Ezekiel 14

1Some men from Israel's elders came to me and sat before me.

2The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

3Son of man, these men have taken their idols to heart and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces: should I be sought by them at all?

4Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Every man of the house of Israel who brings his idols to his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and comes to the prophet—I, Yahweh, will answer him in that according to the abundance of his idols.

5so that I may seize the house of Israel in their heart, because they have all turned away from me by their idols.

6Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Return, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces from all your abominations.

7For any man from the house of Israel or any sojourner living in Israel who turns from following me, brings his idols into his heart, sets his iniquity's stumbling block before his face, and approaches the prophet to seek a word from me for himself—I, Yahweh, will answer him myself.

8I will turn my face against that man and make him a desolation, a sign, and a byword, and I will cut him off from among my people; you will know that I am Yahweh.

9And if a prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, Yahweh, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

10They shall bear their iniquity; the prophet's iniquity shall be like the inquirer's.

11so that the house of Israel will stray from me no longer, nor defile themselves any longer with all their transgressions, but will be my people and I their God, declares the Lord Yahweh.

12The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

13Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing treachery, I will stretch out my hand upon it, break the staff of its bread, send famine on it, and cut off humankind and beasts from it.

14Even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in its midst, they would rescue only their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord Yahweh.

15If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land and they bereave it, it becomes desolate for lack of any passerby because of the beasts.

16Though these three men were in its midst, as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be delivered, but the land would become desolate.

17Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, "Sword, pass through the land," so that I cut off from it man and beast.

18Though these three men were in its midst, as I live, declares Lord Yahweh, they will deliver neither sons nor daughters, for they alone will be delivered themselves.

19Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my anger upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast.

20Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, they would rescue neither son nor daughter; they would rescue their own lives by their righteousness.

21For thus says the Lord Yahweh: how much more when I send my four evil judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, evil beasts, and pestilence—to cut off from it man and beast.

22Behold, a remnant is left in it among those who come out—sons and daughters; behold, they come out to you, and you will see their way and their doings, and you will be comforted over the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even all that I have brought on her.

23They will comfort you when you see their way and their deeds, and you will know that I have not acted without cause in all that I have done to it, declares the Lord Yahweh.