Ezekiel 14

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

Then came there unto me men, of the elders of Israel, —and sat before me—

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

And the word of Yahweh came unto 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 brought up their manufactured gods upon their hear, And their stumbling-block of iniquity, have they set straight before their face, —Shall I be at all enquired of by them?

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 unto them and say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, Any man whatsoever of the house of Israel Who shall bring up his manufactured gods upon his heart, And set, his stumbling-block of iniquity, straight before his face, And then come in unto the prophet, I Yahweh, have myself answered him thereby. By the multitude of his manufactured gods:

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.’

To the end the house of Israel may be taken by their own hearts, —in that they have estranged themselves from me, through their manufactured gods—all of them!

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 thou unto the house of Israel, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Turn ye—and make good your return—from your manufactured gods; And, from all your abominations, make good the turning away of 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 what man soever of the house of Israel Or of the sojourners who sojourn in Israel, Who shall estrange himself from following me And who shall bring up his manufactured gods, on his heart, And whose stumbling-block of iniquity, he shall set straight before his face, And then come in unto the prophet, to enquire by him of me, I Yahweh, will myself answer him, on my own account;

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 will set my face against that man And will make of him a sign and a proverb, And will cut him off out of the midst of my people: So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.

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.

Yea the prophet himself when he suffereth himself to be deceived, and speaketh a word, I Yahweh, have suffered that prophet to be deceived, Then will I stretch forth my hand against him, and destroy him out of 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—

So shall they bear their punishment, As the punishment of him that enquireth, So shall the punishment of the prophet be:

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 following me, And no more defile themselves by any of their transgressions, — But may become my people, and I, may become their God, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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

And the word of Yahweh came unto 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, shall sin against me by committing treachery, and I shall stretch out my hand against it, And break for it the staff of bread, And send thereon famine, And cut off therefrom 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.

Then should these three men be in the midst thereof, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they by their righteousness should deliver their own lives— Declareth My Lord, Yahweh.

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,

If a mischievous wild beast, I suffer to pass through the land, and that beast bereave it, so that it become too desolate for any man to pass through, by reason of the wild beast,

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.

[Were] these three men in the midst thereof, As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely neither sons nor daughters, should they deliver, They alone should be delivered, But the land, should become a desolation.

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, a sword, I should bring upon that land, and should say. O sword! thou shalt go through the land, and so I should cut off therefrom, 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.

Were these three men in the midst thereof, As I live! Saith My Lord Yahweh, They should deliver neither sons nor daughters, — For they alone, should be delivered.

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 pestilence, I, should send into that land, —and should pour out mine indignation thereon in blood, to cut off therefrom 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.

Were Noah, Daniel and Job in the midst thereof, As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely neither son nor daughter, should they deliver, They, by their righteousness should deliver only their own lives.

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?

For thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, How much less [should they avail] when my four calamitous judgments, sword and famine and mischievous wild beast and pestilence I have sent against Jerusalem, —to cut off therefrom 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 lo! there hath been left therein a remnant of fugitives to be brought forth —sons and daughters— There they are! coming forth unto you, And so ye shall see their way, and their doings, and be consoled over the calamity which I have brought in upon Jerusalem even all that I have brought in 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.”

Yea they shall console you, when ye see their way and their doings, — So shall ye know that not without cause, have I done, anything that I have done with her, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.