³ “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put their sinful stumbling blocks in front of themselves.^(A) Should I actually let them inquire of me?^(B)

⁴ “Therefore, speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart and puts his sinful stumbling block in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer him appropriately.^[a] I will answer him according to his many idols,

⁷ For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the aliens who reside in Israel separates himself from me, setting up idols in his heart and putting his sinful stumbling block in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of me, I, the Lord, will answer him myself.

¹² Because they ministered to the house of Israel before their idols and became a sinful stumbling block to them, therefore I swore an oath^[a] against them”^(A)—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam,^(A) who taught Balak to place a stumbling block^[a] in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols^(B) and to commit sexual immorality.^(C)