Then some ^aelders of Israel came to me and ^bsat down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have ^aset up their idols in their hearts and have ^bput in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be ^cconsulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord ¹GOD says: “Anyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will let Myself answer him in ²the matter in view of the ^amultitude of his idols, 5 in order to take hold of ^1athe hearts of the house of Israel who have ^2bturned away from Me due to all their idols.”’

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “^aRepent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your ^babominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the ^astrangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, ^bI the LORD will let Myself answer him Myself. 8 I will ^aset My face against that person and make him a ^bsign and ¹a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.

9 “But if the prophet is persuaded so that he speaks a word, it is I, the LORD, who have persuaded that prophet; and I will stretch out My hand against him and ^aeliminate him from among My people Israel. 10 And they will bear the punishment for their wrongdoing; as the wrongdoing of the inquirer is, so the wrongdoing of the prophet will be, 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer ^astray from Me and no longer ^bdefile themselves with all their offenses. So they will be ^cMy people, and I shall be their God,”’ declares the Lord GOD.”

12 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by ^abeing unfaithful, and I stretch out My hand against it, ¹destroy its ^bsupply of bread, send famine against it, and eliminate from it both human and animal life, 14 even ^athough these three men, ^bNoah, ^cDaniel, and ^dJob, were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only save ^ethemselves,” declares the Lord GOD. 15 “If I were to cause ^avicious animals to pass through the land and they ¹depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the animals, 16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. ^aThey alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate. 17 Or if I were to ^abring a sword on that country and say, ‘A sword is to pass through the country,’ and I ^beliminated human and animal life from it, 18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved. 19 Or if I were to send a ^aplague against that country and pour out My wrath on it in blood to eliminate man and animal from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they could not save either their son or their daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.”

21 For this is what the Lord GOD says: “How much more when ^aI send My four ¹severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, vicious animals, and plague to eliminate human and animal life from it! 22 Yet, behold, ¹survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come out to you, and you will ^asee their conduct and actions; then you will be ^bcomforted for the disaster which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. 23 Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done ^awithout reason whatever I did ¹to it,” declares the Lord GOD.