The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ezekiel 14
1 Then some of the elders of Israel came
to me and sat before me.
2 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, these men have taken
their idols into their heart, and put the
stumbling block of their iniquity before
their face. Should I be inquired of at all by
them?
4 Therefore speak to them and tell them,
‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Every man of the
house of Israel who takes his idols into his
heart and puts the stumbling block of his
iniquity before his face then comes to the
prophet, I Yahweh will answer him there
according to the multitude of his idols,
5 that I may take the house of Israel in
their own heart, because they are all estranged
from me through their idols.” ’
6 “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The
LordYahwehsays: “Return, andturnyourselves
from your idols! Turn away your
faces from all your abominations.
7 For everyone of the house of Israel,
or of the strangers who live in Israel, who
separates himself from me and takes his
idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling
block of his iniquity before his face, and
comes to the prophetto inquire for himself
ofme,IYahweh will answer him by my self.
8 I will set my face against that man and
will make him an astonishment, for a sign
and a proverb, and I will cut him off from
among my people. Then you will know
that I am Yahweh.
9 If the prophet is deceived and
speaks a word, I, Yahweh, have deceived
that prophet, and I will stretch out my
hand on him, and will destroy him from
among my people Israel.
10 They will bear their iniquity. The
iniquity of the prophet will be even as the
iniquity of him who seeks him,
11 that the house of Israel may no more
go astray from me, neither defile
themselves any more with all their transgressions;
but that they may be my people, and I may be their
God,” says the Lord Yahweh.’ ”
12 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
13 “Son of man, when a land sins against
me by committing a trespass, and I stretch
out my hand on it, and break the staff of
its bread and send famine on it, and cut off
from it man and animal—
14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel,
and Job, were in it, they would deliver only
their own souls by their righteousness,”
says the Lord Yahweh.
15 “IfI cause evil animals to pass through
the land, and they ravage it and it is made
desolate, so that no man may pass through
because of the animals—
16 though these three men were in it,
as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they
would deliver neither sons nor daughters.
They only would be delivered, but the land
would be desolate.
17 “Or if I bring a sword on that land, and
say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I
cut off from it man and animal’—
18 though these three men were in it, as
I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they would
deliver neither sons nor daughters, but
they only would be delivered themselves.
19 “Or ifI send a pestilence into that land,
and pour out my wrath onitinblood,to cut
off from it man and animal—
20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in
it, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they
would deliver neither son nor daughter;
they would deliver only their own souls by
their righteousness.”
21 For the Lord Yahweh says: “How
much more when I send my four severe
judgments on Jerusalem—the sword, the
famine, the evil animals, and the pestilence—to
cut off from it man and animal!
22 Yet, behold, there will be left a remnantin
it that will be carried out, both sons
and daughters. Behold, they will come
out to you, and you will see their way and
their doings. Then you will be comforted
concerning the evil that I have brought on
Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have
brought on it.
23 They will comfort you, when you see
their way and their doings; then you will
know that I have not done all that I have
done in it without cause,” says the Lord
Yahweh.