1And some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2And the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I at all be inquired of by them? 4Therefore speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Every man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him according to the multitude of his idols: 5So that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart because they have deserted Me for their idols--all of them." '

6Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger who lives in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to a prophet to ask of him concerning Me; I the LORD will answer him Myself. 8And I will set My face against that man, and I will make him for a sign and for a proverb. And I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

9And the prophet, if he is deceived, and he speaks a word, 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. 10And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeks unto him. 11So that the house of Israel may never again go astray from Me, nor be defiled again with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people, and I may be their God," says the Lord GOD. ' "

12The Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 13"Son of man, when a land sins against Me by trespassing grievously, and I stretch out My hand on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and will cut off man and beast from it, 14And though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver only their own lives by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD. 15"If I cause wild beasts to come through the land, and they spoil it and it becomes desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, 16Though these three men were in its midst, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. 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; 18Though these three men were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. 19Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out My fury upon it in blood, to cut off man and beast from it; 20Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall only deliver their own lives by their righteousness."

21For thus says the Lord GOD, "How much more when I send My four evil judgments against Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the destroying beast, and the pestilence, to cut off man and beast from it? 22Yet, behold, there shall be left a remnant in it that shall be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come out to you, and when you shall see their ways and their doings, then you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I brought on Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. 23And they shall comfort you when you see their ways and their doings. And you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it," says the Lord GOD.