Ezekiel 14

1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

Some elders of Israel arrived and sat down with me.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

3 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their mind, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face; should I be inquired of at all by 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 speak unto them, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his mind, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet — I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

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 own heart, because they are all turned away from Me through their idols.

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 Therefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away 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 every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from Me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, that he inquire for him of Me — I the LORD will answer him by Myself,

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 a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know 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 when the prophet is enticed and speaketh a word, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of My people 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 bear their iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that inquireth;

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 Me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, saith 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 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

A message from the Lord came to me again, saying,

13 'Son of man, when a land sinneth against Me by trespassing grievously, and I stretch out My hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast;

“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 Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, 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 cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they bereave it, and it be desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts;

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 it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

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 sword upon that land, and say: Let the sword go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and beast;

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 it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

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 that land, and pour out My fury upon it in blood, to cut off from 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 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

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: How much more when I send My four sore judgments against Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast.

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 And, behold, though there be left a remnant therein that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters; behold, when they come forth unto you, and ye see their way and their doings, then ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon 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 ye see their way and their doings, and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have 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.”