20 On the tenth day of the fifth month some of Israel's leaders came to me. [ a ] That was in the seventh year that we had been prisoners in Babylon. The leaders sat in front of me. They wanted me to ask for a message from the Lord .
2 Then the Lord gave this message to me: 3 ‘Son of man, speak to the leaders of Israel. Tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: You say that you want a message from me. I promise you this, as surely as I live: I will not allow you to come to me like that.”
4 Son of man, you must warn them. Are you ready to do that? Make them remember all the disgusting things that their ancestors did.
5 Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: On the day that I chose Israel's people to belong to me, I made a promise to all Jacob's descendants. [ b ] In the land of Egypt, I showed them who I am. I promised them, ‘I am the Lord your God.’ 6 On that day, I promised them that I would bring them out of Egypt. I promised to take them to a land that I had chosen for them. That land would give them plenty of good food and drink, enough for everyone. It was more beautiful than any other land. 7 I said to them, ‘You must each destroy the disgusting idols that you worship. Those are the idols of Egypt and they cause you to be unclean. Remember that I am the Lord your God.’
8 But your ancestors did not obey me. They refused to listen to me. None of them destroyed their disgusting idols. They continued to worship the idols of Egypt. So I decided to show them that I was very angry. I said that I would punish them there in Egypt. 9 But I did not want the people of other nations to insult my name. I had promised Israel's people that I would bring them out of Egypt. The nations near where the Israelites were living knew this. 10 So I brought my people out of Egypt. I led them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my laws and my commands. Anyone who obeyed them would enjoy a good life. [ c ] 12 I also gave them Sabbath days when they would rest. It would help them to remember that they belong to me. They would know that I, the Lord , have made them my holy people.
13 But when Israel's people were in the wilderness, they turned against me. They did not obey my laws or my commands. (But anyone who did obey them would enjoy a good life.) They did not obey my rules for Sabbath days. So I was very angry with them. I decided to destroy them there in the wilderness. 14 But I did not want the people of other nations to insult my name. They had seen me bring Israel's people out of Egypt. 15 So I made a strong promise to my people in the wilderness. I said that I would not take them to the land that I had chosen for them. It was a very beautiful land with plenty of food and drink for everyone. 16 I refused to take them there because they had not obeyed my laws and my commands. They did not obey my rules for Sabbath says. Instead, they liked to worship their idols. 17 But I chose to be kind to them. I did not completely destroy them in the wilderness.
18 I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not live in the bad way that your fathers did. Do not obey their rules. Do not worship their idols and make yourselves unclean. 19 Remember that I am the Lord your God. So be careful to obey my laws and my commands. 20 Make Sabbath days special to show that you belong to me. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’
21 But their children also turned against me. They were not careful to obey my laws and my commands. (But anyone who obeyed them would enjoy a good life.) They did not obey my rules about Sabbath days. So I was very angry with them. I was ready to destroy them there in the wilderness. 22 But I did not want the people of other nations to insult my name. They had seen me bring Israel's people out of Egypt. So I could not destroy my people. 23 There in the wilderness I made a strong promise to them. I promised to send them to many different places where they would live among other nations. 24 This was because they had not obeyed my laws and my commands. They had not obeyed my rules about Sabbath days. Instead, they worshipped the same idols that their ancestors worshipped. 25 So I let them obey rules that were not good. They were laws that would not help them to enjoy a good life. 26 I let them make themselves unclean because of the offerings that they made. They burned their firstborn children in fire as sacrifices. I did that to make them afraid. I wanted them to know that I am the Lord .”
27 So, son of man, you must speak to Israel's people. Tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Your ancestors insulted me when they did not serve me faithfully. 28 I took them to the land which I had promised to give to them. But when they were there, they continued to offer sacrifices to idols. They did this on every high hill or under every green tree that they saw! They burned sweet incense and they poured out wine as offerings in all those places. That made me very angry. 29 I asked them, ‘Why do you go to these high places?’ ” (That is why people still call them “high places”.)
30 So say this to Israel's people. “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Will you continue to make yourselves unclean in the way that your ancestors did? You are not faithful to me. Instead, you worship disgusting idols. 31 You make yourselves unclean when you offer sacrifices to your idols. You burn your sons in fire as offerings. You still continue to do that! So should I allow you to come to me for help? I promise you this, as surely as I live: I will not allow you to come to me! That is what the Almighty Lord says.
32 You think, ‘We want to live like the people of other nations and clans. They worship idols that are made from wood and stone.’ But these thoughts will never happen. 33 The Almighty Lord says, I promise you this, as surely as I live: I will use my great power and authority to rule you as your King. You will know how angry I am! 34 I will bring you back from the nations where I sent you to live. I will bring you back from all those different places. I will use my great power to do this and you will know that I am very angry with you. 35 I will bring you to a wilderness with other nations all around it. I will meet with you there and I will show that you are guilty. 36 I judged your fathers in the wilderness when they came out of Egypt. I will punish you in the same way. That is what the Almighty Lord says.
37 I will count you one by one, as a shepherd counts his sheep. I will cause you to obey the rules of my covenant with you. 38 I will remove from among you those who refuse to obey me. I will bring them out from the country where they have been living. But they will not go into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord .
39 Israel's people, this is what the Almighty Lord says to you: Now, every one of you, go to serve your idols! But after that, you will listen to me. You will no longer insult my holy name. You will no longer give gifts to your idols. 40 All of Israel's people will serve me on my holy mountain, Israel's great mountain. There I will accept them as my people. That is what the Almighty Lord says. I will receive your offerings, your gifts and all your holy sacrifices. 41 I will bring you home from the nations and all the places where you have been living. Then I will welcome you, like sweet incense that pleases me. When I am among you, I will show all the other nations that I am holy. 42 I will bring you into the land of Israel. That is the land that I promised to give to your ancestors. Then you will know that I am the Lord . 43 You will remember all the wrong things that you did which made you unclean. You will be ashamed of yourselves because of all the evil things that you have done. 44 At that time, I will help you. I will not punish you as you deserve for your wicked and evil acts. Instead, I will do things that bring honour to my name. Then, Israel's people, you will know that I am the Lord . That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’
45 The Lord gave this message to me: 46 ‘Son of man, look towards the south. Speak my message to the people there. Warn the forests in the dry land of the south. 47 Say to those forests, “Listen to this message from the Lord . This is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I will start a fire to burn you. The fire will destroy all the green trees and all the dry trees. Nobody will be able to stop that fire. From the dry land in the south, all the way to the north, the fire will burn everything. 48 Everyone will see that I, the Lord , started the fire. Nobody will be able to stop it burning.” ’ [ d ]
49 Then I said, ‘Almighty Lord , “The people are already saying that my stories make them confused.” ’
20 One day some of the elders of Israel came to me to ask the Lord for advice. This was on the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of exile. [ a ] The elders sat down in front of me.
2 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 3 “Son of man, [ b ] speak to the elders of Israel. Tell them ‘This is what the Lord God says: Have you come to ask me what you should do? I, the Lord God , tell you that, as surely as I live, I will not listen to you.’ 4 Should you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? You must tell them about the terrible things their fathers have done. 5 You must tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day I chose Israel, I raised my hand to Jacob’s family and made a promise to them in Egypt. When I let them know who I was, I raised my hand and said, “I am the Lord your God.” 6 On that day I promised to take you out of Egypt and lead you to the land I was giving to you. That was a good land filled with many good things. [ c ] It was the most beautiful of all countries!
7 “‘I told the family of Israel to throw away their horrible idols. I told them not to become filthy with those filthy statues from Egypt. I said, “I am the Lord your God.” 8 But they turned against me and refused to listen to me. They did not throw away their horrible idols. They did not leave their filthy statues in Egypt. So I decided to destroy them in Egypt—to let them feel the full force of my anger. 9 But I did not destroy them. I had already told the Egyptians that I would bring my people out of Egypt. I did not want to ruin my good name, so I did not destroy Israel in front of those other people. 10 I brought the family of Israel out of Egypt. I led them into the desert. 11 Then I gave them my laws and told them all my rules. All those who obey them will live. 12 I also told them about all the special days of rest, which were a special sign between us. They showed that I am the Lord and that I was making them special to me.
13 “‘But the family of Israel turned against me in the desert. They did not follow my laws. They refused to obey my rules—even though people who obey my laws live because of them. They treated my special days of rest as if they were not important. They worked on those days many times. I decided to destroy them in the desert—to let them feel the full force of my anger. 14 But I did not destroy them. The other nations saw me bring Israel out of Egypt. I did not want to ruin my good name, so I did not destroy Israel in front of those other people. 15 I made another promise to those people in the desert. I promised that I would not bring them into the land I was giving them. That was a good land filled with many good things. It was the most beautiful of all countries!
16 “‘The people of Israel refused to obey my rules or to follow my laws. They treated my days of rest as if they were not important. They did all these things because their hearts belonged to their filthy idols. 17 But I felt sorry for them, so I did not destroy them. I did not completely destroy them in the desert. 18 I spoke to their children and told them, “Don’t be like your parents. Don’t make yourselves filthy with their filthy idols. Don’t follow their laws or obey their commands. 19 I am the Lord . I am your God. Obey my laws and keep my commands. Do the things I tell you. 20 Show that my days of rest are important to you. Remember, they are a special sign between us. I am the Lord , and these days show you that I am your God.”
21 “‘But the children turned against me and did not obey my laws. They did not keep my commands—even though people who obey my laws live because of them. They treated my special days of rest as though they were not important. So I decided to destroy them completely in the desert—to let them feel the full force of my anger. 22 But I stopped myself. The other nations saw me bring Israel out of Egypt. I did not want to ruin my good name, so I did not destroy Israel in front of those other people. 23 So I made another promise to those people in the desert. I promised to scatter them among the nations, to send them to many different countries.
24 “‘The people of Israel did not obey my commands. They refused to obey my laws. They treated my special days of rest as though they were not important, and they worshiped the filthy idols of their fathers. 25 So I gave them laws that were not good. I gave them commands that would not bring life. 26 I let them make themselves filthy with their gifts. They even began to sacrifice their own firstborn children. In this way I would destroy them. Then they would know that I am the Lord .’ 27 So now, son of man, speak to the family of Israel. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: The people of Israel said bad things about me and made evil plans against me. 28 But I still brought them to the land I promised to give them. They saw all the hills and green trees, so they went to all those places to worship. They took their sacrifices and anger offerings [ d ] to all those places. They offered their sacrifices that made a sweet smell, and they offered their drink offerings at those places. 29 I asked the people of Israel why they were going to the high places. But that high place is still there today. [ e ] ’
30 “Since Israel did those things, speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: You people have made yourselves filthy by doing the things your ancestors did. You have acted like a prostitute. You have left me to be with the horrible gods your ancestors worshiped. 31 You are giving the same kind of gifts. You are putting your children in the fire as a gift to your false gods. You are still making yourself filthy with these filthy idols today! Do you really think that I should let you come to me and ask me for advice? I am the Lord God . By my life, I swear that I will not answer your questions or give you advice! 32 You keep saying you want to be like the other nations. You live like the people in other nations. You serve pieces of wood and stone idols!’”
33 The Lord God says, “By my life, I swear that I will rule over you as king. But I will raise my powerful arm and punish you. I will show my anger against you! 34 I will bring you out of these other nations. I scattered you among these nations, but I will gather you together and bring you back from these countries. But I will raise my powerful arm and punish you. I will show my anger against you! 35 I will lead you into a desert as I did before, but this will be a place where other nations live. We will stand face to face, and I will judge you. 36 I will judge you as I judged your ancestors in the desert near Egypt.” This is what the Lord God said.
37 “I will judge you guilty and punish you according to the agreement. 38 I will remove all those who turned against me and sinned against me. I will remove them from your homeland. They will never again come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord .”
39 Now, family of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: “Whoever wants to worship their filthy idols, let them go and worship them. But later, don’t think you will get any advice from me. You will not ruin my name anymore—not when you continue to give your gifts to your filthy idols!”
40 The Lord God says, “People must come to my holy mountain—the high mountain in Israel—to serve me! The whole family of Israel will be on their land; they will be there in their country. There you can come to ask me for advice, and you must come there to bring me your offerings. You must bring the first part of your crops to me there. You must bring all your holy gifts to me in that place. 41 Then I will be pleased with the sweet smell of your sacrifices. That will happen when I bring you back. I scattered you among many nations, but I will gather you together and make you my special people again. And all the nations will see it. 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord . You will know this when I bring you back to the land of Israel, the land I promised to give to your ancestors. 43 In that country you will remember all the evil things you did that made you filthy, and you will be ashamed. 44 Family of Israel, you did many evil things, and you should be destroyed because of them. But to protect my good name, I will not give you the punishment you really deserve. Then you will know that I am the Lord .” This is what the Lord God said.
45 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 46 “Son of man, look toward the Negev, the southern part of Judah. Speak against the Negev Forest. [ f ] 47 Say to the Negev Forest, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord . This is what the Lord God said: Look, I am ready to start a fire in your forest. The fire will destroy every green tree and every dry tree. The flame that burns will not be put out. All the land from south to north will be burned by the fire. 48 Then all people will see that I, the Lord , have started the fire. The fire will not be put out!’”
49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God ! If I say this, the people will say that I am only telling them stories.”
20 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 enquire of the Lord , and sat before me.
2 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God , I will not be enquired of by you.
4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God;
6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto 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 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto 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 upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 But I wrought 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 unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12 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 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 upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
15 Yet also I lifted 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 the glory of all lands;
16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
19 I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.
21 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 upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought 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 lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
24 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 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord .
27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine 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 savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day.
30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God ; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God , I will not be enquired of by you.
32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
33 As I live, saith 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 will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God .
37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
38 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 ye shall know that I am the Lord .
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God ; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith 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 firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
41 I will accept you with your sweet savour, 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 in you before the heathen.
42 And ye 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 mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
44 And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God .
45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord ; Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, 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 shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
49 Then said I, Ah Lord God ! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
20 Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month , on the tenth of the month, men from the ( A ) elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord , and they sat before me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord [ a ] God says: “Do you yourselves come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares the Lord God , “ ( B ) I certainly will not be inquired of by you.”’ 4 Will you judge them, will you judge them , son of man? ( C ) Make known to them the abominations of their fathers; 5 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day when I ( D ) chose Israel and [ b ] swore to the [ c ] descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I [ d ] swore to them, saying, ( E ) I am the Lord your God, 6 on that day I swore to them, ( F ) to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had [ e ] selected for them, ( G ) flowing with milk and honey, which is ( H ) the glory of all the lands. 7 And I said to them, ‘ ( I ) Throw away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and ( J ) do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; ( K ) I am the Lord your God.’ 8 But they ( L ) rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not throw away, each of them, the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they abandon the ( M ) idols of Egypt.
“Then I [ f ] resolved to ( N ) pour out My wrath on them, to [ g ] use up My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted ( O ) for the sake of My name, that it would ( P ) not be defiled in the sight of the nations among whom they lived , in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the ( Q ) wilderness. 11 I gave them My ( R ) statutes and informed them of My ordinances, ( S ) which, if [ h ] a person [ i ] follows them, then he will live by them. 12 Also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a ( T ) sign between Me and them, so that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 But the house of Israel ( U ) rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, ( V ) which, if [ j ] a person [ k ] follows them, then he will live by them; and they greatly profaned My ( W ) Sabbaths. Then I [ l ] resolved to ( X ) pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them. 14 But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out. 15 Also ( Y ) I swore 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 the lands, 16 because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they also profaned My Sabbaths, because their ( Z ) heart continually followed their idols. 17 Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not bring about their ( AA ) annihilation in the wilderness.
18 “Instead, I said to their [ m ] ( AB ) children in the wilderness, ‘ ( AC ) Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 ( AD ) I am the Lord your God; ( AE ) walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and [ n ] follow them. 20 ( AF ) Sanctify My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ 21 But the ( AG ) children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to [ o ] follow My ordinances which, if [ p ] a person [ q ] follows them, then he will live by them; they profaned My Sabbaths. So I [ r ] resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to [ s ] use up My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I ( AH ) withdrew My hand and acted ( AI ) for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would ( AJ ) scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, 24 because they had not [ t ] complied with My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My Sabbaths, and ( AK ) their eyes were [ u ] on the idols of their fathers. 25 I also gave them statutes that were ( AL ) not good, and ordinances by which they could not live; 26 and I pronounced them ( AM ) unclean because of their gifts, in that they ( AN ) made all [ v ] their firstborn pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might ( AO ) know that I am the Lord .”’
27 “Therefore ( AP ) speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Again, in this your fathers have ( AQ ) blasphemed Me by ( AR ) being disloyal to Me. 28 When I had ( AS ) brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every ( AT ) high hill and every tree thick with branches, and there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called [ w ] Bamah to this day.”’ 30 Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your ( AU ) fathers and adulterously pursue their detestable things? 31 And [ x ] when you offer your gifts, when you ( AV ) make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live,” declares the Lord God , “I certainly will not be inquired of by you. 32 And whatever ( AW ) comes [ y ] into your mind certainly will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, ( AX ) serving wood and stone.’
33 “As I live,” declares the Lord God , “with a mighty hand and with an ( AY ) outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be ( AZ ) king over you. 34 I will ( BA ) bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with ( BB ) wrath poured out; 35 and I will bring you into the ( BC ) wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I ( BD ) entered into judgment with your fathers in the ( BE ) wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God . 37 “I will make you ( BF ) pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 and I will ( BG ) purge from you the rebels and those who revolt against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they reside, but they will ( BH ) not enter the [ z ] land of Israel. So you will know that I am the Lord .
39 “As for you, house of Israel,” this is what the Lord God says: “ ( BI ) Go, serve, everyone of you his idols; [ aa ] but later you will certainly listen to Me, and My holy name you will no longer ( BJ ) defile with your gifts and your idols. 40 For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares the Lord God , “there the entire house of Israel, ( BK ) all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will ( BL ) accept them and there I will demand your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things. 41 [ ab ] As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I ( BM ) bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will show Myself to be ( BN ) holy among you in the sight of the nations. 42 And ( BO ) you will know that I am the Lord , ( BP ) when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the ( BQ ) land which I swore to give to your forefathers. 43 And there you will ( BR ) remember your ways and all your deeds by which you have defiled yourselves; and you will ( BS ) loathe yourselves in your own [ ac ] sight for all the evil things that you have done. 44 Then ( BT ) you will know that I am the Lord , when I have dealt with you ( BU ) in behalf of My name, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, house of Israel,” declares the Lord God .’”
45 [ ad ] Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and speak prophetically against the ( BV ) south and ( BW ) prophesy against the ( BX ) forest [ ae ] land of the Negev, 47 and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord : this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to ( BY ) kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every [ af ] green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not go out and [ ag ] ( BZ ) the entire surface from south to north will be scorched by it. 48 And all [ ah ] mankind will see that I, the Lord , have kindled it; it will ( CA ) not go out.”’” 49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God ! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking in ( CB ) riddles?’”
20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire ( A ) of the Lord , and they sat down in front of me. ( B )
2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders ( C ) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire ( D ) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord . ( E ) ’
4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors ( F ) 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose ( G ) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand ( H ) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God. ( I ) ” 6 On that day I swore ( J ) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, ( K ) the most beautiful of all lands. ( L ) 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images ( M ) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols ( N ) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. ( O ) ”
8 “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; ( P ) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. ( Q ) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. ( R ) 9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. ( S ) I did it to keep my name from being profaned ( T ) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ( U ) 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. ( V ) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths ( W ) as a sign ( X ) between us, ( Y ) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy. ( Z )
13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled ( AA ) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws ( AB ) —by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. ( AC ) So I said I would pour out my wrath ( AD ) on them and destroy ( AE ) them in the wilderness. ( AF ) 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned ( AG ) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ( AH ) 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore ( AI ) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands ( AJ ) — 16 because they rejected my laws ( AK ) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts ( AL ) were devoted to their idols. ( AM ) 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy ( AN ) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents ( AO ) or keep their laws or defile yourselves ( AP ) with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; ( AQ ) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. ( AR ) 20 Keep my Sabbaths ( AS ) holy, that they may be a sign ( AT ) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. ( AU ) ”
21 “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, ( AV ) of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger ( AW ) against them in the wilderness. ( AX ) 22 But I withheld ( AY ) my hand, and for the sake of my name ( AZ ) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter ( BA ) them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees ( BB ) and desecrated my Sabbaths, ( BC ) and their eyes lusted after ( BD ) their parents’ idols. ( BE ) 25 So I gave ( BF ) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; ( BG ) 26 I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice ( BH ) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord . ( BI ) ’
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors ( BJ ) blasphemed ( BK ) me by being unfaithful to me: ( BL ) 28 When I brought them into the land ( BM ) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings. ( BN ) 29 Then I said to them: What is this high place ( BO ) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah [ a ] to this day.)
30 “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves ( BP ) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? ( BQ ) 31 When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children ( BR ) in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord , I will not let you inquire of me. ( BS )
32 “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. 33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord , I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm ( BT ) and with outpoured wrath. ( BU ) 34 I will bring you from the nations ( BV ) and gather ( BW ) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand ( BX ) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. ( BY ) 35 I will bring you into the wilderness ( BZ ) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment ( CA ) upon you. 36 As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord . ( CB ) 37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, ( CC ) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. ( CD ) 38 I will purge ( CE ) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord . ( CF )
39 “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, ( CG ) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name ( CH ) with your gifts and idols. ( CI ) 40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, ( CJ ) declares the Sovereign Lord , there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings ( CK ) and your choice gifts, [ b ] along with all your holy sacrifices. ( CL ) 41 I will accept you as fragrant incense ( CM ) when I bring you out from the nations and gather ( CN ) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy ( CO ) through you in the sight of the nations. ( CP ) 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord , ( CQ ) when I bring you into the land of Israel, ( CR ) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. ( CS ) 43 There you will remember your conduct ( CT ) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves ( CU ) for all the evil you have done. ( CV ) 44 You will know that I am the Lord , when I deal with you for my name’s sake ( CW ) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord . ( CX ) ’”
45 The word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, set your face toward ( CY ) the south; preach against the south and prophesy against ( CZ ) the forest of the southland. ( DA ) 47 Say to the southern forest: ( DB ) ‘Hear the word of the Lord . This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume ( DC ) all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north ( DD ) will be scorched by it. ( DE ) 48 Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched. ( DF ) ’”
49 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord , ( DG ) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables? ( DH ) ’” [ c ]
