| Berean Study Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me. | 1Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. |
| 2And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 2Then the word of the LORD came to me: |
| 3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way? | 3"Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put their sinful stumbling blocks in front of themselves. Should I actually let them inquire of me? |
| 4Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry, | 4"Therefore, speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart and puts his sinful stumbling block in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him appropriately. I will answer him according to his many idols, |
| 5so that I may take hold of the hearts of the people of Israel. For because of their idols, they are all estranged from Me.’ | 5so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts. They are all estranged from me because of their idols.' |
| 6Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations. | 6"Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your detestable things. |
| 7For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself. | 7For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the aliens who reside in Israel separates himself from me, setting up idols in his heart and putting his sinful stumbling block in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of me, I, the LORD, will answer him myself. |
| 8I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. | 8I will turn against that one and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. |
| 9But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. | 9"'But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, the LORD, who deceived that prophet. I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. |
| 10They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the inquirer will be the same as that of the prophet— | 10They will bear their punishment--the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet-- |
| 11in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God, declares the Lord GOD.’ ” | 11in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from following me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Then they will be my people and I will be their God. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.'" |
| 12And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 12The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 13“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to cut off from it both man and beast, | 13"Son of man, suppose a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its supply of bread, to send famine through it, and to wipe out both man and animal from it. |
| 14then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD. | 14Even if these three men--Noah, Daniel, and Job--were in it, they would rescue only themselves by their righteousness." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. |
| 15Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts, | 15"Suppose I allow dangerous animals to pass through the land and depopulate it so that it becomes desolate, with no one passing through it for fear of the animals. |
| 16then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate. | 16Even if these three men were in it, as I live"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"they could not rescue their sons or daughters. They alone would be rescued, but the land would be desolate. |
| 17Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I cut off from it both man and beast, | 17"Or suppose I bring a sword against that land and say, 'Let a sword pass through it,' so that I wipe out both man and animal from it. |
| 18then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered. | 18Even if these three men were in it, as I live"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"they could not rescue their sons or daughters, but they alone would be rescued. |
| 19Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath upon it through bloodshed, cutting off from it both man and beast, | 19"Or suppose I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it with bloodshed to wipe out both man and animal from it. |
| 20then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves. | 20Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"they could not rescue their son or daughter. They would rescue only themselves by their righteousness. |
| 21For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem My four dire judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague—in order to cut off from it both man and beast? | 21"For this is what the Lord GOD says: How much worse will it be when I send my four devastating judgments against Jerusalem--sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague--in order to wipe out both man and animal from it! |
| 22Yet, behold, some survivors will be left in it—sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come out to you, and when you see their conduct and actions, you will be comforted regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem—all that I have brought upon it. | 22Even so, there will be survivors left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out. Indeed, they will come out to you, and you will observe their conduct and actions. Then you will be consoled about the devastation I have brought on Jerusalem, about all I have brought on it. |
| 23They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done all these things within it,’ declares the Lord GOD.” | 23They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done what I did to it." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. |
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