Idolatrous Elders Condemned
וַיָּב֤וֹא אֵלַי֙ אֲנָשִׁ֔ים מִזִּקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ לְפָנָֽי׃ פ
Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me.
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הֶעֱל֤וּ גִלּֽוּלֵיהֶם֙ עַל־לִבָּ֔ם וּמִכְשׁ֣וֹל עֲוֹנָ֔ם נָתְנ֖וּ נֹ֣כַח פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם הַאִדָּרֹ֥שׁ אִדָּרֵ֖שׁ לָהֶֽם׃ ס
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way?
לָכֵ֣ן דַּבֵּר־א֠וֹתָם וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ יַעֲלֶ֨ה אֶת־גִּלּוּלָ֜יו אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ וּמִכְשׁ֤וֹל עֲוֹנוֹ֙ יָשִׂים֙ נֹ֣כַח פָּנָ֔יו וּבָ֖א אֶל־הַנָּבִ֑יא אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה נַעֲנֵ֧יתִי ל֦וֹ בָ֖א בְּרֹ֥ב גִּלּוּלָֽיו׃
Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,
לְמַ֛עַן תְּפֹ֥שׂ אֶת־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּלִבָּ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָזֹ֙רוּ֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י בְּגִלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֖ם כֻּלָּֽם׃ ס
so that I may take hold of the hearts of the people of Israel. For because of their idols, they are all estranged from Me.’
לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֣ר׀ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה שׁ֣וּבוּ וְהָשִׁ֔יבוּ מֵעַ֖ל גִּלּֽוּלֵיכֶ֑ם וּמֵעַ֥ל כָּל־תּוֹעֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם הָשִׁ֥יבוּ פְנֵיכֶֽם׃
Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.
כִּי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אִ֜ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּמֵהַגֵּר֮ אֲשֶׁר־יָג֣וּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְיִנָּזֵ֣ר מֵֽאַחֲרַ֗י וְיַ֤עַל גִּלּוּלָיו֙ אֶל־לִבּ֔וֹ וּמִכְשׁ֣וֹל עֲוֹנ֔וֹ יָשִׂ֖ים נֹ֣כַח פָּנָ֑יו וּבָ֤א אֶל־הַנָּבִיא֙ לִדְרָשׁ־ל֣וֹ בִ֔י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה נַֽעֲנֶה־לּ֖וֹ בִּֽי׃
For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself.
וְנָתַתִּ֨י פָנַ֜י בָּאִ֣ישׁ הַה֗וּא וַהֲשִֽׂמֹתִ֙יהוּ֙ לְא֣וֹת וְלִמְשָׁלִ֔ים וְהִכְרַתִּ֖יו מִתּ֣וֹךְ עַמִּ֑י וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס
I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
וְהַנָּבִ֤יא כִֽי־יְפֻתֶּה֙ וְדִבֶּ֣ר דָּבָ֔ר אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ פִּתֵּ֔יתִי אֵ֖ת הַנָּבִ֣יא הַה֑וּא וְנָטִ֤יתִי אֶת־יָדִי֙ עָלָ֔יו וְהִ֨שְׁמַדְתִּ֔יו מִתּ֖וֹךְ עַמִּ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
וְנָשְׂא֖וּ עֲוֹנָ֑ם כַּֽעֲוֹן֙ הַדֹּרֵ֔שׁ כַּעֲוֹ֥ן הַנָּבִ֖יא יִֽהְיֶֽה׃
They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the inquirer will be the same as that of the prophet—
לְ֠מַעַן לֹֽא־יִתְע֨וּ ע֤וֹד בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאַֽחֲרַ֔י וְלֹֽא־יִטַּמְּא֥וּ ע֖וֹד בְּכָל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָ֥יוּ לִ֣י לְעָ֗ם וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֶהְיֶ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ פ
in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God, declares the Lord GOD.’”
