Study Desk

Then some ^(C1)elders of Israel came to me and ^(C2)sat down before me.

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, these men have ^(C1)set up their idols in their hearts and have ^(C2)put in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be ^(C3)consulted by them at all?

"Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "Anyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will let Myself answer him in ^(F2)the matter in view of the ^(C1)multitude of his idols,

in order to take hold of ^(F1)(C1)the hearts of the house of Israel who have ^(F2)(C2)turned away from Me due to all their idols."'

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "^(C1)Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your ^(C2)abominations.

"For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the ^(C1)strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, ^(C2)I the LORD will let Myself answer him Myself.

"I will ^(C1)set My face against that person and make him a ^(C2)sign and ^(F1)a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.

"But if the prophet is persuaded so that he speaks a word, it is I, the LORD, who have persuaded that prophet; and I will stretch out My hand against him and ^(C1)eliminate him from among My people Israel.

"And they will bear the punishment for their wrongdoing; as the wrongdoing of the inquirer is, so the wrongdoing of the prophet will be,

in order that the house of Israel may no longer ^(C1)stray from Me and no longer ^(C2)defile themselves with all their offenses. So they will be ^(C3)My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."