Ezekiel 20

1 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me.

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 YHWH, and sat before me.

2 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Then came the word of YHWH unto me, saying,

3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of Me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.

Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Sovereign YHWH, I will not be inquired of by you.

4 Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Confront them with the abominations of their fathers

Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

5 and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’

And say unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am YHWH your Elohim;

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

In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:

7 And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’

Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am YHWH your Elohim.

8 But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

10 So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.

Wherefore 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 made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.

And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

12 I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am YHWH that sanctify them.

13 Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.

But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

14 But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.

15 Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands—

Yet also I lifted up my hand unto 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 kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.

Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.

17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or bring them to an end in the wilderness.

Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

18 In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

19 I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.

I am YHWH your Elohim; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;

20 Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’

And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am YHWH your Elohim.

21 But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my Sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

22 But I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.

23 However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

24 For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.

Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

25 I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.

Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

26 And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.

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

27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by their unfaithfulness against Me.

Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

28 When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.

For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.

29 So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ (And to this day it is called Bamah.)

Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.

30 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations?

Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

31 When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Sovereign YHWH, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.

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

33 As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.

As I live, saith the Sovereign YHWH, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

34 With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered.

And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead 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, declares the Lord GOD.

Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Sovereign YHWH.

37 I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

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 you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

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

39 And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

40 For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your offerings and choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.

For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Sovereign YHWH, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

41 When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will show My holiness through you in the sight of the nations.

I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.

42 Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give your fathers.

And ye shall know that I am YHWH, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.

43 There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done.

And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

44 Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.”

And ye shall know that I am YHWH, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Sovereign YHWH.

45 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Moreover the word of YHWH came unto me, saying,

46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.

Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;

47 Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched.

And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of YHWH; Thus saith the Master YHWH; 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 burned therein.

48 Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

And all flesh shall see that I YHWH have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”

Then said I, Ah, Sovereign YHWH! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?