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
Rebellious Israel Purged
1In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.
2Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
4“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors 5and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand 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.” 6On that day I swore 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, the most beautiful of all lands. 7And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
8“ ‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. 9But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. 12Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.
13“ ‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. 14But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 15Also with uplifted hand I swore 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— 16because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. 17Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. 19I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 20Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”
21“ ‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, 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 against them in the wilderness. 22But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, 24because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols. 25So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; 26I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’
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 blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me: 28When I brought them into the land 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. 29Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?’ ” (It is called Bamah#20:29 Bamah means high place. to this day.)
Rebellious Israel Renewed
30“Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? 31When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children 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.
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. 33As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. 34I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. 35I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. 36As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 37I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38I will purge 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.
39“ ‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. 40For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, 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 and your choice gifts,#20:40 Or and the gifts of your firstfruits along with all your holy sacrifices. 41I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations. 42Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. 43There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. 44You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”
Prophecy Against the South
45The word of the Lord came to me: 46“Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. 47Say to the southern forest: ‘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 all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. 48Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.’ ”
49Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’ ”#20:49 In Hebrew texts 20:45-49 is numbered 21:1-5.
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