1 A nd there came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

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

2 A nd the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

And the Word of the Lord came to me saying,

3 S on of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face: should I 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 unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I Jehovah will answer him according to this, 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 take the house of Israel by their own 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 unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves 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 every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire of me by him, I Jehovah will answer him by 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 man, and will make him desolate, for a sign and for proverbs, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people: and ye shall know that I Jehovah.

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 A nd if the prophet be enticed and shall speak a word, I Jehovah have enticed that prophet; 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 shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even 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 make themselves any more unclean with all their transgressions; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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 A nd the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying,

13 S on of man, when a land sinneth against me by working unfaithfulness, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off man and beast from it;

“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 t hough these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, should be in it, they should deliver their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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 evil beasts to pass through the land, and they bereave it, and it become a desolation, so that no one passeth 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 — though these three men should be in it, I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters: they only should be delivered, and the land should be a desolation.

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 I bring the 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 a nd these three men should be in it, I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only themselves should 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 I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury 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 a nd Noah, Daniel, and Job should be in it, I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter: they should deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

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 saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beast, 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 B ut behold, there shall be left in it those that escape, who shall be brought out of, 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, as to 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 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 done in it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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.”