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 (A)being unfaithful, and I stretch out My hand against it, [a]destroy its (B)supply of bread, send famine against it, and eliminate from it both human and animal life, 14 even (C)though these three men, (D)Noah, (E)Daniel, and (F)Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only save (G)themselves,” declares the Lord God. 15 “If I were to cause (H)vicious animals to pass through the land and they [b]depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the animals, 16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. (I)They alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate. 17 Or if I were to (J)bring a sword on that country and say, ‘A sword is to pass through the country,’ and I (K)eliminated human and animal life from it, 18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved. 19 Or if I were to send a (L)plague against that country and pour out My wrath on it in blood to eliminate man and animal from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their son or their daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.”

21 For this is what the Lord God says: “How much more when (M)I send My four [c]severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, vicious animals, and plague to eliminate human and animal life from it! 22 Yet, behold, [d]survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come out to you, and you will (N)see their conduct and actions; then you will be (O)comforted for the disaster 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 (P)without reason whatever I did [e]to it,” declares the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 14:13 Lit break its staff
  2. Ezekiel 14:15 Lit bereaved it of children
  3. Ezekiel 14:21 Lit evil
  4. Ezekiel 14:22 Lit a survivor
  5. Ezekiel 14:23 Lit in

Failed request

12 The Lord’s word came to me: 13 Human one, suppose a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, so that I use my power against it, break off its food supply, let famine run rampant, and eliminate both humans and animals. 14 If these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, lived there, their lives alone would be saved because they were righteous. This is what the Lord God says. 15 Or suppose I allow wild animals to roam through the land, and it becomes so wild that no one can live there or even travel through it on account of the wild animals. 16 If these three men lived there, as surely as I live, proclaims the Lord God, they wouldn’t be able to rescue even their sons or daughters. They alone would be rescued, but the land would become a ruin. 17 Or suppose I bring a sword against that land and command the sword to pass through and eliminate both humans and animals. 18 If these three men lived there, as surely as I live, proclaims the Lord God, they wouldn’t be able to rescue even their sons or daughters. They alone would be rescued. 19 Or suppose I send a plague against that land and pour out my fury on it. With great bloodshed I would eliminate both humans and animals. 20 If Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there, as surely as I live, proclaims the Lord God, they wouldn’t be able to rescue either sons or daughters. But they would save their lives because they were righteous.

21 The Lord God proclaims: How much more if I send all four of these terrible acts of judgment—sword, famine, wild animals, and plague—against Jerusalem, to eliminate both humans and animals? 22 Yet a few survivors will be left. Sons and daughters will be brought out to you. When you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the evil that I inflicted on Jerusalem, for all that I brought against it. 23 Seeing their ways and their deeds will bring you some consolation, because then you will understand what I’ve done, and that I didn’t do any of these things without cause. This is what the Lord God says.

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