Ezekiel 20
20
God’s Dealings with Israel for His Name’s Sake
1And then in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to consult Yahweh, and they sat before me.#Literally “to the face of” 2And the word of Yahweh came#Literally “was” to me, saying,#Literally “to say” 3“Son of man,#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” speak with the elders of Israel, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Are you coming to consult me? As I live,#Literally “live I” I will surely not allow myself#Or “me” to be consulted by you!” ’ declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh. 4Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man?#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” Make known to them the detestable things of their ancestors.#Or “fathers” 5And you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “On the day of my choosing Israel I swore#Literally “and I raised my hand” to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, and I swore#Literally “and I raised my hand” to them, saying,#Literally “to say” ‘I am Yahweh your God.’ 6On that day I swore#Literally “I raised my hand” to them to bring them out from the land of Egypt to the land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands. 7Then I said to them, ‘Let each one throw away the detestable things of his eyes, and you must not make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt! I am Yahweh your God.’ 8But they rebelled against me, and they were not willing to listen to me; each one did not throw away#Literally “not they threw away” the detestable things of their eyes; and they did not abandon#Literally “not they abandoned” the idols of Egypt, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9“But#Or “And” I acted for the sake of my name to keep it from being profaned#Literally “not to be profaned before the eyes of” before the eyes of the nations among whom they lived,#Literally “which they were in their midst” where I made known to them before their eyes, to bring them out from the land of Egypt. 10And I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and I brought them to the desert, 11and I gave my statutes to them, and my regulations I made known to them, which, if a person does them, then he will live by them. 12And also my Sabbaths I gave to them to be a sign between me and between them so they would know#Literally “know” that I, Yahweh, am the one sanctifying them.
13“But#Or “And” in the desert the house of Israel rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes,#Literally “in my statutes not they went” and they rejected my regulations, which, if a person does them, he will live by them, and they greatly profaned my Sabbaths, and I decided to pour out my rage on them in the desert to destroy them, 14and I acted for the sake of my name, that it not be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whom I brought them out.#Literally “which I brought out them before their eyes” 15And also I myself swore#Literally “I, I raised my hand” to them in the desert not to bring them into the land that I had given to them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands— 16because they despised my judgments, and they did not walk in my statutes,#Literally “and my statutes not they went in them” and my Sabbaths they profaned, for their heart was going after their idols. 17But my eye took pity on them by not destroying them, and I did not completely destroy them#Literally “and not I make them complete destruction” in the desert.
18“And I said to their children in the desert, ‘You must not go in the statutes of your parents;#Or “fathers” you must not keep their regulations, and you must not make yourself unclean with their idols. 19I, Yahweh, am your God, so go in my statutes and keep my regulations and do them. 20And treat my Sabbaths as holy, and they will be a sign between me and between you that you may know#Literally “know” that I, Yahweh, am your God.’ 21But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes,#Literally “in statutes my not they went” and they did not observe my regulations,#Literally “my regulations not they kept to do them” which if a person does them, then he will live by them. My Sabbaths they desecrated, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to finish my anger against them in the desert. 22But I withheld my hand, and I acted for the sake of my name not to be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whom I had brought them out before their eyes. 23What is more, I swore#Literally “I will raise my hand” to them in the desert to scatter them among the nations and to disperse them in the lands, 24because they did not do my regulations, and my statutes they despised, and my Sabbaths they profaned, and their eyes were after the idols of their ancestors.#Or “fathers” 25And in turn I gave to them rules that were not good and regulations by which they will not live.#Literally “regulations not they will live by them” 26And I defiled them through their gifts in sacrificing all of the first offspring of the womb, in order that#Or “so that” I will cause them to be stunned, so that they will know that I am Yahweh.
