« | Ezekiel 14 | » |
1 Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me, and sat before me.
2 And the word of LORD came to me, saying,
3 Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak to them, and say to them, Thus says lord LORD: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet, I LORD will answer him in it according to the multitude of his idols,
5 that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says lord LORD: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, that separates himself from me, and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me, I LORD will answer him by myself.
8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb. And I will cut him off from the midst of my people. And ye shall know that I am LORD.
9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, LORD, 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 And they shall bear their iniquity. The iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him who seeks him,
11 that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, says lord LORD.
12 And the word of LORD came to me, saying,
13 Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast,
14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, says lord LORD.
15 If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts,
16 though these three men were in it, as I live, says lord LORD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, they only would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and beast,
18 though these three men were in it, as I live, says lord LORD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only would be delivered themselves.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast,
20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, says lord LORD, they would deliver neither son nor daughter, they would but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
21 For thus says lord LORD: How much more when I send my four severe judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!
22 Yet, behold, there shall be left a remnant in it that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth to you, and ye shall see their way and their doings. And ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23 And they shall comfort you when ye see their way and their doings. And ye shall know that I have not done all that I have done in it, without cause, says lord LORD.
A Conservative Version (ACV)
A Conservative Version (ACV) of the Bible is a translation that aims to provide a conservative and literal interpretation of the biblical texts. Developed with a focus on maintaining fidelity to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, the ACV emphasizes a word-for-word translation methodology. The goal is to preserve the subtleties and nuances of the original languages as accurately as possible. This approach results in a version of the Bible that seeks to remain true to the text's original meaning and context, appealing to readers who prioritize precision and doctrinal integrity.
The text of the Old Testament for A Conservative Version (ACV) came from the American Standard Version published in 1901. The main changes done for the ACV were the replacement of archaic words with more modern ones, except for the old English pronouns, which were kept because they are more communicative. The New Testament was translated from, The New Testament in the Original Greek According to the Byzantine-Majority Text form. That edition was compiled by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, and is of the Textus Receptus tradition from which came the King James Version.
The ACV was created in response to what its translators saw as a trend toward more liberal or dynamic-equivalence translations that prioritize readability over literal accuracy. The translators aimed to produce a text that adheres closely to the original languages, even if this makes the translation more challenging for contemporary readers. This reflects their belief in the importance of preserving the exact words and phrases used in the original scriptures. The ACV also employs traditional theological terminology and phrasing, avoiding modern slang and colloquial expressions in favor of language that conveys the gravity and solemnity of the biblical message.
While the ACV has found appreciation among conservative circles, it has faced criticism for its perceived rigidity and difficulty. Critics argue that its strict adherence to a word-for-word translation can make the text less readable and accessible, potentially alienating readers unfamiliar with the original languages or who prefer a more fluid translation. Despite these criticisms, the ACV remains a valued translation for those who prioritize a conservative and literal approach to Bible interpretation, supporting their doctrinal views with a text they believe closely reflects the original scriptures.