Then came certain
of the elders
of Israel
unto me, and sat
before
me.
And the word of the LORD
came unto me, saying
,
Son of man
, these men
have set up
their idols
in their heart
, and put
the stumblingblock
of their iniquity
before
their face
: should I be enquired
of at all
by them?
Therefore speak unto them, and say
unto them, Thus saith
the Lord
GOD
; Every man
of the house
of Israel
that setteth up
his idols
in his heart
, and putteth
the stumblingblock
of his iniquity
before
his face
, and cometh
to the prophet
; I the LORD
will answer
him that cometh
according to the multitude
of his idols
;
That I may take the house
of Israel
in their own heart
, because they are all estranged
from me through their idols
.
Therefore say unto the house
of Israel
, Thus saith
the Lord
GOD
; Repent
, and turn
yourselves from your idols
; and turn away
your faces
from all your abominations
.
For every one of the house
of Israel
, or of the stranger
that sojourneth
in Israel
, which separateth
himself from me
, and setteth up
his idols
in his heart
, and putteth
the stumblingblock
of his iniquity
before
his face
, and cometh
to a prophet
to enquire
of him concerning me; I the LORD
will answer
him by myself:
And I will set my face
against that man
, and will make
him a sign
and a proverb
, and I will cut him off
from the midst
of my people
; and ye shall know
that I am the LORD
.
And if the prophet be deceived
when he hath spoken
a thing
, I the LORD
have deceived
that prophet
, and I will stretch out
my hand
upon him, and will destroy
him from the midst
of my people
Israel
.
And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity
: the punishment
of the prophet
shall be even as the punishment
of him that seeketh
unto him ;
That the house of Israel
may go no more astray
from me
, neither be polluted
any more with all their transgressions
; but that they may be my people
, and I may be their God
, saith
the Lord
GOD
.
The word of the LORD
came again to me, saying
,
Son of man
, when the land
sinneth
against me by trespassing
grievously
, then will I stretch out
mine hand
upon it, and will break
the staff
of the bread
thereof, and will send
famine
upon it, and will cut off
man
and beast
from it:
Though these three men
, Noah
, Daniel
, and Job
, were in it
, they should deliver
but their own souls
by their righteousness
, saith
the Lord
GOD
.
If I cause noisome
beasts
to pass through
the land
, and they spoil
it, so that it be desolate
, that no man may pass through
because
of the beasts
:
Though these three men
were in it
, as I live
, saith
the Lord
GOD
, they shall deliver
neither sons
nor daughters
; they only shall be delivered
, but the land
shall be desolate
.
Or if I bring a sword
upon that land
, and say
, Sword
, go through
the land
; so that I cut off
man
and beast
from it:
Though these three men
were in it
, as I live
, saith
the Lord
GOD
, they shall deliver
neither sons
nor daughters
, but they only shall be delivered
themselves.
Or if I send a pestilence
into that land
, and pour out
my fury
upon it in blood
, to cut off
from it man
and beast
:
Though Noah, Daniel
, and Job
, were in it
, as I live
, saith
the Lord
GOD
, they shall deliver
neither son
nor
daughter
; they shall but deliver
their own souls
by their righteousness
.
For thus saith the Lord
GOD
; How much more when I send
my four
sore
judgments
upon Jerusalem
, the sword
, and the famine
, and the noisome
beast
, and the pestilence
, to cut off
from it man
and beast
?
Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant
that shall be brought forth
, both sons
and daughters
: behold, they shall come forth
unto you, and ye shall see
their way
and their doings
: and ye shall be comforted
concerning the evil
that I have brought
upon Jerusalem
, even concerning all that I have brought
upon it.
And they shall comfort you, when ye see
their ways
and their doings
: and ye shall know
that I have not done
without cause
all that I have done
in it, saith
the Lord
GOD
.