Ezekiel 14

1 And come in unto me do certain of the elders of Israel, and sit before me.

Some elders of Israel arrived and sat down with me.

2 And there is a word of Jehovah unto 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 the stumbling-block of their iniquity they have put over-against 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 thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Every one of the house of Israel who causeth his idols to go up unto his heart, and the stumbling-block of his iniquity setteth over-against his face, and hath gone in unto the prophet — I Jehovah 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 unto the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Turn ye back, yea, turn ye back from your idols, and from all your abominations turn back your faces,

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, and of the sojourners who doth sojourn in Israel, who is separated from after Me, and doth cause his idols to go up unto his heart, and the stumbling-block of his iniquity setteth over-against his face, and hath come in unto the prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I, Jehovah, 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 similes, and I have cut him off from the midst of My people, and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.

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 hath spoken a word — I, Jehovah, I 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 do not wander any more from after Me, nor are defiled any more with all their transgressions, and they have been to Me for a people, and I am to them for God — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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 Jehovah unto me, saying,

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

13 'Son of man, the land — when it sinneth against Me to commit a trespass, and I have stretched out My hand against it, and broken for it the staff of bread, and sent into it famine, 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 and these three men have been in its midst, Noah, Daniel, and Job — they by their righteousness deliver their own soul — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, these three men, were present their good lives would only save themselves, declares the Lord God.

15 'If an evil beast I cause to pass through the land, and it hath bereaved, and it hath 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 these three men in its midst: I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah — neither sons nor daughters do they deliver; 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 — a sword I bring in against that land, and I have said: Sword, thou dost pass over through the land, and I have 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 and these three men in its midst: I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah — they deliver not 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 — pestilence I send unto that land, and I have poured out My fury against 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 and Noah, Daniel, and Job, in its midst: I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah — neither son nor daughter do they deliver; they, by their righteousness, 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 the Lord Jehovah: Although My four sore judgments — sword, and famine, and wild beast, and pestilence — I have sent unto Jerusalem, 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 yet, lo, there hath been left in it an escape, who are brought forth, sons and daughters, lo, they are coming forth unto you, and ye have seen their way, and their doings, and have been comforted concerning the evil 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 ye see their way and their doings, and ye have known that not for nought have I done all that which I have done in her — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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.”