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;
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 there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
Then a message from 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, 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 Do you judge them? Do you judge, son of man? Cause them to know the abominations 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 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 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 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,
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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 bring them out of the land of Egypt, And I bring them into the wilderness,
So I led them out of Egypt and took them into the wilderness.
11 And I give My statutes to them, And I caused them to know My judgments, Which the man who does—lives by them.
There I gave them my laws and explained to them my regulations so that those who kept them would live.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 repeatedly rejected my regulations, refused to observe my laws, and violated my Sabbaths, and because they chose to continue worshiping idols.
17 And My eye has pity on them—against destroying them, And I have not made 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 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.
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] your God YHWH, walk in My statutes, And observe My judgments, 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 sanctify My Sabbaths, And they have been for a sign between Me and you, To know that I [am] your God YHWH.
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 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 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 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 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 also, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, To scatter them among nations, And to spread them through lands.
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 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.
For they didn't keep my regulations, instead they rejected my laws and violated my Sabbaths, always looking to worship their fathers' idols.
25 And I also, I have given statutes to them [that are] not good, And judgments by which they do 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 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.
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, 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.
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 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.
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 say to them: What [is] the high place to where you are going in?” And its name is called “High Place” to 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 said Lord YHWH: Are you defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers? And do you go whoring after their detestable things?
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 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.
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 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.
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 [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, declares the Lord God, I will rule you with all my strength and power, and in my anger.
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.
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 have brought you into the wilderness of the peoples, And have been judged 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 was judged with your fathers, In the wilderness of the land of Egypt, So I am judged with you, A declaration of Lord YHWH.
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 have caused you to pass under the rod, And brought you into the bond of the covenant,
I will decide about you as you pass under the rod and see if you kept our solemn agreement.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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,
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 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.
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 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.”
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 there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
Another message from 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, face towards the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest of the Negev.
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.
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 has seen, that I, YHWH, have kindled it—it is not 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 say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, They are saying of me, Is he not using allegories?”
But then I said, “Oh no, Lord God! People already say, ‘He's just telling stories!’”
