30 Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your (A)fathers and adulterously pursue their detestable things? 31 And [a]when you offer your gifts, when you (B)make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “I certainly will not be inquired of by you. 32 And whatever (C)comes [b]into your mind certainly will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, (D)serving wood and stone.’

God Will Restore Israel to Her Land

33 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “with a mighty hand and with an (E)outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be (F)king over you. 34 I will (G)bring 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 (H)wrath poured out; 35 and I will bring you into the (I)wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I (J)entered into judgment with your fathers in the (K)wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. 37 “I will make you (L)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 and I will (M)purge from you the rebels and those who revolt against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they reside, but they will (N)not enter the [c]land of Israel. So you will know that I am the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:31 Lit in your lifting up
  2. Ezekiel 20:32 Lit upon your spirit
  3. Ezekiel 20:38 Lit ground; or soil

30 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshiping vile images? 31 For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices,[a] you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing.

32 “You say, ‘We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen. 33 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power. 34 And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back[b] from the lands where you are scattered. 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face. 36 I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign Lord. 37 I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant. 38 I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:31 Or and make your little children pass through the fire.
  2. 20:34 Greek version reads I will welcome you. Compare 2 Cor 6:17.