Ezekiel 14:12-23
New English Translation
12 The Lord’s message came to me: 13 “Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful, and I stretch out my hand against it, cut off its bread supply,[a] cause famine to come on it, and kill both people and animals. 14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel,[b] and Job, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 “Suppose I were to send wild animals through the land and kill its children, leaving it desolate, without travelers due to the wild animals. 16 Even if these three men were in it, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, they could not save their own sons or daughters; they would save only their own lives, and the land would become desolate.
17 “Or suppose I were to bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through the land,’ and I were to kill both people and animals. 18 Even if these three men were in it, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, they could not save their own sons or daughters—they would save only their own lives.
19 “Or suppose I were to send a plague into that land and pour out my rage on it with bloodshed, killing both people and animals. 20 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, they could not save their own son or daughter; they would save only their own lives by their righteousness.
21 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send my four terrible judgments—sword, famine, wild animals, and plague—to Jerusalem to kill both people and animals! 22 Yet some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come out to you, and when you see their behavior and their deeds, you will be consoled about the catastrophe I have brought on Jerusalem—for everything I brought on it. 23 They will console you when you see their behavior and their deeds, because you will know that it was not without reason that I have done everything that I have done in it, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
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- Ezekiel 14:13 tn Heb “break its staff of bread.”
- Ezekiel 14:14 sn Traditionally this has been understood as a reference to the biblical Daniel, though he was still quite young when Ezekiel prophesied. One wonders if he had developed a reputation as an intercessor by this point. For this reason some prefer to see a reference to a ruler named Danel, known in Canaanite legend for his justice and wisdom. In this case all three of the individuals named would be non-Israelites, however the Ugaritic Danel is not known to have qualities of faith in the Lord that would place him in the company of the other men. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:447-50.
Ezekiel 14:12-23
International Standard Version
On Noah, Daniel, and Job
12 This message came to me from the Lord: 13 “Son of Man, when a nation[a] sins against me by a treacherous act,[b] I’ll reach out to oppose it, destroying its source of food,[c] by sending famine against it, and by destroying both people and beast within it. 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel,[d] and Job lived in that land, they would only save their own lives on account of their righteousness,” declares the Lord God.
15 “If I were to make wild animals pass throughout the land, so that they kill its residents[e] and it were to become desolate because no one will travel through it due to those wild animals,[f] 16 then even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they wouldn’t be able to deliver even their sons or daughters. They would only save themselves, but the land would become desolate.
17 “Or if I were to bring war to[g] that land and say, ‘Hey, sword! Pass throughout the land so I can destroy both man and beasts in it,’ 18 though these three men lived there, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they couldn’t deliver their own sons and daughters. They would only save themselves.
19 “Or if I were to send a pestilence against that land and pour out my anger in it with bloodshed, destroying both man and beast in it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were among them, as I live” says the Lord God, “they couldn’t save their own sons or daughters. They would only save their own souls due to their own righteousness.”
21 This is what the Lord God says, “I’m sending four of my most destructive judgments—military invasion,[h] famine, wild animals, and pestilence—into Jerusalem to destroy both human beings and livestock in it. 22 But look! There will be a remnant who escapes, a few sons and daughters to be brought out. Look! They’ll come out to you and you’ll see how they’ve lived and what they’ve done, and you’ll be comforted concerning the catastrophe that I brought on Jerusalem, including everything that I brought against her. 23 They’ll comfort you when you see how they’ve lived and what they’ve done, because you’ll know for certain that I haven’t done anything that I’ve done against them without any reason,”[i] declares the Lord God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 14:13 Lit. land
- Ezekiel 14:13 Lit. nation acts treacherously by a treacherous act
- Ezekiel 14:13 Lit. will break in pieces its staff of bread.
- Ezekiel 14:14 cf. Eze 28:3
- Ezekiel 14:15 Lit. children
- Ezekiel 14:15 Lit. in the face of living beings
- Ezekiel 14:17 Lit. bring a sword against
- Ezekiel 14:21 Lit. judgments—the sword
- Ezekiel 14:23 Or cause
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