Ezekiel 20

1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month: there came men of the ancients of Israel to inquire of the Lord, and they sat before me.

And it came to pass in the seventh year in the fifth month, on the tent of the month, that there came in men of the elders of Israel to enquire of Yahweh, —and they sat before me.

2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying: -

3 Son of man, speak to the ancients of Israel, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Are you come to inquire of me? As I live, I will not answer you, saith the Lord God.

Son of man Speak thou with the elders of Israel and say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, To enquire of me, are ye coming in? As I live, verily I will not be enquired of by you, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

4 If thou judgest them, if thou judgest, son of man, declare to them the abominations of their fathers.

Wilt thou judge them, wilt thou judge, O son of man? The abominations of their fathers, let them know:

5 And say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up my hand for the race of the house of Jacob: and appeared to them in the land of Egypt, and lifted up my hand for them, saying: I am the Lord your God:

So then thou shalt say unto them Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, In the day when I made choice of Israel, then lifted I up my hand. to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them, in the land of Egypt, - Yea I lifted up my hand to them, saying, I Yahweh, am your God.

6 In that day I lifted up my hand for them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, into a land which I had provided for them, flowing with milk and honey, which excelleth amongst all lands.

In that day, lifted I up my hand to them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt, —into a land that I had looked out for them flowing with milk and honey, The beauty, it was of all lands,

7 And I said to them: Let every man cast away the scandals of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

And I said unto them. Every one the abomination of his eyes, cast ye away, And with the manufactured gods of Egypt, let it not be that ye defile yourselves: I, Yahweh, am your God.

8 But they provoked me, and would not hearken to me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of his eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: and I said I would pour out my indignation upon them, and accomplish my wrath against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

But they rebelled against me And were not willing to hearken unto me, Every man the abominations of their eyes, they cast not away, And the manufactured gods of Egypt, forsook they not; Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them to bring mine anger to an end against them, in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But I did otherwise for my name’s sake, that it might not be violated before the nations, in the midst of whom they were, and among whom I made myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

Howbeit I wrought with effect, for the sake of mine own Name, that it might not be profaned—before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were, —before whose eyes I made myself known unto them, by bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

10 Therefore I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the desert.

Therefore brought I them forth out of the land of Egypt, —and caused them to come into the desert.

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

Then gave I unto them my statutes, And my regulations, caused I them to know, - By the which the man that doeth them shall live.

12 Moreover I gave them also my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them: and that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.

Moreover also my sabbaths, gave I unto them, to become a sign betwixt me and them, —that it might be known that, I, Yahweh, was hallowing them.

13 But the house of Israel provoked me in the desert: they walked not in my statutes, and they cast away my judgments, which if a man do he shall live in them: and they grievously violated my sabbaths. I said therefore that I would pour out my indignation upon them in the desert, and would consume them.

But the house of Israel, rebelled against me, in the desert, In my statutes, walked they not, And my regulations, they rejected By the which the man, that doeth them, shall live, My sabbaths also, they profaned exceedingly. Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them in the desert, to make an end of them.

14 But I spared them for the sake of my name, lest it should be profaned before the nations, from which I brought them out, in their sight.

Howbeit I wrought with effect for the sake of mine own Name, —that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I had brought them forth.

15 So I lifted up my hand over them in the desert, not to bring them into the land which I had given them flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands.

Yet even I lifted up my hand to them. in the desert, — That I would not bring them into the land which I had given to them flowing with milk and honey, The beauty, it was. of all lands:

16 Because they cast off my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, and violated my sabbaths: for their heart went after idols.

Because my regulations, they had rejected. And as for my statutes, they had not walked therein, My sabbaths also, had they profaned; For after their manufactured gods, their heart had been going.

17 Yet my eye spared them, so that I destroyed them not: neither did I consume them in the desert.

Nevertheless mine eye threw a shield over them that they should not be destroyed; So I made not of them a full end in the desert.

