斥責拜偶像的以色列人
1那時，幾位以色列的長老到我這裡來，坐在我面前。 2耶和華對我說： 3「人子啊，這些人在心裡立起偶像，把導致犯罪的絆腳石放在自己面前，我豈能讓他們來求問？ 4你告訴他們，主耶和華這樣說，『任何以色列人若在心裡立起偶像，把導致犯罪的絆腳石放在自己面前，又來求問先知，我耶和華必按他心中偶像的數目親自用懲罰回答他， 5好奪回以色列人的心，他們都因為拜偶像而遠離我。』
6「因此，你要告訴以色列人，主耶和華這樣說，『你們要悔改，離棄你們的偶像，離棄一切可憎之事。 7因為任何以色列人或是在以色列定居的外族人若背棄我，在心中樹立偶像，把導致犯罪的絆腳石放在自己面前，又來向先知求問我的旨意，我耶和華必親自用懲罰回答他。 8我必嚴懲他，使他成為眾人的鑒戒和笑柄。我必將他從我的子民中剷除。這樣，你們就知道我是耶和華。 9如果先知受迷惑說預言，那是我耶和華任他受迷惑，我必伸手懲治他，把他從我的以色列百姓中除滅。 10他們必擔當自己的罪過，假先知與求問的人要擔當同樣的罪過。 11這樣，以色列人便不再偏離我，不再犯罪玷污自己。他們要做我的子民，我要做他們的上帝。這是主耶和華說的。』」
12耶和華對我說： 13「人子啊，若有國家犯罪背叛我，我必伸手斷絕他們的糧源，使饑荒遍地，毀滅人和牲畜。 14即使挪亞、但以理和約伯三人在那裡，他們也只能因義行而自己得救。這是主耶和華說的。 15倘若我使猛獸在那裡橫行、肆虐，以致那裡荒涼、人蹤絕跡， 16縱然這三個義人在那裡，我憑我的永恆起誓，他們也不能救自己的兒女，只能自己得救，那裡卻要荒涼。這是主耶和華說的。 17倘若我使刀劍臨到那裡，讓刀劍橫掃那裡，毀滅人和牲畜， 18縱然這三個義人在那裡，我憑我的永恆起誓，他們也不能救自己的兒女，只能自己得救。這是主耶和華說的。 19倘若我叫瘟疫在那裡肆虐，在殺戮中傾倒我的烈怒，毀滅那裡的人和牲畜， 20縱然挪亞、但以理和約伯在那裡，我憑我的永恆起誓，他們也不能救自己的兒女，只能因義行而自己得救。這是主耶和華說的。
21「主耶和華說，『我要把刀劍、饑荒、猛獸和瘟疫這四大刑罰降在耶路撒冷，毀滅人和牲畜。 22然而，其中仍有倖免的人帶著兒女逃出來。他們會逃到你們這裡，你們看見他們的所作所為，便會對我在耶路撒冷所降的一切災難感到欣慰。 23你們看見他們的所作所為，就知道我不是無緣無故地懲罰耶路撒冷。』這是主耶和華說的。」
Idolaters Condemned
1Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. 5I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’
6“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
7“ ‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. 8I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9“ ‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”
Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable
12The word of the Lord came to me: 13“Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, 14even if these three men—Noah, Daniel14:14 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature; also in verse 20 and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15“Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, 16as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
17“Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, 18as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
19“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, 20as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.
21“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! 22Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
