Ezekiel:14

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* Then came there unto me certain men of the elders of Israel , and sat down before me . * And the word of the Lord came unto me , saying , * Son of man , these men have set up their idols in their heart , and the stumbling –block of their iniquity have they placed before their faces : shall I in any wise let myself be inquired of by them ? * Therefore speak with them and say unto them , Thus hath said the Lord Eternal , Whatever man it be of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart , and layeth the stumbling –block of his iniquity before his face , and cometh to the prophet : I the Lord will answer him , although he cometh with the multitude of his idols ; * In order that I may grasp the house of Israel by their heart , those who are separated from me through all their idols . * Therefore say unto the house of Israel , Thus hath said the Lord Eternal , Return , and cause to turn away from your idols : and from all your abominations turn away your faces . * For whatever man it be of the house of Israel , or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel , that separateth himself from me , and setteth up his idols in his heart , and layeth the stumbling –block of his iniquity before his face , and then cometh to the prophet to inquire through him of me : I the Lord will answer him through my word ; * And I will set my face against that man , and will make him an astonishment for a sign and for proverbs , and I will cut him off from the midst of my people ; and ye shall know that I am the Lord . * And when the prophet suffereth himself to be deceived , and he speaketh a word : I the Lord have suffered that prophet to be deceived : and I will stretch out my hand against him , and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel . * And they shall bear their guilt : as the guilt of the inquirer is , so shall the guilt of the prophet be ; * In order that the house of Israel may go no more astray by not following me , and not pollute themselves any more with all their transgressions ; but that they may become unto me a people , and I may be unto them a God , saith the Lord Eternal . * And the word of the Lord came unto me , saying , * Son of man , if a land should sin against me by trespassing grievously , and I stretch out my hand against it , and break unto it the staff of bread , and send out famine against it , and cut off from it man and beast ; * And if there be these three men , Noah , Daniel , and Job , in the midst of it : these through their righteousness should save but their own soul ; saith the Lord Eternal . * If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land , and they depopulate it , and it becometh desolate , without any one to pass through because of the beasts : * These three men in it , as I live , saith the Lord Eternal , should not save either sons or daughters : they only should be saved , but the land should be made desolate . * Or , if I should bring a sword over that land , and say , The sword shall pass through the land , and I cut off from it man and beast ; * And if these three men should be in it : as I live , saith the Lord Eternal , they should not save either sons or daughters , but they alone should be saved . * Or , if I should send out the pestilence against that land , and pour out my fury over it in blood , to cut off from it man and beast ; * And if Noah , Daniel , and Job , should be in the midst of it : as I live , saith the Lord Eternal , they should not save either son or daughter ; they through their righteousness should save their own soul . * For thus hath said the Lord Eternal , Although I send my four dreadful means of punishment over Jerusalem , the sword , and the famine , and the wild beasts , and the pestilence , to cut off from it man and beast : * Still , behold , there are left therein some that escape who shall be carried forth , both sons and daughters ; behold , they are coming forth unto you , and ye will see their way and their doings ; and then will ye be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem , yea , concerning all that I have brought upon it ; * And they will comfort you , when ye see their way and their doings ; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have executed in it , saith the Lord Eternal .

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