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, 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.

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 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.

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

Shall I utterly take vengeance on them, son of man? testify to them of the iniquities 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 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;

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 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.

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 one cast away the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the devices 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 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.

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 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.

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

And I 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 commandments, and made known to them mine ordinances, all which [if] a man shall 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 wrought [so] that my name should not be at all profaned before the Gentiles, before whose eyes 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,

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:

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 rejected mine ordinances, and walked not in my commandments, but profaned my sabbaths, and went after the imaginations of their hearts.

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

Yet mine eyes spared them, so as [not] to destroy them utterly, and I did not 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.

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].

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 commandments, and keep mine ordinances, 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 let them 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.

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.

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 wrought so that my name might not be at all profaned before the Gentiles; and I brought them out 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.

I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles, [and] disperse them in 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 kept not mine ordinances, and rejected my commandments, and profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes went after the imaginations 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.

So I gave them commandments [that were] not good, and ordinances in which 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 will defile them by their [own] decrees, when I pass through upon every one that opens the womb, that I may destroy them.

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 you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: Hitherto have your fathers provoked me in their trespasses in which they 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.

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.

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 is Abama, that you go in there? and they called its name Abama, until 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?

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,

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 [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.

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 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.

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?

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:

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.

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.

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 nations, and will plead with you there 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 with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you, says the Lord.

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 my rod, and I will bring you in by number.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 have brought you into the land of Israel, into the land concerning 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 you shall there remember your ways, and your devices wherewith you defiled yourselves; and you shall bewail yourselves for all your wickedness.

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 done thus to you, that my name may not be profaned in your evil ways, and in your corrupt devices, says the Lord.

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 your face against Thaeman, and look toward Darom, and prophesy against the chief forest of Nageb,

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 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.

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

And all flesh shall know 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?”

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