Idolatrous Elders Punished

14 Some of the elders of Israel came(A) to me and sat down in front of me.(B) Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put sinful stumbling blocks before their faces.(C) Should I be consulted by them at all?(D)

“Therefore, speak to them and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart, puts a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I, Yahweh, will answer him appropriately.[a] I will answer him according to his many idols, so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts. They are all estranged from Me because of their idols.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 14:4 Alt Hb tradition reads him who comes

The Idolatry of Israel’s Leaders

14 Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sitting with me, this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, these leaders have set up idols[a] in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves. I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.’

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Footnotes

  1. 14:3 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 14:4, 5, 6, 7.