| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat 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 their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? | 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? |
| 4“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, | 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, |
| 5that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by 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 say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and 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 anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the LORD will answer him by 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, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall 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. |
| 9“And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the LORD have induced that prophet, 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. |
| 10And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired, | 10They will bear their punishment--the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet-- |
| 11that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says 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.'" |
| 12The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: | 12The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 13“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. | 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. |
| 14Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says 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. |
| 15“If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because 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. |
| 16even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and 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. |
| 17“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it, | 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. |
| 18even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves 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. |
| 19“Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it 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. |
| 20even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” | 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 thus says the Lord GOD: “How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it? | 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, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that 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. |
| 23And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,” says 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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