Ezekiel 14

Idols in the Heart

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

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

3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put right in front of themselves what makes them fall into sin. Should I really let them consult Me at all?”

4 Therefore speak to them and say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Any man of the house of Israel who sets up idols in his heart, puts the stumbling block of his sin right in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him Myself, according to the mess of idols he is holding onto,

5 so I can grab the hearts of the house of Israel, all of them who have turned away from Me because of their idols.’

6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Repent. Turn away from your idols. Turn your faces away from all your disgusting practices.

7 For anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners living in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, puts the stumbling block of his sin in front of himself, and then goes to a prophet to ask Me something, I the LORD will answer him Myself.

8 I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a warning. I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Accountability of False Prophets

9 If the prophet is fooled and speaks a word, it is I, the LORD, who allowed that prophet to be fooled. I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

10 They will bear their guilt, the guilt of the one asking will be the same as the guilt of the prophet,

11 so the house of Israel will no longer wander away from Me or defile themselves with all their sins. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God,” declares the Lord GOD.

Jerusalem’s Certain Judgment

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

13 “Son of man, if a land sins against Me by being unfaithful, I will stretch out My hand against it, cut off its food supply, send famine against it, and wipe out both people and animals from it.

14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would save only themselves by their righteousness,” declares the Lord GOD.

15 “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land and leave it childless, making it desolate so no one can pass through because of the beasts,

16 even if these three men were in it, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they would save neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.

17 Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through the land,’ and I wipe out both people and animals from it,

18 even if these three men were in it, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they would save neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be saved.

19 Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath on it in bloodshed, wiping out both people and animals from it,

20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “they would save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.

21 For this is what the Lord GOD says: How much worse will it be when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem, sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague, to wipe out people and animals from it,

22 Yet look, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come to you, and you will see their conduct and their actions. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster I brought on Jerusalem, everything I brought on it.

23 They will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that I did not do everything I did to it without cause,” declares the Lord GOD.