1. Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me.
2. And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
3. Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
4. Therefore speak to them, and say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that comes according to the multitude of his idols;
5. That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6. Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus said the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojournes in Israel, which separates himself from me, and sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
8. And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the middle of my people; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
9. And if the prophet be deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the middle of my people Israel.
10. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeks to him;
11. That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, said the Lord GOD.
12. The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
13. Son of man, when the land sins against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out my hand on it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine on it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, said the Lord GOD.
15. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
16. Though these three men were in it, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
17. Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
18. Though these three men were in it, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
19. Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury on it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
21. For thus said the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments on Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
22. Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings: and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.
23. And they shall comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings: and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, said the Lord GOD.