Even if these three men were in it …: This conditional sentence stresses that the three good men will not be able to save anyone but themselves from God’s punishment, as in verse 14 (see the comments there). The three men are not named here, but their names may be included if the receptor language requires it.

As I live, says the Lord GOD: For the oath as I live, see the comments on 5.11; for says the Lord GOD, see verse 11.

They would deliver neither sons nor daughters: This detail is not in the conditional sentence of verses 13-14. If Noah, Danel, and Job were living in the sinful country, they would not even be able to save their own children.

They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate: Only the three righteous men would survive. For the land would be desolate, see the previous verse.

A model for verses 15-16 is:

• 15 Or suppose I send wild animals to roam throughout the country and they destroy the population and leave the land in ruins, so that people will not be able to travel there because they are afraid of the animals. 16 Just as I the Lord Yahweh am living, I tell you, even if these three good men lived there, I would not even save their own children. They [or, These men] are the only ones I would save, and the land would be in ruins.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .