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Ezekiel 19:1-20:44
English Standard Version
Ezekiel 19:1-20:44
English Standard Version
A Lament for the Princes of Israel
19 And you, (A)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:
What was your mother? (B)A lioness!
Among lions she crouched;
in the midst of young lions
she reared her cubs.
3 And she brought up one of her cubs;
(C)he became a young lion,
(D)and he learned to catch prey;
he devoured men.
4 The nations heard about him;
(E)he was caught in their pit,
(F)and they brought him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she waited in vain,
that her hope was lost,
(G)she took another of her cubs
and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions;
he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
he devoured men,
7 and seized[a] their widows.
He laid waste their cities,
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
at the sound of his roaring.
8 (H)Then the nations set against him
from provinces on every side;
(I)they spread their net over him;
(J)he was taken in their pit.
9 With hooks (K)they put him in a cage[b]
and (L)brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
on (M)the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was (N)like a vine in a vineyard[c]
planted by the water,
(O)fruitful and full of branches
(P)by reason of abundant water.
11 Its strong stems became
rulers' scepters;
it towered aloft
among the thick boughs;[d]
it was seen in its height
with the mass of its branches.
12 But the vine was plucked up in fury,
cast down to the ground;
(Q)the east wind dried up its fruit;
they were stripped off and withered.
As for its strong stem,
fire consumed it.
13 (R)Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14 (S)And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,
has consumed its fruit,
(T)so that there remains in it no strong stem,
no scepter for ruling.
This is (U)a lamentation and has become a lamentation.
Israel's Continuing Rebellion
20 (V)In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of (W)the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, (X)and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 (Y)“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? (Z)As I live, declares the Lord God, (AA)I will not be inquired of by you. 4 (AB)Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? (AC)Let them know the abominations of their fathers, 5 and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: (AD)On the day when I chose Israel, (AE)I swore[e] to the offspring of the house of Jacob, (AF)making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; (AG)I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. 6 On that day I swore to them that (AH)I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land (AI)flowing with milk and honey, (AJ)the most glorious of all lands. 7 And I said to them, (AK)‘Cast away the detestable things (AL)your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with (AM)the idols of Egypt; (AN)I am the Lord your God.’ 8 (AO)But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. (AP)None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.
“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them (AQ)and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 (AR)But I acted (AS)for the sake of my name, (AT)that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, (AU)in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 (AV)So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 (AW)I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, (AX)by which, if a person does them, he shall live. 12 Moreover, I gave them (AY)my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, (AZ)that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 (BA)But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. (BB)They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; (BC)and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.
(BD)“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. 14 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, (BE)in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 Moreover, (BF)I swore to them in the wilderness (BG)that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land (BH)flowing with milk and honey, (BI)the most glorious of all lands, 16 because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; (BJ)for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless, (BK)my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or (BL)make a full end of them in the wilderness.
18 “And I said to (BM)their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk (BN)in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, (BO)nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 (BP)I am the Lord your God; (BQ)walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, 20 and (BR)keep my Sabbaths holy that (BS)they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ 21 (BT)But the children (BU)rebelled against me. (BV)They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.
(BW)“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 (BX)But I withheld my hand (BY)and acted for the sake of my name, (BZ)that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 (CA)Moreover, (CB)I swore to them in the wilderness (CC)that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, (CD)and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. 25 (CE)Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, 26 and I defiled them through (CF)their very gifts (CG)in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it (CH)that they might know that I am the Lord.
27 “Therefore, (CI)son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by (CJ)dealing treacherously with me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land that (CK)I swore to give them, then wherever they saw (CL)any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented (CM)the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 (I said to them, (CN)‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called Bamah[f] to this day.)
30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: (CO)Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go (CP)whoring after their detestable things? 31 When you present your gifts and (CQ)offer up your children in fire,[g] you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And (CR)shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? (CS)As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.
32 (CT)“What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, (CU)‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, (CV)and worship wood and stone.’
