1Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat before me. 2And this word of the LORD came to me, 3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts, and have embraced things that will cause them to stumble into sin. Should I be enquired of by them at all? 4Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God: “Every Israelite that sets up idols in his heart, and puts a stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him in keeping with his many evil idols, 5That I may take back the hearts of Israel, who have deserted Me for their idols. 6Therefore, say to the Israelites, ‘Thus says the LORD God: “Repent! Turn from your idols and all your abominations.” 7For every Israelite, or any foreigner that sojourns (stays for a time) in Israel, who separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before himself, and then comes to enquire concerning Me from a prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him Myself; 8And I will set My face against that man, and will make him an example and a proverb, and I will remove him from My people; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 9And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I, the LORD, have enticed that prophet, and I will reach out My hand and will destroy him from among My people, Israel. 10And they shall bear their guilt; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of whoever consults him. 11So that the people of Israel may no more stray from Me, nor be polluted by all their transgressions; but that they may be My people, and I may be their God’, says the LORD God.’”’”

12The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, 13“Son of man, when the land (actually its occupants) sins against Me by grievous trespassing, then I will stretch out My hand upon it, and will cut off its food supply, and will send famine that will consume both man and beast in the land; 14Even if these three men - Noah, Daniel and Job - were in the land, they would only save their own souls by their righteousness”, says the LORD God. 15“And if I send savage beasts to ravage the land, so that it becomes desolate, so that no man dares to pass through it because of the beasts; 16Even if these same three men were in it, as I live”, says the LORD God, “They would not be able to save their sons or daughters, but only themselves; the land shall become desolate. 17Or if I bring a sword against that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land’; so that I kill man and beast in it; 18Even if these same three men were in it, as I live,” says the LORD God, “they shall save only themselves; neither sons nor daughters shall be saved. 19Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out My fury upon it in blood, to cut man and beast from off it; 20Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live,” says the LORD God, “They could not save either son nor daughter; but only they, themselves, could be saved by their righteousness. 21For thus says the LORD God, ‘How much worse shall it be when I send My four dreadful judgments - the sword, famine, savage beasts, and pestilence - upon Jerusalem, to cut off man and beast from the land?’ 22Yet there shall be some survivors - both sons and daughters - who shall escape it; behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their conduct and their actions, and you shall be comforted concerning the disaster, each calamity that I have brought upon Jerusalem. 23And they shall comfort you, as you observe the conduct and actions of the survivors; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause”, says the LORD God.