Ezekiel 20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Israel’s Rebellion
20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of Israel’s elders came to consult the Lord,(A) and they sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: Are you coming to consult Me? As I live, I will not be consulted by you.”(B) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
4 “Will you pass judgment against them, will you pass judgment, son of man? Explain the detestable practices of their fathers to them.(C) 5 Say to them: This is what the Lord God says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath[a](D) to the descendants of Jacob’s house and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore to them, saying: I am Yahweh your God.(E) 6 On that day I swore[b] to them that I would bring them out(F) of the land of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,(G) the most beautiful of all lands.(H) 7 I also said to them: Each of you must throw away the detestable things that are before your eyes and not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt.(I) I am Yahweh your God.(J)
8 “But they rebelled against Me and were unwilling to listen to Me. None of them threw away the detestable things that were before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them,(K) exhausting My anger against them within the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted because of My name,(L) so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations they were living among, in whose sight I had made Myself known to Israel by bringing them out of Egypt.
10 “So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.(M) 11 Then I gave them My statutes and explained My ordinances to them—the person who does them will live by them.(N) 12 I also gave them My Sabbaths to serve as a sign between Me and them,(O) so they will know that I am Yahweh who sets them apart as holy.
13 “But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness.(P) They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—the person who does them will live by them.(Q) They also completely profaned My Sabbaths.(R) So I considered pouring out My wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.(S) 14 But I acted because of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 However, I swore[c] to them(T) in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—the most beautiful of all lands, flowing with milk and honey— 16 because they rejected My ordinances, profaned My Sabbaths, and did not follow My statutes. For their hearts went after their idols.(U) 17 But I spared them from destruction and did not bring them to an end in the wilderness.(V)
18 “Then I said to their children in the wilderness: Don’t follow the statutes of your fathers, defile yourselves with their idols, or keep their ordinances.(W) 19 I am Yahweh your God. Follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.(X) 20 Keep My Sabbaths holy,(Y) and they will be a sign between Me and you, so you may know that I am Yahweh your God.
21 “But the children rebelled against Me.(Z) They did not follow My statutes or carefully keep My ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also profaned My Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them and exhausting My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I withheld My hand and acted because of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I brought them out. 23 However, I swore[d] to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.(AA) 24 For they did not practice My ordinances but rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed(AB) on their fathers’ idols. 25 I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances(AC) they could not live by. 26 When they made every firstborn pass through the fire,(AD) I defiled them through their gifts in order to devastate them so they would know that I am Yahweh.(AE)
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by(AF) committing treachery against Me: 28 When I brought them into the land that I swore[e] to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree,(AG) they offered their sacrifices and presented their offensive offerings there. They also sent up their pleasing aromas and poured out their drink offerings there. 29 So I asked them: What is this high place you are going to? And it is called High Place to this day.
30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: Are you defiling yourselves the way your fathers did,(AH) and prostituting yourselves with their detestable things? 31 When you offer your gifts, making your children pass through the fire,(AI) you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, house of Israel? As I live”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“I will not be consulted by you!
Israel’s Restoration
32 “When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of other countries, worshiping wood and stone,’(AJ) what you have in mind will never happen.(AK) 33 As I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“I will rule over you with a strong hand, an outstretched arm,(AL) and outpoured wrath. 34 I will bring you from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you were scattered,(AM) with a strong hand, an outstretched arm,(AN) and outpoured wrath. 35 I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples(AO) and enter into judgment with you there face to face. 36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt,(AP) so I will enter into judgment with you.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. 37 “I will make you pass under the rod(AQ) and will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 And I will also purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me.(AR) I will bring them out of the land where they live as foreign residents, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
39 “As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.(AS) 40 For on My holy mountain, Israel’s high mountain”—the declaration of the Lord God—“there the entire house of Israel, all of them,(AT) will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your contributions and choicest gifts,(AU) all your holy offerings. 41 When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will demonstrate My holiness through you in the sight of the nations.(AV) 42 When I lead you into the land of Israel, the land I swore[f] to give your fathers, you will know that I am Yahweh.(AW) 43 There you will remember your ways and all your deeds that you have defiled yourselves with,(AX) and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil things you have done.(AY) 44 You will know that I am Yahweh,(AZ) house of Israel, when I have dealt with you because of My name(BA) rather than according to your evil ways and corrupt acts.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Fire in the South
45 [g]The word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, face the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest land in the Negev,(BB) 47 and say to the forest there: Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: I am about to ignite a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be extinguished, and every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48 Then all people will see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it.(BC) It will not be extinguished.”
