8 I will turn against that one and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among my people.b Then you will know that I am the Lord.

9 “ ‘But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, the Lord, who deceived that prophet.c I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.d 10 They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet—11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from following me and no longer defile themselvese with all their transgressions. Then they will be my people and I will be their God.f This is the declaration of the Lord God.’ ”

FOUR DEVASTATING JUDGMENTS

12 The word of the Lord came to me: 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,g to send famine through it, and to wipe out both people and animals from it. 14 Even if these three menh—Noah,i Daniel,j and Jobk—were in it, they would rescue only themselves by their righteousness.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

15 “Suppose I allow dangerous animalsl to pass through the land and depopulate it so that it becomes desolate, with no one passing through it for fear of the animals. 16 Even 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.m

17 “Or suppose I bring a swordn against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I wipe out both people and animals from it.o