TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 13
Translation and Transliteration of
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1The word of Hashem came to me:
אוַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃
2O mortal, prophesy against the Neviim of Yisrael who prophesy; say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of Hashem!
בבֶּן־אָדָם הִנָּבֵא אֶל־נְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּבָּאִים וְאָמַרְתָּ לִנְבִיאֵי מִלִּבָּם שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה׃
3Thus said Hashem: Woe to the degenerate Neviim, who follow their own fancy, without having had a vision!
גכֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה הוֹי עַל־הַנְּבִיאִים הַנְּבָלִים אֲשֶׁר הֹלְכִים אַחַר רוּחָם וּלְבִלְתִּי רָאוּ׃
4Your Neviim, O Yisrael, have been like jackals among ruins.
k'-shu-a-LEEM ba-kha-ra-VOT n'-vee-E-kha yis-ra-AYL ha-YU
דכְּשֻׁעָלִים בָּחֳרָבוֹת נְבִיאֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ׃
13:4 Your Neviim, O Yisrael, have been like jackals among ruins

A golden Jackal in Revivim, Israel
Yechezkel compares the false prophets who led Israel astray to jackals lurking among the ruins. While the image of animals prowling among ruins symbolizes destruction, the Talmud (Makkot 24b) also sees these animals as harbingers of redemption. It relates that the great Rabbi Akiva was walking with some other Sages near the remnants of the destroyed Temple. When he saw a jackal emerge from the site of the Holy of Holies, he laughed with joy, while the others who were with him wept. The Sages were shocked by his laughter, but Rabbi Akiva explained that just as Hashem faithfully fulfilled His prophecies of destruction, so too He will be faithful to fulfill the prophecies of redemption, restoration and renewal.
5You did not enter the breaches and repair the walls for the House of Yisrael, that they might stand up in battle in the day of Hashem.
הלֹא עֲלִיתֶם בַּפְּרָצוֹת וַתִּגְדְּרוּ גָדֵר עַל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲמֹד בַּמִּלְחָמָה בְּיוֹם יְהֹוָה׃
6They prophesied falsehood and lying divination; they said, “Declares Hashem,” when Hashem did not send them, and then they waited for their word to be fulfilled.
וחָזוּ שָׁוְא וְקֶסֶם כָּזָב הָאֹמְרִים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַיהֹוָה לֹא שְׁלָחָם וְיִחֲלוּ לְקַיֵּם דָּבָר׃
7It was false visions you prophesied and lying divination you uttered, saying, “Declares Hashem,” when I had not spoken.
זהֲלוֹא מַחֲזֵה־שָׁוְא חֲזִיתֶם וּמִקְסַם כָּזָב אֲמַרְתֶּם וְאֹמְרִים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַאֲנִי לֹא דִבַּרְתִּי׃
8Assuredly, thus said Hashem: Because you speak falsehood and prophesy lies, assuredly, I will deal with you—declares Hashem.
חלָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה יַעַן דַּבֶּרְכֶם שָׁוְא וַחֲזִיתֶם כָּזָב לָכֵן הִנְנִי אֲלֵיכֶם נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה׃
9My hand will be against the Neviim who prophesy falsehood and utter lying divination. They shall not remain in the assembly of My people, they shall not be inscribed in the lists of the House of Yisrael, and they shall not come back to the land of Yisrael. Thus shall you know that I am Hashem.
טוְהָיְתָה יָדִי אֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים הַחֹזִים שָׁוְא וְהַקֹּסְמִים כָּזָב בְּסוֹד עַמִּי לֹא־יִהְיוּ וּבִכְתָב בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יִכָּתֵבוּ וְאֶל־אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָבֹאוּ וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה׃
10Inasmuch as they have misled My people, saying, “It is well,” when nothing is well, daubing with plaster the flimsy wall which the people were building,
ייַעַן וּבְיַעַן הִטְעוּ אֶת־עַמִּי לֵאמֹר שָׁלוֹם וְאֵין שָׁלוֹם וְהוּא בֹּנֶה חַיִץ וְהִנָּם טָחִים אֹתוֹ תָּפֵל׃
11say to those daubers of plaster: It shall collapse; a driving rain shall descend—and you, O great hailstones, shall fall—and a hurricane wind shall rend it.
יאאֱמֹר אֶל־טָחֵי תָפֵל וְיִפֹּל הָיָה גֶּשֶׁם שׁוֹטֵף וְאַתֵּנָה אַבְנֵי אֶלְגָּבִישׁ תִּפֹּלְנָה וְרוּחַ סְעָרוֹת תְּבַקֵּעַ׃
12Then, when the wall collapses, you will be asked, “What became of the plaster you daubed on?”
יבוְהִנֵּה נָפַל הַקִּיר הֲלוֹא יֵאָמֵר אֲלֵיכֶם אַיֵּה הַטִּיחַ אֲשֶׁר טַחְתֶּם׃
13Assuredly, thus said Hashem: In My fury I will let loose hurricane winds; in My anger a driving rain shall descend, and great hailstones in destructive fury.
יגלָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה וּבִקַּעְתִּי רוּחַ־סְעָרוֹת בַּחֲמָתִי וְגֶשֶׁם שֹׁטֵף בְּאַפִּי יִהְיֶה וְאַבְנֵי אֶלְגָּבִישׁ בְּחֵמָה לְכָלָה׃
14I will throw down the wall that you daubed with plaster, and I will raze it to the ground so that its foundation is exposed; and when it falls, you shall perish in its midst; then you shall know that I am Hashem.
ידוְהָרַסְתִּי אֶת־הַקִּיר אֲשֶׁר־טַחְתֶּם תָּפֵל וְהִגַּעְתִּיהוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ וְנִגְלָה יְסֹדוֹ וְנָפְלָה וּכְלִיתֶם בְּתוֹכָהּ וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָה׃
15And when I have spent My fury upon the wall and upon those who daubed it with plaster, I will say to you: Gone is the wall and gone are its daubers,
טווְכִלֵּיתִי אֶת־חֲמָתִי בַּקִּיר וּבַטָּחִים אֹתוֹ תָּפֵל וְאֹמַר לָכֶם אֵין הַקִּיר וְאֵין הַטָּחִים אֹתוֹ׃
16the Neviim of Yisrael who prophesy about Yerushalayim and see a vision of well-being for her when there is no well-being—declares Hashem.
טזנְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִבְּאִים אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם וְהַחֹזִים לָהּ חֲזוֹן שָׁלֹם וְאֵין שָׁלֹם נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה׃
17And you, O mortal, set your face against the women of your people, who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them
יזוְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ אֶל־בְּנוֹת עַמְּךָ הַמִּתְנַבְּאוֹת מִלִּבְּהֶן וְהִנָּבֵא עֲלֵיהֶן׃
18and say: Thus said Hashem: Woe to those who sew pads on all arm-joints and make bonnets for the head of every person, in order to entrap! Can you hunt down lives among My people, while you preserve your own lives?
יחוְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה הוֹי לִמְתַפְּרוֹת כְּסָתוֹת עַל כָּל־אַצִּילֵי יָדַי וְעֹשׂוֹת הַמִּסְפָּחוֹת עַל־רֹאשׁ כָּל־קוֹמָה לְצוֹדֵד נְפָשׁוֹת הַנְּפָשׁוֹת תְּצוֹדֵדְנָה לְעַמִּי וּנְפָשׁוֹת לָכֶנָה תְחַיֶּינָה׃
19You have profaned My name among My people in return for handfuls of barley and morsels of bread; you have announced the death of persons who will not die and the survival of persons who will not live—lying to My people, who listen to your lies.
יטוַתְּחַלֶּלְנָה אֹתִי אֶל־עַמִּי בְּשַׁעֲלֵי שְׂעֹרִים וּבִפְתוֹתֵי לֶחֶם לְהָמִית נְפָשׁוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תְמוּתֶנָה וּלְחַיּוֹת נְפָשׁוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תִחְיֶינָה בְּכַזֶּבְכֶם לְעַמִּי שֹׁמְעֵי כָזָב׃
20Assuredly, thus said Hashem: I am going to deal with your pads, by which you hunt down lives like birds, and I will tear them from your arms and free the persons whose lives you hunt down like birds.
כלָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה הִנְנִי אֶל־כִּסְּתוֹתֵיכֶנָה אֲשֶׁר אַתֵּנָה מְצֹדְדוֹת שָׁם אֶת־הַנְּפָשׁוֹת לְפֹרְחוֹת וְקָרַעְתִּי אֹתָם מֵעַל זְרוֹעֹתֵיכֶם וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי אֶת־הַנְּפָשׁוֹת אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם מְצֹדְדוֹת אֶת־נְפָשִׁים לְפֹרְחֹת׃
21I will tear off your bonnets and rescue My people from your hands, and they shall no longer be prey in your hands; then you shall know that I am Hashem.
כאוְקָרַעְתִּי אֶת־מִסְפְּחֹתֵיכֶם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶת־עַמִּי מִיֶּדְכֶן וְלֹא־יִהְיוּ עוֹד בְּיֶדְכֶן לִמְצוּדָה וִידַעְתֶּן כִּי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָה׃
22Because you saddened the heart of the innocent with lies, when I would not inflict suffering on him, and encouraged the wicked not to repent of his evil ways and so gain life—
כביַעַן הַכְאוֹת לֵב־צַדִּיק שֶׁקֶר וַאֲנִי לֹא הִכְאַבְתִּיו וּלְחַזֵּק יְדֵי רָשָׁע לְבִלְתִּי־שׁוּב מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָע לְהַחֲיֹתוֹ׃
23assuredly, you shall no longer prophesy lies or practice divination! I will save My people from your hands, and you shall know that I am Hashem.
כגלָכֵן שָׁוְא לֹא תֶחֱזֶינָה וְקֶסֶם לֹא־תִקְסַמְנָה עוֹד וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶת־עַמִּי מִיֶּדְכֶן וִידַעְתֶּן כִּי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָה׃