Ezekiel 20

God’s Dealings with Israel Rehearsed

1Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, 1certain of the 2elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. 2And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord 3God, “Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “4I will not be inquired of by you.”’ 4Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? 5Make them know the abominations of their fathers; 5and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day when I 6chose Israel and 7swore to the 8descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I 9swore to them, saying, 10I am the Lord your God, 6on that day I swore to them, 11to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had 12selected for them, 13flowing with milk and honey, which is 14the glory of all lands. 7I said to them, ‘15Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and 16do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; 17I am the Lord your God.’ 8But they 18rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; 19they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the 20idols of Egypt.

Then I 21resolved to 22pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9But I acted 23for the sake of My name, that it should 24not be profaned 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. 10So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the 25wilderness. 11I gave them My 26statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by 27which, if a man 28observes them, he will live. 12Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a 29sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13But the house of Israel 30rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, 31by which, if a man 32observes them, he will live; and My 33sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I 34resolved to 35pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them. 14But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight I had brought them out. 15Also 36I 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 lands, 16because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their 37heart continually went after their idols. 17Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not cause their 38annihilation in the wilderness.

18“I said to their 3940children in the wilderness, ‘41Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 1942I am the Lord your God; 43walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and 44observe them. 2045Sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ 21But the 46children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I 47resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. 22But I 48withdrew My hand and acted 49for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would 50scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, 24because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and 51their eyes were 52on the idols of their fathers. 25I also gave them statutes that were 53not good and ordinances by which they could not live; 26and I pronounced them 54unclean because of their gifts, in that they 55caused all 56their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might 57know that I am the Lord.”’

27“Therefore, son of man, 58speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Yet in this your fathers have 59blasphemed Me by 60acting treacherously against Me. 28When I had 61brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every 62high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there 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. 29Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called 63Bamah to this day.”’ 30Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will you defile yourselves 64after the manner of your 65fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? 3166When you offer your gifts, when you 67cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you. 32What 68comes 69into your mind will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, 70serving wood and stone.’

God Will Restore Israel to Her Land

33“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand and with an 71outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be 72king over you. 34I will 73bring 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 74wrath poured out; 35and I will bring you into the 75wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36As I 76entered into judgment with your fathers in the 77wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. 37“I will make you 78pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38and I will 79purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will 80not enter the 81land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.

39“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God, “82Go, serve everyone his idols; 83but later you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will 84profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols. 40For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares the Lord God, “there the whole house of Israel, 85all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will 86accept them and there I will 87seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things. 4188As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I 89bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself 90holy among you in the sight of the nations. 42And 91you will know that I am the Lord, 92when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the 93land which I swore to give to your forefathers. 43There you will 94remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will 95loathe yourselves in your own 96sight for all the evil things that you have done. 44Then 97you will know that I am the Lord when I have dealt with you 98for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.’”

4599Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46“Son of man, set your face toward 100Teman, and speak out against the 101south and 102prophesy against the 103forest 104land of the Negev, 47and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am about to 105kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every 106green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched and 107108the whole surface from south to north will be burned by it. 48All flesh will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall 109not be quenched.”’” 49Then I said, “Ah Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking 110parables?’”