Ezekiel 14
Complete Jewish Bible
14 Then certain of Isra’el’s leaders came to me; and while they were sitting with me, 2 the word of Adonai came to me: 3 “Human being, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, thus setting in front of themselves the stumblingblock that leads to sin. Should I let them consult me at all? 4 Therefore speak to them, and tell them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Everyone in the house of Isra’el who takes his idols into his heart, thus setting in front of himself the stumblingblock that leads to sin, and then comes to the prophet, I myself, Adonai, will answer him in a manner suited to his many idols, 5 in order to grab hold of the house of Isra’el in their hearts; since, through their idols, they have all fallen away from me.’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Isra’el that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Repent! Turn yourselves away from your idols, turn your faces away from all your disgusting practices! 7 For everyone, whether from the house of Isra’el or a foreigner living in Isra’el, who separates himself from me and takes his idols into his heart, thus setting in front of himself the stumblingblock that leads to sin, and then comes to the prophet, asking him to consult me for him, I myself, Adonai, will answer him. 8 I will set my face against that person, make him a warning sign and an example, and cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am Adonai.
9 “‘Now, whenever a prophet is enticed into speaking a word, it will be I, Adonai, who will have enticed that prophet. I will stretch out my hand over him and destroy him from among my people Isra’el. 10 The prophets will bear the guilt for their sins — the sin of the prophet will be the same as the sin of the inquirer — 11 so that the house of Isra’el will no longer wander away from me or defile themselves with all their crimes; rather, they will be my people and I will be their God,’ says Adonai Elohim.”
12 The word of Adonai came to me: 13 “Human being, when a land sins against me by dealing treacherously with me, so that I stretch out my hand over it and break off its food supply, sending it famine and eliminating both its humans and its animals; 14 even if these three men were in it — Noach, Dani’el and Iyov — they would by their righteousness save only themselves,” says Adonai Elohim.
15 “If I unleash wild beasts on the land, and they kill its children and desolate it, so that no one can pass through because of the animals; 16 even if these three men were in it, as I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “they would save neither sons nor daughters; only they themselves would be saved, and the land would remain barren.
17 “Or if I bring the sword down on that land, saying, ‘Let the sword pass through the land,’ so that I eliminate both its humans and its animals; 18 even if these three men were in it, as I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “they would save neither sons nor daughters; only they themselves would be saved.
19 “Or if I bring a plague into that land and pour out my fury on it in bloodshed, so that I eliminate both its humans and its animals; 20 even if Noach, Dani’el and Iyov were in it, as I live,” says Adonai Elohim, “they would save neither a son nor a daughter; they would save only themselves by their righteousness.”
21 For here is what Adonai Elohim says: “Even if I inflict my four dreadful judgments on Yerushalayim — sword, famine, wild animals and plagues — to eliminate both its humans and its animals; 22 there will still be left a remnant in it to be brought out, including both sons and daughters. When they come out to you, and you see their way of life and how they act, then you will be consoled over the calamity I have brought upon Yerushalayim, over everything I have done to it. 23 Yes, they will console you when you see their way of life and how they act; and you will understand that it was not without good reason that I did what I did in [Yerushalayim],” says Adonai Elohim.
Ezekiel 14
New King James Version
Idolatry Will Be Punished
14 Now (A)some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them (B)that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. (C)Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and (D)turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself. 8 (E)I will set My face against that man and make him a (F)sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. (G)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
9 “And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the Lord (H)have induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired, 11 that the house of Israel may (I)no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, (J)but that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says the Lord God.’ ”
Judgment on Persistent Unfaithfulness
12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its (K)supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 (L)Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves (M)by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.
15 “If I cause (N)wild beasts to pass through the land, and they [a]empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even (O)though these three men were [b]in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be (P)desolate.
17 “Or if (Q)I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I (R)cut off man and beast from it, 18 even (S)though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
19 “Or if I send (T)a pestilence into that land and (U)pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even (V)though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
21 For thus says the Lord God: “How much more it shall be when (W)I send My four [c]severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it? 22 (X)Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be (Y)brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and (Z)you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing (AA)without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord God.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 14:15 Lit. bereave it of children
- Ezekiel 14:16 Lit. in the midst of it
- Ezekiel 14:21 Lit. evil
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
