¹ Και ηλθον προς εμε τινες εκ των πρεσβυτερων του Ισραηλ και εκαθησαν εμπροσθεν μου.

² Και εγεινε λογος Κυριου προς εμε, λεγων,

³ Υιε ανθρωπου, οι ανδρες ουτοι ανεβιβασαν τα ειδωλα αυτων εις τας καρδιας αυτων και εθεσαν το προσκομμα της ανομιας αυτων εμπροσθεν του προσωπου αυτων· ηθελον εκζητηθη τωοντι παρ' αυτων;

⁴ Δια τουτο λαλησον προς αυτους και ειπε προς αυτους, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· εις παντα ανθρωπον εκ του οικου Ισραηλ, οστις αναβιβαση τα ειδωλα αυτου εις την καρδιαν αυτου και θεση το προσκομμα της ανομιας αυτου εμπροσθεν του προσωπου αυτου και ελθη προς τον προφητην, εγω ο Κυριος θελω αποκριθη προς αυτον ερχομενον, κατα το πληθος των ειδωλων αυτου·

⁵ δια να πιασω τον οικον Ισραηλ απο της καρδιας αυτων, επειδη παντες απηλλοτριωθησαν απ' εμου δια των ειδωλων αυτων.

⁶ Δια τουτο ειπε προς τον οικον Ισραηλ, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Μετανοησατε και επιστρεψατε απο των ειδωλων σας και αποστρεψατε τα προσωπα σας απο παντων των βδελυγματων σας.

⁷ Διοτι εις παντα ανθρωπον εκ του οικου Ισραηλ και εκ των ξενων των παροικουντων εν τω Ισραηλ, οστις απαλλοτριωθη απ' εμου και αναβιβαση τα ειδωλα αυτου εις την καρδιαν αυτου και θεση το προσκομμα της ανομιας αυτου εμπροσθεν του προσωπου αυτου και ελθη προς τον προφητην δια να ερωτηση αυτον περι εμου, εγω ο Κυριος θελω αποκριθη προς αυτον περι εμου·

⁸ και θελω στησει το προσωπον μου εναντιον του ανθρωπου εκεινου και θελω καμει αυτον σημειον και παροιμιαν και θελω εκκοψει αυτον εκ μεσου του λαου μου· και θελετε γνωρισει οτι εγω ειμαι ο Κυριος.

⁹ Και εαν ο προφητης πλανηθη και λαληση λογον, εγω ο Κυριος επλανησα τον προφητην εκεινον· και θελω εκτεινει την χειρα μου επ' αυτον και εξολοθρευσει αυτον εκ μεσου του λαου μου Ισραηλ.

¹⁰ Και θελουσι λαβει την ποινην της ανομιας αυτων· η ποινη του προφητου θελει εισθαι ως η ποινη του ερωτωντος·

¹¹ δια να μη αποπλαναται πλεον ο οικος Ισραηλ απ' εμου, και να μη μιαινωνται πλεον με πασας τας παραβασεις αυτων, αλλα να ηναι λαος μου και εγω να ημαι Θεος αυτων, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος.

¹² Και εγεινε λογος Κυριου προς εμε, λεγων,

¹³ Υιε ανθρωπου, οταν γη τις αμαρτηση εις εμε με παραβασιν βαρειαν, τοτε θελω εκτεινει την χειρα μου επ' αυτην και συντριψει το υποστηριγμα του αρτου αυτης, και θελω εξαποστειλει την πειναν εναντιον αυτης και εκκοψει ανθρωπον και κτηνος απ' αυτης·

¹⁴ και εαν οι τρεις ουτοι ανδρες, Νωε, Δανιηλ και Ιωβ, ησαν εν μεσω αυτης, μονοι ουτοι ηθελον σωσει τας ψυχας αυτων δια την δικαιοσυνην αυτων, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος.

¹⁵ Και εαν ηθελον επιφερει κατα της γης θηρια κακα και εφθειρον αυτην, ωστε να αφανισθη, ωστε να μη δυναται τις να περαση δι' αυτης εξ αιτιας των θηριων,

¹⁶ και οι τρεις ουτοι ανδρες ευρισκοντο εν μεσω αυτης, ζω εγω, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος, δεν ηθελον σωσει ουτε υιους ουτε θυγατερας· μονοι ουτοι ηθελον σωθη, η δε γη ηθελεν αφανισθη.

¹⁷ Η και εαν ηθελον επιφερει ρομφαιαν επι την γην εκεινην και ειπει, Ρομφαια, διελθε δια της γης, ωστε να εκκοψω απ' αυτης ανθρωπον και κτηνος,

¹⁸ και οι τρεις ουτοι ανδρες ευρισκοντο εν μεσω αυτης, ζω εγω, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος, δεν ηθελον σωσει υιους και θυγατερας αλλ' αυτοι μονοι ηθελον σωθη.

¹⁹ Η εαν ηθελον επιφερει θανατικον επι την γην εκεινην και εκχεει την οργην μου επ' αυτην με αιμα, ωστε να εκκοψω απ' αυτης ανθρωπον και κτηνος,

²⁰ και ευρισκοντο εν μεσω αυτης Νωε, Δανιηλ και Ιωβ, ζω εγω, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος, δεν ηθελον σωσει ουτε υιον ουτε θυγατερα· ουτοι μονοι ηθελον σωσει τας ψυχας αυτων δια την δικαιοσυνην αυτων.

²¹ Διοτι ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ποσω μαλλον λοιπον, οταν εξαποστειλω τας τεσσαρας δεινας κρισεις μου επι της Ιερουσαλημ, την ρομφαιαν και την πειναν και τα κακα θηρια και το θανατικον, ωστε να εκκοψω απ' αυτης ανθρωπον και κτηνος;

²² Πλην ιδου, θελουσι μενει εν αυτη λειψανα τινα, διασεσωσμενοι τινες, υιοι και θυγατερες· ιδου, ουτοι θελουσιν εξελθει προς εσας και θελετε ιδει τας οδους αυτων και τας πραξεις αυτων· και θελετε παρηγορηθη δια τα κακα, τα οποια επεφερα επι την Ιερουσαλημ, δια παντα οσα επεφερα επ' αυτην.

²³ Και ουτοι θελουσι σας παρηγορησει, οταν ιδητε τας οδους αυτων και τας πραξεις αυτων· και θελετε γνωρισει οτι εγω δεν εκαμον χωρις αιτιας παντα οσα εκαμον εν αυτη, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος.

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

² The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

⁴ Therefore speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I Yahweh 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 tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Return, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

⁷ For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me, and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Yahweh 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 you shall know that I am Yahweh.

⁹ If the prophet is deceived and speak a word, I, Yahweh, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

¹⁰ They shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him who seeks [to 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, says the Lord Yahweh.

¹² The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

¹³ Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;

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

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

¹⁶ though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, 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 on that land, and say, sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal;

¹⁸ though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, 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 on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal;

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

²¹ For thus says the Lord Yahweh: How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil animals, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and animal!

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

²³ They shall comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord Yahweh.