Ezekiel 14
Elders come to Ezekiel, but the LORD declares they have set up idols in their hearts. He warns that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in a sinful land, they could save only themselves by their own righteousness — not their sons or daughters.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. | Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. |
| 2 | And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, | The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 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? | "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and placed the stumbling block of their iniquity right in front of them. Should I let them inquire of Me at all?" |
| 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; | "Speak to them and say: This is what the Lord GOD says: When any Israelite sets up idols in His heart and puts the stumbling block of His iniquity before Him, and then comes to a prophet — I the LORD will answer Him according to His many idols." |
| 5 | That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. | "I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel who have all abandoned Me for 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. | "Therefore say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord GOD says: Repent. Turn from Your idols and turn away 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: | "When any Israelite or any foreigner living in Israel separates Himself from Me, sets up idols in His heart, puts the stumbling block of His iniquity before Him, and comes to a prophet to ask Me something — I the LORD will answer Him 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. | "I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a byword. I will cut Him off from among My people. You will 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. | "And if a prophet is deceived and speaks a message, I the LORD have allowed that prophet to be deceived. I will stretch out My hand against Him and destroy Him from among 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; | "Both the prophet and the person who consults him will bear the punishment for their iniquity." |
| 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. | "This is so the house of Israel will no longer stray from Me and will no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. They will be My people and I will be their God, declares the Lord GOD." |
| 12 | The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, | The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 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: | "Son of man, when a land sins against Me by trespassing grievously, I will stretch out My hand against it and cut off its food supply. I will send famine on it and 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. | "Even if these three men — Noah, Daniel, and Job — were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares 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: | "If I send wild animals through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one will travel through it because of the animals —" |
| 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. | "as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would 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: | "Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the land,' and I kill its people and their animals —" |
| 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. | "as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved." |
| 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: | "Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath on it with bloodshed to kill its people and their animals —" |
| 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. | "as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not save son or daughter. They would save only themselves 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? | "For this is what the Lord GOD says: How much worse will it be when I send My four dreadful judgments against Jerusalem — sword, famine, wild animals, and plague — to kill its people and their animals!" |
| 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. | "Yet there will be survivors — sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come to You, and when You see their behavior and their actions, You will be comforted about the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem — about everything I have brought on 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. | "They will comfort You when You see how they have behaved. You will know that I did not do without cause everything I have done in it, declares the Lord GOD." |