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New Century Version NCV
1 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.
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Some of the older leaders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.
2 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
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Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying:
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?
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"Human, these men want to worship idols. They put up evil things that cause people to sin. Should I allow them to ask me for help?
4 Therefore 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.
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So speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Lord God says: When any of the people of Israel want to worship idols and put up evil things that cause people to sin and then come to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer them myself for worshiping idols.
5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’
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Then I will win back my people Israel, who have left me because of all 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!
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"So say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the Lord God says: Change your hearts and lives, and stop worshiping idols. Stop doing all the things I hate.
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.
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Any of the Israelites or foreigners in Israel can separate themselves from me by wanting to worship idols or by putting up the things that cause people to sin. Then if they come to the prophet to ask me questions, I, the Lord, will answer them myself.
8 I 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.
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I will reject them. I will make them a sign and an example, and I will separate 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.
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"'But if the prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is because I, the Lord, have tricked that prophet to speak. Then I will use my power against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.
10 They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him.
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The prophet will be as guilty as the one who asks him for help; both will be responsible for their guilt.
11 Then 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.’ ”
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Then the nation of Israel will not leave me anymore or make themselves unclean anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord God.'"
12 The word of the LORD came to me:
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The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:
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,
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"Human, if the people of a country sin against me by not being loyal, I will use my power against them. I will cut off their supply of food and send a time of hunger, destroying both people and animals.
14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.
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Even if three great men like Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that country, their goodness could save only themselves, says the Lord God.
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,
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"Or I might send wild animals into that land, leaving the land empty and without children. Then no one would pass through it because of the animals.
16 as 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.
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As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves, but that country would become empty.
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,
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"Or I might bring a war against that country. I might say, 'Let a war be fought in that land,' in this way destroying its people and its animals.
18 as 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.
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As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if those three men were in the land, they could not save their sons or daughters. They could save only themselves.
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,
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"Or I might cause a disease to spread in that country. I might pour out my anger against it, destroying and killing people and animals.
20 as 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.
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As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their son or daughter. They could save only themselves because they did what was right.
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!
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"This is what the Lord God says: My plans for Jerusalem are much worse! I will send my four terrible punishments against it -- war, hunger, wild animals, and disease -- to destroy its people and animals.
22 Yet 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.
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But some people will escape; some sons and daughters will be led out. They will come out to you, and you will see what happens to people who live as they did. Then you will be comforted after the disasters I have brought against Jerusalem, after all the things I have brought against it.
23 You 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.”
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You will be comforted when you see what happens to them for living as they did, because you will know there was a good reason for what I did to Jerusalem, says the Lord God."
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.