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

Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me and sat before me.

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

And the word of the Lord came to me:

3 S on of man, these men have caused their uncleanness to come up over their heart and have established the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

Son 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?

4 T herefore speak unto them and say unto them, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Every man of the house of Israel that sets up his idols in his heart and has established the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face and comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him that comes like this in the multitude of his idols

Therefore 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,

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

That 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.

6 T herefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Repent and cause them to repent from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Therefore 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.

7 F or any man of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel who has separated himself from walking after me and has set up his idols in his heart and has established the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face and comes to the prophet to enquire of him concerning me, I, the LORD, will answer him by myself:

For 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!

8 a nd I will set my face against that man and will set him up for a sign and for sayings, and I will cut him off from among my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

And 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.

9 A nd the prophet when he is deceived and speaks a word, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him and will destroy him from among my people Israel.

but 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.

10 A nd they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeks unto him

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

11 t hat the house of Israel may no longer go astray from me, neither be polluted any longer in all their rebellions but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, said the Lord GOD.

That 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.

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

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

13 S on of man, when the land sins against me by rebelling blatantly and I stretch out my hand upon her and break the staff of the bread thereof and send famine upon her and cut off man and beast out of her

Son 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,

14 t hough these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the midst of her, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, said the Lord GOD.

Even 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.

15 I f I cause an evil beast to pass through the land and destroy her so that it be desolate that there be no one to pass through because of the beast

If 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;

16 t hough these three men were in the midst of her, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither their sons nor their daughters; they only shall be delivered, and the land shall be destroyed.

Though 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).

17 O r if I bring a sword upon the land and say: Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast out of her;

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 t hough these three men were in the midst of her, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither their sons nor their daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

Though 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.

19 O r if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my fury upon her in blood to cut off out of her man and beast

Or 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,

20 t hough Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the midst of her, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

Though 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).

21 T herefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: How much more if I send my four sore judgments against Jerusalem: the sword, the famine, the evil beast, the pestilence, to cut off out of her man and beast?

For 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!

22 Y et, behold, there shall be left a remnant in her, of whom shall be taken captive your sons and daughters; they shall be taken away: 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 her.

And 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.

23 A nd 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 her, said the Lord GOD.

And 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.