1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

1  And there came to me men of the people of Israel, of the elders, and sat before me.

1  And men among the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat down before me.

2  And the word of YHWH came unto me, saying

3  'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their mind, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face; should I be inquired of at all by them?

3  Son of man, these men have conceived their devices in their hearts, and have set before their faces the punishment of their iniquities: shall I indeed answer them?

3  “Son of man, these men have placed their uncleanness in their hearts, and they have stationed the scandal of their iniquities before their face. So why should I respond when they inquire of me?

4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them: Thus saith YHWH GOD: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his mind, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet--I YHWH will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

4  Because of this, speak to them, and you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: The man, the man of the house of Israel, who places his uncleanness in his heart, and who stations the scandal of his iniquities before his face, and who approaches a prophet, so as to inquire of me through him: I, the Lord, will respond to him in accord with the multitude of his uncleannesses,

5  that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all turned away from Me through their idols.

5  that he should turn aside the house of Israel, according to their hearts that are estranged from me in their thoughts.

5  so that the house of Israel may be seized within their own heart, by which they have withdrawn from me to all their idols.

6  Therefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus saith YHWH GOD: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

6  Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Be converted, and turn from your evil practices, and from all your sins, and turn your faces back again.

6  Because of this, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Be converted, and withdraw from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

7  For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from Me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, that he inquire for him of Me--I YHWH will answer him by Myself,

7  For any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who shall separate himself from me, and conceive his imaginations in his heart, and set before his face the punishment of his iniquity, and come to the prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him, according to the things wherein he is entangled.

7  For the man, the man of the house of Israel, and the new arrival among the converts who may be in Israel, if he is alienated from me, and he sets his idols in his heart, and he stations the scandal of his iniquity before his face, and he approaches the prophet, so that he may inquire of me through him: I, the Lord, will respond to him through myself.

8  and I will set My face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am YHWH.

9  And when the prophet is enticed and speaketh a word, I YHWH have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.

9  And if a prophet should cause to err and should speak, I the Lord have caused that prophet to err, and will stretch out my hand upon him, and will utterly destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

9  And when a prophet has gone astray and has spoken a word: I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet. And I will extend my hand over him, and I will wipe him away from the midst of my people, Israel.

10  And they shall bear their iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that inquireth;

10  And they shall bear their iniquity according to the trespass of him that asks; and it shall be in like manner to the prophet according to the trespass

10  And they shall both bear the punishment of their iniquity; the punishment of him who seeks to inquire shall be like the punishment of the prophet,

11  that the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, saith YHWH GOD.'

11  So may the house of Israel no longer go astray from me, nor be polluted by all their transgressions. Instead, may they be my people, and may I be their God, says the Lord of hosts.”