Idolatrous Elders Condemned
(Romans 14:13–23; 1 Corinthians 8:1–13)

1Then came certaine of the Elders of Israel vnto me, and sate before me. 2And the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 3Sonne of man, these men haue set vp their idoles in their heart, and put the stumbling blocke of their iniquitie before their face: should I, being required, answere them? 4Therefore speake vnto them, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lorde God, Euery man of the house of Israel that setteth vp his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to the Prophet, I the Lorde will answere him that commeth, according to the multitude of his idoles: 5That I may take the house of Israel in their owne heart, because they are all departed from me through their idoles.

6Therfore say vnto the house of Israel, Thus sayth the Lord God, Returne, and withdraw your selues, and turne your faces from your idoles, and turne your faces from all your abominations. 7For euery one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that soiourneth in Israel, which departeth from mee, and setteth vp his idoles in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to a Prophet, for to inquire of him for me, I the Lord will answere him for my selfe, 8And I will set my face against that man, and will make him an example and prouerbe, and I will cut him off from the middes of my people, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde.

9And if the Prophet be deceiued, when hee hath spoken a thing, I the Lorde haue deceiued that Prophet, and I will stretch out mine hande vpon him, and will destroy him from the middes of my people of Israel. 10And they shall beare their punishment: the punishment of the Prophet shall bee euen as the punishment of him that asketh, 11That the house of Israel may go no more astray from mee, neither bee polluted any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, sayth the Lorde God.

Four Dire Judgments

12The worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying, 13Sonne of man, when ye land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse, then will I stretch out mine hand vpon it, & will breake the staffe of the bread thereof, and will send famine vpon it, and I will destroy man and beast forth of it. 14Though these three men Noah, Daniel, and Iob were among them, they shoulde deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnes, saith the Lorde God. 15If I bring noysome beastes into the lande and they spoyle it, so that it bee desolate, that no man may passe through, because of beastes, 16Though these three men were in the mids thereof, As I liue, sayth the Lord God, they shall saue neither sonnes nor daughters: they onely shalbe deliuered, but the land shall be waste. 17Or if I bring a sworde vpon this land, and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I destroy man and beast out of it, 18Though these three men were in the mids thereof, As I liue, sayth the Lorde God, they shal deliuer neither sonnes nor daughters, but they onely shall be deliuered themselues. 19Or if I send a pestilence into this land, and powre out my wrath vpon it in blood, to destroy out of it man and beast, 20And though Noah, Daniel and Iob were in the middes of it, As I liue, sayth the Lorde God, they shal deliuer neither sonne nor daughter: they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnes.

21For thus saith the Lord God, Howe much more when I sende my foure sore iudgements vpon Ierusalem, euen the sworde, and famine, and the noysome beast & pestilence, to destroy man and beast out of it? 22Yet beholde, therein shalbe left a remnant of them that shalbe caryed away both sonnes and daughters: behold, they shal come forth vnto you, and ye shal see their way, and their enterprises: and ye shall be comforted, concerning the euill that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem, euen concerning al that I haue brought vpon it. 23And they shal comfort you, when yee see their way and their enterprises: & ye shal know, that I haue not done without cause all that I haue done in it, saith the Lorde God.