The Lord Judges Those Who Worship Other Gods
1Some of the elders of Israel came to see me. They sat down with me. 2Then a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 3“Son of man, these men have thought about nothing but other gods. They have fallen into the evil trap of worshiping them. Should I let these men ask me for any advice? 4Speak to them. Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “Suppose any of the Israelites think about other gods. And they fall into the evil trap of worshiping them. Then they go to a prophet to ask for advice. If they do, I myself will tell the prophet to answer them in keeping with their worship of many gods. 5I will win back the hearts of the people of Israel. All of them have deserted me for their other gods.” ’
6“So speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “Turn away from your sins! Also turn away from your gods. Give up all the evil things you have done. I hate them.
7“ ‘ “Suppose any of the Israelites or any outsiders who live in Israel separate themselves from me. And they think about other gods. They fall into the evil trap of worshiping them. Then they go to a prophet to ask me for advice. If they do, I myself will tell the prophet to answer them. 8I will turn against them. I will make an example out of them. People will talk about the bad things that happen to them. I will remove them from you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9“ ‘ “Suppose that prophet is stirred up to give a prophecy. Then I am the one who has stirred him up. And I will reach out my powerful hand against him. I will destroy him from among my people Israel. 10The prophet will be as much to blame as the one who asks him for advice. Both of them will be guilty. 11Then the people of Israel will no longer wander away from me. And they will not make themselves ‘unclean’ anymore with their many sins. They will be my people. And I will be their God,” ’ announces the Lord and King.”
Jerusalem Can’t Escape the Lord’s Judgment
12A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 13“Son of man, suppose the people in a certain country sin against me. And they are not faithful to me. So I reach out my powerful hand against them. I cut off their food supply. I make them very hungry. I kill them and their animals. 14And suppose Noah, Daniel and Job were in that country. Then these three men could save only themselves by doing what is right,” announces the Lord and King.
15“Or suppose I send wild animals through that country. And they kill all its children. It becomes a dry and empty desert. No one can pass through it because of the animals. 16And suppose these three men were in that country. Then they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. But the land would become a dry and empty desert. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the Lord and King.
17“Or suppose I send swords to kill the people in that country. And I say, ‘Let swords sweep all through the land.’ And I kill its people and their animals. 18And suppose these three men were in that country. Then they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the Lord and King.
19“Or suppose I send a plague into that land. And I pour out my great anger on it by spilling blood. I kill its people and their animals. 20And suppose Noah, Daniel and Job were in that land. Then they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves by doing what is right. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the Lord and King.
21The Lord and King says, “It will get much worse. I will punish Jerusalem in four horrible ways. There will be war, hunger, wild animals and plague. They will destroy the people and their animals. 22But some people will be left alive. Some children will be brought out of the city. They will come to you. You will see how they act and the way they live. And you will be comforted in spite of all the trouble I brought on Jerusalem. 23You will be comforted when you see how they act and the way they live. Then you will know that I did not do anything there without a reason,” announces the Lord and King.
斥责拜偶像的以色列人
1那时,几位以色列的长老到我这里来,坐在我面前。 2耶和华对我说: 3“人子啊,这些人在心里立起偶像,把导致犯罪的绊脚石放在自己面前,我岂能让他们来求问? 4你告诉他们,主耶和华这样说,‘任何以色列人若在心里立起偶像,把导致犯罪的绊脚石放在自己面前,又来求问先知,我耶和华必按他心中假神的数目亲自用惩罚回答他, 5好夺回以色列人的心,他们因为拜偶像而远离我。’
6“因此,你要告诉以色列人,主耶和华这样说,‘你们要悔改,离弃你们的偶像,离弃那些可憎之事。 7因为以色列人或是在以色列定居的外族人若背弃我,在心中树立偶像,把导致犯罪的绊脚石放在自己面前,又来向先知求问我的旨意,我耶和华必亲自用惩罚回答他。 8我必严惩他,使他成为众人的鉴戒和笑柄。我必将他从我的子民中铲除。这样,你们就知道我是耶和华。 9如果先知受迷惑说预言,那是我耶和华任他胡作非为,我必伸手惩治他,把他从我的以色列百姓中除灭。 10他们必担当自己的罪过——假先知与求问的人要担当同样的罪过。 11这样,以色列人便不再偏离我,不再犯罪玷污自己。他们要做我的子民,我要做他们的上帝。这是主耶和华说的。’”
12耶和华对我说: 13“人子啊,若有国家犯罪背叛我,我必伸手断绝他们的粮源,使饥荒遍地,毁灭人和牲畜。 14即使挪亚、但以理和约伯三人在那里,他们也只能因义行而自己得救。这是主耶和华说的。 15倘若我使猛兽在那里横行、肆虐,以致那里荒凉、人踪绝迹, 16纵然这三个义人在那里,我凭我的永恒起誓,他们也不能救自己的儿女,只能自己得救,那里却要荒凉。这是主耶和华说的。 17倘若我使刀剑临到那里,毁灭人和牲畜, 18纵然这三个义人在那里,我凭我的永恒起誓,他们也不能救自己的儿女,只能自己得救。这是主耶和华说的。 19倘若我叫瘟疫在那里肆虐,发烈怒毁灭那里的人和牲畜, 20纵然挪亚、但以理和约伯在那里,我凭我的永恒起誓,他们也不能救自己的儿女,只能因义行而自己得救。这是主耶和华说的。
21“主耶和华说,‘我要把战祸、饥荒、猛兽和瘟疫这四大刑罚降在耶路撒冷,毁灭人和牲畜。 22然而,其中仍有幸免的人带着儿女逃出来。他们会逃到你们这里,你们看见他们的所作所为,便会对我在耶路撒冷所降的一切灾难感到欣慰。 23你们看见他们的所作所为,就知道我不是无缘无故地惩罚耶路撒冷。’这是主耶和华说的。”