14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts. They have put the stumbling block of their iniquity right before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4 Therefore speak to them, and say to them, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Every man from the house of Israel who sets up idols in his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity right before his face, and then comes to the prophet—I, Adonai, will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, 5 so I may take hold of the house of Israel in their hearts. For they have all become estranged from Me through their idols.’”
6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says Adonai Elohim: “Return, turn away from your idols; turn your faces from all your abominations. 7 For anyone from the house of Israel or the outsiders who dwell in Israel who breaks himself away from Me takes idols into his heart, puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me through him—I, Adonai, will answer him Myself. 8 I will set My face against that man. I will make him a sign and a proverb and cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am Adonai.
9 “When the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, Adonai, have deceived that prophet. I will stretch out My hand against him. I will destroy him from among My people Israel. 10 They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the prophet will be the same as the punishment of the inquirer— 11 so that the house of Israel will not wander again from Me or defile themselves again with all their transgressions. They will be My people and I will be their God.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
12 The word of Adonai came to me saying, 13 “Son of man, suppose a land sins against Me by trespassing grievously and I stretch out My hand over it, break off its staff of bread, send famine upon it and cut it off from man and beast. 14 Even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—be in it, they would only deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
15 “If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land and they ravage it and make it a wasteland, so that no one would pass through because of the beasts, 16 even if these three men were in it, as I live, says Adonai, they will not deliver sons or daughters. They would only deliver themselves, but the land will be desolate. 17 Or if I bring a sword on that land and say: ‘Let the 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, says Adonai, they will not deliver sons or daughters, for they will only deliver themselves.
19 “Or, suppose I were to send a plague to that land and pour out My fury upon it in blood, to cut off man and beast from it. 20 Even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, as I live, says Adonai, they would not deliver either a son or a daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
21 For thus Adonai says: “How much more if I send My four dreadful judgments against Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil beasts and the plague—to cut man and beast off from it. 22 Yet behold, survivors would remain in it who would be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, when they come to you and you see their ways and their deeds, you would be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought against Jerusalem, all that I have brought on it. 23 They would comfort you when you see their ways and their deeds. So you will know that I had not done all that I had done without cause.” It is a declaration of Adonai.