27“Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man,#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Again in this your ancestors blasphemed me at#Or “by” their display of infidelity toward me.” ’#Literally “at/in acting unfaithfully they against me in/by unfaithfulness” 28And I brought them to the land that I swore#Literally “I raised my hand” to give#Hebrew “give it” to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered their sacrifices, and they presented there the provocation of their offering, and they gave there their fragrant incense offering, and they poured out their libations there. 29And I said to them, ‘What is the high place#Hebrew Bamah, which became its name to which you are going?’ And it is called#Literally “it is called name its” Bamah until this day. 30Therefore thus say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In the way of your ancestors#Or “fathers” will you defile yourself, and after their vile idols will you prostitute yourselves? 31And when you lift up your gifts, sacrificing your children#Literally “at to lift up your gifts at causing to pass over your children” through the fire, you are defiling yourself through all of your idols until today,#Literally “the day” and will I let myself#Hebrew “me” be consulted by you, house of Israel?” ’ As I live,”#Literally “Live I” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh, “I will not let myself#Hebrew “me” be consulted by you! 32And what you are planning,#Literally “what is going up on your spirit” surely it will not be—that you are saying, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the clans#Or “tribes” of the lands, serving wood and stone!’#Literally “to serve wood and stone”
33“As I live,”#Literally “live I” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh, “surely#Literally “if not” with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage pouring forth#Literally “rage poured out” I will reign as king over you! 34And I will bring you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage poured out. 35Then I will bring you to the desert of the peoples, and I will execute justice on you there face to face. 36Just as#Literally “Like what” I executed justice on your ancestors#Or “fathers” in the desert of the land of Egypt, likewise I will execute justice on you!” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh. 37“And I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38And I will purge the rebels from among you and the ones transgressing against me; I will bring them out from the land where they are living as aliens,#Literally “from the land of living as an alien there” but into the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am Yahweh.
39And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Let each one go serve his idols now and after, if you are not listening to me, but my holy name#Literally “the name of my holiness” you will not profane any longer with your gifts and with your idols.
40“For on my holy mountain,#Literally “the mountain of my holiness” on the mountain of the height of Israel,” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh, “there all of the house of Israel will serve me, all of them,#Hebrew “it/him” in the land. I will take pleasure in them, and there I will accept your contributions and the best of your portions with all of your holy objects. 41I will accept you as a fragrant incense offering#Literally “a fragrance of an incense offering” when I bring you out from the peoples and I gather you from the lands to which you were scattered, and I will show myself holy among you before the eyes of the nations. 42And you will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land that I swore#Literally “I raised my hand” to give to your ancestors. 43And you will remember there your ways, and all of your deeds by which you were made unclean,#Literally “which you were made unclean by them” and you will feel a loathing for yourself#Literally “for your face” for all of your evils that you have done. 44And you will know that I am Yahweh when I deal with you#Literally “at/in doing my with you” for the sake of my name and not according to your evil ways#Literally “not like your ways the evil” or according to#Literally “like” your corrupted deeds, house of Israel,” declares#Literally “declaration of” the Lord Yahweh.
45#Ezekiel 20:45–21:32 in the English Bible is 21:1–37 in the Hebrew Bible And the word of Yahweh came#Literally “was” to me, saying,#Literally “to say” 46“Son of man,#Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind” set your face toward the way of the south,#Or “Teman” and preach to the south, and prophesy against the forest of the territory of the Negev. 47And you must say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; the blaze of the flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48And all creatures will see that I, Yahweh, I kindled it—it will not be quenched!” ’ ” 49Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, they are saying about me, ‘Is he not posing a parable?’ ”
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Ezekiel 20
20
Israel Has Refused God
1It was the seventh year of our captivity, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month. Some of the elders of Israel came to ask about the Lord and sat down in front of me.
2The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 3“Human, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: Did you come to ask me questions? As surely as I live, I will not let you ask me questions.’
4“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, human? Let them know the hateful things their ancestors did. 5Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: When I chose Israel, I made a promise to the descendants of Jacob. I made myself known to them in Egypt, and I promised them, “I am the Lord your God.” 6At that time I promised them I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had found for them, a fertile land, the best land in the world. 7I said to them, “Each one of you must throw away the hateful idols you have seen and liked. Don’t make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
8“ ‘But they turned against me and refused to listen to me. They did not throw away the hateful idols which they saw and liked; they did not give up the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out my anger against them while they were still in Egypt. 9But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations where the Israelites lived. I made myself known to the Israelites with a promise to bring them out of Egypt while the nations were watching. 10So I took them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert. 11I gave them my rules and told them about my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. 12I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between us so they would know that I am the Lord who made them holy.
