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, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

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

Then came the word of the LORD 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 elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Are you come to inquire of me? As I live, said the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.

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

Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? cause them to know 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 says the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up my hand to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up my hand to 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 the day that I lifted up my hand to them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of 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 said I to them, Cast you away every man the abominations 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 rebelled against me, and would not listen to me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the middle 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 worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

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

Why I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought 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.

And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even 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 also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, 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 rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury on them in the wilderness, 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 worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be 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 also I lifted up my hand to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory 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 despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.

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

Nevertheless my eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

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 to their children in the wilderness, Walk you not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves 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 in my statutes, and keep 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 hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, 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.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

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.

Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.

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.

I lifted up my hand to them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse 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 executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after 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.

Why I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should 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, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might 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.

Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass 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 up my hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet smell, and poured out there 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.

Then I said to them, What is the high place where you go? And the name whereof is called Bamah 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?

Why say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; Are you polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit you prostitution 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 gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, you pollute yourselves with all your idols, even to this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by 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.

And that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, that you say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve 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 live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

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 will gather you out of the countries wherein you are scattered, with a mighty 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 the 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.

Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, says 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 cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond 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 purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country 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.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD; Go you, serve you every one his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me: but pollute you my holy name no 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.

For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them 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 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 you with your sweet smell, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the 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 you shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the 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 shall you remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein you have been defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have 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 have worked with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O you house of Israel, says the Lord GOD.

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

Moreover 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 your face toward the south, and drop your word toward 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 say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned 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 have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

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

Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Does he not speak parables?