Ezekiel 20

1 And it comes to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], on the tenth of the month, men from [the] elderly of Israel have come in to seek YHWH, and they sit before me;

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.

2 and there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

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

3 “Son of man, speak to the elderly of Israel, and you have said to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: Are you coming in to seek Me? [As] I live—I am not sought by you—a declaration of Lord YHWH.

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.

4 Do you judge them? Do you judge, son of man? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers,

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

5 and you have said to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: In the day of My fixing on Israel, I lift up My hand, To the seed of the house of Jacob, And am known to them in the land of Egypt, And I lift up My hand to them, Saying, I [am] your God YHWH.

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:

6 In that day I lifted up My hand to them, To bring them forth from the land of Egypt, To a land that I spied out for them, Flowing with milk and honey, It [is] a beauty to all the lands,

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.

7 And I say to them, Let each cast away the detestable things of his eyes, And do not be defiled with the idols of Egypt, I [am] your God YHWH.

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.

8 And they rebel against Me, And have not been willing to listen to Me, Each has not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, And have not forsaken the idols of Egypt, And I speak—to pour out My fury on them, To complete My anger against them, In the midst of the land of Egypt.

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.

9 And I do [it] for My Name’s sake, Not to defile [it] before the eyes of the nations, In whose midst they [are in], Before whose eyes I became known to them, To bring them out from the land of Egypt.

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.

10 And I bring them out of the land of Egypt, And I bring them into the wilderness,

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

11 And I give My statutes to them, And I caused them to know My judgments, Which the man who does—lives by them.

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

12 And I have also given My Sabbaths to them, To be for a sign between Me and them, To know that I [am] YHWH who is sanctifying them.

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.

13 And the house of Israel rebels against Me in the wilderness, They have not walked in My statutes, And they have despised My judgments, Which the man who does—lives by them. And they have greatly defiled My Sabbaths, And I speak—to pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

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.

14 And I do [it] for My Name’s sake, Not to defile [it] before the eyes of the nations, Before whose eyes I brought them forth.

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.

15 And also, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, Not to bring them into the land that I had given, Flowing with milk and honey, It [is] a beauty to all the lands,

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.

16 Because they kicked against My judgments, And they have not walked in My statutes, And they have defiled My Sabbaths, For their heart is going after their idols.

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

17 And My eye has pity on them—against destroying them, And I have not made an end of them in the wilderness.

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

18 And I say to their sons in the wilderness: Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, And do not observe their judgments, And do not defile yourselves with their idols.

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:

19 I [am] your God YHWH, walk in My statutes, And observe My judgments, and do them,

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

20 And sanctify My Sabbaths, And they have been for a sign between Me and you, To know that I [am] your God YHWH.

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.

21 And the sons rebel against Me, They have not walked in My statutes, And they have not observed My judgments—to do them, Which the man who does—lives by them. They have defiled My Sabbaths, And I speak—to pour out My fury on them, To complete My anger against them in the wilderness.

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.

22 And I have turned back My hand, And I do [it] for My Name’s sake, Not to defile [it] before the eyes of the nations, Before whose eyes I brought them out.

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.

23 I also, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, To scatter them among nations, And to spread them through lands.

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

24 Because they have not done My judgments, And they have despised My statutes, And they have defiled My Sabbaths, And their eyes have been after [the] idols of their fathers.

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.

25 And I also, I have given statutes to them [that are] not good, And judgments by which they do not live.

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

26 And I defile them by their own gifts, By causing every opener of a womb to pass away, So that I make them desolate, So that they know that I [am] YHWH.

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.

27 Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and you have said to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: Still in this your fathers have reviled Me, In their committing a trespass against Me.

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;

28 And I bring them into the land, That I lifted up My hand to give to them, And they see every high hill, and every thick tree, And they sacrifice their sacrifices there, And give the provocation of their offering there, And make their refreshing fragrance there, And they pour out their drink-offerings there.

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.

29 And I say to them: What [is] the high place to where you are going in?” And its name is called “High Place” to this day.

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.

30 “Therefore, say to the house of Israel, Thus said Lord YHWH: Are you defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers? And do you go whoring after their detestable things?

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.

31 And in the offering of your gifts, In causing your sons to pass through fire, You are defiled by all your idols to this day, And I am sought by you, O house of Israel? [As] I live—a declaration of Lord YHWH, I am not sought by you.

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.

32 And that which is going up on your mind, It is not at all—in that you are saying: We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, To serve wood and stone.

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.

33 [As] I live—a declaration of Lord YHWH, Do I not, with a strong hand, And with an outstretched arm, And with poured out fury—rule over you?

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.

34 And I have brought you forth from the peoples, And assembled you from the lands In which you have been scattered, With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, And with poured out fury.

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.

35 And I have brought you into the wilderness of the peoples, And have been judged with you there face to face.

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

36 As I was judged with your fathers, In the wilderness of the land of Egypt, So I am judged with you, A declaration of Lord YHWH.

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

37 And I have caused you to pass under the rod, And brought you into the bond of the covenant,

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

38 And cleared out the rebels from you, And those transgressing against Me, I bring them out from the land of their sojournings, And they do not come to the land of Israel, And you have known that I [am] YHWH.

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.

39 And you, O house of Israel, thus said Lord YHWH: Each go, serve his idols, And afterward, if you are not listening to Me [anyway], But you do not defile My holy Name anymore by your gifts, and by your idols.

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;

40 For on My holy mountain, On the mountain of the height of Israel, A declaration of Lord YHWH, All the house of Israel serves Me there, All of it, in the land—I accept them there, And I seek your raised-offerings there, And with the first-fruit of your gifts, With all your holy things.

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.

41 With refreshing fragrance I accept you, In My bringing you out from the peoples, And I have assembled you from the lands In which you have been scattered, And I have been sanctified in you Before the eyes of the nations.

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.

42 And you have known that I [am] YHWH, In My bringing you to the ground of Israel, To the land that I lifted up My hand To give it to your fathers,

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.

43 And you have remembered your ways there, And all your doings, In which you have been defiled, And you have been loathsome in your own faces, For all your evils that you have done.

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.

44 And you have known that I [am] YHWH, In My dealing with you for My Name’s sake, Not according to your evil ways, And according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, A declaration of Lord YHWH.”

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.

45 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

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

46 “Son of man, set your face the way of Teman, and prophesy to the south, and prophesy to the forest of the field—the south;

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.

47 and you have said to the forest of the south, Hear a word of YHWH! Thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I am kindling a fire in you, And it has devoured every moist tree in you, and every dry tree, The glowing flames are not quenched, And all faces from south to north have been burned by it.

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.

48 And all flesh has seen, that I, YHWH, have kindled it—it is not quenched.”

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

49 And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, They are saying of me, Is he not using allegories?”

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