The City Will Not Be Spared

12 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,

13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by acommitting unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, 1destroy its bsupply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast,

14 even athough these three men, bNoah, cDaniel and dJob were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver ethemselves,” declares the Lord God.

15 “If I were to cause awild beasts to pass through the land and they 1depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts,

16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. aThey alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.

17 “Or if I should abring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and bcut off man and beast from it,’

18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered.

19 “Or if I should send a aplague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it,

20 even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

21 For thus says the Lord God, “How much more when aI send My four 1severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast 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 forth to you and you will asee their conduct and actions; then you will be bcomforted for the calamity 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 ain vain whatever I did 1to it,” declares the Lord God.