Idolatrous Elders Condemned
1 Then some elders R373 of Israel came to me and sat R374 down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 "Son of man, these men have set R375 up their idols in their hearts and have put R376 right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted R377 by them at all? 4 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, `Thus says the Lord GOD F147 , "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 the F148 matter in view of the multitude R378 of his idols, 5 in order to lay hold of the R379 F149 hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged R380 F150 from Me through all their idols."'
6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, `Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent R381 and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations. R382 7 "For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants R383 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, I R384 the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person. 8 "I will set R385 My face against that man and make him a sign R386 and a F151 proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.
9 "But if the prophet is prevailed F152 upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who have prevailed F152 upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy R387 him from among My people Israel. 10 "They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be, 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray R388 from Me and no longer defile R389 themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My R390 people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."
The City Will Not Be Spared
12 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 13 "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing R391 unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy F153 its supply R392 of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, 14 even though R393 these three men, Noah, R394 Daniel R395 and Job R396 were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," R397 declares the Lord GOD. 15 "If I were to cause wild R398 beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated F154 it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, 16 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. They R399 alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate. 17 "Or if I should bring R400 a sword on that country and say, `Let the sword pass through the country and cut R401 off man and beast from it,' 18 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. 19 "Or if I should send a plague R402 against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, 20 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."
21 For thus says the Lord GOD, "How much more when I R403 send My four severe F155 judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it! 22 "Yet, behold, survivors F156 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 see R404 their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted R405 for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. 23 "Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done in R406 vain whatever I did to F157 it," declares the Lord GOD.
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