Ezekiel 14

1 Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me.

Now certain men of the elders of Israel came to me, and sat before me.

2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way?

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and have put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face; shall I hear them when they inquire of me?

4 Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,

Therefore speak with them, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, —I, Jehovah, will answer him according to the multitude of his idols;

5 so that I may take hold of the hearts of the people of Israel. For because of their idols, they are all estranged from Me.’

that I may lay hold of the house of Israel in their hearts, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

6 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Turn ye, even turn yourselves from your idols, and from all your abominations turn ye your faces!

7 For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself.

For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire of me through him, —I, Jehovah, will answer him by myself.

8 I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

9 But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

And when the prophet is deceived when he speaketh anything, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet; and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

10 They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the inquirer will be the same as that of the prophet—

And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that inquireth of him;

11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God, declares the Lord GOD.’”

that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah.

12 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Again the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

13 “Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to cut off from it both man and beast,

Son of man, when a land sinneth against me, and grievously transgresseth, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast,

14 then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.

though these three men were in it, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they should deliver only themselves by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

15 Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,

When I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, and it be desolate so that none passeth through it because of the beasts,

16 then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.

though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.

17 Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I cut off from it both man and beast,

Or when I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land so that I cut off from it man and beast,

18 then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered.

though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves.

19 Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath upon it through bloodshed, cutting off from it both man and beast,

Or when I send a pestilence upon that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast,

20 then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves.

though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should deliver only themselves by their righteousness.

21 For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem My four dire judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague—in order to cut off from it both man and beast?

Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more, when I send my four grievous judgments against Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the wild beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

22 Yet, behold, some survivors will be left in it—sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come out to you, and when you see their conduct and actions, you will be comforted regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem—all that I have brought upon it.

Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth to you, and ye shall see their way and their doings, and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil which I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all which I have brought upon her.

23 They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done all these things within it,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

They shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that not without cause I have done all that I have done to her, saith the Lord Jehovah.