1Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me , and sat before me . 2And the word of Jehovah came unto me , saying , 3Son of man , these men have taken their idols into their heart , and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face : should I be inquired of at all by them ? 4Therefore speak unto them , and say unto them , Thus saith the Lord Jehovah : Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his idols into his heart , and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face , and cometh to the prophet ; I Jehovah will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols ; 5that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart , because they are all estranged from me through their idols . 6Therefore say unto the house of Israel , Thus saith the Lord Jehovah : Return ye , and turn yourselves from your idols ; and turn away your faces from all your abominations . 7For every one of the house of Israel , or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel , that separateth himself from me , and taketh his idols into his heart , and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face , and cometh to the prophet to inquire for himself of me ; I Jehovah will answer him by myself : 8and I will set my face against that man , and will make him an astonishment , for a sign and a proverb , and I will cut him off from the midst of my people ; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah .
The Consequences of Idolatry
9And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word , I , Jehovah , have deceived that prophet , and I will stretch out my hand upon him , and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel . 10And they shall bear their iniquity : the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeketh unto him ; 11that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me , neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions ; but that they may be my people , and I may be their God , saith the Lord Jehovah .
The Righteous Remnant
12And the word of Jehovah came unto me , saying , 13Son of man , when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespass , and I stretch out my hand upon it , and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it , and cut off from it man and beast; 14though these three men , Noah , Daniel , and Job, were in it , they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness , saith the Lord Jehovah . 15If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land , and they ravage it , and it be made desolate , so that no man may pass through because of the beasts ; 16though these three men were in it , as I live , saith the Lord Jehovah , they should deliver neither sons nor daughters ; they only should be delivered , but the land should be desolate . 17Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword , go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast; 18though these three men were in it , as I live , saith the Lord Jehovah , they should deliver neither sons nor daughters , but they only should be delivered themselves . 19Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it in blood , to cut off from it man and beast; 20though Noah , Daniel , and Job, were in it , as I live , saith the Lord Jehovah , they should deliver neither son nor daughter ; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness . 21For thus saith the Lord Jehovah : How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem , the sword , and the famine , and the evil beasts , and the pestilence , to cut off from it man and beast ! 22Yet , behold , therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried 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 . 23And they shall comfort you , when ye see their way and their doings ; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it , saith the Lord Jehovah .