Ezekiel 14:12-23

12The word of Adonai came to me saying,

13“Son of man, suppose a land sins against Me by trespassing grievously and I stretch out My hand over it, break off its staff of bread, send famine upon it and cut it off from man and beast.

14Even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—be in it, they would only deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” It is a declaration of Adonai.

15“If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land and they ravage it and make it a wasteland, so that no one would pass through because of the beasts,

16even if these three men were in it, as I live, says Adonai, they will not deliver sons or daughters. They would only deliver themselves, but the land will be desolate.

17Or if I bring a sword on that land and say: ‘Let the sword go through the land,’ so that I cut off man and beast from it;

18though these three men were in it, as I live, says Adonai, they will not deliver sons or daughters, for they will only deliver themselves.

19“Or, suppose I were to send a plague to that land and pour out My fury upon it in blood, to cut off man and beast from it.

20Even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, as I live, says Adonai, they would not deliver either a son or a daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

21For thus Adonai says: “How much more if I send My four dreadful judgments against Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil beasts and the plague—to cut man and beast off from it.

22Yet behold, survivors would remain in it who would be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, when they come to you and you see their ways and their deeds, you would be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought against Jerusalem, all that I have brought on it.

23They would comfort you when you see their ways and their deeds. So you will know that I had not done all that I had done without cause.” It is a declaration of Adonai.