Ezekiel 14

1 And men among the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat down before me.

Then came there unto me certain men of the elders of Israel, and sat down before me.

2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

3 “Son of man, these men have placed their uncleanness in their hearts, and they have stationed the scandal of their iniquities before their face. So why should I respond when they inquire of me?

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and the stumbling-block of their iniquity have they placed before their faces: shall I in any wise let myself be inquired of by them?

4 Because of this, speak to them, and you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: The man, the man of the house of Israel, who places his uncleanness in his heart, and who stations the scandal of his iniquities before his face, and who approaches a prophet, so as to inquire of me through him: I, the Lord, will respond to him in accord with the multitude of his uncleannesses,

Therefore speak with them and say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Whatever man it be of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and layeth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet: I the Lord will answer him, although he cometh with the multitude of his idols;

5 so that the house of Israel may be seized within their own heart, by which they have withdrawn from me to all their idols.

In order that I may grasp the house of Israel by their heart, those who are separated from me through all their idols.

6 Because of this, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Be converted, and withdraw from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Return, and cause [your heart] to turn away from your idols: and from all your abominations turn away your faces.

7 For the man, the man of the house of Israel, and the new arrival among the converts who may be in Israel, if he is alienated from me, and he sets his idols in his heart, and he stations the scandal of his iniquity before his face, and he approaches the prophet, so that he may inquire of me through him: I, the Lord, will respond to him through myself.

For whatever man it be of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and layeth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and then cometh to the prophet to inquire through him of me: I the Lord will answer him through my word;

8 And I will set my face against that man, and I will make him an example and a proverb. And I will perish him from the midst of my people. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

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

9 And when a prophet has gone astray and has spoken a word: I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet. And I will extend my hand over him, and I will wipe him away from the midst of my people, Israel.

And when the prophet suffereth himself to be deceived, and he speaketh a word: I the Lord have suffered that prophet to be deceived: and I will stretch out my hand against him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

10 And they shall bear their iniquity. In accord with the iniquity of the one who inquires, so shall the iniquity of the prophet be.

And they shall bear their guilt: as the guilt of the inquirer is, so shall the guilt of the prophet be;

11 So may the house of Israel no longer go astray from me, nor be polluted by all their transgressions. Instead, may they be my people, and may I be their God, says the Lord of hosts.”

In order that the house of Israel may go no more astray by not following me, and not pollute themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may become unto me a people, and I may be unto them a God, saith the Lord Eternal.

12 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

13 “Son of man, when a land will have sinned against me, so that it transgresses grievously, I will extend my hand over it, and I will crush the staff of its bread. And I will send a famine upon it, and I will destroy from it both man and beast.

Son of man, if a land should sin against me by trespassing grievously, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break unto it the staff of bread, and send out famine against it, and cut off from it man and beast;

14 And if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver their own souls by their justice, says the Lord of hosts.

And if there be these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, in the midst of it: these through their righteousness should save but their own soul; saith the Lord Eternal.

15 And if I also lead in very harmful beasts upon the land, so that I devastate it, and it becomes impassable, so that no one may cross through it because of the beasts,

If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they depopulate it, and it becometh desolate, without any one to pass through because of the beasts:

16 if these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they will deliver neither sons, nor daughters. But only they themselves will be delivered, for the land shall be desolated.

These three men [if they were] in it, as I live, saith the Lord Eternal, should not save either sons or daughters: they only should be saved, but the land should be made desolate.

17 Or if I lead in the sword upon that land, and if I say to the sword, ‘Pass through the land,’ and so I destroy from it both man and beast,

Or, if I should bring a sword over that land, and say, The sword shall pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast;

18 and if these three men were in its midst, as I live, says the Lord God, they will deliver neither sons, nor daughters, but only they themselves will be delivered.

And if these three men should be in it: as I live, saith the Lord Eternal, they should not save either sons or daughters, but they alone should be saved.

19 Then, if I also send the pestilence upon that land, and I pour out my indignation upon it with blood, so that I take away from it both man and beast,

Or, if I should send out the pestilence against that land, and pour out my fury over it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast;

20 and if Noah, and Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live, says the Lord God, they will deliver neither son, nor daughter, but they will deliver only their own souls by their justice.

And if Noah, Daniel, and Job, should be in the midst of it: as I live, saith the Lord Eternal, they should not save either son or daughter; they through their righteousness should save their own soul.

21 For thus says the Lord God: Even though I will send upon Jerusalem my four most grievous judgments, sword and famine and harmful beasts and pestilence, so that I destroy from it both man and beast,

For thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Although I send my four dreadful means of punishment over Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the wild beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast:

22 yet still there shall be left within it some who will be saved, who shall lead away their own sons and daughters. Behold, they will enter to you, and you will see their way and their accomplishments. And you shall be consoled concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, concerning all the things that I have brought to bear upon it.

Still, behold, there are left therein some that escape who shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters; behold, they are coming forth unto you, and ye will see their way and their doings; and then will ye be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, yea, concerning all that I have brought upon it;

23 And they shall console you, when you see their ways and their accomplishments. And you shall know that I have not acted to no purpose in all that I have done within it, says the Lord God.”

And they will comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have executed in it, saith the Lord Eternal.