Yehezkiel 14:3-4

14:3 “Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity ¹  right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek ²  me? 14:4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When any one from the house of Israel erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally according to the enormity of his idolatry. ³ 

Yehezkiel 20:1-3

Israel’s Rebellion

20:1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, ⁴  some of the elders ⁵  of Israel came to seek ⁶  the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 20:2 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, ⁷  declares the sovereign Lord.’

[14:3]  ¹ tn Heb “the stumbling block of their iniquity.” This phrase is unique to the prophet Ezekiel.

[14:3]  ² tn Or “I will not reveal myself to them.” The Hebrew word is used in a technical sense here of seeking an oracle from a prophet (2 Kgs 1:16; 3:11; 8:8).

[14:4]  ³ tn Heb “in accordance with the multitude of his idols.”

[20:1]  ⁴ sn The date would be August 14th, 591 b.c. The seventh year is the seventh year of Jehoiachin’s exile.

[20:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “men from the elders.”

[20:1]  ⁶ tn See the note at 14:3.

[20:3]  ⁷ tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”