Jezekiel 20

1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, on the fifteenth day of the month, there came men of the elders of the house of Israel to enquire of the Lord, and they sat before me.

On the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year, some of the elders of Israel came to ask advice from the Lord, and they sat down with me.

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

Then a message from the Lord came to me, saying,

3 Son of man, speak to the elders of the house of Israel, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord; Are you come to enquire of me? [As] I live, I will not be enquired of by you, says the Lord.

“Son of man, tell these elders of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: Have you come to ask my advice? As I live, I'm not going to answer you, declares the Lord God.

4 Shall I utterly take vengeance on them, son of man? testify to them of the iniquities of their fathers:

Are you going to condemn them—will you do that, son of man? Remind them about the disgusting things their forefathers did,

5 and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord; From the day that I chose the house of Israel, and became known to the seed of the house of Jacob, and was known to them in the land of Egypt, and helped them with my hand, saying, I am the Lord your God;

and then tell them that this is what the Lord God says: At the time I chose Israel, I held up my hand and made a solemn promise to Jacob's descendants and revealed myself to them when they were in Egypt. I held up my hand and told them, ‘I am the Lord your God.’

6 in that day I helped them with my hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into the land which I prepared for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, it is abundant beyond every land.

I promised them on that day to lead them out of Egypt and take them to a country that I had chosen for them, a land flowing with milk and honey—better than any other country.

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

I told them: ‘All of you have to get rid of your disgusting pagan images. Don't make yourselves unclean by worshiping the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

8 But they revolted from me, and would not listen to me: they cast not away the abominations of their eyes, and forsook not the devices of Egypt: then I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my wrath upon them in the midst of Egypt.

But they rebelled against me and wouldn't do what I told them. None of them got rid of their disgusting pagan images, and they didn't give up worshiping the idols of Egypt. So I warned them that I would punish them in my anger there in Egypt.

9 But I wrought [so] that my name should not be at all profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in the midst of whom they are, among whom I was made known to them in their sight, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

But I did act so I would not be misrepresented, so that I wouldn't lose respect in the eyes of the other nations living near them who had seen me reveal myself to Israel by leading them out of Egypt.

10 And I brought them into the wilderness.

So I led them out of Egypt and took them into the wilderness.

11 And I gave them my commandments, and made known to them mine ordinances, all which [if] a man shall do, he shall even live in them.

There I gave them my laws and explained to them my regulations so that those who kept them would live.

12 And I gave them my sabbaths, that they should be for a sign between me and them, that they should know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.

I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, so that they would acknowledge that I am the Lord who makes them holy.

13 And I said to the house of Israel in the wilderness, Walk you in my commandments: but they walked not [in them], and they rejected mine ordinances, which [if] a man shall do, he shall even live in them; and they grievously profaned my sabbaths: and I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

But the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert, refusing to observe my laws and rejecting my regulations, even though they would have given them life. They violated my Sabbaths. So I warned them that I would punish them and wipe them out there in the desert.

14 But I wrought [so] that my name should not be at all profaned before the Gentiles, before whose eyes I brought them out.

But I still acted for them so I would not be misrepresented, so that I wouldn't lose respect in the eyes of the other nations who had seen me lead Israel out of Egypt.

15 But I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness once for all, that I would not bring them into the land which I gave them, a land flowing with milk and honey, it is sweeter than all lands:

So I held up my hand and vowed to them in the desert that I wouldn't take them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey—better than any other country—

16 because they rejected mine ordinances, and walked not in my commandments, but profaned my sabbaths, and went after the imaginations of their hearts.

because they repeatedly rejected my regulations, refused to observe my laws, and violated my Sabbaths, and because they chose to continue worshiping idols.

17 Yet mine eyes spared them, so as [not] to destroy them utterly, and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

Even so I was sorry for them and I didn't destroy them; I didn't wipe them out in the desert.

18 And I said to their children in the wilderness, Walk not you in the customs of your fathers, and keep not their ordinances, and have no fellowship with their practices, nor defile yourselves [with them].

I told their children in the desert: ‘Don't do what your fathers told you to do. Don't follow their practices. Don't make yourselves unclean by worshiping their idols.

19 I [am] the Lord your God; walk in my commandments, and keep mine ordinances, and do them;

I am the Lord your God. Do what I tell you to do. Follow my regulations and make sure to practice them.

20 and hallow my sabbaths, and let them be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

Keep my Sabbaths holy so they may be a sign between me and you, so that you may acknowledge that I am the Lord your God.’

21 But they provoked me, and their children walked not in my commandments, and they took no heed to mine ordinances to do them, which [if] a man shall do, he shall even live in them, and they profaned my sabbaths: then I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to accomplish mine anger upon them.

But their children also rebelled against me. They didn't follow my laws and didn't keep my regulations, even though they would have given them life. They violated my Sabbaths. So I warned them that I would punish them in my anger there in the desert.

22 But I wrought so that my name might not be at all profaned before the Gentiles; and I brought them out in their sight.

But I held back and did what I did so I would not be misrepresented, so that I wouldn't lose respect in the eyes of the other nations who had seen me lead Israel out of Egypt.

23 I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles, [and] disperse them in the countries;

However, I held up my hand and vowed to them in the desert that I was going to scatter them among the various countries of different nations.

24 because they kept not mine ordinances, and rejected my commandments, and profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes went after the imaginations of their fathers.

For they didn't keep my regulations, instead they rejected my laws and violated my Sabbaths, always looking to worship their fathers' idols.

25 So I gave them commandments [that were] not good, and ordinances in which they should not live.

I also let them follow the regulations they wanted that weren't good; laws that wouldn't help them live.

