Ezekiel 14
Even Noah, Daniel and Job Could Save Only Themselves
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The Elders Who Set Idols in Their Hearts
14:1Men from Israel’s elders came to me and sat before me.
14:2The Lord’s word came to me, saying,
14:3“Son of man, these men have set their thoughts upon their hearts and set the punishment of their injustices before their faces. Shall I indeed answer them?
14:4Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: Anyone of the house of Israel who sets his thoughts upon his heart, places the punishment of his injustice before his face, and comes to the prophet—I, the Lord, will answer him in the things in which his mind is entangled,
14:5so that it may turn the house of Israel aside in accordance with their hearts, alienated from Me through their reflections.’
14:6Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord, the Lord: Turn back and turn away from your practices and all your impieties, and turn your faces.
14:7For anyone of the house of Israel or of the sojourners living among Israel who becomes alienated from Me, sets his reflections upon his heart, places the punishment of his injustice before his face, and comes to the prophet to question him concerning Me—I, the Lord, will answer him in that in which he is entangled.
14:8I will set My face firmly against that person, make him a wilderness and a devastation, and remove him from the midst of My people. You will recognize that I am the Lord.
14:9If the prophet is led astray and speaks, I, the Lord, have led that prophet astray. I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.
14:10They will receive their injustice; according to the inquirer’s offense and according to the offense, it will likewise be for the prophet,
14:11so that the house of Israel may no longer wander from Me or be defiled by any of their transgressions. They will be My people, and I will be their God, says the Lord.’”
Noah, Daniel and Job
14:12The Lord’s word came to me, saying,
14:13“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by committing a transgression, and I stretch My hand against it, shatter its support of bread, send famine upon it, and remove human and livestock from it,
14:14even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were within it, they themselves would be saved by their righteousness, says the Lord.
14:15even if I bring evil beasts upon the land and punish it, so that it becomes a devastation and no one passes through because of the beasts,
14:16and these three men were within it, as I live, says the Lord, neither sons nor daughters would be saved; only they themselves would be saved, and the land would be destroyed.
14:17or even if I bring a sword upon that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through the land,’ and remove human and livestock from it,
14:18and these three men were within it, as I live, says the Lord, they certainly would not rescue sons or daughters; they alone would be saved.
14:19or even if I send death upon that land and pour My wrath upon it in blood, to destroy human and livestock from it,
14:20and Noah, Daniel and Job were within it, as I live, says the Lord, neither sons nor daughters would be left; they would rescue their own lives by their righteousness.
The Four Evil Retributions
14:21Thus says the Lord: Even if I send My four evil retributions—sword, famine, evil beasts and death—against Jerusalem, to destroy human and livestock from her,
14:22and behold, her rescued survivors are left in her, bringing sons and daughters out of her. Behold, they are coming out to you. You will see their ways and their reflections and feel regret over the evils I brought upon Jerusalem—all the evils I brought upon her,
14:23and they will comfort you, because you will see their ways and their reflections, and recognize that I have not done in vain all that I did in her, says the Lord.”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.