Ezekiel 14

Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.

وَحَضَرَ إِلَيَّ بَعْضُ شُيُوخِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَجَلَسُوا أَمَامِي،

Then the word of the Lord came to me:

فَأَوْحَى إِلَيَّ الرَّبُّ بِكَلِمَتِهِ قَائِلاً:

“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?

«يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، إِنَّ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجَالَ قَدْ نَصَبُوا أَصْنَامَهُمْ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَأَقَامُوا مَعْثَرَةَ إِثْمِهِمْ تِلْقَاءَ وُجُوهِهِمْ، أَفَأُجِيبُ عَنْ سُؤَالِهِمْ؟

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.

لِذَلِكَ قُلْ لَهُمْ: هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ: كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْ شَعْبِ إِسْرَائِيلَ نَصَبَ أَصْنَامَهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَأَقَامَ مَعْثَرَةَ إِثْمِهِ تِلْقَاءَ وَجْهِهِ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ، فَإِنِّي أَنَا الرَّبُّ أُجِيبُ ذَلِكَ الْوَافِدَ عَلَى كَثْرَةِ أَصْنَامِهِ،

I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

لِكَيْ أَسْتَأْسِرَ قُلُوبَ شَعْبِ إِسْرَائِيلَ ثَانِيَةً، لأَنَّهُمُ ارْتَدُّوا عَنِّي بِالْغِوَايَةِ وَرَاءَ أَصْنَامِهِمْ.

“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!

لِذَلِكَ قُلْ لِشَعْبِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ: تُوبُوا وَارْجِعُوا عَنْ أَصْنَامِكُمْ وَاصْرِفُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عَنْ كُلِّ رَجَاسَتِكُمْ.

“‘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.

لأَنَّ كُلَّ رَجُلٍ مِنْ شَعْبِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَمِنَ الْغُرَبَاءِ الدُّخَلاءِ الْقَاطِنِينَ فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، إِذَا ارْتَدَّ عَنِّي وَنَصَبَ أَصْنَامَهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَأَقَامَ مَعْثَرَةَ إِثْمِهِ تِلْقَاءَ وَجْهِهِ، ثُمَّ حَضَرَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ لِيَسْأَلَهُ عَنِّي، فَإِنِّي أَنَا الرَّبُّ أُجِيبُهُ بِذَاتِي.

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.

وَأَنْقَلِبُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الإِنْسَانِ وَأَجْعَلُهُ عِبْرَةً وَمَثَلاً، وَأَسْتَأْصِلُهُ مِنْ بَيْنِ شَعْبِي، فَتُدْرِكُونَ أَنِّي أَنَا الرَّبُّ.

“‘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.

فَإِذَا ضَلَّ النَّبِيُّ وَنَطَقَ بِنُبُوءَةٍ بَاطِلَةٍ، فَإِنِّي أَنَا الرَّبُّ قَدْ أَغْوَيْتُ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ، لأَنَّهُ تَصَرَّفَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ. فَأُعَاقِبُهُ وَأُبِيدُهُ مِنْ بَيْنِ شَعْبِي إِسْرَائِيلَ.

They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him.

وَيَنَالُونَ عِقَابَ إِثْمِهِمْ، وَيَكُونُ ذَنْبُ النَّبِيِّ مُمَاثِلاً لِذَنْبِ السَّائِلِ.

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.’”

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable

لِكَيْ لَا يَضِلَّ عَنِّي شَعْبُ إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بَعْدُ، وَيَتَنَجَّسُوا بِآثَامِهِمْ، وَإِنَّمَا يَكُونُونَ لِي شَعْباً وَأَنَا أَكُونُ لَهُمْ إِلَهاً، يَقُولُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ».

الدينونة أمر محتوم

The word of the Lord came to me:

ثُمَّ أَوْحَى إِلَيَّ الرَّبُّ بِكَلِمَتِهِ قَائِلاً:

“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,

«يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، إِذَا أَخْطَأَتْ إِلَيَّ أَرْضٌ وَخَانَتْ عَهْدِي، أُعَاقِبُهَا وَأُعْوِزُهَا مَؤُونَةَ الْخُبْزِ وَأُشِيعُ فِيهَا الْجُوعَ، وَأُفْنِي مِنْهَا النَّاسَ وَالْبَهَائِمَ،

even if these three men—Noah, Daniel^[a] and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.

