Condemnation of Israel’s Idolatrous Elders

14 And men from the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat before me.[fn] 2 And the word of Yahweh came[fn] to me, saying,[fn] 3 “Son of man,[fn] these men took up their idols into their heart and they placed before themselves[fn] a stumbling block of their guilt.[fn] Should I really let myself be consulted by them?[fn] 4 Therefore speak with them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Every person from the house of Israel who brings up his idols into his heart and places before himself[fn] a stumbling block of his guilt[fn] and yet he comes to the prophet, I Yahweh, I will respond to him through this act[fn] with respect to the multitude[fn] of his idols, 5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from me, all of them, through their idols.’ 6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Return,[fn] and turn away from your idols and from all of your detestable things! Turn away your faces!” ’ 7 For each person[fn] from the house of Israel, and from the alien who dwells as an alien in Israel, who separates himself from following me[fn] and brings up his idols into his heart and places before himself[fn] a stumbling block of his guilt[fn], and yet he comes to the prophet to consult him concerning me, I Yahweh will answer[fn] him myself. 8 And I will set my face against that person, and I will make him to[fn] be a sign and make him into[fn] the subject of proverbs; and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and you will know I am Yahweh. 9 And the prophet, if he is deceived and he speaks a word, I Yahweh, I have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they will bear their guilt, like[fn] the guilt of the inquirer so[fn] the guilt of the prophet will be, 11 so that the house of Israel will not go astray again from me,[fn] and they will not make themselves unclean again with all of their transgressions, and they will be for me a people, and I will be for them as God,” declares[fn] the Lord Yahweh.