This is a paraphrase of this chapter of Ezekiel applied to Jesus’s church today.
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, speak against the ordained, the priests, bishops, and cardinals! Say to those who vomit their own thoughts: Hear the word of the Lord! 3 Thus says the Lord God: Woe to you priests, bishops, and cardinals, you fools who follow your own spirit and see nothing. 4 Like foxes among ruins are you! 5 You did not step into the breach, nor repair the wall around my house so it would stand firm against attack on the day of the Lord. 6 False visions! Lying divinations! You say “I am the voice of God,” and “We are oracles of the Lord,” even though the Lord did not send you for what you have done. Then you expect your word to be confirmed! 7 Was not the vision you saw false? Did you not report a lying divination when you said, “I am the Oracle of the Lord,” even though I never spoke to you?
8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have spoken falsehood and say you have seen lying visions, therefore, for certain I am coming at you—you who say you are “oracles of the Lord God.” 9 My hand is against you, all of you, who see false visions and who make lying divinations. You shall not belong to the community of my people. Your names shall not be written in the register of my house, nor shall they enter my land. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord.
10 Because you have trede to lead my people astray, saying, “Peace!” when there is no peace, and when a wall is built, you cover it with whitewash, 11 I say then to you whitewashers: I will bring down a flooding rain; hailstones shall fall, and a stormwind shall break forth. 12 When the wall has fallen, will you not be asked: “Where is the whitewash you spread on it?”
13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: In my fury I will let loose stormwinds; because of my anger there will be flooding rain, and hailstones will fall with destructive wrath. 14 I will tear down the wall you whitewashed and level it to the ground, laying bare its foundations. When it falls, you shall be crushed beneath it. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord. 15 When I have poured out my fury on the wall and you whitewashers, it will fall. Then I will say to you: No wall! No whitewashers— 16 you priests, bishops, and cardinals who say you see visions of peace when there is no peace—and proclaim you are an “oracle of the Lord God.”
17 As for you, son of man, now set your face against the children of your people who play the oracle out of their own thoughts, and speak against them. 18 You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to you priests, bishops, and cardinals, you who ensnare lives! You ensnare the lives of my people, even as you preserve your own lives! 19 You have profaned me among my people, slaying those who should not be slain, and keeping alive those who should not live, lying to my people, who listen to lies.
20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: See! I am coming after you, you who ensnare lives like prey. I will tear them, me beloved sons and daughters, from your arms and set free the lives of those you have ensnared like prey. 21 I will tear off your vestments and deliver my people from your power, so that they shall never again be ensnared by your hands. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you discourage the righteous with lies when I did not want them to be distressed, and encourage the wicked so they do not turn from their evil ways and save their lives, 23 therefore you shall no longer see false visions or practice divination again. I will deliver my people from your hand. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord.
Excellent Guy! Now do Chapter 34! 😀