Ezekiel
Chapter 14
1 Some elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.
2 God’s message came to me, saying,
3 Human, these people have placed their idols in their hearts, and set the sin they trip over right before themselves. Should I let them ask for my help at all?
4 Tell them this: God says, “Any Israelite who worships idols in his heart and lets his sins lead him into trouble, and then asks a prophet for advice, I, God, will respond to him in a way that reflects his many idols.”
5 I want to capture the hearts of Israel’s people, for they have all turned away from me because of their idols.
6 Tell the people of Israel, “God says: Change your ways, stop worshiping idols, and stop doing things that are wrong.”
7 Everyone from Israel’s people, or any visitor living in Israel, who turns away from me, holds idols in their heart, does wrong, and then asks a prophet about me, I, God, will give them my answer directly.
8 I will oppose that person and make him a warning and a common saying, and I will remove him from my people; and you will know that I am God.
9 If a prophet is tricked into saying something, it’s because I, God, have allowed the trick, and I will punish that prophet and remove him from among my people Israel.
10 They will be punished for their sins, and the prophet will be punished just like the one who goes to him for advice.
11 So that the people of Israel won’t turn away from me or be unclean with their sins anymore; instead, they will be my people, and I will be their God, says God.
12 God spoke to me again, saying,
13 Human, when a country sins greatly against me by breaking my rules, I will reach out against that country. I will take away its supply of food, cause a famine, and remove both people and animals from it.
14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were there, they could only save themselves by being good, says God.
15 If I send harmful animals into the country, and they destroy it, making it empty so no one can pass through because of the animals:
16 Even if these three men were there, as I live, says God, they would not save their sons or daughters; only they would be saved, but the land would be empty.
17 If I send a sword into that land and command, “Sword, sweep across the land,” and I wipe out both people and animals:
18 Even if these three men were there, God says, they would not save their sons or daughters, but only themselves would be saved.
19 If I send a disease into that land and express my anger with death, to remove both people and animals:
20 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, as I live, says God, they wouldn’t save either son or daughter; they would only save themselves by being good.
21 God says: What if I send my four terrible punishments to Jerusalem: war, hunger, wild animals, and disease, to kill its people and animals?
22 Still, some people will survive and be brought out—both sons and daughters. They will come to you, and when you see how they behave and what they do, you will feel better about the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem, and all the hardship I have brought on it.
23 They will comfort you when you see their actions, and you’ll understand that I had good reasons for everything I did, says God.