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

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

2 Y ahweh’s word came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me:

3 S on of man, these men have taken their idols into 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 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 to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: 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 comes to the prophet; I Yahweh will answer him therein according to 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 tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Return, and turn yourselves 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 everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me, and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Yahweh 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 make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among my people; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

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 I f the prophet is deceived and speak a word, I, Yahweh, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on 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 T hey shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him who seeks 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 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 Yahweh.

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 Y ahweh’s word came to me, saying,

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 on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;

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 it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, says the Lord Yahweh.

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 evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it is made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals;

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 it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.

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 on that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal;

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 it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should 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 wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal;

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 it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should 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 F or thus says the Lord Yahweh: How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil animals, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and animal!

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, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried out, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come out to you, and you shall see their way and their doings; and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.

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 T hey shall comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord Yahweh.

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.