¹ Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

² And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

³ Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?

⁴ Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols;

⁵ that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

⁶ Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

⁷ For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Jehovah will answer him by myself:

⁸ and I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

⁹ And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

¹⁰ And they shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeketh [unto him];

¹¹ that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah.

¹² And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

¹³ Son of man, when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast;

¹⁴ though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

¹⁵ If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts;

¹⁶ though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.

¹⁷ Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast;

¹⁸ though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves.

¹⁹ Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast;

²⁰ though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

²¹ For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!

²² Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

²³ And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

¹ A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah; But a just weight is his delight.

² When pride cometh, then cometh shame; But with the lowly is wisdom.

³ The integrity of the upright shall guide them; But the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

⁴ Riches profit not in the day of wrath; But righteousness delivereth from death.

⁵ The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

⁶ The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity.

⁷ When a wicked man dieth, [his] expectation shall perish; And the hope of iniquity perisheth.

⁸ The righteous is delivered out of trouble, And the wicked cometh in his stead.

⁹ With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his neighbor; But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.

¹⁰ When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth; And when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

¹¹ By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

¹² He that despiseth his neighbor is void of wisdom; But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

¹³ He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.

¹⁴ Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

¹⁵ He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth suretyship is secure.

¹⁶ A gracious woman obtaineth honor; And violent men obtain riches.

¹⁷ The merciful man doeth good to his own soul; But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

¹⁸ The wicked earneth deceitful wages; But he that soweth righteousness [hath] a sure reward.

¹⁹ He that is stedfast in righteousness [shall attain] unto life; And he that pursueth evil [doeth it] to his own death.

²⁰ They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Jehovah; But such as are perfect in [their] way are his delight.

²¹ [Though] hand [join] in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

²² [As] a ring of gold in a swine's snout, [So is] a fair woman that is without discretion.

²³ The desire of the righteous is only good; [But] the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

²⁴ There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but [it tendeth] only to want.

²⁵ The liberal soul shall be made fat; And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

²⁶ He that withholdeth grain, the people shall curse him; But blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

²⁷ He that diligently seeketh good seeketh favor; But he that searcheth after evil, it shall come unto him.

²⁸ He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; But the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.

²⁹ He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; And the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls.

³¹ Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: How much more the wicked and the sinner!