Ezekiel 14

1 Some of Israel’s elders came to me and sat before me. 2 The Lord’s word came to me. 3 “Son of man, these men have set their plans in their hearts and placed the punishment for their wrongdoings before their faces. Should I answer them at all?” [a] 4 “Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If any member of the house of Israel sets his plans in his heart, places the punishment for his wrongdoing before his face, and comes to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer him according to what entangles his mind.’” 5 “This is how he will turn aside the house of Israel according to their hearts, which are estranged from me by their devisings.” [b] 6 “Therefore, tell the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Turn back. Turn away from your practices and all your ungodliness, and turn your faces back.’” 7 “If any member of the house of Israel or any newcomer living in Israel separates himself from me, sets his devisings in his heart, places the punishment for his wrongdoing before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire of me, I, the Lord, will answer him according to what entangles him.” 8 “I will set my face against that person, make him desolate and ruined, and remove him from among my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” 9 “If a prophet is led astray and speaks, I, the Lord, have led that prophet astray. I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.” 10 “They will bear their wrongdoing. The prophet’s wrongdoing will be treated in the same way as the wrongdoing of the person who asks,” 11 “so the house of Israel will no longer stray from me or defile themselves by any of their offenses. They will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord.” 12 The Lord’s word came to me. 13 “Son of man, if a land sins against me by committing an offense, I will stretch out my hand against it, break its supply of bread, send famine on it, and remove people and animals from it.” 14 “Even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were there, their righteousness would save only themselves, says the Lord.” 15 “If I bring dangerous animals on the land and punish it so that it becomes ruined and no one passes through because of those animals,” 16 “even if these three men were there, as I live, says the Lord, they would not save sons or daughters. Only they would be saved, and the land would be destroyed.” 17 “Or if I bring a sword on that land and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the land,’ and remove people and animals from it,” 18 “even if these three men were there, as I live, says the Lord, they would not rescue sons or daughters. Only they themselves would be saved.” 19 “Or if I send plague on that land and pour out my wrath on it in blood, destroying its people and animals,” 20 “even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, as I live, says the Lord, no sons or daughters would remain. By their righteousness they would rescue only their own lives.” 21 “This is what the Lord says: Even if I send my four severe punishments—sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague—on Jerusalem to destroy its people and animals,” 22 “look, survivors will remain there and bring out sons and daughters. They will come to you, and you will see their conduct and devisings. Then you will regret all the evils I brought on Jerusalem.” 23 “They will comfort you when you see their conduct and devisings, and you will know that I did not do anything there without cause, says the Lord.”