Ezekiel 20

1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me.

2 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the lord Jehovah: Is it to inquire of me that ye have come? As I live, says the lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.

4 Will thou judge them, son of man, will thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers,

5 and say to them, Thus says the lord Jehovah: In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am Jehovah your God,

6 I swore to them in that day, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.

7 And I said to them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God.

8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken to me. They did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But I worked for my name's sake (that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them) in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

10 So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

11 And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them.

12 Moreover I also gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Jehovah who sanctifies them.

13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall live in them. And they greatly profaned my sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

14 But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.

15 Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands,

16 because they rejected my ordinances, and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths, for their heart went after their idols.

17 Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them, nor did I make a full end of them in the wilderness.

18 And I said to their sons in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers. Neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

19 I am Jehovah your God. Walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them,

20 and hallow my sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am Jehovah your God.

21 But the sons rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes, nor kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he shall live in them. They profaned my sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

22 Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.

23 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries,

24 because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

25 Moreover I also gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they will not live.

26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah.

27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the lord Jehovah: In this moreover your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

28 For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their sweet savor, and they poured out there their drink offerings.

29 Then I said to them, What does the high place to which ye go mean? So the name of it is called Bamah to this day.

30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the lord Jehovah: Do ye pollute yourselves according to the manner of your fathers, and play ye the harlot according to their abominations?

31 And when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, do ye pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 And that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

33 As I live, says the lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you.

34 And I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out,

35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples. And there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the lord Jehovah.

37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod. And I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them forth out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the lord Jehovah: Go ye. Serve each one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken to me. But ye shall no more profane my holy name with your gifts, and with your idols.

40 For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the lord Jehovah, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings, and the first-fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

41 I will accept you as a sweet savor when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries in which ye have been scattered. And I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.

42 And ye shall know that I am Jehovah when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.

43 And there ye shall remember your ways, and all your doings, by which ye have polluted yourselves. And ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

44 And ye shall know that I am Jehovah when I have dealt with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, says the lord Jehovah.

45 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South.

47 And say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Jehovah. Thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree. The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt by it.

48 And all flesh shall see that I, Jehovah, have kindled it. It shall not be quenched.

49 Then I said, Ah lord Jehovah! They say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?