Ezekiel 14

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

Some elders of Israel arrived and sat down with me.

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

A message from 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 are worshiping idols in their minds even though they know this will lead them to sin. Why should I respond to their requests?

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:

So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: When the people of Israel worship idols in their minds that will lead them to sin, and then come to consult the prophet, I the Lord will give them an answer appropriate to their many idols.

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

Like this I might have the people of Israel decide to recommit themselves to me. Right now, because of their idols, all of them treat me as their enemy.

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.

So tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: Repent! Give up worshiping your idols Stop all your disgusting practices.

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 the people of Israel or foreigners living with them worship idols in their minds that will lead them to sin and then come to consult the prophet, I the Lord will answer them 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.

I will oppose anyone who does this and make any example of them that others will talk about. I will remove them from among my people. Then you will know 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.

But if the prophet is deceived into giving a message, it was I the Lord who deceived him to do this. I will still reach out and destroy that prophet from 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,

They will be responsible for the punishment they receive, as will those who believe in these prophets will receive the same punishment.

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.

This is so that the people of Israel won't abandon me anymore and won't make themselves unclean with all their sins. Then they will be my people and I will be their God, declares the Lord God.”

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

A message from the Lord came to me again, 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, if a people in a country sin against me by being unfaithful to me, then I will act against them by cutting off their food supply, so they experience famine, with no food for people or animals.

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 Noah, Daniel, and Job, these three men, were present their good lives would only save themselves, declares the Lord God.

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,

I could send wild animals rampaging through the country, so they would leave it uninhabited and desolate, a place no one would travel through for fear of such animals.

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.

As I live, declares the Lord God, even if these three men were present, they couldn't save their own sons or daughters. They would only save themselves, but the land would be left desolate.

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,

I could bring war to that country and say, ‘Have a sword cut through it,’ so that I destroy both people and animals.

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.

As I live, declares the Lord God, even if these three men were present, they couldn't save their own sons or daughters. They would only save 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,

I could send a disease on that country and because of my anger I would kill many, both people and animals.

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.

As I live, declares the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, they couldn't save their sons or daughters. Their good lives would only save themselves.

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?

This is what the Lord God says: It will be so much worse when I send my four severe judgments against Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease, so that both people and animals are killed!

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.

Even so a few of them will survive, some sons and daughters who will be taken captive. They will be brought to you in Babylon, and when you realize what they did and how they acted, you will understand why I had to bring such a disaster down on Jerusalem—everything I did to 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.

Realizing what they did and how they acted will help you to see that I had good reasons to do everything I did to Jerusalem, declares the Lord God.”