Yechezkel - Chapter 14

1. Now there came to me some men of the elders of Israel and they sat before me.

2. Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

3. "Son of man, these men have set their idols upon their heart, and they have placed the stumbling block of their iniquity opposite their faces. Shall I respond to their inquiry?

4. Therefore, speak with them and say to them: So said the Lord God: Any man of the house of Israel who raises his idols upon his heart and the stumbling of his iniquity he sets opposite his face, and comes to the prophet, I-the Lord-I shall respond to him [although] he came with his multitude of idols,

5. In order to take hold of the [people of the] house of Israel in their heart, who have drawn away from Me with their idols, all of them.

6. Therefore, say to the house of Israel, So said the Lord God: Repent and move away from your idols, and from all your abominations remove your faces.

7. For every man of the house of Israel and of the stranger who sojourns in Israel and draws away from following Me, and brings his idols up to his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity opposite his face, and he comes to the prophet to inquire of him about Me, I, the Lord, shall respond to him by Myself.

8. And I shall direct My anger against that man, and I shall make him desolate, as a sign and as for examples, and I shall cut him off from the midst of My people, and you will know that I am the Lord.

9. But the prophet who is enticed and speaks a word-I, the Lord, have enticed that prophet, and I shall stretch out My hand upon him and destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.

10. And they shall bear their iniquity; like the iniquity of the inquirer, so will be the iniquity of the prophet.

11. In order that the house of Israel no longer stray from following Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions, and they shall be to Me as a people, and I will be to them as a God," says the Lord God.

12. Then the word of the Lord came, saying:

13. "Son of man, if a land sins against Me by trespassing grievously, I shall stretch forth My hand upon it and break its staff of bread, and I shall send famine upon it and cut off from it [both] man and beast.

14. Now should these three men be in its midst-[namely] Noah, Daniel, and Job-they would save themselves with their righteousness, says the Lord God.

15. If I would cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they bereave it, and it becomes desolate without a passerby because of the beasts,

16. [Even] these three men [would be] in its midst, as I live-says the Lord God-if they would save sons or daughters! They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.

17. Or [if] I bring a sword upon that land and say, 'Let a sword pass through the land, and I shall cut off from it [both] man and beast.'

18. And these three men are in its midst, and I live-says the Lord God-they will not save sons and daughters, but they alone will be saved.

19. Or if I send forth a pestilence to that land and pour out My fury upon it [and] upon blood, to cut off from it man and beast,

20. And Noah, Daniel, and Job are in its midst, as I live, says the Lord God, if they will save a son or a daughter; they with their righteousness would save themselves.

21. For so said the Lord God: How much more when I send [all] four of my evil judgments-sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence-against Jerusalem, [ought I] to cut off from it man and beast.

22. But behold, a remnant remains therein: the sons and daughters who are being brought out. Behold they are coming out to you, and you will see their way and their deeds, and you will be comforted over the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem- all that I have brought upon it.

23. And they will comfort you, because you will see their way and their deeds, and you will know that not for naught have I done all that I have done in it," says the Lord God.