UST by section EZE 14:1

⌂ ← EZE 14:1–14:23 → ║ ═ ©

Ezekiel 14

14 One day, some of the elders of the Israelite people came to me and sat down in front of me. 2 Then Yahweh gave me this message: 3 Mortal human, these elderly men have devotedly committed themselves to their ritual statues. They have fixed their attention on those idols, which has caused them to behave immorally! Why are these men asking me what to do? They certainly have no right to ask me for advice! 4 So, tell them: ‘Here is what the Sovereign Yahweh has to say: Any Israelite could devotedly commit himself to his ritual statues and fix his attention on those idols that cause him to behave immorally. But whenever such a person then comes to one of Yahweh’s prophets to request advice from me, I, Yahweh, will answer him myself—in such a way that his extensive worship of innumerable idols deserves! 5 I will answer them in this way so that I may capture the devoted attention and affection of the Israelite people—all of whom have alienated themselves from me by worshiping other gods through their ritual statues.’

6 Consequently, tell the Israelite people, ‘Here is what the Sovereign Yahweh has to say: Repent! Stop worshiping your idols, and stop all your other disgusting and indecent practices!’ 7 Any Israelite, or any foreigner living among the Israelite people, could ritually dedicate himself to another god and disavow me and then begin to commit himself devotedly to his ritual statues and fix his attention on those idols that cause him to behave immorally. But whenever such a person then comes to one of Yahweh’s prophets and asks him for my insight, I, Yahweh, will answer him personally. 8 I will become that man’s enemy and oppose him. I will make what happens to him a warning to others and something that people talk about in their proverbs. I will make that person an outcast from the Israelite people. Then, when all this happens, my people, Israel, will finally understand exactly who I am and what I am like—I am Yahweh!.

9 But a prophet may foolishly allow the deceitful idol-worshiper to lure him to speak authoritatively on my behalf. If this happens, then I, Yahweh, have lured that prophet into behaving foolishly. I will use my power to obliterate him and ostracize him from my people, the Israelites. 10 I will hold accountable both the prophet and the person who asks him for my insight. Yes, I will consider them equally guilty. 11 I will do this so that the Israelite people will remain devoted to me, no longer straying away from me. They will no longer rebel against me in such a way that makes them ritually unfit to worship me. They will be my people, and I will be their God. That is what I, the Sovereign Yahweh, declare.’ ”

12 Then Yahweh gave me another message. He said, 13 “Mortal human, suppose a group of people disloyally betray their promises to me and so act sinfully. Suppose I used my power against them, and I crippled their food supply on which they rely, and so caused the conditions for a fatal lack of food among them. Suppose I caused the deaths of many people and animals there 14 If that were to happen, even if the most virtuous and honest people imaginable lived among those people—men like Noah, Daniel, and Job—those men’s virtuous actions could not abate my destruction against the people. Their virtuous actions would only save themselves. That is what I, the Sovereign Yahweh, declare.

15 Or suppose I sent rampaging animals throughout the homeland of those people. Suppose the wild animals attacked and killed so many people that those who survived deserted the region, and no one traveled through it because of those animals. 16 I, Yahweh, swear by myself that even if those three men lived in that region—even though they are the most virtuous and honest people you can imagine—they would not be able to prevent the deaths of even their own sons or daughters. Only those three men would remain alive, while the entire region would become ruinous and desolate. That is what I, the Sovereign Yahweh, declare.

17 Or suppose I dispatched the armed forces of an enemy empire against that region. Suppose I proclaimed, ‘May enemy soldiers bring their swords and wage war throughout the region!’ and then that they murdered both people and animals there. 18 I, Yahweh, swear by myself that even if those three men lived in that region, they would not be able to prevent the deaths of even their own sons or daughters. Yes, those three men alone would remain alive. That is what I, the Sovereign Yahweh, declare.

19 Or suppose I discharged a fatal infectious disease throughout that region and vented my anger against those people, so as to cause the deaths of many people and animals there. 20 I, Yahweh, swear by myself that even if the most virtuous people imaginable lived in that region—men like Noah, Daniel, and Job—they would not be able to prevent the deaths of even their own sons or daughters. Their virtuous actions would only save themselves. That is what I, the Sovereign Yahweh, declare.

21 So this is what I, the Sovereign Yahweh, say: It will be far worse for the citizens of Jerusalem! I will cause the deaths of both people and animals in Jerusalem when I unleash all four of my calamitous punishments: Armed soldiers will murder some with their swords, a fatal lack of food in the city will kill some, raging wild animals will kill others, and lethal infectious diseases will kill still others. 22 But pay attention! Some of the citizens of Jerusalem will survive these disasters. Watch for them! I will take the survivors out of the city, both sons and daughters, and they will travel to you in exile in the Babylonian Empire. When you observe their lifestyles and how they have conducted themselves, you will feel relief about all the calamities that I unleashed against the city of Jerusalem. 23 When you observe the lifestyles of those survivors and how they have conducted themselves, you will feel relieved. You will understand that everything that I did to Jerusalem was well-motivated. That is what I, the Sovereign Yahweh, declare.”

EZE C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 C35 C36 C37 C38 C39 C40 C41 C42 C43 C44 C45 C46 C47 C48