Condemnation of Israel’s Idolatrous Elders

14 And men from the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat ⌊before me⌋.a 2 And the word of Yahweh came to me, ⌊saying⌋,b 3 “Son of man,c these men took up their idols into their heart and ⌊they placed before themselves⌋d a stumbling block of their guilt.e ⌊Should I really let myself be consulted by them⌋?f 4 Therefore speak with them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Every person from the house of Israel who brings up his idols into his heart and ⌊places before himself⌋g a stumbling block of his guilth and yet he comes to the prophet, I Yahweh, I will respond to him through this acti with respect to the multitudej of his idols, 5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from me, all of them, through their idols.’ 6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Return,k and turn away from your idols and from all of your detestable things! Turn away your faces!” ’ 7 For ⌊each person⌋l from the house of Israel, and from the alien who dwells as an alien in Israel, who separates himself ⌊from following me⌋m and brings up his idols into his heart and ⌊places before himself⌋n a stumbling block of his guilto, and yet he comes to the prophet to consult him concerning me, I Yahweh will answerp him myself. 8 And I will set my face against that person, and I will make him toq be a sign and make him intor the subject of proverbs; and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and you will know I am Yahweh. 9 And the prophet, if he is deceived and he speaks a word, I Yahweh, I have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they will bear their guilt, likes the guilt of the inquirer sot the guilt of the prophet will be, 11 so that the house of Israel will not go astray again ⌊from me⌋,u and they will not make themselves unclean again with all of their transgressions, and they will be for me a people, and I will be for them as God,” ⌊declares⌋v the Lord Yahweh.

Jerusalem will not be Spared

12 And the word of Yahweh came to me, ⌊saying⌋,w 13 “Son of man,x when a land sins against me by ⌊acting very unfaithfully⌋,y then I will stretch out my hand against it, and I will break for it the ⌊supply of food⌋,z and I will send against it famine, and I will cut it off, both human and animal. 14 And if even the three of these men were in the midst of it—Noah, Daniel, and Job—they, through their righteousness, would save only ⌊themselves⌋!”a ⌊declares⌋b the Lord Yahweh. 15 “If a fierce animal I should let cross through the land, and it should make it childless and it will be a desolation, so that there will not be one crossing over the land ⌊due to⌋c the presence of the animal, 16 even if these three men were in the midst of it, ⌊as surely as I live⌋,”d ⌊declares⌋e the Lord Yahweh, “surely they will not save sons and daughters; ⌊they themselves alone⌋,f they will be saved, but the land will be a desolation. 17 Or, if I bring a sword over that land, and I say, ‘Sword, let it cross over intog the land!’ And I will cut off from it both human and animal. 18 And if these three men were in the midst of it, ⌊as surely as I live⌋,”h ⌊declares⌋i the Lord Yahweh, “they will not save sons and daughters, but ⌊they alone⌋j will be saved. 19 And if I were to send a plague to that land, and I pour out my rage on it with blood to cut it off, both human and animal, 20 and if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of her, ⌊as surely as I live⌋,”k ⌊declares⌋l the Lord Yahweh, “surely not a son, surely not a daughter will they save by their righteousness; they would save ⌊themselves⌋.”m 21 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “How much more when I send my four punishments—the evil sword, and famine, and a fierce animal, and a plague—to Jerusalem to cut it off, both human and animal! 22 Butn look! A remnant will be left over in it, sons and daughters ⌊who will be brought out⌋.o Look! They are coming out to you, and you will see their way, and with their deeds you will be consoled with respect top the evil that I brought over Jerusalem, all of it that I brought overq it. 23 And they will console you when you see their way and their deeds, and you will know that not for nothing I did all that I did in it,” ⌊declares⌋r the Lord Yahweh.