Ezekiel 20:1-20

EasyEnglish Bible

20 On the tenth day of the fifth month some of Israel's leaders came to me.^[a] That was in the seventh year that we had been prisoners in Babylon. The leaders sat in front of me. They wanted me to ask for a message from the Lord.

² Then the Lord gave this message to me: ³ ‘Son of man, speak to the leaders of Israel. Tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: You say that you want a message from me. I promise you this, as surely as I live: I will not allow you to come to me like that.” 

⁴ Son of man, you must warn them. Are you ready to do that? Make them remember all the disgusting things that their ancestors did.

⁵ Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: On the day that I chose Israel's people to belong to me, I made a promise to all Jacob's descendants.^[b] In the land of Egypt, I showed them who I am. I promised them, ‘I am the Lord your God.’ ⁶ On that day, I promised them that I would bring them out of Egypt. I promised to take them to a land that I had chosen for them. That land would give them plenty of good food and drink, enough for everyone. It was more beautiful than any other land. ⁷ I said to them, ‘You must each destroy the disgusting idols that you worship. Those are the idols of Egypt and they cause you to be unclean. Remember that I am the Lord your God.’

⁸ But your ancestors did not obey me. They refused to listen to me. None of them destroyed their disgusting idols. They continued to worship the idols of Egypt. So I decided to show them that I was very angry. I said that I would punish them there in Egypt. ⁹ But I did not want the people of other nations to insult my name. I had promised Israel's people that I would bring them out of Egypt. The nations near where the Israelites were living knew this. ¹⁰ So I brought my people out of Egypt. I led them into the wilderness. ¹¹ I gave them my laws and my commands. Anyone who obeyed them would enjoy a good life.^{[c] 12} I also gave them Sabbath days when they would rest. It would help them to remember that they belong to me. They would know that I, the Lord, have made them my holy people.

¹³ But when Israel's people were in the wilderness, they turned against me. They did not obey my laws or my commands. (But anyone who did obey them would enjoy a good life.) They did not obey my rules for Sabbath days. So I was very angry with them. I decided to destroy them there in the wilderness. ¹⁴ But I did not want the people of other nations to insult my name. They had seen me bring Israel's people out of Egypt. ¹⁵ So I made a strong promise to my people in the wilderness. I said that I would not take them to the land that I had chosen for them. It was a very beautiful land with plenty of food and drink for everyone. ¹⁶ I refused to take them there because they had not obeyed my laws and my commands. They did not obey my rules for Sabbath says. Instead, they liked to worship their idols. ¹⁷ But I chose to be kind to them. I did not completely destroy them in the wilderness.

¹⁸ I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not live in the bad way that your fathers did. Do not obey their rules. Do not worship their idols and make yourselves unclean. ¹⁹ Remember that I am the Lord your God. So be careful to obey my laws and my commands. ²⁰ Make Sabbath days special to show that you belong to me. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’