Ezekiel:14

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* Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me . * And the word of the LORD came to me , saying , * "Son of man , these men have set up their idols in their hearts , and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity . Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them ? * "Therefore speak to them , and say to them , "Thus says the Lord GOD : "Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart , and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity , and then comes to the prophet , I the LORD will answer him who comes , according to the multitude of his idols , * that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart , because they are all estranged from Me by their idols ."' * "Therefore say to the house of Israel , "Thus says the Lord GOD : "Repent , turn away from your idols , and turn your faces away from all your abominations . * For anyone of the house of Israel , or of the strangers who dwell in Israel , who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity , then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me , I the LORD will answer him by Myself . * I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb , and I will cut him off from the midst of My people . Then you shall know that I am the LORD . * "And if the prophet is induced to speak anything , I the LORD have induced that prophet , and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel . * And they shall bear their iniquity ; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired , * that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me , nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions , but that they may be My people and I may be their God ," says the Lord GOD ."' * The word of the LORD came again to me , saying : * "Son of man , when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness , I will stretch out My hand against it ; I will cut off its supply of bread , send famine on it , and cut off man and beast from it . * Even if these three men , Noah , Daniel , and Job , were in it , they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness ," says the Lord GOD . * "If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land , and they empty it , and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts , * even though these three men were in it , as I live ," says the Lord GOD , "they would deliver neither sons nor daughters ; only they would be delivered , and the land would be desolate . * "Or if I bring a sword on that land , and say , "Sword , go through the land ,' and I cut off man and beast from it , * even though these three men were in it , as I live ," says the Lord GOD , "they would deliver neither sons nor daughters , but only they themselves would be delivered . * "Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood , and cut off from it man and beast , * even though Noah , Daniel , and Job were in it , as I live ," says the Lord GOD , "they would deliver neither son nor daughter ; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness ." * For thus says the Lord GOD : "How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem--the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence--to cut off man and beast from it ? * Yet behold , there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out , both sons and daughters ; surely they will come out to you , and you will see their ways and their doings . Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem , all that I have brought upon it . * And they will comfort you , when you see their ways and their doings ; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it ," says the Lord GOD .

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