive! ¹⁹ You make them think I am not important. You turn them against me for a few handfuls of barley and a few scraps of bread. You tell lies to my people. They love to listen to lies. You kill those who should live, and you let people live who should die. ²⁰ So this is what the Lord God says to you: You make those cloth bracelets to trap people, but I will set them free. I will tear those bracelets off your arms, and the people will be free from you. They will be like birds flying from a trap. ²¹ And I will tear up those scarves and save my people from your power. They will escape from your trap, and you will know that I am the Lord . ²² "‘You prophets tell lies. Your lies hurt good people—I did not want to hurt them! You support the wicked and encourage them. You don't tell them to change their lives. You don't try to save their lives! ²³ So you will not see any more useless visions or do any more magic. I will save my people from your power, and you will know that I am the Lord .'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

set thy: Ezekiel 4:3, Ezekiel 20:46, Ezekiel 21:2

the daughters: Isaiah 3:16-26, Isaiah 4:4

prophesy: Judges 4:4, 2 Kings 22:14, Luke 2:36, 2 Peter 2:1

out of: Ezekiel 13:2, Revelation 2:20

Reciprocal: Numbers 16:28 - of mine Nehemiah 6:13 - that I should Nehemiah 6:14 - on the prophetess Ezekiel 6:2 - set Daniel 2:9 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 13:15
All this land that you see I will give to you and your people who live after you. This will be your land forever.

Genesis 13:17
So go. Walk through your land. I now give it to you."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people,.... The false prophetesses; for as there were women in some ages, who had the true spirit of prophecy, as Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, Exodus 15:20; so there were some that pretended to it, who had it not, as Noadiah in the times of Nehemiah, Nehemiah 6:14; and such there were in the times of Ezekiel; against whom he is bid to set his face, and look them out of countenance, and make them ashamed; who, contrary to the modesty of the sex, had impudently taken upon them to prophesy to the people; and such have been since in the times of the Gospel, as Jezebel, Revelation 2:20; and Prisca, Maximilia, Quintilia, and others:

who prophesy out of their own heart; as the men did, Ezekiel 13:2; what their own hearts suggested to them; what came into their minds, and their own fancies and imaginations led them to; what was according to their carnal affections and desires, and agreeable to those that heard them:

and prophesy thou against them; declare their prophecies false; warn the people from giving heed to them; and foretell what shall befall them for deceiving the people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A rebuke to the false prophetesses, and a declaration that God will confound them, and deliver their victims from their snares. Women were sometimes inspired by the true God, as were Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, and Huldah; but an order of prophetesses was unknown among the people of God, and the existence of such a class in the last days of the kings of Judah was a fresh instance of declension into pagan usages.

Ezekiel 13:18-21. Render thus: “Woe to the women that” put charms on every finger-joint, that set veils upon heads of every height to ensnare souls. “Will ye” ensnare “the souls of my people,” and keep your own souls alive, and will ye profane my name “among my people for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to” keep alive “the souls that should not live, by lying to my people” who listen to “a lie? Wherefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold” I will come upon your charms, where ye are ensnaring the souls like birds; “and I will tear them from your arms and will let the souls go” free, “even the souls” which ye are ensnaring like birds. “Your” veils “also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be” ensnared; “and ye shall know that I am the Lord.”

Most ancient interpreters and many modern interpreters have understood the “pillows” (or charms) and “kerchiefs” (or veils), as appliances to which the sorcerers had resort in order to attract notice. The veil was a conspicuous ornament in the east - women whatever their “stature” (or, height) putting them on - and it was worn by magicians in order to seem more mysterious and awful.

Ezekiel 13:19

Pollute me - Profane Me by your false words, which ye pretend to be from Me.

Handfuls of barley - Such were the gifts with which men used to approach a seer (compare 1 Samuel 9:7-8; 1 Kings 14:3).

Ezekiel 13:20

To make them fly - If the marginal reading “into gardens” be adopted, it must mean, Ye entice men to the gardens or groves, where magical arts are practiced. That groves were used for this purpose and for idolatrous rites is notorious.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 13:17. Set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy — From this it appears that there were prophetesses in the land of Israel, that were really inspired by the Lord: for as a false religion necessarily implies a true one, of which it is the ape; so false prophetesses necessarily imply true ones, whom they endeavoured to imitate.

That there were true prophetesses among the Jews is evident enough from such being mentioned in the sacred writings. Miriam, the sister of Moses Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:2; Deborah, Judges 4:4; Huldah, 2 Kings 22:14; Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, Luke 2:36; the four daughters of Philip the deacon, Acts 21:9.

Calmet observes that there was scarcely a heresy in the primitive Church that was not supported and fomented by seducing women.