Ezekiel, 14

1. Next, some elders of Israel visited me and while they were sitting with me,

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

2. the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

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

3. 'Son of man, these men have enshrined their foul idols in their hearts and placed the cause of their sinning right before their eyes. Why should I let myself be consulted by them?

3. Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

4. So speak to them; tell them this, "Lord Yahweh says this: Every member of the House of Israel who enshrines his foul idols in his heart and places the cause of his sinning right before his eyes, and who then approaches the prophet, will get this answer from me, Yahweh, as the multiplicity of his idols deserves,

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 heart, 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;

5. and in this way I hope to win back the hearts of the House of Israel who have all been estranged from me by their foul idols."

5. That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

6. 'So say to the House of Israel, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Come back, turn away from your foul idols, turn your backs on all your loathsome practices;

6. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn [yourselves] from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

7. for if any member of the House of Israel -- or any foreigner living in Israel -- deserts me to enshrine his foul idols in his heart and places the cause of his sinning right before his eyes and then approaches a prophet to consult me through him, he will get his answer from me, Yahweh.

7. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

8. I shall set my face against that person; I shall make him an example and a byword; I shall rid my people of him, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

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.

9. And if the prophet is seduced into saying something, I, Yahweh, shall have seduced that prophet; I shall point my finger at him and rid my people Israel of him.

9. And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

10. Both will be punished for their guilt; the prophet's punishment will be the same as that of the person who consults him,

10. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh [unto him];

11. so that the House of Israel will never stray from me again or defile themselves again with these crimes, but be my people and I their God -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '

11. That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.

12. The word of Yahweh was addressed to me:

12. The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

13. 'Son of man, when a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I point my finger at it and destroy its supply of food, inflicting famine on it and denuding it of human and animal,

13. Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

14. even if the three men, Noah, Danel and Job, were living in it, they would save no one but themselves by their uprightness -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

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.

15. Were I to unleash wild beasts on that country to rob it of its children and reduce it to a desert which no one would dare to cross because of the animals,

15. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

16. even if these three men were living there, as I live -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- they would not be able to save either son or daughter; they alone would be saved, and the country would become a desert.

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.

17. Were I to bring the sword down on that country and say, "Sword, cross the country!" so as to denude it of human and animal,

17. Or [if] I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

18. even if these three men were living there, as I live -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- they would not be able to save either son or daughter; they alone would be saved.

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.

19. If I were to send the plague on that country and vent my fury on it by bloodshed, so as to denude it of human and animal,

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:

20. even if Noah and Danel and Job were living there, as I live -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- they would be able to save neither son nor daughter, only themselves by their uprightness.

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.

21. 'The Lord Yahweh says this, "Even if I send my four dreadful scourges on Jerusalem-sword, famine, wild beasts and plague -- to denude it of human and animal,

21. For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

22. even so, there will be a remnant left, a few men and women who come through; when they come to you and you see their conduct and actions, you will take comfort in spite of the disaster which I have brought on Jerusalem, in spite of all I have brought on her.

22. Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, [both] sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, [even] concerning all that I have brought upon it.

23. They will comfort you, when you see their conduct and actions, and so you will know that I have not done in vain all I have done to her -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '

23. And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways 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.