| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Later, some men from the elders of Israel came to visit me. After they had sat down in my presence, | 1Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. |
| 2this message came to me from the LORD. | 2Then the word of the LORD came to me: " |
| 3"Son of Man, these men have taken idols into their hearts. They've placed the stumbling block that is their own iniquity right in front of their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all? | 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?" |
| 4Therefore, speak up and tell them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says, "Every person from Israel's house who follows his idols and sets the stumbling block that is his own sin in front of his face, and then consults a prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to how many idols he embraces. | 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, |
| 5I'll do this in order to capture the hearts of Israel's house who have become alienated from me due to all of their idols."'" | 5so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts. They are all estranged from Me because of their idols." |
| 6"Therefore you are to tell Israel's house, 'This is what the Lord GOD says, "Turn away! Turn away from your idols, and abandon your detestable practices! | 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. |
| 7For when a native Israeli or a resident alien abandons me to set up idols in his heart behind my back, and then places the stumbling block of his iniquity right in front of his own face, then approaches a prophet to inquire of me on behalf of his own self-interest, I, the LORD will answer him myself. | 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. |
| 8I'm determined to oppose that person and make him an example. Proverbs will be written about him when I eliminate him from my people. Then you'll 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 Yahweh." |
| 9"Now as to the prophet, if through deceit he delivers a message, I the LORD have deceived that prophet! I'll reach out in opposition to him and exterminate him from among my people Israel. | 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. |
| 10They'll bear the consequences of their guilt, and the prophet will be just as guilty as the one who seeks that prophet's guidance. | 10They will bear their punishment--the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet-- |
| 11Then Israel's house won't wander away from me again, nor will they defile themselves again with all their transgressions. They'll become my people and I'll 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. |
| 12This message came to me from the LORD: | 12The word of the LORD came to me: " |
| 13"Son of Man, when a nation sins against me by a treacherous act, I'll reach out to oppose it, destroying its source of food, by sending famine against it, and by destroying both people and beast within it. | 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, |
| 14Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job lived in that land, they would only save their own lives on account of their righteousness," declares the Lord GOD. | 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." |
| 15"If I were to make wild animals pass throughout the land, so that they kill its residents and it were to become desolate because no one will travel through it due to those wild animals, | 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, |
| 16then even though these three men were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they wouldn't be able to deliver even their sons or daughters. They would only save themselves, but the land would become desolate. | 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." |
| 17"Or if I were to bring war to that land and say, 'Hey, sword! Pass throughout the land so I can destroy both man and beasts in it,' | 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, |
| 18though these three men lived there, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they couldn't deliver their own sons and daughters. They would only save themselves. | 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." |
| 19"Or if I were to send a pestilence against that land and pour out my anger in it with bloodshed, destroying both man and beast in it, | 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, |
| 20even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were among them, as I live" says the Lord GOD, "they couldn't save their own sons or daughters. They would only save their own souls due to their own righteousness." | 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." |
| 21This is what the Lord GOD says, "I'm sending four of my most destructive judgments—military invasion, famine, wild animals, and pestilence—into Jerusalem to destroy both human beings and livestock in it. | 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! |
| 22But look! There will be a remnant who escapes, a few sons and daughters to be brought out. Look! They'll come out to you and you'll see how they've lived and what they've done, and you'll be comforted concerning the catastrophe that I brought on Jerusalem, including everything that I brought against her. | 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'll comfort you when you see how they've lived and what they've done, because you'll know for certain that I haven't done anything that I've done against them without any reason," 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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