| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. | 1Then some men from Israel's elders came to me and sat down in front of me. |
| 2Then the word of the LORD came to me: " | 2The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 3Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put sinful stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all?" | 3"Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek me? |
| 4Therefore, 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, puts a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I, Yahweh, will answer him appropriately. I will answer him according to his many idols, | 4Therefore speak to them and say to them, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says: When any one from the house of Israel erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet, I the LORD am determined to answer him personally according to the enormity of his idolatry. |
| 5so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts. They are all estranged from Me because of their idols." | 5I will do this in order to capture the hearts of the house of Israel, who have alienated themselves from me on account of all their idols.' |
| 6Therefore, 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. | 6"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says: Return! Turn from your idols, and turn your faces away from your abominations. |
| 7For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in Israel separates himself from Me, setting up idols in his heart and putting a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I, Yahweh, will answer him Myself. | 7For when anyone from the house of Israel, or the foreigner who lives in Israel, separates himself from me and erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet to seek something from me, I the LORD am determined to answer him personally. |
| 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 Yahweh." | 8I will set my face against that person and will make him an object lesson and a byword and will cut him off from among my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. |
| 9But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, Yahweh, who deceived that prophet. I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. | 9"'As for the prophet, if he is made a fool by being deceived into speaking a prophetic word--I, the LORD, have made a fool of that prophet, and 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 one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet-- | 10They will bear their punishment; the punishment of the one who sought an oracle will be the same as the punishment of the prophet who gave it |
| 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. | 11so that the house of Israel will no longer go astray from me, nor continue to defile themselves by all their sins. They will be my people and I will be their God, declares the sovereign LORD.'" |
| 12The word of the LORD came to me: " | 12The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 13Son of man, if 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, | 13"Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful, and I stretch out my hand against it, cut off its bread supply, cause famine to come on it, and kill both people and animals. |
| 14even if these three men--Noah, Daniel, and Job--were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD." | 14Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, declares the sovereign LORD. |
| 15If 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, | 15"Suppose I were to send wild animals through the land and kill its children, leaving it desolate, without travelers due to the wild animals. |
| 16even if these three men were in it, as I live"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"they could not deliver their sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate." | 16Even if these three men were in it, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, they could not save their own sons or daughters; they would save only their own lives, and the land would become desolate. |
| 17Or if 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, | 17"Or suppose I were to bring a sword against that land and say, 'Let a sword pass through the land,' and I were to kill both people and animals. |
| 18even if these three men were in it, as I live"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"they could not deliver their sons or daughters, but they alone would be delivered." | 18Even if these three men were in it, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, they could not save their own sons or daughters--they would save only their own lives. |
| 19Or if 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, | 19"Or suppose I were to send a plague into that land, and pour out my rage on it with bloodshed, killing both people and animals. |
| 20even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"they could not deliver their son or daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness." | 20Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, they could not save their own son or daughter; they would save only their own lives by their righteousness. |
| 21For 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! | 21"For this is what the sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send my four terrible judgments--sword, famine, wild animals, and plague--to Jerusalem to kill both people and animals! |
| 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. | 22Yet 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 behavior and their deeds, you will be consoled about the catastrophe I have brought on Jerusalem--for everything I 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 what I did to it." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. | 23They will console you when you see their behavior and their deeds, because you will know that it was not without reason that I have done everything which I have done in it, declares the sovereign LORD." |
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