Son of man, speak unto the Elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye come to inquire of me? as I live, saith the Lord God, when I am asked, I will not answer you.

Wilt thou judge them, son of man? wilt thou judge them? cause [a]them to understand the abominations of their fathers,

And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, In the day when I chose Israel, and [b]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 lift up mine hand unto them, and said, I am the Lord your God,

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:4 This declareth the great lenity and patience of God, which calleth sinners to repentance before he condemns them.
  2. Ezekiel 20:5 I sware that I would be their God, which manner of oath was observed from all antiquity, where they used to lift up their hands toward the heaven, acknowledging God to be the author of truth, and the defender thereof, and also the Judge of the heart, wishing that he should take vengeance, if they concealed anything which they knew to be truth.

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