The Lord Will Restore Israel
33 (CW)“As I live, declares the Lord God, (CX)surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and (CY)with wrath poured out I will be king over you. 34 (CZ)I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 35 (DA)And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, (DB)and there I will enter into judgment with you (DC)face to face. 36 (DD)As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God. 37 I will make you (DE)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 (DF)I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. (DG)I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, (DH)but they shall not enter the land of Israel. (DI)Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39 “As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: (DJ)Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; (DK)but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
40 (DL)“For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord God, there (DM)all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. (DN)There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. 41 As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when (DO)I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And (DP)I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 42 (DQ)And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that (DR)I swore to give to your fathers. 43 (DS)And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, (DT)and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. 44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, (DU)when I deal with you for my name's sake, (DV)not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 19:7 Hebrew knew
- Ezekiel 19:9 Or in a wooden collar
- Ezekiel 19:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts in your blood
- Ezekiel 19:11 Or the clouds
- Ezekiel 20:5 Hebrew I lifted my hand; twice in this verse; also verses 6, 15, 23, 28, 42
- Ezekiel 20:29 Bamah means high place
- Ezekiel 20:31 Hebrew and make your children pass through the fire
Ezekiel 19:1-20:44
New International Version
Ezekiel 19:1-20:44
New International Version
A Lament Over Israel’s Princes
19 “Take up a lament(A) concerning the princes(B) of Israel 2 and say:
“‘What a lioness(C) was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among them
and reared her cubs.(D)
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.
4 The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(E)
to the land of Egypt.(F)
5 “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(G)
and made him a strong lion.(H)
6 He prowled among the lions,
for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.(I)
7 He broke down[a] their strongholds
and devastated(J) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.
8 Then the nations(K) came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net(L) for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.(M)
9 With hooks(N) they pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon.(O)
They put him in prison,
so his roar(P) was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.(Q)
10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[b](R)
planted by the water;(S)
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.(T)
11 Its branches were strong,
fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
and for its many branches.(U)
12 But it was uprooted(V) in fury
and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(W) made it shrivel,
it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
and fire consumed them.(X)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(Y)
in a dry and thirsty land.(Z)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[c] branches
and consumed(AA) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(AB)
“This is a lament(AC) and is to be used as a lament.”
Rebellious Israel Purged
20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire(AD) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.(AE)
2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders(AF) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire(AG) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AH)’
4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors(AI) 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose(AJ) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand(AK) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.(AL)” 6 On that day I swore(AM) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,(AN) the most beautiful of all lands.(AO) 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images(AP) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols(AQ) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.(AR)”
8 “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;(AS) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.(AT) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.(AU) 9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.(AV) I did it to keep my name from being profaned(AW) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.(AX) 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.(AY) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths(AZ) as a sign(BA) between us,(BB) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.(BC)
13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled(BD) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws(BE)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.(BF) So I said I would pour out my wrath(BG) on them and destroy(BH) them in the wilderness.(BI) 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned(BJ) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.(BK) 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore(BL) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands(BM)— 16 because they rejected my laws(BN) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts(BO) were devoted to their idols.(BP) 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy(BQ) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents(BR) or keep their laws or defile yourselves(BS) with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God;(BT) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(BU) 20 Keep my Sabbaths(BV) holy, that they may be a sign(BW) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.(BX)”
21 “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,(BY) of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger(BZ) against them in the wilderness.(CA) 22 But I withheld(CB) my hand, and for the sake of my name(CC) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter(CD) them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees(CE) and desecrated my Sabbaths,(CF) and their eyes lusted after(CG) their parents’ idols.(CH) 25 So I gave(CI) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;(CJ) 26 I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice(CK) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.(CL)’
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors(CM) blasphemed(CN) me by being unfaithful to me:(CO) 28 When I brought them into the land(CP) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.(CQ) 29 Then I said to them: What is this high place(CR) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah[d] to this day.)
Rebellious Israel Renewed
30 “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves(CS) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?(CT) 31 When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children(CU) in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.(CV)
32 “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. 33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm(CW) and with outpoured wrath.(CX) 34 I will bring you from the nations(CY) and gather(CZ) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand(DA) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.(DB) 35 I will bring you into the wilderness(DC) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment(DD) upon you. 36 As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DE) 37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,(DF) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.(DG) 38 I will purge(DH) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(DI)
39 “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,(DJ) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name(DK) with your gifts and idols.(DL) 40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,(DM) declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings(DN) and your choice gifts,[e] along with all your holy sacrifices.(DO) 41 I will accept you as fragrant incense(DP) when I bring you out from the nations and gather(DQ) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy(DR) through you in the sight of the nations.(DS) 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord,(DT) when I bring you into the land of Israel,(DU) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.(DV) 43 There you will remember your conduct(DW) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves(DX) for all the evil you have done.(DY) 44 You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake(DZ) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EA)’”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
- Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
- Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its
- Ezekiel 20:29 Bamah means high place.
- Ezekiel 20:40 Or and the gifts of your firstfruits
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.