1And some of the elders of Yisra’ĕl came to me and sat before me.

2And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,

3“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put the stumbling-block of their crookedness before their face. Should I let them inquire of Me at all?

4“Therefore speak to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Everyone of the house of Yisra’ĕl who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling-block of his crookedness before his face, and shall come to the prophet – I יהוה shall answer him who comes, according to his many idols,

5in order to lay hold of the house of Yisra’ĕl by their heart, for they have become estranged from Me by their idols, all of them.” ’

6“Therefore say to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Repent, and turn back from your idols, and turn back your faces from all your abominations.

7“For anyone of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or of the strangers who sojourn in Yisra’ĕl, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts the stumbling-block of his crookedness before his face, and shall come to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I יהוה shall answer him Myself.

8“And I shall set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I shall cut him off from the midst of My people. And you shall know that I am יהוה.

9“And if the prophet is deceived, and shall speak a word, I יהוה have deceived that prophet, and shall stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from the midst of My people Yisra’ĕl.

10“And they shall bear their crookedness, the crookedness of the prophet is the same as the crookedness of the inquirer,

11so that the house of Yisra’ĕl no longer strays from Me, nor be made unclean any more with all their transgressions. And they shall be My people and I be their Elohim,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”

12And the word of יהוה came again to me, saying,

13“Son of man, when a land sins against Me to commit a trespass, and I shall stretch out My hand against it, and cut off its supply of bread and send scarcity of food on it, and cut off man and beast from it,

14even though these three men, Noaḥ, Dani’ĕl, and Iyoḇ, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” declares the Master יהוה.

15“If I cause an evil beast to pass through the land, and it shall bereave it, and it shall be a wasteland, so that no man passes through because of the beasts,

16even though these three men were in it, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land be a wasteland.

17“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and I shall say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I shall cut off man and beast from it,

18even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, for they alone would be delivered.

19“Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and I shall pour out My wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast,

20even though Noaḥ, Dani’ĕl, and Iyoḇ were in it, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver their own lives by their righteousness.”

21For thus said the Master יהוה, “How much more it shall be when I send My four evil judgments on Yerushalayim: the sword and scarcity of food and evil beasts and pestilence, to cut off man and beast from it?

22“But see, there shall be left in it a remnant who are brought out, both sons and daughters. See, they are coming out to you, and you shall see their ways and their deeds, and shall be comforted concerning the evil which I have brought upon Yerushalayim – all that I have brought upon it.

23“And they shall comfort you, when you see their ways and their deeds. And you shall know that it was not for naught that I have done whatever I did in it,” declares the Master יהוה.