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.

And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on 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 the Lord came to me, saying,

Then came the word of Jehovah 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, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.

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

Punish them, punish them, son of man, cause them to know the abominations of their fathers, and say to them,

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;

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: At the time when I chose Israel, I lifted up my hand to the race of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I lifted up my hand to them, and said, I am Jehovah, 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.

At that time I lifted up my hand to them, that I would bring them forth out of the land of Egypt, into a land which I had looked out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.

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.

And I said to them, Cast ye away from you every one the abomination of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt! I am Jehovah, 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 would not hearken to me; they did not cast away every one the abominations of his eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said that I would pour out my fury upon them, that I would accomplish mine anger against them in the midst of the land of 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 acted for my name's sake, that it might not be polluted in the sight of the nations, in the midst of whom they were; and before their eyes I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

10 And I brought them into the wilderness.

And I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and led 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.

And I gave them my statutes, and made known to them my laws, through which the man that keepeth them shall 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.

Also I gave them my sabbaths, that they might be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I, Jehovah, sanctify them.

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 house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert; they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my laws, through which the man that keepeth them shall live, and my sabbaths they greatly polluted. Then I said that I would pour out my fury upon them in the desert, to consume them.

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 acted for my name's sake, that it might not be polluted before the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.

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:

Yet I lifted up my hand to them in the desert, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the beauty of all lands;

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 despised my laws, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths; for their heart went after their 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.

Nevertheless mine eye spared them, so that I did not destroy them; neither did I make an end of them 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].

And I said to their sons in the desert, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols!

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

I am Jehovah, your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do 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.

And hallow my sabbaths, that they may be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am Jehovah, 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 the sons rebelled against me; they walked not in my statutes, neither kept they my ordinances to do them, through which the man that doeth them shall live, and they polluted my sabbaths. Then I said that I would pour out my fury upon them, and accomplish mine anger upon them 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.

Nevertheless I held back my hand, and acted for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.

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;

I also lifted up my hand against them in the desert, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries,

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.

because they did not observe mine ordinances, but despised my statutes, and polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after the idols of their fathers.

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

Moreover I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances by which they should not 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.

And I polluted them in their offerings, in that they caused every first-born child to pass through the fire, that I might destroy them, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah.

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.

Therefore speak to the house of Israel, O son of man, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Yet in this your fathers dishonored me, and trespassed against 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.

For when I had brought them into the land concerning which I lifted up my hand, that I would give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick tree's, and there they offered their sacrifices, and there they presented their provoking oblation, and there they brought their sweet savor, and there they poured 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.

Then I said to them, What is the high place to which ye go? And it is called The High Place unto this day.

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 say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers, and do ye commit fornication according to their abominations,

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.

and by offering your gifts, and causing your sons to pass through the fire, —are ye polluted with all your idols even to this day, and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by 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.

And that which cometh into your mind shall not come to pass, when ye say, “We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, worshipping wood and stone.”

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, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out will I rule over you.

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.

And I will bring you forth from the nations, and gather you from 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, and will plead with you there face to face.

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

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

Even as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so also will I contend with you, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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

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 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.

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

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.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Go ye, serve ye every one his idols in future also, if ye will not obey me! But pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts and your 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 upon my holy mountain, upon the lofty mountain of Israel, there shall all the house of Israel, all that are in the land, serve me; there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all things which ye consecrate to me.

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.

I will accept you as a sweet savor, when I bring you forth from the nations, and gather you from the countries, wherein ye have been scattered, and will through you be honored before the eyes of the nations.

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.

And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country concerning which I lifted up my hand, that I would give it to your fathers.

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

And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been polluted; and ye shall loathe yourselves for all your evil deeds which ye have committed.

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.

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

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

And the word of Jehovah 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, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word against the South, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South;

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.

and say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Jehovah! Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will kindle in thee a fire, which shall devour every green tree and every dry tree within thee; the fierce flame shall not be quenched, and all parts from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

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

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

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

And I said, Ah, Lord Jehovah, they say of me, “Doth he not speak in parables?”