Then certain of the ^aelders of Israel came to me seeking an oracle from God 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 and honored their idols in their hearts and have ^bput right before their faces the vile stumbling block of their wickedness and guilt; should I permit Myself to be ^cconsulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Any man of the house of Israel who takes his idols of rebellion into his heart, and puts the vile stumbling block of his wickedness and guilt images of silver and gold before his face, and yet comes to the prophet to ask of him, I the LORD will answer him, but I will answer him in accordance with the ^anumber of his idols, 5 in order that I may take hold of the ^aheart (mind) of the house of Israel who are all ^bestranged from Me because of their idols.”’

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “^aRepent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your ^bdisgusting and vile acts. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel or among the ^astrangers who immigrate to Israel who separates himself from Me, taking his idols into his heart, and puts right before his face the vile stumbling block of his wickedness and guilt, and then comes to the prophet to ask of Me for himself, ^bI the LORD will answer him Myself. 8 I will ^aset My face against that man that hypocrite and will make him a ^1bsign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people; and you will know without any doubt that I am the LORD.

9 “But if the prophet who speaks without My authority is enticed to speak a word of his own, it is I the LORD who have caused that prophet to speak falsely to please the inquirer, thus allowing himself to be a party to the inquirer’s sin, and I will stretch out My hand against him and ^adestroy him from among My people Israel. 10 They both will bear the punishment of their wickedness; the sin of the counterfeit prophet will be the same as the sin of the hypocritical inquirer, 11 so that the house of Israel may no longer ^adrift away from Me and no longer ^bdefile themselves with all their transgressions, but they will be ^cMy people, and I will be their God,”’ says the Lord GOD.”

12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, 13 “Son of man, if a land sins against Me by ^acommitting unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it and destroy its ^bsource of bread and send famine on it and cut off from it both man and animal, 14 even ^aif these three men, ^bNoah, ^cDaniel, and ^dJob were in that land, by their own righteousness (right standing with God) they could only save (deliver) ^ethemselves,” says the Lord GOD. 15 “If I were to cause ^apredatory beasts to pass through the land and they ravaged it and depopulated it of children, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through because of the predators, 16 though these three men were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. ^aThey alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate (ruined, deserted) . 17 Or if I were to ^abring a sword on that land and say, ‘Let a sword go through the land and ^bcut off man and animal from it,’ 18 even though these three men were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved. 19 Or if I should send a ^avirulent disease into that land and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and animal from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they could not save either their son or their daughter; they would save only themselves by their righteousness that is, their right-standing with God—their moral and spiritual integrity.”

21 For thus says the Lord GOD, “How much more when ^aI send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, predatory beasts, and virulent disease—to cut off man and animal from it! Lev 26:21-33 22 Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it escaping the judgments, both sons and daughters. Listen carefully, they are going to come out to you in Babylon and you will ^asee their wicked conduct and despicable actions; then you will be ^bat peace in regard to the disaster which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought on it has been deserved. 23 Then they will reassure ¹you in regard to the appropriateness of the judgments when you see their heinous conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done ^awithout cause whatever I did to it,” declares the Lord GOD.