Ezekiel 14

₁Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the LORD's will. ₂Then the LORD spoke to me. ₃“Mortal man,” he said, “these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer?

₄“Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them: every Israelite who has given his heart to idols and lets them lead him into sin and who then comes to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me — the answer that his many idols deserve! ₅All those idols have turned the Israelites away from me, but by my answer I hope to win back their loyalty.

₆“Now then, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: turn back and leave your disgusting idols.

₇“Whenever one of the Israelites or one of the foreigners who live in the Israelite community turns away from me and worships idols, and then goes to consult a prophet, I, the LORD, will give him his answer! ₈I will oppose him. I will make an example of him. I will remove him from the community of my people, so that you will know that I am the LORD.

₉“If a prophet is deceived into giving a false answer, it is because I, the LORD, have deceived him. I will remove him from the people of Israel. ₁₀Both the prophet and the one who consults him will get the same punishment. ₁₁I will do this to keep the Israelites from deserting me and defiling themselves by their sins. They are to be my people, and I will be their God.” The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

₁₂The LORD spoke to me. ₁₃“Mortal man,” he said, “if a country sins and is unfaithful to me, I will stretch out my hand and destroy its supply of food. I will send a famine and kill people and animals alike. ₁₄Even if those three men, Noah, Danel, and Job, were living there, their goodness would save only their own lives.” The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

₁₅“Or I might send wild animals to kill the people, making the land so dangerous that no one could travel through it, ₁₆and even if those three men lived there — as surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God — they would not be able to save even their own children. They would save only their own lives, and the land would become a wilderness.

₁₇“Or I might bring war on that country and send destructive weapons to wipe out people and animals alike, ₁₈and even if those three men lived there — as surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God — they would not be able to save even their children, but only their own lives.

₁₉“If I send an epidemic on that country and in my anger take many lives, killing people and animals, ₂₀even if Noah, Danel, and Job lived there — as surely as I, the Sovereign LORD, am the living God — they would not be able to save even their own children. Their goodness would save only their own lives.”

₂₁This is what the Sovereign LORD is saying: “I will send my four worst punishments on Jerusalem — war, famine, wild animals, and disease — to destroy people and animals alike. ₂₂If anyone does survive and save his children, look at them when they come to you. See how evil they are, and be convinced that the punishment I am bringing on Jerusalem is justified; ₂₃then you will know that there was good reason for everything I did.” The Sovereign LORD has spoken.