Ezekiel 14

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

Then came there unto me certain men of the elders of Israel, and sat down before me.

2 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto 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 have set up their idols in their heart, and the stumbling-block of their iniquity have they placed before their faces: shall I in any wise let myself be inquired of by them?

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,

Therefore speak with them and say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Whatever man it be of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and layeth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet: I the Lord will answer him, although he cometh with the multitude of his 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.

In order that I may grasp the house of Israel by their heart, those who are separated from me through all their idols.

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,

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Return, and cause [your heart] to turn away from your idols: and from all your abominations turn away your faces.

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;

For whatever man it be of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and layeth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and then cometh to the prophet to inquire through him of me: I the Lord will answer him through my word;

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.

And I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment for a sign and for proverbs, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall 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.

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

10 And they have borne their iniquity: as the iniquity of the inquirer, so is the iniquity of the prophet;

And they shall bear their guilt: as the guilt of the inquirer is, so shall the guilt of the prophet be;

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.'

In order that the house of Israel may go no more astray by not following me, and not pollute themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may become unto me a people, and I may be unto them a God, saith the Lord Eternal.

12 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto me, 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 land should sin against me by trespassing grievously, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break unto it the staff of bread, and send out famine against it, and cut off from it man and beast;

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.

And if there be these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, in the midst of it: these through their righteousness should save but their own soul; saith the Lord Eternal.

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 —

If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they depopulate it, and it becometh desolate, without any one to pass through because of the beasts:

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.

These three men [if they were] in it, as I live, saith the Lord Eternal, should not save either sons or daughters: they only should be saved, but the land should be made 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 —

Or, if I should bring a sword over that land, and say, The sword shall pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast;

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.

And if these three men should be in it: as I live, saith the Lord Eternal, they should not save either sons or daughters, but they alone should be saved.

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 —

Or, if I should send out the pestilence against that land, and pour out my fury over it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast;

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.

And if Noah, Daniel, and Job, should be in the midst of it: as I live, saith the Lord Eternal, they should not save either son or daughter; they through their righteousness should save their own soul.

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,

For thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Although I send my four dreadful means of punishment over Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the wild beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast:

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.

Still, behold, there are left therein some that escape who shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters; behold, they are coming forth unto you, and ye will see their way and their doings; and then will ye be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, yea, concerning all that I have brought upon 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.'

And they will comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have executed in it, saith the Lord Eternal.