Elders come to Ezekiel, but God says they have idols in their hearts. Even if Noah, Daniel and Job lived there, they could save only themselves. A few survivors will arrive, and the exiles will see they were not punished without reason.
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 enquired 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 enquire 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 .