18 And I said to their children in the wilderness: Walk not in the statutes of your fathers, and observe not their judgments, nor be ye defiled with their idols:

But I said unto their children in the desert, In the statutes of your fathers, let it not be that ye walk, And their regulations, let it not be that ye observe, — And with their manufactured gods, let it not be that ye defile yourselves.

19 I am the Lord your God: walk ye in my statutes, and observe my judgments, and do them.

I, Yahweh, am your God, In my statutes, walk ye, — And my regulations, observe ye and do them;

20 And sanctify my sabbaths, that they may be a sign between me and you: and that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

My sabbaths also, hallow ye, — And they shall become a sign betwixt me and you, That it may be known that I Yahweh am your God.

21 But their children provoked me, they walked not in my commandments, nor observed my judgments to do them: which if a man do, he shell live in them: and they violated my sabbaths: and I threatened to pour out my indignation upon them, and to accomplish my wrath in them in the desert.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me, In my statutes, walked they not, And my regulations, observed they not to do them Wherein the man who shall do them shall live, My sabbaths, they profaned. Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them to bring mine anger to an end against them. in the desert.

22 But I turned away my hand, and wrought for my name’s sake, that it might not be violated before the nations, out of which I brought them forth in their sight.

Howbeit I withdrew my hand, and wrought with effect for the sake of mine own Name, —that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them forth:

23 Again I lifted up my hand upon them in the wilderness, to disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries:

Even, I, lifted up my hand to them in the desert, — That I would disperse them throughout the nations, And scatter them throughout the lands;

24 Because they had not done my judgments, and had cast off my statutes, and had violated my sabbaths, and their eyes had been after the idols of their fathers.

Because my regulations, had they not done And my statutes, they had rejected, My sabbaths also, they had profaned, - And after the manufactured gods of their fathers, were their eyes turned.

25 Therefore I also gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments, in which they shall not live.

I myself, indeed, suffered them to walk in statutes which were not good, — And regulations in which they could not live.

26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, when they offered all that opened the womb, for their offences: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Yea I let them defile themselves with their gifts, when they caused every firstborn to pass through the fire, -. that I might make them desolate. To the end they might know that, I, am Yahweh.

27 Wherefore speak to the house of Israel, O son of man, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Moreover in this also your fathers blasphemed me, when they had despised and contemned me;

Therefore speak thou unto the house of Israel Son of man, and say unto them, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, — Yet further in this, did your fathers insult me, by the treachery wherewith they dealt treacherously against me;

28 And I had brought them into the land, for which I lifted up my hand to give it them: they saw every high hill, and every shady tree, and there they sacrificed their victims: and there they presented the provocation of their offerings, and there they set their sweet odours, and poured forth their libations.

When I brought them into the land as to which I had lifted up mine hand to give it them, then beheld they every high hill and every tangled tree And offered there their sacrifices, And presented there, their provoking gift, And placed there, their satisfying odour, And poured out there, their drink- offerings.

29 And I said to them: What meaneth the high place to which you go? and the name thereof was called High-place even to this day.

Therefore said I unto them, What! a high-place, whereinto ye are entering? And so the name thereof hath been called High-place, until this day.

30 Wherefore say to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: Verily, you are defiled in the way of your fathers, and you commit fornication with their abominations.

Therefore say thou unto the house of Israel. Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Is it in the way of your fathers, ye are defiling yourselves, - And after their abominations, that ye are committing lewdness?

31 And you defile yourselves with all your: idols unto this day, in the offering of your gifts, when you make your children pass through the fire: and shall I answer you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not answer you.

Yea when ye lift up your gifts When ye cause your children to pass through the fire, Ye are defiling yourselves unto all your manufactured gods unto this day, And shall, I, be enquired of by you O house of Israel? As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely I will not be enquired of by you.

32 Neither shall the thought of your mind come to pass, by which you say: We will be as the Gentiles, and as the families of the earth, to worship stocks and stones.

And as for that which is rising up on your spirit, it shall, not at all come to pass, In that ye are saying Let us be like the nations Like the families of the lands, By ministering unto Wood and Stone!

