Ezekiel - 14

1 - Then came certain of the elders of Israel - unto me, and sat before me.

2 - And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

3 - 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?

4 - 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;

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 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.

7 - 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:

8 - 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.

9 - 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 - .

10 - 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;

11 - 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.

12 - The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

13 - 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:

14 - 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.

15 - 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:

16 - 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.

17 - 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:

18 - 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.

19 - 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:

20 - 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.

21 - 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?

22 - 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.

23 - 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.