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 in the seuenth yeere, in the fift moneth, the tenth day of the moneth, came certaine of the elders of Israel to enquire of the Lord, and sate before me.

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

Then came the worde of the Lord vnto 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.

Sonne of man, speake vnto the Elders of Israel, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye come to enquire of me? as I liue, sayth the Lord God, when I am asked, I wil not answer you.

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

Wilt thou iudge them, sonne of man? wilt thou iudge them? cause them to vnderstand 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 vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, In the day when I chose Israel, and lift vp mine hand vnto the seede of the house of Iaakob, and made my selfe knowen vnto them in the land of Egypt, when I lift vp mine hand vnto them, and sayd, 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 the day that I lift vp mine hand vnto them to bring them forth of the land of Egypt, into a land that I had prouided for them, flowing with milke and hony which is pleasant among 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.

Then sayd I vnto them, Let euery man cast away the abominations of his eyes, and defile not your selues with the idols of Egypt: for 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 would not heare me: for none cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idoles of Egypt: then I thought to powre out mine indignation vpon them, and to accomplish my wrath against them in the mids 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 had respect to my Name, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whome they were, and in whose sight I made my selfe knowen vnto them in bringing them forth of the land of Egypt.

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

Nowe I caried them out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wildernes.

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 gaue them my statutes, and declared my iudgements vnto them, which if a man doe, he shall liue 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.

Moreouer I gaue them also my Sabbaths to be a signe betweene me and them, that they might knowe that I am the Lord, that sanctifie 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 rebelled against me in the wildernes: they walked not in my statutes, and they cast away my iudgements, which if a man doe, he shall liue in them, and my Sabbaths haue they greatly polluted: then I thought to powre out mine indignation vpon them in the wildernes to 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 had respect to my Name, that it shoulde not bee polluted before the heathen in whose sight I brought them out.

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,

Yet neuerthelesse, I lift vp mine hande vnto them in the wildernes that I would not bring them into the lande, which I had giuen them, flowing with milke and hony, which was pleasant aboue all landes,

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 away my iudgments, and walked not in my statutes, but haue polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idoles.

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

Neuerthelesse, mine eye spared them, that I would not destroye them, neither would I consume them in the wildernes.

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.

But I said vnto their children in the wildernes, Walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers, neither obserue their maners, nor defile your selues with their idoles.

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

I am the Lord your God: walke in my statutes, and keepe my iudgements and doe 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 sanctifie my Sabbaths, and they shall bee a signe betweene mee and you, that ye may knowe 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.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against mee: they walked not in my statutes, nor kept my iudgements to doe them, which if a man doe, hee shall liue in them, but they polluted my Sabbaths: then I thought to powre out mine indignation vpon them, and to accomplish my wrath against them in the wildernes.

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.

Neuerthelesse I withdrew mine hand and had respect to my Name that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them foorth.

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.

Yet I lift vp mine hande vnto them in the wildernes, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countreys,

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 executed my iudgements, but had cast away my statutes and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers idoles.

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

Wherefore I gaue them also statutes that were not good, and iudgements, wherein they should not liue.

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 owne giftes in that they caused to passe by the fire all that first openeth ye wombe, that I might destroy them, to the ende, that they might know that I am ye 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.

Therefore, sonne of man, speake vnto the house of Israel, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Yet in this your fathers haue blasphemed me, though they had before grieuously transgressed against 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.

For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hand to giue it to them, then they saw euery hie hill, and all the thicke trees, and they offred there their sacrifices, and there they presented their offering of prouocation: there also they made their sweete sauour, and powred out there their drinke 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.

Then I saide vnto them, What is the hie place whereunto ye goe? And the name thereof was called Bamah vnto 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 vnto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye not polluted after the maner of your fathers? and commit ye not whoredome after 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.

For when you offer your giftes, and make your sonnes to passe through the fire, you pollute your selues with all your idoles vnto this day: shall I answere you when I am asked, O house of Israel? As I liue, saith the Lord God, I wil not answere you when I am asked.

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 that be done that commeth into your minde: for ye say, We wil be as the heathen, and as the families of the countreys, and serue wood, and stone.

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 liue, saith the Lord God, I will surely rule you with a mightie hand, and with a stretched out arme, and in my wrath powred 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 will bring you from the people, and will gather you out of the countreys, wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arme, and in my wrath powred 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 wildernes of the people, and there wil I pleade 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.

Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernes of the lande of Egypt, so will I pleade with 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 wil cause you to passe vnder the rod, and wil bring you into the bond of the couenant.

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 wil chuse out from among you the rebels, and them that transgresse against mee: I will bring them out of the land where they dwel, and they shall not enter into the lande of Israel, and you shall knowe 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.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, Goe you, and serue euery one his idole, seeing that ye will not obey me, and pollute mine holy Name no more with your giftes and with your idoles.

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 in mine holy mountaine, euen in the hie mountaine of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, and all in the lande, serue me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offrings and the first fruites of your oblations, with all your holy things.

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 your sweete sauour, when I bring you from the people, and gather you out of the countreys, wherein ye haue bene scattered, that I may be sanctified in you before ye heathen.

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 ye shall knowe, that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hande to giue 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 shall ye remember your wayes, and all your workes, wherein ye haue bene defiled, and ye shall iudge your selues worthy to be cut off, for all your euils, that ye haue 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 ye shall knowe, that I am the Lord, when I haue respect vnto you for my Names sake, and not after your wicked wayes, nor according to your corrupt workes, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

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

Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto 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;

Sonne of man, set thy face toward the way of Teman, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophecie towarde the forest of the fielde of the South,

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 say to the forest of the South, Heare the worde of the Lord: thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall deuoure all the greene wood in thee, and all the drie wood: the continuall flame shall not bee quenched, and euery face from the South to the North shall be burnt therein.

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 haue kindled it, and it shall not bee quenched.

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

Then saide I, Ah Lord God, they say of me, Doeth not he speake parables?