Ezekiel 14

1 Then some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.

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

2 The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

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

3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be enquired of at all by 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 speak to them and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him there according to the multitude of his idols,

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 own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.”’

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 “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Return, and turn yourselves from your idols! Turn away 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 everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to enquire for himself of me, I the LORD will answer him by myself.

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 I will set my face against that man and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from amongst my people. Then you will know 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 “‘“If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from amongst my people 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 They will bear their iniquity. The iniquity of the prophet will be even as the iniquity of him who seeks him,

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 no more go 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,” says 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 LORD’s word came to me, saying,

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

13 “Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal—

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 Job, were in it, they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness,” says 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 cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it and it is made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals—

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 it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.

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 sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and animal’—

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 it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only would be delivered themselves.

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 that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal—

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

20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness.”

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 the Lord GOD says: “How much more when I send my four severe judgements on Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil animals, and the pestilence—to cut off from it man and animal!

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, behold, there will be left a remnant in it that will be carried out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they will come out to you, and you will see their way and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on 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 They will comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; then you will know that I have not done all that I have done in it without cause,” says 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.