وَحَتَّى لَوْ كَانَ فِيهَا هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجَالُ الثَّلاثَةُ: نُوحٌ وَدَانِيالُ وَأَيُّوبُ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يَخْلُصُونَ وَحْدَهُمْ فَقَطْ بِبِرِّهِمْ.

“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,

وَإِنْ أَطْلَقْتُ فِي تِلْكَ الأَرْضِ وُحُوشاً ضَارِيَةً فَأَقْفَرْتُهَا، وَأَصْبَحَتْ أَطْلالاً لَا يَجْتَازُ فِيهَا عَابِرٌ خَوْفاً مِنَ الْوُحُوشِ،

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.

وَكَانَ يُقِيمُ فِيهَا هَؤُلاءِ الثَّلاثَةُ الرِّجَالُ، فَحَيٌّ أَنَا يَقُولُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ، إِنَّهُمْ لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى إِنْقَاذِ أَبْنَاءَ لَهَا وَبَنَاتٍ. إِنَّمَا هُمْ وَحْدَهُمْ يَخْلُصُونَ، وَتَصِيرُ الأَرْضُ مُوْحِشَةً.

“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,

وَإذَا جَلَبْتُ سَيْفاً عَلَى تِلْكَ الأَرْضِ وَقُلْتُ: يَا سَيْفُ اعْبُرْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَافْنِهَا وَأَبَدْتُ مِنْهَا النَّاسَ وَالْبَهَائِمَ،

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.

وَكَانَ يُقِيمُ فِيهَا هَؤُلاءِ الثَّلاثَةُ الرِّجَالُ، فَحَيٌّ أَنَا يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ، إِنَّهُمْ لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى إِنْقَاذِ أَبْنَاءَ لَهَا وَبَنَاتٍ، إِنَّمَا هُمْ وَحْدَهُمْ يَخْلُصُونَ.

“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals,

إِذَا أَفْشَيْتُ وَبَأً فِي تِلْكَ الأَرْضِ، وَسَكَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا غَضَبِي بِسَفْكِ الدَّمِ لأُفْنِيَ مِنْهَا النَّاسَ وَالْبَهَائِمَ،

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.

وَكَانَ يُقِيمُ فِيهَا هَؤُلاءِ الثَّلاثَةُ الرِّجَالُ، فَحَيٌّ أَنَا يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ إِنَّهُمْ لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى إِنْقَاذِ ابْنٍ لَهَا أَوِ ابْنَةٍ، إِنَّمَا يَخْلُصُونَ وَحْدَهُمْ فَقَطْ بِبِرِّهِمْ.

“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!

فَكَمْ بِالأَحْرَى يَحْدُثُ إِذَا أَرْسَلْتُ أَحْكَامِي الأَرْبَعَةَ الشَّدِيدَةَ: الْحَرْبَ وَالْمَجَاعَةَ وَالْوُحُوشَ الضَّارِيَةَ وَالْوَبَاءَ عَلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ لأُبِيدَ مِنْهَا النَّاسَ وَالْبَهَائِمَ.

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.

وَلَكِنْ سَتَبْقَى فِيهَا بَقِيَّةٌ نَاجِيَةٌ مِنْ أَبْنَاءَ وَبَنَاتٍ، يَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهَا، فَيُقْبِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ فَتَشْهَدُونَ حُسْنَ سُلُوكِهِمْ وَتَصَرُّفَاتِهِمْ فَتَتَعَزَّوْنَ عَنِ الْمَصَائِبِ الَّتِي أَوْقَعْتُهَا بِأُورُشَلِيمَ وَعَنْ جَمِيعِ مَا ابْتَلَيْتُهَا بِهِ.

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.”

عِنْدَئِذٍ يُعَزُّونَكُمْ حِينَ تَشْهَدُونَ حُسْنَ سُلُوكِهِمْ وَتَصَرُّفَاتِهِمْ، فَتُدْرِكُونَ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَا صَنَعْتُهُ فِيهَا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَبَثاً، يَقُولُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ».