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 Keeps On Rebelling
1Seven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, some of Israel's leaders came to me on the tenth day of the fifth month.#20.1 Seven years … fifth month: Probably August of 591 b.c. They sat down and asked for a message from the Lord. 2Just then, the Lord God said:
3Ezekiel, son of man, these leaders have come to find out what I want them to do. As surely as I live, I will not give them an answer of any kind.
4Are you willing to warn them, Ezekiel? Then remind them of the disgusting sins of their ancestors.
5 #
Ex 6.2-8. Tell them that long ago I, the Lord God, chose Israel to be my own. I appeared to their ancestors in Egypt and made a solemn promise that I would be their God and the God of their descendants. 6I swore that I would rescue them from Egypt and lead them to a land I had already chosen. This land was rich with milk and honey and was the most splendid land of all. 7I told them to get rid of their disgusting idols and not to sin by worshiping the gods of Egypt. I reminded them that I was the Lord their God, 8but they still rebelled against me. They refused to listen and kept on worshiping their idols and foreign gods.
In my anger, I decided to punish the Israelites in Egypt. 9But that would have made me look like a liar, because I had already promised in front of everyone that I would lead them out of Egypt. 10So I brought them out and led them into the desert. 11#Lv 18.5. I gave them my laws and teachings, so they would know how to live right. 12#Ex 31.13-17. And I commanded them to respect the Sabbath as a way of showing that they were holy and belonged to me. 13But the Israelites rebelled against me in the desert. They refused to obey my laws and teachings, and they treated the Sabbath like any other day.
Then in my anger, I decided to destroy the Israelites in the desert once and for all. 14But that would have disgraced me, because many other nations had seen me bring the Israelites out of Egypt. 15#Nu 14.26-35. Instead, I told them in the desert that I would not lead them into the beautiful, fertile land I had promised. 16I said this because they had not only ignored my laws and teachings, but had disgraced my Sabbath and worshiped idols.
17Yet, I felt sorry for them and could not let them die in the desert. 18So I warned the children not to act like their parents or follow their evil ways or worship their idols. 19I reminded them that I was the Lord their God and that they should obey my laws and teachings. 20I told them to respect my Sabbath to show that they were my people and that I was the Lord their God. 21But the children also rebelled against me. They refused to obey my laws and teachings, and they treated the Sabbath as any other day.
I became angry and decided to punish them in the desert. 22But I did not. That would have disgraced me in front of the nations that had seen me bring the Israelites out of Egypt. 23#Lv 26.33. So I solemnly swore that I would scatter the people of Israel across the nations, 24because they had disobeyed my laws and ignored my teachings; they had disgraced my Sabbath and worshiped the idols their ancestors had made. 25I gave them laws that bring punishment instead of life, 26and I let them offer me unacceptable sacrifices, including their first-born sons. I did this to horrify them and to let them know that I, the Lord, was punishing them.
27Ezekiel, tell the people of Israel that their ancestors also rejected and insulted me 28by offering sacrifices, incense, and wine to gods on every hill and under every large tree. I was very angry, because they did these things in the land I had given them! 29I asked them where they went to worship those gods, and they answered, “At the local shrines.”#20.29 where they went to worship those gods … local shrines: In Hebrew “where they went” sounds like “local shrines.” These were places to worship foreign gods. And those places of worship are still called shrines.
30Then ask the Israelites why they are following the example of their wicked ancestors 31by worshiping idols and by sacrificing their own children as offerings. They commit these sins and still think they can ask me for a message. As surely as I am the living Lord God, I will give them no answer. 32They may think they can be like other nations and get away with worshiping idols made of wood and stone. But that will never happen!
The Lord Promises To Restore Israel
The Lord said to the people of Israel:
33As surely as I am the living Lord God, I will rule over you with my powerful arm. You will feel my fierce anger 34and my power, when I gather you from the places where you are scattered 35and lead you into a desert surrounded by nations. I will meet you there face to face. Then I will pass judgment on you 36and punish you, just as I punished your ancestors in the desert near Egypt.#20.36 the desert near Egypt: The Sinai Desert. 37I will force each of you to obey the regulations of our solemn agreement. 38I will separate the sinful rebels from the rest of you, and even though I will bring them from the nations where they live in exile, they won't be allowed to return to Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39Go ahead and worship your idols for now, you Israelites, because soon I will no longer let you dishonor me by offering gifts to them. You will have no choice but to obey me!#20.39 me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 39. 40When that day comes, everyone in Israel will worship me on Mount Zion, my holy mountain in Jerusalem. I will once again call you my own, and I will accept your sacred offerings and sacrifices. 41When I bring you home from the places where you are now scattered, I will be pleased with you, just as I am pleased with the smell of the smoke from your sacrifices. Every nation on earth will see that I am holy, 42and you will know that I, the Lord, am the one who brought you back to Israel, the land I promised your ancestors. 43Then you will remember your wicked sins, and you will hate yourselves for doing such horrible things. They have made you unacceptable to me, 44so you deserve to be punished. But I will treat you in a way that will bring honor to my name, and you will know that I am the Lord God.
Fire from the South
45The Lord said, 46“Ezekiel, son of man, turn toward the south and warn the forests 47that I, the Lord God, will start a fire that will burn up every tree, whether green or dry. Nothing will be able to put out the blaze of that fire as it spreads to the north and burns everything in its path. 48Everyone will know that I started it, and that it cannot be stopped.”
49But I complained, “Lord God, I don't want to do that! People already say I confuse them with my messages.”
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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