Ezekiel 14:9

And if the prophet, one who really considers himself a minister of Jehovah, be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, permitting himself, for any reason whatever, to be led astray and to deviate from the clearly expressed will of the Lord, so that his message confirms sinners in their obstinacy, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, permitting a spirit of falsehood to convey to him a message in agreement with the obstinacy of the people; and I will stretch out My hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. One of God's reasons for letting false prophecy gain such headway in the latter years of Judah's existence was to have the process of separation between the true and the false Israelites go forward with the proper vigor and speed.