Ezekiel 14

Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

A few respected elders from Israel approached me and sat down in my presence.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

The LORD's message reached me, speaking to my heart, saying,

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

Human child, these people have placed their false gods in their hearts, letting their sins blind them. Should they even dare to seek my guidance?

Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

Tell them this: God says, "If anyone from Israel worships idols secretly and sins openly, then seeks a prophet's guidance, I, the Lord, will respond based on the number of his idols."

That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

I yearn to reach the hearts of the people of Israel, for they have distanced themselves from me, lost in their worship of false idols.

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

God pleads with the people of Israel, "Change your ways, let go of your false idols. Turn your back on all the wrongs you've done."

For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

Anyone from Israel, or any foreigner living there, who turns away from me, worships idols, and lets their sins blind them, even if they ask a prophet about me, I, the Lord, will personally respond.

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 midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

I will set myself against that person, making them a warning and a byword to others. I will cut them off from my people, and you will realize that I am the Lord.

And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

If a prophet is misled and speaks falsely, it is I, the Lord, who have misled that prophet. I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;

They will face the consequences of their wrongdoings. The prophet's punishment will be the same as the one who turns to him.

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, saith the Lord GOD.

May the people of Israel never lose their way from me again, nor taint themselves with their wrongdoings. Let them be my cherished ones, and let me be their divine protector, declares the Lord God.

The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

Once more, I felt the divine whisper of the LORD, speaking to me, saying,

Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

When a land deeply wrongs me, I will stretch out my hand against it. I will cut off its food supply, send famine upon it, and wipe out both people and animals from it.

Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, only their own righteousness could save their souls, declares the Lord God.

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:

If I unleash wild animals to roam and ravage the land, leaving it barren and deserted, so that no one dares to cross due to fear of these beasts:

Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

Even if these three men were present, declares the Lord, they couldn't save their own children. Only they would be spared, but the land would be left barren.

Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

If I unleash a sword upon the land, commanding it to sweep across, eradicating both man and beast:

Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

Even if these three men were present, declares the Lord, they could save neither their sons nor daughters. Only they themselves would be spared.

Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

If I unleash a plague on that land, expressing my anger through bloodshed, wiping out both people and animals:

Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, declares the Lord, they could only save themselves through their own goodness, not even their children.

For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

In the words of the Lord God, imagine the intensity when I unleash my four severe punishments on Jerusalem - war, hunger, wild beasts, and disease, aiming to eliminate both people and animals.

Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

Despite the hardships, a few will remain - both sons and daughters. They will come to you, and you will witness their actions and paths. This will bring you comfort, easing the pain of the suffering I've caused Jerusalem and all that I've inflicted upon it.

And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

They will bring you peace as you witness their actions and behaviors. You'll realize that everything I've done has a purpose, says the Lord God.