Immerse: Prophets - Flipbook - Page 347
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says: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your detestable
sins. I, the Lord, will answer all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who
reject me and set up idols in their hearts and so fall into sin, and who then
come to a prophet asking for my advice. I will turn against such people
and make a terrible example of them, eliminating them from among my
people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
“‘And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message, it is because I, the
Lord, have deceived that prophet. I will lift my fist against such prophets
and cut them off from the community of Israel. False prophets and those
who seek their guidance will all be punished for their sins. In this way,
the people of Israel will learn not to stray from me, polluting themselves
with sin. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I, the Sovereign
Lord, have spoken!’”
Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, suppose the
people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush
them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both
people and animals. Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righ
teousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign Lord.
“Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the
people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through.
As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were
there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They
alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate.
“Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy
armies to destroy both people and animals. As surely as I live, says the
Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able
to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
“Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the
land, and the disease killed people and animals alike. As surely as I live,
says the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they
wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would
be saved by their righteousness.
“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when
all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine,
wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals. Yet
there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in
Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then
you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem. When you meet
them and see their behavior, you will understand that these things are not
being done to Israel without cause. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