33 As I live, saith the Lord God, I will reign over you with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.

As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely, with a strong hand and With an outstretched arm and With outpoured indignation, Will I be king over you;

34 And I will bring you out from the people, and I will gather you out of the countries, in which you are scattered, I will reign over you with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.

And I will bring you forth from among the peoples, And gather you together out of the lands, throughout which ye have been dispersed, With a strong hand and With an outstretched arm, and With outpoured indignation;

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

And I will bring you into the desert of the peoples, —and will contend with you there, face to face.

36 As I pleaded against your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt; even so will I judge you, saith the Lord God.

Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, So will I contend with you, Declareth My Lord Yahweh;

37 And I will make you subject to my sceptre, and will bring you into the bands of the covenant.

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

38 And I will pick out from among you the transgressors, and the wicked, and will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am the Lord.

And will sever from you those who are rebelling and those who are transgressing against me, Out of the land of their sojournings, will I bring them forth, Yet upon the soil of Israel, shall they not enter, So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.

39 And as for you, O house of Israel: thus saith the Lord God: Walk ye every one after your idols, and serve them. But if in this also you hear me not, but defile my holy name any more with your gifts, and with your idols;

But as for you, O house of Israel Thus, saith my Lord. Yahweh, Go. serve every man his own manufactured gods, Yet afterwards, surely Ye shall be ready to hearken unto me, — And my holy name, shall ye profane no more, With your gifts, and With your manufactured gods.

40 In my holy mountain, in the high mountain of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel serve me; all of them I say, in the land in which they shall please me, and there will I require your firstfruits, and the chief of your tithes with all your sanctifications.

For in my holy mountain. In the mountain of the height of Israel, Declareth, My Lord Yahweh, There shall all the house of Israel serve me, all of it, in the land, There will I accept them, and There, will I seek your heave-offerings and the firstfruits of your gifts, in all your holy things:

41 I will accept of you for an odour of sweetness, when I shall have brought you out from the people, and shall have gathered you out of the lands into which you are scattered, and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.

As a satisfying odour, will I accept you, Through my bringing you forth from among the peoples, And gathering you out of the lands, throughout which ye have been dispersed; Thus will I hallow myself in you before the eyes of the nations.

42 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have brought you into the land of Israel, into the land for which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers.

So shall ye know that I am Yahweh, Through my bringing you in unto the soil of Israel, Unto the land as to which I lifted up my hand, to give it unto your fathers.

43 And there you shall remember your ways, and all your wicked doings with which you have been defiled; and you shall be displeased with yourselves in your own sight, for all your wicked deeds which you committed.

Then shall ye call to mind. there, your own ways and all your own doings, wherewith ye had defiled yourselves, - And ye shall become loathsome in your own sight, for all your wickednesses, which ye have done.

44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have done well by you for my own name’s sake, and not according to your evil ways, nor according to your wicked deeds, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh, Through my dealing effectively with you, for the sake of mine own Name, - Not according to your own wicked ways. Nor according to your corrupted doings. O house of Israel, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

45 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

Then came the word of Yahweh unto me. saying:

46 Son of man, set thy face against the way of the south, and drop towards the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field.

Son of man Set thy face the way towards Teman, And drop thy word against the land of the sun, And prophesy unto the forest of the field of the South;

47 And any to the south forest: Hear the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will kindle a fire in thee, and will burn in thee every green tree, and every dry tree: the dame of the fire shall not be quenched: and every face shall be burned in it, from the south even to the north.

And thou shalt say to the forest of the South Hear the word of Yahweh, — Thus saith My Lord Yahweh-Behold me! kindling in thee a fire. And it shall devour in thee every moist tree and every dry tree. The spreading flame shall not be quenched, Then shall be scorched thereby all faces from south to north;

48 And all flesh shall see, that I the Lord have kindled it, and it shall not be quenched.

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

49 And I said: Ah, ah, ah, O Lord God: they say of me: Doth not this man speak by parables?

Then said I, Ah! My Lord Yahweh: They are saying of me, Is not he a putter forth of parables?