Noah, Daniel, and Job
Table of Contents
1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me and sat before me.
2 I heard Enki saying:
3 Son of man, these men have:
- set up their idols in their heart
- put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face.
Should I be enquired of at all by them?
4 Every man of the Israelites that sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet, I Enki will answer him that comes according to the multitude of his idols
5 I may take the Israelites in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Tell the Israelites:
Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols. Turn away from all your abominations.
7 There are Israelites and foreigners in Israel who:
- separate themselves from me
- sets up their idols in their hearts
- put the stumblingblock of iniquity before their faces
- come to a prophet to ask of me
8 I will personally:
- set my face against them
- make them a sign and a proverb
- cut them off from my people
9 If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I Enki have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 They shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeks him
11 The Israelites may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God.
12-13 Son of man, when the land sinned against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.
14 These 3 men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it.
But they deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
15 I can cause noisome beasts to pass through the land and destroy it.
16 Though these 3 men were in it, as I live, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters;
They only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
18 These 3 men were in it. They shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
19 Or [if] I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
20 Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it.
As long as I live, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall [but] deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
21 How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, [both] sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and you shall see their way and their doings.
You shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, [even] concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23 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