Four Dire Judgments
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם אֶ֚רֶץ כִּ֤י תֶחֱטָא־לִי֙ לִמְעָל־מַ֔עַל וְנָטִ֤יתִי יָדִי֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ וְשָׁבַ֥רְתִּי לָ֖הּ מַטֵּה־לָ֑חֶם וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּי־בָ֣הּ רָעָ֔ב וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה אָדָ֥ם וּבְהֵמָֽה׃
“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to cut off from it both man and beast,
וְ֠הָיוּ שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ נֹ֖חַ דָּנִיֵּ֣אל וְאִיּ֑וֹב הֵ֤מָּה בְצִדְקָתָם֙ יְנַצְּל֣וּ נַפְשָׁ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.
לֽוּ־חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֛ה אַעֲבִ֥יר בָּאָ֖רֶץ וְשִׁכְּלָ֑תָּה וְהָיְתָ֤ה שְׁמָמָה֙ מִבְּלִ֣י עוֹבֵ֔ר מִפְּנֵ֖י הַחַיָּֽה׃
Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,
שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵלֶּה֮ בְּתוֹכָהּ֒ חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה אִם־בָּנִ֥ים וְאִם־בָּנ֖וֹת יַצִּ֑ילוּ הֵ֤מָּה לְבַדָּם֙ יִנָּצֵ֔לוּ וְהָאָ֖רֶץ תִּהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמָמָֽה׃
then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
א֛וֹ חֶ֥רֶב אָבִ֖יא עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֑יא וְאָמַרְתִּ֗י חֶ֚רֶב תַּעֲבֹ֣ר בָּאָ֔רֶץ וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה אָדָ֥ם וּבְהֵמָֽה׃
Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I cut off from it both man and beast,
וּשְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵלֶּה֮ בְּתוֹכָהּ֒ חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה לֹ֥א יַצִּ֖ילוּ בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנ֑וֹת כִּ֛י הֵ֥ם לְבַדָּ֖ם יִנָּצֵֽלוּ׃
then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered.
א֛וֹ דֶּ֥בֶר אֲשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֑יא וְשָׁפַכְתִּ֨י חֲמָתִ֤י עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ בְּדָ֔ם לְהַכְרִ֥ית מִמֶּ֖נָּה אָדָ֥ם וּבְהֵמָֽה׃
Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath upon it through bloodshed, cutting off from it both man and beast,
וְנֹ֨חַ דָּנִיֵּ֣אל וְאִיּוֹב֮ בְּתוֹכָהּ֒ חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה אִם־בֵּ֥ן אִם־בַּ֖ת יַצִּ֑ילוּ הֵ֥מָּה בְצִדְקָתָ֖ם יַצִּ֥ילוּ נַפְשָֽׁם׃ פ
then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves.
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֗ה אַ֣ף כִּֽי־אַרְבַּ֣עַת שְׁפָטַ֣י׀ הָרָעִ֡ים חֶ֠רֶב וְרָעָ֞ב וְחַיָּ֤ה רָעָה֙ וָדֶ֔בֶר שִׁלַּ֖חְתִּי אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם לְהַכְרִ֥ית מִמֶּ֖נָּה אָדָ֥ם וּבְהֵמָֽה׃
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem My four dire judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague—in order to cut off from it both man and beast?
וְהִנֵּ֨ה נֽוֹתְרָה־בָּ֜הּ פְּלֵטָ֗ה הַֽמּוּצָאִים֮ בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנוֹת֒ הִנָּם֙ יוֹצְאִ֣ים אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וּרְאִיתֶ֥ם אֶת־דַּרְכָּ֖ם וְאֶת־עֲלִֽילוֹתָ֑ם וְנִחַמְתֶּ֗ם עַל־הָֽרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבֵ֙אתִי֙ עַל־יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵבֵ֖אתִי עָלֶֽיהָ׃
Yet, behold, some survivors will be left in it—sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come out to you, and when you see their conduct and actions, you will be comforted regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem—all that I have brought upon it.
וְנִחֲמ֣וּ אֶתְכֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תִרְא֥וּ אֶת־דַּרְכָּ֖ם וְאֶת־עֲלִֽילוֹתָ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּי֩ לֹ֨א חִנָּ֤ם עָשִׂ֙יתִי֙ אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֣יתִי בָ֔הּ נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה׃ פ
They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done all these things within it,’ declares the Lord GOD.”