Ezekiel 14

1 Then came certaine of the Elders of Israel vnto me, and sate before me.

Then certain of the responsible men of Israel came to me and took their seats before me.

2 And the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

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

3 Sonne of man, these men haue set vp their idoles in their heart, and put the stumbling blocke of their iniquitie before their face: should I, being required, answere them?

Son of man, these men have taken their false gods into their hearts and put before their faces the sin which is the cause of their fall: am I to give ear when they come to me for directions?

4 Therefore speake vnto them, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Euery man of the house of Israel that setteth vp his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to the Prophet, I the Lord will answere him that commeth, according to the multitude of his idoles:

For this cause say to them, These are the words of the Lord: Every man of Israel who has taken his false god into his heart, and put before his face the sin which is the cause of his fall, and comes to the prophet; I the Lord will give him an answer by myself in agreement with the number of his false gods;

5 That I may take the house of Israel in their owne heart, because they are all departed from me through their idoles.

So as to take the children of Israel in the thoughts of their hearts, because they have become strange to me through their false gods.

6 Therfore say vnto the house of Israel, Thus sayth the Lord God, Returne, and withdraw your selues, and turne your faces from your idoles, and turne your faces from all your abominations.

For this cause say to the children of Israel, These are the words of the Lord: Come back and give up your false gods and let your faces be turned from your disgusting things.

7 For euery one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that soiourneth in Israel, which departeth from mee, and setteth vp his idoles in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to a Prophet, for to inquire of him for me, I the Lord will answere him for my selfe,

When any one of the men of Israel, or of those from other lands who are living in Israel, who has become strange to me, and takes his false gods into his heart, and puts before his face the sin which is the cause of his fall, comes to the prophet to get directions from me; I the Lord will give him an answer by myself:

8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him an example and prouerbe, and I will cut him off from the middes of my people, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord.

And my face will be turned against that man, and I will make him a sign and a common saying, cutting him off from among my people; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

9 And if the Prophet be deceiued, when hee hath spoken a thing, I the Lord haue deceiued that Prophet, and I will stretch out mine hande vpon him, and will destroy him from the middes of my people of Israel.

And if the prophet, tricked by deceit, says anything, it is I the Lord by whom he has been tricked, and I will put out my hand against him, and he will be cut off from among my people Israel.

10 And they shall beare their punishment: the punishment of the Prophet shall bee euen as the punishment of him that asketh,

And the punishment of their sin will be on them: the sin of the prophet will be the same as the sin of him who goes to him for directions;

11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from mee, neither bee polluted any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, sayth the Lord God.

So that the children of Israel may no longer go wandering away from me, or make themselves unclean with all their wrongdoing; but they will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord.

12 The worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying,

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

13 Sonne of man, when ye land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse, then will I stretch out mine hand vpon it, and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof, and will send famine vpon it, and I will destroy man and beast forth of it.

Son of man, when a land, sinning against me, does wrong, and my hand is stretched out against it, and the support of its bread is broken, and I make it short of food, cutting off man and beast from it:

14 Though these three men Noah, Daniel, and Iob were among them, they shoulde deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnes, saith the Lord God.

Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, only themselves would they keep safe by their righteousness, says the Lord.

15 If I bring noysome beastes into the lande and they spoyle it, so that it bee desolate, that no man may passe through, because of beastes,

Or if I send evil beasts through the land causing destruction and making it waste, so that no man may go through because of the beasts:

16 Though these three men were in the mids thereof, As I liue, sayth the Lord God, they shall saue neither sonnes nor daughters: they onely shalbe deliuered, but the land shall be waste.

Even if these three men were in it, by my life, says the Lord, they would not keep safe their sons or daughters, but only themselves, and the land would be made waste.

17 Or if I bring a sworde vpon this land, and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I destroy man and beast out of it,

Or if I send a sword against that land, and say, Sword, go through the land, cutting off from it man and beast:

18 Though these three men were in the mids thereof, As I liue, sayth the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither sonnes nor daughters, but they onely shall be deliuered themselues.

Even if these three men were in it, by my life, says the Lord, they would not keep safe their sons or daughters, but only themselves.

19 Or if I send a pestilence into this land, and powre out my wrath vpon it in blood, to destroy out of it man and beast,

Or if I send disease into that land, letting loose my wrath on it in blood, cutting off from it man and beast:

20 And though Noah, Daniel and Iob were in the middes of it, As I liue, sayth the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither sonne nor daughter: they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnes.

Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, by my life, says the Lord, they would not keep son or daughter safe; only themselves would they keep safe through their righteousness.

21 For thus saith the Lord God, Howe much more when I sende my foure sore iudgements vpon Ierusalem, euen the sworde, and famine, and the noysome beast and pestilence, to destroy man and beast out of it?

For this is what the Lord has said: How much more when I send my four bitter punishments on Jerusalem, the sword and need of food and evil beasts and disease, cutting off from it man and beast?

22 Yet beholde, therein shalbe left a remnant of them that shalbe caryed away both sonnes and daughters: behold, they shall come forth vnto you, and ye shall see their way, and their enterprises: and ye shall be comforted, concerning the euill that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem, euen concerning al that I haue brought vpon it.

But truly, there will still be a small band who will be safe, even sons and daughters: and they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings: and you will be comforted about the evil which I have sent on Jerusalem, even about everything I have sent on it.

23 And they shall comfort you, when yee see their way and their enterprises: and ye shall know, that I haue not done without cause all that I haue done in it, saith the Lord God.

They will give you comfort when you see their ways and their doings: and you will be certain that not for nothing have I done all the things I have done in it, says the Lord.