1 T hen came certain of the elders of Israel to me and sat before me.

Then some leaders of Israel came and sat down in front of me.

2 A nd the word of the Lord came to me:

And the Word of the Lord came to me saying,

3 S on of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity and guilt before their faces; should I permit Myself to be inquired of at all by them?

“Son of man, these men have taken false gods into their hearts. They have put in front of their faces the sin which is the cause of their fall. Should I let Myself be asked questions by them at all?

4 T herefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: 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, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him, answer him according to the multitude of his idols,

So speak to them and tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “Every man of Israel who has given his heart to false gods and lets them lead him into sin and then comes to the man of God, I the Lord will answer him, the answer that his many false gods should get,

5 T hat I may lay hold of the house of Israel in the thoughts of their own mind and heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols.

that I may again have the hearts of the people of Israel who have left Me for their false gods.”’

6 T herefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

“So tell the people of Israel, ‘The Lord God says, “Be sorry for your sins and turn away from your false gods. Turn your faces away from all your sinful ways.

7 F or anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who separates himself from Me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity and guilt before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of Me, I the Lord will answer him Myself!

If a man of Israel or a stranger living in Israel who turns away from Me and gives his heart to false gods, and worships them, and if he then comes to the man of God to get answers from Me, I the Lord will answer him Myself.

8 A nd I will set My face against that and will make him a sign and a byword, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord.

I will set My face against that man and make him something special to see and to speak against. I will cut him off from among My people. And you will know that I am the Lord.

9 b ut if the prophet does give the man the answer he desires, I the Lord will see to it that the prophet is deceived in his answer, and I will stretch out My hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.

But if the man who speaks in My name is given a false answer, it is I, the Lord, Who has caused him to speak. And I will put out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

10 A nd they both shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be the same as the iniquity of the inquirer,

They will suffer the punishment of their sin. The man who asks the question and the man who speaks to him in My name will both be punished in the same way.

11 T hat the house of Israel may go no more 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.

This is so that the people of Israel may no longer turn away from Me, and no longer make themselves sinful with all their wrong-doing. They will be My people and I will be their God,”’ says the Lord God.” Those Not Faithful Are Judged

12 T he word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying,

13 S on of man, when a land sins against Me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out My hand against it and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it and cut off from it man and beast,

“Son of man, if a country sins against Me by not being faithful, I will put out My hand against it. I will destroy its store of bread, and send hunger against it, and take away both man and animal from it.

14 E ven if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they would save but their own lives by their righteousness (their uprightness and right standing with Me), says the Lord God.

For even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in this country, they would save only their own lives by being right and good,” says the Lord God.

15 I f I cause ferocious and evil wild animals to pass through the land and they ravage and bereave it, and it becomes desolate so that no man may pass through because of the beasts;

“If I sent wild animals to pass through the land to kill its people and destroy it so that no one would go through it because of the wild animals,

16 T hough these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; they themselves alone would be delivered but the land would be desolate (laid waste and deserted).

even if these three men were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they could not save their sons or their daughters. They alone would be saved, but the country would be laid waste.

17 O r 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,

If I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and animal from it,’

18 T hough these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they themselves alone would be delivered.

even if these three men were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they could not save their sons or their daughters. They alone would be saved.

19 O r if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast,

Or if I send a disease against that country and show My anger by killing, to take away man and animal from it,

20 T hough Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would but deliver their own lives by their righteousness (their moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation).

even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they could not save their son or daughter. They would save only themselves by being right and good.

21 F or thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send My four sore acts of judgment upon Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil wild beasts, and the pestilence—to cut off from it man and beast!

“For the Lord God says, ‘How much worse will it be when I send my four worst punishments against Jerusalem! I will send the sword, hunger, wild animals, and disease, to take away man and animal from it!

22 A nd yet, behold, in it shall be left a remnant (an escaped portion), both sons and daughters. They shall be carried forth to you, and when you see their walk and their doings, you will be consoled for the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

Yet there will be some people and their children left alive in it who will be brought out. When they come to you, see how sinful they are. Then you will know that all the trouble I brought upon Jerusalem was right.

23 A nd they shall console you when you see their evil ways and their rebellious actions. Then you shall know (understand and realize) that I have not done without cause all that I have done in Jerusalem, says the Lord God.

It will help you when you see how they act. Then you will know that there was a good reason for everything I did,’ says the Lord God.”