Ezekiel 14

1 And men from [the] elderly of Israel come to me, and sit before me.

Some elders of Israel arrived and sat down with me.

2 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

3 “Son of man, these men have caused their idols to go up on their heart, and they have put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their faces; am I 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 with them, and you have said to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: Everyone of the house of Israel who causes his idols to go up to his heart, and sets the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and has gone to the prophet—I, YHWH, have given an answer to him for this, for the abundance 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 in order to catch the house of Israel by their heart, in that they have become estranged from off Me by their idols—all of them.

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 to the house of Israel, Thus said Lord YHWH: Turn back, indeed, turn back from your idols, and turn back 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 everyone of the house of Israel, and of the sojourners who sojourn in Israel, who is separated from after Me, and causes his idols to go up to his heart, and sets the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and has come to the prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I, YHWH, have answered him for 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 have set My face against that man, and made him for a sign, and for allegories, and I have cut him off from the midst of My people, and you have known that I [am] YHWH.

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 the prophet, when he is enticed, and has spoken a word—I, YHWH, have enticed that prophet, and have stretched out My hand against him, and have destroyed 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 have borne their iniquity: as the iniquity of the inquirer, so is the iniquity of the prophet;

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

11 so that the house of Israel does not wander from after Me anymore, nor are they defiled with all their transgressions anymore, and they have been to Me for a people, and I am to them for God—a declaration of Lord YHWH.”

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 there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

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

13 “Son of man, when the land sins against Me to commit a trespass, and I have stretched out My hand against it, and broken the staff of bread for it, and sent famine into it, and cut off man and beast from 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 and [despite] these three men [that] have been in its midst: Noah, Daniel, and Job—they [only] deliver their own soul by their righteousness,” a declaration of Lord YHWH.

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 an evil beast to pass through the land, and it has bereaved, and it has been a desolation, without any passing through because of the beast—

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 [despite] these three men in its midst—[as] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “they deliver neither sons nor daughters; they alone are delivered, and the land is a desolation.

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 in against that land, and I have said: Sword, pass over through the land, and I have cut off man and beast from 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 and [despite] these three men in its midst—[as] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “they do not deliver sons and daughters, for they alone are delivered.

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 pestilence to that land, and I have poured out My fury against it in blood, to cut off man and beast from it—

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

20 and [despite] Noah, Daniel, and Job, in its midst—[as] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “they deliver neither son nor daughter; they, by their righteousness, [only] deliver their own soul.”

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 said Lord YHWH: “Although My four severe judgments—sword, and famine, and wild beast, and pestilence—I have sent to Jerusalem, to cut off man and beast from 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, behold, there has been left an escape in it, who are brought forth, sons and daughters, behold, they are coming forth to you, and you have seen their way, and their doings, and have been comforted concerning the calamity that I have brought in against Jerusalem, all that which I have brought in against 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 have comforted you, for you see their way and their doings, and you have known that I have not done all that which I have done in her for nothing,” a declaration of Lord YHWH.

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.”