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14 Then came certain anashim of the zekenim of Yisroel unto me, and sat before me.

And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

Ben adam, these anashim have set up their gillulim (idols) in their lev, and put the michshol (stumbling block) of their avon before their face; should I be inquired of at all by them?

Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Every ish of Bais Yisroel that setteth up his gillulim in his lev, and putteth the michshol (stumbling block) of his avon before his face, and cometh to the navi; I Hashem will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his gillulim;

That I may seize Bais Yisroel in their lev, who have become estranged from me, all of them, for their gillulim (idols).

Therefore say unto Bais Yisroel, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Make teshuvah, and turn yourselves away from your gillulim (idols); and turn away your faces from all your to’avot (abominations).

For every one of Bais Yisroel, or of the ger that sojourneth in Yisroel, which separateth himself from Me, and setteth up his gillulim (idols) in his lev (heart), and putteth the michshol (stumbling block) of his avon (iniquity) before his face, and cometh to a navi (prophet) to inquire of him concerning Me; I Hashem will answer him by Myself;

And I will set My face against that ish, and will make him an ot (sign) and for meshalim (proverbs [i.e., make him a byword and an object lesson] and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

And if the navi be induced to make a pronouncement, I Hashem have induced that navi, and I will stretch out My yad against him, and will make him shmad from the midst of My people Yisroel.

10 And they shall bear the punishment of their avon; the punishment of the navi shall be even as the punishment of him that inquireth of him;

11 That Bais Yisroel may go no more astray from Me, neither be made tameh any more with all their peysha’im; but that they may be My people, and I may be to them Elohim, saith Adonoi Hashem.

12 The Devar Hashem came again to me, saying,

13 Ben adam, when eretz sinneth against Me by persistent ma’al (faithlessness, treachery), then will I stretch out Mine yad upon it, and will break the matteh lechem thereof, and will send ra’av (famine) upon it, and will cut off adam and behemah from it;

14 Though these three anashim—Noach, Daniel, and Iyov—were in it, they would deliver but their own nefesh by their tzedakah, saith Adonoi Hashem.

15 If I cause chayyah ra’ah (wild beasts) to pass through ha’aretz, and they bereave it of children, so that it be desolate, that no one may pass through because of the beasts;

16 Though these sheloshet ha’anashim were in the midst of it, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, they shall deliver neither banim nor banot; only they shall be delivered, but ha’aretz shall be desolate.

17 Or if I bring a cherev upon that land, and say, Cherev, pass through ha’aretz; so that I cut off adam and behemah from it;

18 Though these sheloshet ha’anashim were in it, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, they would deliver neither banim nor banot, but they only themselves would be delivered.

19 Or if I send a dever (plague) into that land, and pour out My chemah (fury) upon it in dahm, to cut off from it adam and behemah;

20 Though Noach, Daniel, and Iyov were in it, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, they would deliver neither ben nor bat; they would but deliver their own nefashot by their tzedakah.

21 For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: How much worse will it be when I send My four severe judgments upon Yerushalayim—-the cherev, and the ra’av (famine), and the chayyah ra’ah (wild beast), and the dever—-to cut off from it adam and behemah?

22 Yet, hinei, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought out, both banim and banot; behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their derech and their doings; and ye shall be consoled concerning the ra’ah that I have brought upon Yerushalayim, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

23 And they shall console you, when ye see their drakhim and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

Idolaters Condemned

14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.(A) Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts(B) and put wicked stumbling blocks(C) before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?(D) Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted(E) me for their idols.’(F)

“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent!(G) Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!(H)

“‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner(I) residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block(J) before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire(K) of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. I will set my face against(L) them and make them an example(M) and a byword.(N) I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(O)

“‘And if the prophet(P) is enticed(Q) to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.(R) 10 They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11 Then the people of Israel will no longer stray(S) from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people,(T) and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.(U)’”

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable

12 The word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, if a country sins(V) against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply(W) and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,(X) 14 even if these three men—Noah,(Y) Daniel[a](Z) and Job(AA)—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,(AB) declares the Sovereign Lord.

15 “Or if I send wild beasts(AC) through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,(AD) 16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.(AE)

17 “Or if I bring a sword(AF) against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,(AG) 18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

19 “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath(AH) on it through bloodshed,(AI) killing its people and their animals,(AJ) 20 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.(AK)

21 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments(AL)—sword(AM) and famine(AN) and wild beasts and plague(AO)—to kill its men and their animals!(AP) 22 Yet there will be some survivors(AQ)—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it.(AR) They will come to you, and when you see their conduct(AS) and their actions, you will be consoled(AT) regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23 You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 14:14 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature; also in verse 20