Ezekiel 14:23

Easy-to-Read Version

You will see how they live and all the bad things they do. Then you will know that I had a good reason for punishing them." This is what the Lord God said.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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 what I did to it.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Hebrew Names Version
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 GOD.

King James Version
And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God .

English Standard Version
They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord God ."

New American Standard Bible
"Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done without reason whatever I did to it," declares the Lord GOD.

New Century Version
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 ."

Amplified Bible
"Then they will reassure you [in regard to the appropriateness of the judgments] when you see their [heinous] conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done without cause whatever I did to it," declares the Lord GOD.

World English Bible
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.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they shal comfort you, when yee see their way and their enterprises: & ye shal know, that I haue not done without cause all that I haue done in it, saith the Lorde God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done in vain whatever I did to it," declares the Lord GOD.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they will comfort you when you see their way and actions, so you will know that I have not done in vain all that I did to it," declares Lord Yahweh.

Berean Standard Bible
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.'"

Contemporary English Version
You will be convinced that I, the Lord God, was right in doing what I did.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, they will console you when you see their way of life and how they act; and you will understand that it was not without good reason that I did what I did in [Yerushalayim]," says Adonai Elohim .

Darby Translation
And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

George Lamsa Translation
And they shall comfort you when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the LORD God.

Good News Translation
then you will know that there was good reason for everything I did." The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

Lexham English Bible
And they will console you when you see their way and their deeds, and you will know that not for nothing I did all that I did in it," declares the Lord Yahweh.

Literal Translation
And they will comfort you when you see their way and their doings. And you will know that not in vain I have done all that I did in it, declares the Lord Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They shall comforte you, when ye se their waye and workes: and ye shal knowe, how yt it is not without a cause, that I haue done so agaynst Ierusalem, as I dyd, saieth the LORDE God.

American Standard Version
And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
They will give you comfort when you see their ways and their doings: and you will be certain that not for nothing have I done all the things I have done in it, says the Lord.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings, and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.'

King James Version (1611)
And they shall comfort you when yee see their wayes and their doings: and ye shal know that I haue not done without cause, all that I haue done in it, saith the Lord God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They shall comfort you when ye shal see their way and workes: and ye shall knowe howe that it is not without a cause that I haue done all against Hierusalem as I dyd, saith the Lorde God.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they shall comfort you, because ye shall see their ways and their thoughts: and ye shall know that I have not done in vain all that I have done in it, saith the Lord.

English Revised Version
And they shall comfort you, when ye see their way and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei schulen coumforte you, whanne ye schulen se the weie of hem and the fyndyngis of hem; and ye schulen knowe, that not in veyn Y dide alle thingis, what euer thingis Y dide there ynne, seith the Lord almyyti.

Update Bible Version
And 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

New English Translation
They will console you when you see their behavior and their deeds, because you will know that it was not without reason that I have done everything which I have done in it, declares the sovereign Lord ."

New King James Version
And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it," says the Lord GOD.

New Living Translation
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!"

New Life Bible
It will help you when you see how they act. Then you will know that there was a good reason for everything I did,' says the Lord God."

New Revised Standard
They shall console you, when you see their ways and their deeds; and you shall know that it was not without cause that I did all that I have done in it, says the Lord God .

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yea they shall console you, when ye see their way and their doings, - So shall ye know that not without cause, have I done, anything that I have done with her, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they shall comfort you, when you shall see their ways, and their doings: and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God.

Revised Standard Version
They will console you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord GOD."

Young's Literal Translation
And they have comforted you, for ye see their way and their doings, and ye have known that not for nought have I done all that which I have done in her -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

Contextual Overview

¹² Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, ¹³ "Son of man, I will punish any nation that leaves me and sins against me. I will stop their food supply. I might cause a famine and remove the people and animals from that country. ¹⁴ I would punish that country even if Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there. They could save their own lives by their goodness, but they could not save the whole country ." This is what the Lord God said. ¹⁵ "Or I might send wild animals through that country to kill all the people. Then no one would travel through that country because of the wild animals. ¹⁶ If Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there, those three men could save their own lives. But I promise by my own life that they could not save the lives of other people—not even their own sons and daughters! That evil country would be destroyed." This is what the Lord God said. ¹⁷ "Or I might send an enemy army to fight against that country. The soldiers would destroy that country—I would remove all the people and animals from that country. ¹⁸ If Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there, those three men could save their own lives. But I promise by my own life that they could not save the lives of other people—not even their own sons and daughters! That evil country would be destroyed." This is what the Lord God said. ¹⁹ "Or I might send a disease against that country. I will pour my anger down on the people. I will remove all the people and animals from that country. ²⁰ If Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there, those three men could save their own lives because they are good men. But I promise by my own life that they could not save the lives of other people—not even their own sons and daughters!" This is what the Lord God said. ²¹ Then the Lord God said, "So think how bad it will be for Jerusalem. I will send all four of those punishments against that city! I will send enemy soldiers, hunger, disease, and wild animals against that city. I will remove all the people and animals from that country.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that I have not: Ezekiel 8:6-18, Ezekiel 9:8, Ezekiel 9:9, Genesis 18:22-33, Deuteronomy 8:2, Nehemiah 9:33, Proverbs 26:2, Jeremiah 7:17-28, Jeremiah 22:8, Jeremiah 22:9, Daniel 9:7, Daniel 9:14, Romans 2:5, Revelation 15:4, Revelation 16:6

