Then some aelders
of Israel
came
to me and bsat
down
before
me.
And the word of the LORD
came
to me, saying
,
"Son of man
, these
men
have aset
up their idols
in their hearts
and have bput
right
before
their faces
the stumbling
block
of their iniquity
. Should I be cconsulted
by them at all
?
"Therefore speak
to them and tell
them, `Thus
says
the Lord
1GOD
, "Any
man
of the house
of Israel
who
sets
up his idols
in his heart
, puts
right
before
his face
the stumbling
block
of his iniquity
, and then comes
to the prophet
, I the LORD
will be brought
to give
him an answer
in 2the matter in view of the amultitude
of his idols
,
in order to lay
hold
of 1 athe hearts
of the house
of Israel
who
are 2 bestranged
from Me through all
their idols
."'
"Therefore say
to the house
of Israel
, `Thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, " aRepent
and turn
away
from your idols
and turn
your faces
away
from all
your babominations
.
"For anyone of the house
of Israel
or of the aimmigrants
who
stay
in Israel
who separates
himself from Me, sets
up his idols
in his heart
, puts
right
before
his face
the stumbling
block
of his iniquity
, and then comes
to the prophet
to inquire
of Me for himself, bI the LORD
will be brought
to answer
him in My own person.
"I will aset My face
against that man
and make
him a bsign
and 1a proverb
, and I will cut
him off
from among
My people
. So you will know
that I am the LORD
.
"But if the prophet
is 1prevailed
upon to speak
a word
, it is I, the LORD
, who have 1prevailed
upon that prophet
, and I will stretch
out My hand
against
him and adestroy
him from among
My people
Israel
.
"They will bear the punishment of their iniquity
; as the iniquity
of the inquirer
is, so the iniquity
of the prophet
will be,
in order that the house
of Israel
may no
longer
astray
from Me and no
longer
bdefile
themselves with all
their transgressions
. Thus they will be cMy people
, and I shall be their God
,"' declares
the Lord
GOD
."
Then the word of the LORD
came
to me saying
,
"Son of man
, if
a country
sins
against Me by acommitting
unfaithfulness
, and I stretch
out My hand
against
it, 1destroy
its bsupply
of bread
, send
famine
against it and cut
off
from it both man
and beast
,
even athough these three
men
, bNoah
, cDaniel
and dJob
were in its midst
, by their own righteousness
they could only deliver
ethemselves
," declares
the Lord
GOD
.
"If I were to cause awild
beasts
to pass
through the land
and they 1depopulated
it, and it became
desolate
so
that no
one
would pass
through
it because
of the beasts
,
though these three
men
were in its midst
, as I live
," declares
the Lord
GOD
, "they could not deliver
either
their sons
or
their daughters
. aThey alone
would be delivered
, but the country
would be desolate
.
"Or if I should abring
a sword
on that country
and say
, `Let the sword
pass
through the country
and bcut
off
man
and beast
from it,'
even though these three
men
were in its midst
, as I live
," declares
the Lord
GOD
, "they could not deliver
either their sons
or their daughters
, but they alone
would be delivered
.
"Or if I should send
a aplague
against
that country
and pour
out My wrath
in blood
on it to cut
off
man
and beast
from it,
even though Noah, Daniel
and Job
were in its midst
, as I live
," declares
the Lord
GOD
, "they could not deliver
either
their son
or
their daughter
. They would deliver
only themselves
by their righteousness
."
For thus says
the Lord
GOD
, "How
much
more
when
aI send
My four
1severe
judgments
against
Jerusalem
: sword
, famine
, wild
beasts
and plague
to cut
off
man
and beast
from it!
"Yet, behold, 1survivors
will be left
in it who will be brought
out, both sons
and daughters
. Behold
, they are going to come
forth
to you and you will asee
their conduct
and actions
; then you will be bcomforted
for the calamity
which
I have brought
against
Jerusalem
for everything
which
I have brought
upon it.
"Then they will comfort you when
you see
their conduct
and actions
, for you will know
that I have not done
ain vain
whatever
I did
1to it," declares
the Lord
GOD
.