26 And I will defile them by their [own] decrees, when I pass through upon every one that opens the womb, that I may destroy them.

I let them make themselves unclean by their offerings to idols, including their firstborn sons. I allowed this to happen so that they would be so appalled that they would acknowledge that I am the Lord.

27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: Hitherto have your fathers provoked me in their trespasses in which they transgressed against me.

So, son of man, tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: You're acting in exactly the same way your forefathers insulted me by being unfaithful to me.

28 Whereas I brought them into the land concerning which I lifted up mine hand to give it them; and they looked upon every high hill, and every shady tree, and they sacrificed there to their gods, and offered there sweet smelling savor, and there they poured out their drink-offerings.

After I led them into the land that I had promised to give them, on any high hill or under any leafy tree they saw there they offered their pagan sacrifices and presented offerings to idols that made me angry, burning their sweet-smelling incense and pouring out their drink offerings.

29 And I said to them, What is Abama, that you go in there? and they called its name Abama, until this day.

So I asked them: ‘What's this high place you're going to?’ (Even today it's still called Bamah.)

30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord, Do you pollute yourselves with the iniquities of your fathers, and do you go a-whoring after their abominations,

Therefore tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: Are you going to make yourselves unclean like your forefathers, turning yourselves into prostitutes, acting the way they did with the same disgusting practices?

31 and [do you pollute yourselves] with the first fruits of your gifts, in the offerings wherewith you pollute yourselves in all your imaginations, until this day; and shall I answer you, O house of Israel? [As] I live, says the Lord, I will not answer you, neither shall this thing come upon your spirit.

When you present your offerings to idols and sacrifice your children in the fire, you continue to make yourselves unclean with all your idols right up until now. So should I give you advice when you ask me, people of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord God, I'm not going to answer you!

32 And it shall not be as you say, We will be as the nations, and as the tribes of the earth, to worship stocks and stones.

When you say to yourselves, ‘Let's be like the other nations, like people in other countries who worship idols made of wood and stone,’ what you're thinking is never going to happen.

33 Therefore, [as] I live, says the Lord, I will reign over you with a strong hand, and with a high arm, and with outpoured wrath:

As I live, declares the Lord God, I will rule you with all my strength and power, and in my anger.

34 I will bring you out from the nations, and will take you out of the lands wherein you were dispersed, with a strong hand, and with a high arm, and with outpoured wrath.

With all my strength and power, and in my anger, I will lead you out from among the nations and gather you from the countries where you were scattered.

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

I will bring you before me for judgment face to face in the desert of the nations.

36 As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you, says the Lord.

In the same way I judged your forefathers in the Egyptian desert after I'd led them out of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Lord God.

37 And I will cause you to pass under my rod, and I will bring you in by number.

I will decide about you as you pass under the rod and see if you kept our solemn agreement.

38 And I will separate from among you the ungodly and the revolters; for I will lead them forth out of their place of sojourning, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am the Lord, [even] the Lord.

I will get rid of those of you who rebel against me, those who sin against me. I will lead them out of the country where they're currently living, but they won't enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 And [as to] you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord, [even] the Lord; Put away each one his [evil] practices, and hereafter if you listen to me, then shall you no more profane my holy name by your gifts and by devices.

This is what the Lord God says to you, you people of Israel: All of you, go ahead and worship your idols. But after that if you don't listen to me you won't continue to disgrace me with your pagan offerings and idols.

40 For upon my holy mountain, on the high mountain, says the Lord, [even] the Lord, there shall all the house of Israel serve me for ever: and there will I accept [you], and there will I have respect to your first fruits, and the first fruits of your offerings, in all your holy things.

For there on my holy mountain, Israel's high mountain, declares the Lord God, every single person in the whole country of Israel will worship me. That's where I'll accept them and will ask for your offerings and your best gifts, together with all your holy sacrifices.

41 I will accept you with a sweet smelling savor, when I bring you out from the nations, and take you out of the countries wherein you have been dispersed; and I will be sanctified among you in the sight of the nations.

When I bring you back from the nations and gather you from countries where you were scattered, I will accept you as a suitable offering to me. I will reveal my holiness through you so the nations can see.

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

Then you will acknowledge that I am the Lord when I bring you back to the country of Israel, the land that I promised to give your forefathers.

43 And you shall there remember your ways, and your devices wherewith you defiled yourselves; and you shall bewail yourselves for all your wickedness.

That's where you will remember your bad ways and everything you've done to make yourselves unclean, and you will hate yourselves for the evil things you did.

44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have done thus to you, that my name may not be profaned in your evil ways, and in your corrupt devices, says the Lord.

Then you people of Israel will acknowledge that I am the Lord, because I have treated you well because of who I am, and not because of your evil ways and terrible things you've done, declares the Lord God.”

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

Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,

46 Son of man, set your face against Thaeman, and look toward Darom, and prophesy against the chief forest of Nageb,

“Son of man, face towards the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest of the Negev.

47 and you shall say to the forest of Nageb, Hear the word of the Lord; thus says the Lord, [even] the Lord; Behold, I [will] kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour in you every green tree, and every dry tree: the flame that is kindled shall not be quenched, and every face shall be scorched with it from the south to the north.

Tell the forest of the Negev: Listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: I am going to set you on fire, and it will burn up all your trees, both those that are living and those that are dead. The blaze won't be put out, and everything from the north to the south will be burned.

48 And all flesh shall know that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

Then everyone will recognize that it was me, the Lord, who started the fire, and it won't be put out.”

49 And I said, Not so, O Lord God! they say to me, Is not this that is spoken a parable?

But then I said, “Oh no, Lord God! People already say, ‘He's just telling stories!’”