13“ ‘But in the desert Israel turned against me. They did not follow my rules, and they rejected my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. Then I decided to pour out my anger against them and destroy them in the desert. 14But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations who watched as I had brought the Israelites out of Egypt. 15And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I would not bring them into the land I had given them. It is a fertile land, the best land in the world. 16This was because they rejected my laws and did not follow my rules. They dishonored my Sabbaths and wanted to worship their idols. 17But I had pity on them. I did not destroy them or put an end to them in the desert. 18I said to their children in the desert, “Don’t live by the rules of your parents, or obey their laws. Don’t make yourselves unclean with their idols. 19I am the Lord your God. Live by my rules, obey my laws, and follow them. 20Keep my Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between me and you. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”
21“ ‘But the children turned against me. They did not live by my rules, nor were they careful to obey my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my anger against them in the desert. 22But I held back my anger. I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations who watched as I brought the Israelites out. 23And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I would scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries, 24because they had not obeyed my laws. They had rejected my rules and dishonored my Sabbaths and worshiped the idols of their parents. 25I also allowed them to follow rules that were not good and laws by which they could not live. 26I let the Israelites make themselves unclean by the gifts they brought to their gods when they sacrificed their first children in the fire. I wanted to terrify them so they would know that I am the Lord.’
27“So, human, speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Your ancestors spoke against me by being unfaithful to me in another way. 28When I had brought them into the land I promised to give them, they saw every high hill and every leafy tree. There they offered their sacrifices to gods. They brought offerings that made me angry and burned their incense and poured out their drink offerings. 29Then I said to them: What is this high place where you go to worship?’ ” (It is still called High Place today.)
30“So say to the people of Israel: ‘This is what the Lord God says: Are you going to make yourselves unclean as your ancestors did? Are you going to be unfaithful and desire their hateful idols? 31When you offer your children as gifts and sacrifice them in the fire, you are making yourselves unclean with all your idols even today. So, people of Israel, should I let you ask me questions? As surely as I live, says the Lord God, I will not accept questions from you.
32“ ‘What you want will not come true. You say, “We want to be like the other nations, like the people in other lands. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone.” 33As surely as I live, says the Lord God, I will use my great power and strength and anger to rule over you. 34I will bring you out from the foreign nations. With my great power and strength and anger I will gather you from the lands where you are scattered. 35I will bring you among the nations as I brought your ancestors into the desert with Moses. There I will judge you face to face. 36I will judge you the same way I judged your ancestors in the desert of the land of Egypt, says the Lord God. 37I will count you like sheep and will bring you into line with my agreement. 38I will get rid of those who refuse to obey me and who turn against me. I will bring them out of the land where they are now living, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39“ ‘This is what the Lord God says: People of Israel, go serve your idols for now. But later you will listen to me; you will not continue to dishonor my holy name with your gifts and gods. 40On my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all Israel will serve me in the land, says the Lord God. There I will accept you. There I will expect your offerings, the first harvest of your offerings, and all your holy gifts. 41I will accept you like the pleasing smell of sacrifices when I bring you out from the foreign nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered. Then through you I will show how holy I am so the nations will see. 42When I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I promised your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord. 43There you will remember everything you did that made you unclean, and then you will hate yourselves for all the evil things you have done. 44I will deal with you for the sake of my name, not because of your evil ways or unclean actions. Then you will know I am the Lord, people of Israel, says the Lord God.’ ”
Babylon, the Lord’s Sword
45Now the Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 46“Human, look toward the south. Prophesy against the south and against the forest of the southern area. 47Say to that forest: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says: I am ready to start a fire in you that will destroy all your green trees and all your dry trees. The flames that burn will not be put out. Every face from south to north will feel their heat. 48Then all the people will see that I, the Lord, have started the fire. It will not be put out.’ ”
49Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! The people are saying about me, ‘He is only telling stories.’ ”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.