Ezekiel

Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

1Then some of the leaders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.

2And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2And the LORD spoke his word to me. He said:

3Son 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?

3"Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts. They keep the sin that trips them up right in front of their faces. Should I let them ask me anything at all?

Note"Son of man" simply means "human being." It is how God addresses Ezekiel all through this book. A "stumblingblock" is something left in a path to trip a person up.

4Therefore 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;

4So speak to them. Tell them the Lord GOD says this: When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart, and keeps the sin that trips him up in front of his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him. My answer will match all the idols he holds.

5That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

5I will do this to take hold of the hearts of the people of Israel. Every one of them has grown distant from me because of their idols.

6Therefore 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.

6So tell the people of Israel that the Lord GOD says this: Turn back! Turn away from your idols. Turn your faces away from all the disgusting things you do.

7For 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:

7Any Israelite, or any foreigner living in Israel, may turn away from me, set up idols in his heart, and keep the sin that trips him up in front of his face. If he then comes to a prophet to ask about me, I the LORD will answer him myself.

8And 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.

8I will set my face against that man. I will make him a warning sign, a name people use in sayings. I will cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

9And 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.

9And if a prophet is talked into speaking a message, I the LORD am the one who let him be fooled. I will reach out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

NoteThe KJV says God "deceived" the prophet. The older word is closer to "enticed" or "let him be misled" — God allows the false prophet to be drawn into his own lie.

10And 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;

10Both of them will carry the weight of their own sin. The prophet will be punished exactly like the person who came to ask him.

11That 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.

11This is so the people of Israel will not wander away from me again, or make themselves filthy with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord GOD.

12The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

12The LORD spoke his word to me again. He said:

13Son 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:

13"Son of man, suppose a land sins against me by breaking faith badly. Then I will reach out my hand against it and cut off its food supply. I will send hunger on it and wipe out both people and animals.

NoteThe KJV says God will "break the staff of the bread." A staff is a walking stick people leaned on, so this means cutting off the food people depend on.

14Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

14Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were living there, their good lives would save only themselves. That is what the Lord GOD says.

15If 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:

15Or suppose I send wild animals through the land, and they tear it apart. It is left empty, and no one dares travel through it because of the animals.

Note"Noisome beasts" means dangerous wild animals, not merely annoying ones.

16Though 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.

16Then, as surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if those three men were there, they could not save their own sons or daughters. Only they themselves would be saved, and the land would be left empty.

17Or 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:

17Or suppose I bring war against that land and say, "Sword, go through this land," so that both people and animals are wiped out.

18Though 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.

18Then, as surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if those three men were there, they could not save their own sons or daughters. Only they themselves would be saved.

19Or 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:

19Or suppose I send a deadly sickness into that land and pour out my anger there with blood, wiping out both people and animals.

20Though 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.

20Then, as surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they could not save their own son or daughter. Their good lives would save only themselves.

21For 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?

21For the Lord GOD says this: How much worse will it be when I send my four terrible punishments against Jerusalem? War, hunger, wild animals, and deadly sickness will wipe out both people and animals there.

22Yet, 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.

22But look, some people will be left alive and brought out of the city, sons and daughters. They will come out to where you are. You will see the way they lived and the things they did. Then you will be comforted about the disaster I brought on Jerusalem, all of it.

23And 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.

23They will comfort you when you see how they lived and what they did. Then you will know that I had good reason for everything I did there, says the Lord GOD."