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Ezekiel 14

4 The Lord ſendeth falſe prophetes for the ingratitude of the people. 22 He reſerueth a ſmale portion for his Church.
1.THen came certeine of the Elders of Iſraél vnto me, and ſate before me.
2.And the worde of the Lord came vnto me, ſaying,
3.Sonne of man, theſe men haue ſet vp their idoles in their heart, & put the ſtumbling blocke of their iniquitie before their face: ſhulde I, being required, anſwer them?
4.Therefore ſpeake vnto them, and ſay vnto them, Thus ſaith the Lord God, Euerie man of the houſe of Iſraél that ſetteth vp his idoles in his heart, & putteth ye ſtumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and cometh to the Prophet, I the Lord wil anſwer him, that cometh according to the multitude of his idoles:
5.That I may take the houſe of Iſraél in their owne heart, becauſe thei are all departed from me through their idoles.
6.Therefore ſay vnto the houſe of Iſraél, Thus ſaith the Lord God, Returne, and withdrawe your ſelues, and turne your faces from your idoles, and turne your faces from all your abominacions.
7.For euerie one of the houſe of Iſraél, or of the ſtranger that ſoiourneth in Iſraél, which departeth frō me, and ſetteth vp his idoles in his heart, and putteth the ſtumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and cometh to a Prophete, for to inquire of him for me, I the Lord wil anſwer him for my ſelfe,
8.And I wil ſet my face againſt that man, and wil make him an example and prouerbe, and I wil cut him of from the middes of my people, and ye ſhal knowe that I am the Lord.
9.And if the Prophet be deceiued, when he hathe ſpokén a thing, I the Lord haue deceiued that Prophet, and I wil ſtretche out mine hand vpō him, and wil deſtroy him frō the middes of my people of Iſraél.
10.And thei ſhal beare their puniſhement: the puniſhement of ye Prophet ſhalbe euen as the puniſhement of him that aſketh,
11.That the houſe of Iſraél may go no more aſtray from me, nether be polluted any more with all their tranſgreſsions, but that thei may be my people, and I may be their God, ſaith the Lord God.
12.¶The worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, ſaying,
13.Sonne of man, when the land ſinneth againſt me by committing a treſpas, then wil I ſtretche out mine hand vpon it, and wil breake the ſtaffe of the bread thereof, and wil ſend famine vpon it, and I wil deſtroy man and beaſt for the of it.
14.Thogh theſe thre men Noáh, Daniél, and Iob were among them, thei ſhulde deliuer but their owne ſoules by their righteouſnes, ſaith the Lord God.
15.If I bring noiſome beaſts into the land and thei ſpoile it, ſo that it be deſolate, that no man may paſſe through, becauſe of beaſtes,
16.Thogh theſe thre men were in the middes thereof, As I liue, ſaith the Lord God, thei ſhal ſaue nether ſonnes nor daughters: thei onely ſhalbe deliuered, but the land ſhalbe waſte.
17.Or if I bring a ſworde vpon this land, & ſay, Sworde, go through ye land, ſo that I deſtroy man and beaſt out of it,
18.Thogh theſe thre men were in the middes thereof, As I liue, ſaith the Lord God, thei ſhal deliuer nether ſonnes nor daughters, but they onely ſhalbe deliuered them ſelues.
19.Or if I ſend a peſtilence into this land, & powre out my wrath vpon it in blood, to deſtroye out of it man and beaſt,
20.And thogh Nóah, Daniél and Iob were in the middes of it, As I liue, ſaith the Lord God, they ſhal deliuer nether ſonne nor daughter: they ſhal but deliuer their owne ſoules by their righteouſnes.
21.For thus ſaith the Lord God, How muche more when I ſend my foure ſore iudgements vpon Ieruſalém, euen the ſworde, and famine, and the noiſome beaſt and peſtilence, to deſtroy man & beaſt out of it?
22.Yet beholde, therein ſhalbe left a rénant of them yt ſhalbe caryed away, bothe ſonnes & daughters: beholde, they ſhal come forthe vnto you, & ye ſhal ſe their way, & their enterpriſes: and ye ſhalbe comforted, concerning the euil that I haue broght vpon Ieruſalém, euen concerning all that I haue broght vpon it.
23.And they ſhal comforte you, when ye ſe their way and their enterpriſes: and ye ſhal knowe, that I haue not done without cauſe all that I haue done in it, ſaith the Lord God.

Notes

1:a.
He ſheweth the hypocriſie of the idolaters, who will diſſemble to heare the Prophetes of God thogh in their heart thei follow nothig leſſe, then their admonitions, and alſo how by one meanes, or other God doeth diſcouer thē
3:b.
Thei are not only idolaters in heart, but alſo worſhip their filthie idoles opēly, which lead thē in blindnes, and cauſe them to ſtumble, and caſt them out of Gods fauour, ſo that he wil not heare thē, whē thei call vnto him, read Ierem. 10,15.
4:e.
To inquire of thīgs which ye Lord hathe appointed to come to paſſe.
4:f.
As his abominatiō hathe deſerued: yt is, he ſhal be led with lies according as he deſired thereun 2. Theſſ. 2,10.
5:g.
That is, conuince the by their owne cōſcience.
7:".
Or, by my ſelf.
9:h.
The Prophes declareth that God for mans ingratitude raiſeth falſe Prophetes to ſeduce & that delite in lies rather the in the trueth of God, & thus he puniſheth ſinne by ſinne. 1 King. 22,20. and deſtroyeth aſwel thoſe Prophetes as the people
11:i.
Thus Gods iudgements againſt ye wicked are admonicions to the godlie to cleaue vnto the Lord, and not to defile them ſelues with like abominations
13:k.
Read Chap. 4.16 & 5. 17. Iſa 3,1.
14:l.
Thogh Noáh and Iob were now aliue, which in their time were moſte godlie men (for at this time Daniél was in captiuitie with Ezekiél) and ſo theſs thre together ſhulde pray for this wicked people, yet wolde I not heare the, read Iere 15,1,
14:m.
Meaning, yt a very fewe (which he called the remnant, ver. 22) ſhulde eſcape theſe plagues whome God hathe ſanctified and made righteous, ſo yt this righteouſnes is ye ſigne that thet are ye Church of God, whome he wolde preſerue fo his owne ſake.
21:*.
Chap 5.17.
22:*.
Read Chap. 5.3.