1 THEN came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
2 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:
8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;
11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord God.
12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,
13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.
15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
18 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
21 For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought 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.
23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God.

1Then came certaine of the Elders of Israel vnto me, and sate before me.

2And the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

3Sonne of man, these men haue set vp their idoles in their heart, and put the stumbling blocke of their iniquitie before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

4Therefore speake vnto them, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Euery man of the house of Israel that setteth vp his idoles in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to the Prophet, I the Lord will answere him that commeth, according to the multitude of his idoles,

5That I may take the house of Israel in their owne heart, because they are all estranged from mee through their idoles.

6 Therefore say vnto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Repent, and turne your selues from your idoles, and turne away your faces from all your abominations.

7For euery one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that soiourneth in Israel, which separateth himselfe from me, and setteth vp his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me, I the Lord will answere him by my selfe.

8And I wil set my face against that man, and will make him a signe and a prouerbe, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and yee shall know that I am the Lord.

9And if the prophet bee deceiued when hee hath spoken a thing, I the Lord haue deceiued that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand vpon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

10And they shall beare the punishment of their iniquitie: the punishment of the prophet shall bee euen as the punishment of him that seeketh vnto him:

11That the house of Israel may goe no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may bee their God, sayeth the Lord God.

12 The word of the Lord came againe to me, saying,

13Sonne of man, when the land sinneth against mee by trespassing grieuously, then will I stretch out mine hand vpon it, and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof, and will send famine vpon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.

14Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Iob were in it, they should deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnes, saith the Lord God.

15 If I cause noisome beastes to passe through the land, and they spoile it, so that it bee desolate, that no man may passe through because of the beasts:

16Though these three men were in it, as I liue, saith the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither sonnes nor daughters: they onely shalbe deliuered, but the land shalbe desolate.

17 Or if I bring a sword vpon that land, and say, Sword, goe through the lande, so that I cut off man and beast from it:

18Though these three men were in it, as I liue, saith the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither sonnes nor daughter, but they onely shall bee deliuered themselues.

19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and powre out my fury vpon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

20Though Noah, Daniel and Iob were in it, as I liue, saith the Lord God, they shal deliuer neither son nor daughter: they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnes.

21For thus saith the Lord God, How much more when I send my foure sore iudgements vpon Ierusalem; the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

22 Yet behold, therein shalbe left a remnant that shalbe brought foorth, both sonnes and daughters: behold, they shall come foorth vnto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shalbe comforted concerning the euill that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem, euen concerning all that I haue brought vpon it.

23And they shall comfort you when yee see their wayes and their doings: and ye shal know that I haue not done without cause, all that I haue done in it, saith the Lord God.

III == 2nd Kings 3:13 ; Ezek 7:19 ; 14:4 , 7

VIII == Lev 17:10 ; 20:3 , 5-6 ; Deut 28:37 ; Jer 44:11 ; Ezek 5:15 ; 6:7 ; 15:7

IX == 1st Kings 22:23 ; Job 12:16 ; Jer 4:10 ; 2nd Thess 2:11

XI == Ezek 11:20 ; 37:27 ; 2nd Peter 2:15

XIII == Lev 26:26 ; Isa 3:1 ; Ezek 4:16 ; 5:16'

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XIV == Prov 11:4 ; Jer 7:16 ; 11:14 ; 4:11 ; 15:1 ; Ezek 14:16 , 18 , 20

XV == Lev 26:22 ; Ezek 5:15

XVI == Ezek 14:14 , 18 , 20

XVII == Lev 26:25 ; Ezek 5:12 ; 21:3-4 ; 25:13 ; 29:8 ; 38:21 ; Zeph 1:3

XVIII == Ezek 14:14

XIX == 2nd Sam 24:15 ; Ezek 7:8 ; 38:22

XX == Ezek 14:14

XXI == Ezek 5:17 ; 33:27

XXII == Ezek 6:8 ; 20:43

XXIII == Jer 22:8-9 ; John 15:6

1 When certain elders of Israel came and sat down before me,

2 the word of the LORD came to me:

3 Son of man, these men have the memory of their idols fresh in their hearts, and they keep the occasion of their sin before them. Why should I allow myself to be consulted by them?

4 Therefore speak with them, and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: If anyone of the house of Israel, holding the memory of his idols in his heart and keeping the occasion of his sin before him, has recourse to a prophet, I, the LORD, will be his answer in person because of his many idols.

5 Thus would I bring back to their senses the house of Israel, who have become estranged from me through all their idols.

6 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: Return and be converted from your idols; turn yourselves away from all your abominations.

7 For if anyone of the house of Israel or any alien resident in Israel is estranged from me, and holds the memory of his idols in his heart and keeps the occasion of his sin before him, yet asks a prophet to consult me for him, I, the LORD, will be his answer in person.

8 I will turn against that man, and make of him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from the midst of my people. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.

9 As for the prophet, if he is beguiled into speaking a word, I, the LORD, shall have beguiled that prophet; I will stretch out my hand against him and root him out of my people Israel.

10 Each shall receive punishment for his sin, the inquirer and the prophet shall be punished alike,

11 so that the house of Israel may no longer stray from me and may no longer be defiled by all their sins. Thus they shall be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord GOD.

12 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:

13 Son of man, when a land sins against me by breaking faith, I stretch out my hand against it and break its staff of bread, I let famine loose upon it and cut off from it both man and beast;

14 and even if these three men were in it, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they could save only themselves by their virtue, says the Lord GOD.

15 If I were to cause wild beasts to prowl the land, depopulating it so that it became a waste, traversed by none because of the wild beasts,

16 and these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear they could save neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be saved, and the land would be a waste.

17 Or if I brought the sword upon this country, commanding the sword to pass through the land cutting off from it man and beast,

18 and these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they would be unable to save either sons or daughters; they alone would be saved.

19 Or if I were to send pestilence into this land, pouring out upon it my bloodthirsty fury, cutting off from it man and beast,

20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear that they could save neither son nor daughter; they would save only themselves by their virtue.

21 Thus says the Lord GOD: Even though I send Jerusalem my four cruel punishments, the sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast,

22 still some survivors shall be left in it who will bring out sons and daughters; when they come out to you, you shall see their conduct and their actions and be consoled regarding the evil I have brought on Jerusalem (all that I have brought upon it).

23 They shall console you when you see their conduct and actions, for you shall then know that it was not without reason that I did to it what I did, says the Lord GOD.

v 1-6. Hypocritical elders came to Ezekiel in his house asking for word from God, but they had idolatry in their hearts, so Ezekiel wondered if he should allow them to. Instead of answering specific questions, the Lord told them to give up idols and ways.

v 7-11. If anyone who was an idolater but claimed to be of God came to inquire, God would answer Himself, so any other answer would be from a false prophet. Those inquirers would be a sign to others and would face punishment.

v 12-21. Because of Jerusalem’s sin against the Lord, he would send famine, wild beasts, sword and plague. Noah and Job had interceded for their families, but now they or Daniel could not deliver families or anyone else but themselves. (Cp. Rev. 6:8)
22,23. The exiles would understand God’s judgment on Jerusalem when they saw the wickedness of the captives, yet God would spare a remnant.