1 And men of the elders of Israel came to me, and sat before me.

2 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

3 Son of man, these men have set [or put] their uncleannesses in their hearts, and have set steadfastly the cause of stumbling of their wickedness against their faces. Whether I that am asked, shall answer to them?

4 For this thing speak thou to them, and thou shalt say to them, These things saith the Lord God, A man, a man of the house of Israel, that setteth [or hath put] his uncleannesses in his heart, and setteth steadfastly the cause of stumbling of his wickedness against his face, and cometh to the prophet, and asketh me by him, I the Lord shall answer to him in the multitude of his uncleannesses;

5 that the house of Israel be taken in their heart, by which they went away from me in all their idols.

6 Therefore say thou to the house of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, Be ye converted, and go ye away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your filths.

7 For why a man, a man of the house of Israel, and of converts, who-ever is a comeling in Israel, if he is alienated from me, and setteth [or shall put] his idols in his heart, and setteth steadfastly the cause of stumbling of his wickedness against his face, and he cometh to the prophet, to ask me by him, I the Lord shall answer him by myself.

8 And I shall set my face on that man, and I shall make him into ensample, and into a proverb, and I shall lose him from the midst of my people; and ye shall know, that I am the Lord.

9 And when a prophet erreth, and speaketh a word, I the Lord shall deceive that prophet; and I shall stretch forth mine hand [up] on him, and I shall do him away from the midst of my people Israel.

10 And they shall bear their wicked-ness; by the wickedness of the asker, so the wickedness of the prophet shall be;

11 that the house of Israel err no more from me, neither be defouled in all their trespassings; but that it be into a people to me, and I be into God to them, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me, that it trespassing do trespass, I shall stretch forth mine hand on it, and I shall all-break the staff of bread thereof; and I shall send hunger into it, and I shall slay of it man and beast.

14 And if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, be in the midst thereof, they by their rightfulness [or rightwiseness] shall deliver their souls, saith the Lord of hosts.

15 That if also I bring in worst beasts on the land, that I destroy it, and if it is without a way, for that no passer is for the beasts,

16 and these three men that be before-said, be therein, I live, saith the Lord God, for they shall neither deliver sons, neither daughters, but they alone shall be delivered; forsooth the land shall be made desolate.

17 Either if I bring in a sword on that land, and I say to the sword, Pass thou through the land, and I slay of it man and beast,

18 and these three men be in the midst thereof, I live, saith the Lord God, that they shall not deliver sons neither daughters, but they alone shall be delivered.

19 Forsooth if I bring in also pestilence on that land, and I shed out mine indignation on it in blood, that I do away from it man and beast,

20 and Noah, and Daniel, and Job, be in the midst thereof, I live, saith the Lord God, for they shall not deliver a son and a daughter, but they by their rightfulness [or rightwiseness] shall deliver their souls.

21 For the Lord God saith these things, That though I send in my four worst dooms, sword, and hunger, and evil beasts, and pestilence, into Jeru-salem, that I slay of it man and beast,

22 nevertheless salvation of them that led out sons and daughters, shall be left therein. Lo! they shall go out to you, and ye shall see the way of them, and the findings of them; and ye shall be comforted on the evil, which I brought in on Jerusalem, in all things which I bare in on it.

23 And they shall comfort you, when ye shall see the way of them, and the findings of them; and ye shall know, that not in vain I did all things, whatever things I did therein, saith the Lord Almighty.