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, on the tenth day of the month, that certain men of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down before me.

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

And the word of the Lord came unto 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 unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Is it to inquire of me that ye are coming? as I live, I will not let myself be inquired of by you, saith the Lord Eternal.

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

Wilt thou take them to task, wilt thou take them to task, son of man? then 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 unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, On the day when I made choice of Israel, I lifted up my hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and I made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt: and I lifted up my hand unto 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,

On the same day I lifted up my hand unto them, to bring them forth from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is an ornament among all the countries.

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 unto them, Cast ye away every one of the abominations of his eyes, and on the idols of Egypt shall ye not defile yourselves: 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 they would not hearken unto me; they did not cast away every one the abominations of their eyes, and the idols of Egypt did they not forsake: and I thought then to pour out my fury over them, to let out all my anger 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 acted for the sake of my name, so as not to profane it before the eyes of the nations, in the midst of whom they were; because I had made myself known unto them before their eyes, to bring 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,

I therefore 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 my ordinances made I known to them, which a man is to do, that he may live through 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 also my sabbaths gave I unto them, to be as a sign between me and between them, that they might know that I am the Lord who 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; in my statutes they walked not, and my ordinances they despised, which a man is to do, that he may live through them; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned: and I then thought to pour out my fury over them in the wilderness, to make an end of 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 acted for the sake of my name, so as not to profane it before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them forth.

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 did I also lift up my hand unto 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 an ornament among all the countries.

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 my ordinances they had despised, and in my statutes they had not walked, and my sabbaths they had profaned; for after their idols did their heart go.

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 looked pityingly on them, so as not to destroy them, 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 unto their children in the wilderness, In the statutes of your fathers shall ye not walk, and their ordinances shall ye not keep, and on their idols shall ye not defile yourselves.

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

I am the Lord your God: in my statutes must ye walk, and my ordinances must ye keep, 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 my sabbaths must ye sanctify; and they shall be as a sign between me and between you, that ye 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.

Nevertheless the children rebelled against me; in my statutes did they not walk, and my ordinances they kept not to do them, which a man is to do, that he may live through them; my sabbaths they profaned: and I then thought to pour out my fury over them, to let out all 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.

But I withdrew my hand, and acted for the sake of my name, so as not to profane it before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had 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 also lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, 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 my ordinances they had not executed, and my statutes they had despised, and my sabbaths they had profaned, and after the idols of their fathers their eyes were directed.

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

And I also let them follow statutes that were not good, and ordinances whereby they could 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 let them be defiled through their gifts, in that they caused to pass [through the fire] all that openeth the womb, in order that I might destroy them, 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, speak unto the house of Israel, O son of man, and say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Yet in this too did your fathers blaspheme me, by their committing 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.

When I had brought them into the land, for which I had lifted up my hand to give it to them, they saw every high hill, and all the thick-branched trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and presented there their provoking offerings, and they brought there their sweet savor, 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 said I unto them, What is this high-place whereunto ye go? And its name was called “The height” 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 unto the house of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Ha! do you pollute yourselves after the manner of your fathers; and after their abominations do ye go astray?

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 when ye offer up your gifts, when ye make your sons pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even until this day: and I should allow myself to be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord Eternal, I will not let myself 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 cometh up into your mind shall not at all come to pass, [namely, ] that ye say, We will be like the nations, like the families of the [other] 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, saith the Lord Eternal, surely, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched 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 I will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with [my] 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 I will hold judgment over 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 held judgment over your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I hold judgment over you, saith the Lord Eternal.

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 separate from you those that have rebelled, and those that have transgressed against me: out of the country where they sojourn will I cause them to go forth, but into the land of Israel shall not one [of them] enter; and ye 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 hath said the Lord Eternal, Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter [also], if ye will not hearken unto me; but my holy name do not profane 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.

For on my holy mountain, on the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord Eternal, there shall serve me all the house of Israel, altogether, in the land: there will I accept them in favor, and there will I require your heave-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.

With your sweet savor will I accept you in favor, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered: and I will be sanctified through you before the eyes 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 ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I have 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 ye shall remember there your ways, and all your doings, whereby ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves, because of all your evil deeds that ye 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 ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my name, not in accordance with your wicked ways, and in accordance with your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord Eternal.

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

And the word of the Lord came unto 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 in the direction toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in 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, Hear the word of the Lord, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour in thee every green tree, and every dry tree: the glowing flame shall not be quenched, and there shall be burnt therein all faces 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 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 Eternal! they say of me, Behold, he speaketh but in parables!