¹³ As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,^(A)’ so my hand will not touch you.

²² “Son of man, what is this proverb^(A) you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?^{(B) 23} Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near^(C) when every vision will be fulfilled.^(D)

² “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

³ “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb^(B) in Israel.