Ezekiel 14

1 Then came there unto me men, of the elders of Israel, —and sat before me—

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

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

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

3 Son of man These men have brought up their manufactured gods upon their hear, And their stumbling-block of iniquity, have they set straight before their face, —Shall I be at all enquired of by them?

“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?

4 Therefore speak unto them and say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, Any man whatsoever of the house of Israel Who shall bring up his manufactured gods upon his heart, And set, his stumbling-block of iniquity, straight before his face, And then come in unto the prophet, I Yahweh, have myself answered him thereby. By the multitude of his manufactured gods:

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,

5 To the end the house of Israel may be taken by their own hearts, —in that they have estranged themselves from me, through their manufactured gods—all of them!

so that the house of Israel may be seized within their own heart, by which they have withdrawn from me to all their idols.

6 Therefore, say thou unto the house of Israel, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Turn ye—and make good your return—from your manufactured gods; And, from all your abominations, make good the turning away of your faces.

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.

7 For what man soever of the house of Israel Or of the sojourners who sojourn in Israel, Who shall estrange himself from following me And who shall bring up his manufactured gods, on his heart, And whose stumbling-block of iniquity, he shall set straight before his face, And then come in unto the prophet, to enquire by him of me, I Yahweh, will myself answer him, on my own account;

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.

8 And will set my face against that man And will make of him a sign and a proverb, And will cut him off out of the midst of my people: So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.

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.

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

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.

10 So shall they bear their punishment, As the punishment of him that enquireth, So shall the punishment of the prophet be:

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

11 That the house of Israel may no more go astray from following me, And no more defile themselves by any of their transgressions, — But may become my people, and I, may become their God, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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.”

12 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

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

13 Son of man, When a land, shall sin against me by committing treachery, and I shall stretch out my hand against it, And break for it the staff of bread, And send thereon famine, And cut off therefrom man and beast,

“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.

14 Then should these three men be in the midst thereof, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they by their righteousness should deliver their own lives— Declareth My Lord, Yahweh.

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.

15 If a mischievous wild beast, I suffer to pass through the land, and that beast bereave it, so that it become too desolate for any man to pass through, by reason of the wild beast,

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,

16 [Were] these three men in the midst thereof, As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely neither sons nor daughters, should they deliver, They alone should be delivered, But the land, should become a desolation.

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.

17 Or, a sword, I should bring upon that land, and should say. O sword! thou shalt go through the land, and so I should cut off therefrom, man and beast,

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,

18 Were these three men in the midst thereof, As I live! Saith My Lord Yahweh, They should deliver neither sons nor daughters, — For they alone, should be delivered.

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.

19 Or pestilence, I, should send into that land, —and should pour out mine indignation thereon in blood, to cut off therefrom man and beast

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,

20 Were Noah, Daniel and Job in the midst thereof, As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely neither son nor daughter, should they deliver, They, by their righteousness should deliver only their own lives.

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.

21 For thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, How much less [should they avail] when my four calamitous judgments, sword and famine and mischievous wild beast and pestilence I have sent against Jerusalem, —to cut off therefrom man and beast?

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,

22 Yet lo! there hath been left therein a remnant of fugitives to be brought forth —sons and daughters— There they are! coming forth unto you, And so ye shall see their way, and their doings, and be consoled over the calamity which I have brought in upon Jerusalem even all that I have brought in upon her.

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.

23 Yea they shall console you, when ye see their way and their doings, — So shall ye know that not without cause, have I done, anything that I have done with her, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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.”