Idolatry Will Be Punished
1 Nowsome of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
2 And the word of theLordcame to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before themthat which causes them to stumble into iniquity.Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the LordGod: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I theLordwill answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,
5 that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the LordGod: “Repent, turn away from your idols, andturn your faces away from all your abominations.
7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I theLordwill answer him by Myself.
8 I will set My face against that man and make him asign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people.Then you shall know that IamtheLord.
9 “And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I theLordhave induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
10 And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired,
11 that the house of Israel mayno longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions,but that they may be My people and I may be their God,“ says the LordGod.’ ”
Judgment on Persistent Unfaithfulness
12 The word of theLordcame again to me, saying:
13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off itssupply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.
14 Evenifthese three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliveronlythemselvesby their righteousness,” says the LordGod.
15 “If I causewild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts,
16 eventhough these three menwerein it,asI live,” says the LordGod, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would bedesolate.
17 “OrifI bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and Icut off man and beast from it,
18 eventhoughthese three menwerein it,asI live,” says the LordGod, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
19 “OrifI senda pestilence into that land andpour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast,
20 eventhoughNoah, Daniel, and Jobwerein it,asI live,” says the LordGod, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliveronlythemselves by their righteousness.”
21 For thus says the LordGod: “How much more it shall be whenI send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?
22 Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will bebrought out,bothsons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, andyou will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it.
23 And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothingwithout cause that I have done in it,” says the LordGod.