Ezekiel 20

1 And it cometh to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], in the tenth of the month, come in have certain of the elders of Israel to seek Jehovah, 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 Jehovah unto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

3 'Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To seek Me are ye coming in? I live — I am not sought by you — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

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 Dost thou judge them? Dost thou judge, son of man? The abominations of their fathers cause them to know,

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

5 and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: 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] Jehovah your God.

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 did lift up My hand to them, To bring them forth from the land of Egypt, Unto a land that I spied out for them, Flowing with milk and honey, A beauty it [is] 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 unto them, Let each cast away the detestable things of his eyes, And with the idols of Egypt be not defiled, I [am] Jehovah your God.

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 hearken to Me, Each, the detestable things of their eyes, They have not cast away, And the idols of Egypt have not forsaken, And I say — to pour out My fury on them, To complete Mine 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 pollute [it] before the eyes of the nations, In whose midst they [are], 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, amongst 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 in unto the wilderness,

And I brought them into the wilderness.

11 And I give to them My statutes, And my judgments I caused them to know, Which the man who doth — liveth 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 also My sabbaths I have given to them, To be for a sign between Me and them, To know that I [am] Jehovah their sanctifier.

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 — rebel against me do the house of Israel in the wilderness, In My statutes they have not walked, And My judgments they have despised, Which the man who doth — liveth by them. And My sabbaths they have greatly polluted, And I say 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 pollute [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, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, Not to bring them in to the land that I had given, Flowing with milk and honey, A beauty it [is] 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 against My judgments they did kick, And in My statutes they have not walked, And My sabbaths they have polluted, For after their idols their heart is going.

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 Mine eye hath pity on them — against destroying them, And I have not made of them an end 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: In the statutes of your fathers ye walk not, And their judgments ye do not observe, And with their idols ye are not defiled.

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] Jehovah your God, in My statutes walk, And My judgments observe, and do them,

I [am] the Lord your God; walk in my commandments, and keep mine ordinances, and do them;

20 And My sabbaths sanctify, And they have been for a sign between Me and you, To know that I, Jehovah, [am] your God.

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, In My statutes they have not walked, And My judgments they have not observed — to do them, Which the man who doth — liveth by them. My sabbaths they have polluted, And I say to pour out My fury upon them, To complete Mine 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 pollute [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 amongst the Gentiles, [and] disperse them in the countries;

24 Because My judgments they have not done, And My statutes they have despised, And My sabbaths they have polluted, And after idols of their fathers have their eyes been.

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 to them statutes 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 to pass away every opener of a womb, So that I make them desolate, So that they know that I [am] Jehovah.

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 unto the house of Israel, son of man, and thou hast said unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Still in this have your fathers reviled Me, In their committing against Me a trespass.

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 in unto the land, That I did lift up My hand to give to them, And they see every high hill, and every thick tree, And they sacrifice there their sacrifices, And give there the provocation of their offering, And make there their sweet fragrance, And they pour out there their libations.

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 savour, and there they poured out their drink-offerings.

29 And I say unto them: What [is] the high place whither ye 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 unto the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the way of your fathers are ye defiled? And after their detestable things go a-whoring?

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, Ye are defiled by all your idols to this day, And I am sought by you, O house of Israel! I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, 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 ye 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 I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Do not I, with a strong hand, And with a stretched-out arm, And with fury poured out — 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 ye have been scattered, With a strong hand and with a stretched-out arm, And with fury poured out.

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 in unto 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, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

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 from you the rebels, And them transgressing against Me, From the land of their sojournings I bring them out, And unto the land of Israel they come not, And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.

And I will separate from amongst 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 ye, O house of Israel, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Each his idols — go — serve ye, And, afterwards, if ye are not hearkening to me, And My holy name ye do not pollute any more 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, in My holy mountain, In the mountain of the height of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, There serve Me do all the house of Israel, All of it, in the land — there I accept them, And there I do seek your heave-offerings, 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 sweet fragrance I do accept you, In My bringing you out from the peoples, And I have assembled you from the lands In which ye have been scattered, And I have been sanctified in you Before the eyes of the nations.

I will accept you with a sweet smelling savour, 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 amongst you in the sight of the nations.

42 And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My bringing you to the ground of Israel, Unto the land that I did lift 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 ye have remembered there your ways, And all your doings, In which ye have been defiled, And ye have been loathsome in your own faces, For all your evils that ye 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 ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, 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, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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 Jehovah unto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

46 Son of man, set thy face the way of Teman, and prophesy unto the south, and prophesy unto the forest of the field — the south;

Son of man, set your face against Thaeman, and look towards Darom, and prophesy against the chief forest of Nageb,

47 and thou hast said to the forest of the south: Hear a word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am kindling in thee a fire, And it hath devoured in thee every moist tree, and every dry tree, Not quenched is the glowing flames, And burnt by it have been all faces from south to north.

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 seen have all flesh, that I, Jehovah, 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, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, They are saying of me, Is he not using similes?

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