In the midst of Israel's moral decay, as described in Ezekiel 22, God exposes a grave conspiracy among the prophets. These negligent prophets are likened to roaring lions tearing their prey, devouring people, seizing treasures and precious things, and leaving many widows in their wake. They have failed in their sacred duty as watchmen, neglecting to correct the nation's course. Instead, they plaster over problems with untempered mortar, offering false visions and divining lies, proclaiming 'Thus says the Lord God' when He has not spoken. Their actions enrich themselves at the expense of the people, leading to destruction and sorrow. God holds these prophets as the most culpable among the failing leadership of priests and princes, blasting them twice in His indictment for their grievous sins. They were meant to cry aloud, to sound their voices like trumpets, and to turn the people from their sins, yet they have utterly failed. Their deceitful practices, including sending men into unwarranted battles and creating widows, reveal their predatory nature. By beginning and ending His accusations with the prophets, God underscores their primary role in Israel's downfall, marking them as the main problem for their refusal to fulfill His calling.

In the days before the Babylonian invasion, as recorded in Jeremiah 6:10-15, God expressed His profound frustration with the people of Judah for their refusal to heed His warnings and calls to repentance. Despite sending prophet after prophet, the people remained unreceptive, their ears uncircumcised, unable to give heed, and finding the word of the Lord a reproach with no delight in it. Among those singled out for their failure were the prophets and priests, who dealt falsely and healed the hurt of God's people only slightly, proclaiming 'Peace, peace!' when there was no peace. Their role was to turn the people back to God and provide honest evaluations of the impending wrath, to discern the signs of the times, and to convey God's anger and mercy should they repent. Instead, they comforted the people with false assurances, mollifying them into complacency rather than arousing them to repentance for their deep sinfulness. This superficial cry of peace was a lie, a mere salve on open wounds, failing to address the true state of turmoil and the inevitability of God's judgment as powerful forces rose in the east. Their dishonesty and lack of objectivity blinded them to the evident dangers, leading the people to believe in a false security tied to the presence of the Temple, rather than seeking obedience and righteousness as God desired.