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:44 - I will Deuteronomy 29:24 - General 2 Chronicles 7:22 - Because they forsook Nehemiah 9:31 - for thy great Psalms 59:11 - Slay Psalms 64:9 - they Isaiah 24:13 - there Isaiah 42:16 - and not Jeremiah 9:12 - for Lamentations 1:18 - hear Ezekiel 6:10 - General Ezekiel 12:16 - I will Ezekiel 16:54 - in that

Cross-References

Genesis 14:9
They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar. So there were four kings fighting against five.

Genesis 14:12
Lot, the son of Abram's brother, was living in Sodom, and they captured him. They also took everything he owned and left.

Genesis 14:15
That night he and his men made a surprise attack against the enemy. They defeated them and chased them to Hobah, north of Damascus.

Genesis 14:16
Then Abram brought back everything the enemy had stolen, as well as the women and servants, his nephew Lot, and everything Lot owned.

1 Kings 13:8
But the man of God said to the king, "I will not go home with you, even if you give me half of your kingdom! I will not eat or drink anything in this place.

2 Kings 5:16
But Elisha said, "The Lord is the one I serve, and as surely as he lives, I will not accept any gift." Naaman tried hard to make Elisha take the gift, but he refused.

2 Kings 5:20
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Look, my master has let Naaman the Aramean go without accepting the gift that he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after Naaman and get something from him."

2 Corinthians 12:14
I am now ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don't want any of the things you own. I only want you. Children should not have to save things to give to their parents. Parents should save to give to their children.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never run away from you."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings,.... Not that their sinful ways and doings would be comfortable to them, but either their acknowledgments of them, and repentance for them; or, seeing their dissolute manner of life, it would be a means of composing their minds, and making them easy under the providence; being now satisfied that God was just in bringing upon them all the evils he had, and that they were punished according to their deserts, and less than their sins deserved:

and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God; that there was just reason for it; that he was sufficiently provoked to do it; and that it was necessary it should be done, for his own honour, and the good of others.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jeremiah 14:0; Jeremiah 15:0 is a remarkable parallel to this prophecy. Here, as elsewhere, Ezekiel is commissioned to deliver to the exiles the same message which Jeremiah conveys to the inhabitants of Judaea. The answer discovers the nature of the questions which had been expressed or implied.

(1) Can God cast out a people who are holy unto Himself?

(2) Is it just to punish them with utter desolation?

The prophet answers:

(1) That when a people is so corrupt as to call down national judgment, individual piety shall save none but the individuals themselves.

(2) The corrupt condition of the people shall be made so manifest, that none will question the justice of God in dealing thus severely with them.

Ezekiel 14:12

Or, “When a land” - the case is first put in a general form, and then ism brought with increased force home to Jerusalem - “sinneth against me by trespassing grievously,” and I stretch out “mine hand upon it,” and break the staff of bread “thereof,” and send famine “upon it and” cut off “man and beast: though these three men” etc.

Ezekiel 14:14

Noah, Daniel, and Job - Three striking instances of men who, for their integrity, were delivered from the ruin which fell upon others. Some have thought it strange that Daniel, a contemporary, and still young, should have been classed with the two ancient worthies. But the account of him Daniel 2:0 shows, that by this time Daniel was a very remarkable man (compare Ezekiel 28:3), and the introduction of the name of a contemporary gives force and life to the illustration. There is in the order in which the names occur a kind of climax. Noah did not rescue the guilty world, but did carry forth with him his wife, sons, and sons’ wives. Daniel raised only a few, but he did raise three of his countrymen with him to honor. To Job was spared neither son nor daughter.

Ezekiel 14:22, Ezekiel 14:23

Ye shall be comforted ... - By a truer estimate of the dispensations of the Almighty. This visitation will be recognized as inevitable and just.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 14:23. Ye shall know that I have not done without cause — There is no part of the conduct of God towards man that is not dictated by the purest principles of justice, equity, and truth. He does nothing but what is right; and whatever is right to be done, that ought to be done. In God's justice there is no severity; in God's mercy there is no caprice. He alone doth all things well; for he is the Fountain of justice and mercy.