Ezekiel tells us that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "Son of Man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God: Woe unto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the desert. * * * They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith; and the Lord hath not sent them." These prophets were endeavoring to soothe the people, to cover up their sins, to dissipate their fears of retribution. "They have seduced my people, saying, peace, when there is no peace." Then Ezekiel describes their work. They are like foolish masons who build a wall with mortar that will not hold the stones together,--"untempered mortar!" Can such work last? Can such a structure stand? "Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar that it shall fall. There shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hail-stones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo! when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?" Did ye not boast of your mortar? Did ye not promise the people that it would hold? Alas for you, O prophets! Alas for your work! "The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; to wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord." Most contemptuously does Isaiah speak of the false prophets: "The Lord will cut off from Israel, head and tail, branch and root, in one day. The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, _he is the tail_." _The King of Assyria._