49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just posing riddles?’”(BD)
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 20:5 Lit I lifted My hand
- Ezekiel 20:6 Lit lifted My hand
- Ezekiel 20:15 Lit lifted My hand
- Ezekiel 20:23 Lit lifted My hand
- Ezekiel 20:28 Lit lifted My hand
- Ezekiel 20:42 Lit lifted My hand
- Ezekiel 20:45 Ezk 21:1 in Hb
Ezekiel 20
Common English Bible
History of rebellion
20 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of Israel’s elders came to inquire of the Lord. As they were sitting with me, 2 the Lord’s word came to me: 3 Human one, speak to Israel’s elders and say to them, The Lord God proclaims: Have you come to petition me? As surely as I live, I reject your petitions. This is what the Lord God says! 4 Will you judge them, human one, will you judge them? Then expose to them the detestable practices of their ancestors. 5 Say to them, The Lord God proclaims: On the day I chose Israel, I swore a solemn pledge to the descendants of Jacob’s household. When I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I swore a solemn pledge: I am the Lord your God. 6 On that day I swore that I would lead them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I would show them, a land full of milk and honey, the most splendid of all lands. 7 And I said to them, Every one of you must cast away your disgusting things. Don’t let yourselves be defiled by Egypt’s idols. I am the Lord your God. 8 But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. No one cast off their disgusting things or abandoned their Egyptian idols. So I declared that I would pour out my wrath on them and satisfy my anger against them in the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted for my name’s sake, so that it wouldn’t be degraded in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, and in whose sight I made it known that I would lead them out of the land of Egypt.
10 So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert. 11 I gave them my regulations and made known to them my case laws, which bring life to all who observe them. 12 I also gave them my sabbaths as a sign between us that I, the Lord, have set them apart for my purpose.[a] 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn’t follow my regulations and rejected my case laws, which bring life to all who observe them. They completely degraded my sabbaths. So I declared that I would pour out my anger against them and destroy them in the desert. 14 But instead, I acted for the sake of my name so that it wouldn’t be degraded in the sight of the nations who saw me lead them out of Egypt. 15 So in the desert I swore another solemn pledge, that I wouldn’t bring them to the land that I had given to them, a land full of milk and honey, a land more splendid than any other, 16 because they rejected my case laws, didn’t follow my regulations, and degraded my sabbaths. They had their hearts set on their idols. 17 But I had too much compassion to destroy them, so I didn’t put an end to them in the desert.
18 In the desert, I said to their children, Don’t follow your parents’ regulations or observe their case laws or become defiled by their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God! Follow my regulations! Observe my case laws and do them! 20 Make my sabbaths holy, and let them be a sign between us that I am the Lord your God. 21 But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t follow my regulations or observe my case laws, which bring life to all who observe them. They also degraded my sabbaths. So I declared that I would pour out my wrath on them and satisfy my anger against them in the desert. 22 But I restrained myself and acted for the sake of my name so that it wouldn’t be diminished in the sight of the nations who saw me lead them out of Egypt. 23 And I swore yet another solemn pledge in the desert, that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the earth, 24 because they didn’t observe my case laws, they rejected my regulations, and they degraded my sabbaths while they kept looking to their parents’ idols. 25 I also issued regulations that were not good and case laws by which they could not live. 26 I defiled them with their very gifts when they offered up all their oldest children. They were supposed to be so horrified that they would acknowledge that I am the Lord.
27 Therefore, human one, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, The Lord God proclaims: Yet again your ancestors defamed me by rebelling against me! 28 I brought them into the land that I swore to give to them. But when they saw all the high hills and lofty trees, there they made their sacrifices: irksome offerings here, pleasing aromas there, and drink offerings elsewhere! 29 I said to them, What shrine are you going to now? So it’s called Shrine[b] to this very day.
30 So now say to the house of Israel, The Lord God proclaims: Will you defile yourselves as your ancestors did, and will you prostitute yourself after their disgusting things? 31 When you offer up your gifts and make your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Should I let you seek me out, house of Israel? This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, I won’t let you seek me. 32 What is in your minds will never happen! You’ve been saying, “Let’s be like the nations and the clans of the lands in the service of wood and stone.” 33 This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be your king! 34 I will lead you out from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you’ve been scattered—yes, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out! 35 I will march you out to the wilderness nations, and there I will judge you face-to-face. 36 Just as I judged your ancestors in the desert of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you. This is what the Lord God says. 37 I will make you walk under the rod, and I will bring you into the covenant bond. 38 I will remove from among you those who rebel and transgress against me. I will lead them out from the land where they lived as immigrants, but they won’t enter Israel’s fertile land. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39 But to you, house of Israel, the Lord God proclaims: Go ahead and serve your idols, all of you! But afterward, if any of you are left to listen to me,[c] you will no longer make my holy name impure with your gifts or your idols! 40 On my holy mountain, on the high mountain in Israel, the whole house of Israel will serve me there—every one of them in the land! This is what the Lord God says. There I will accept them, and there I will ask for their offerings, their finest gifts, and all their holy things. 41 When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you are scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. Through you I will be made holy in the sight of the nations. 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you to Israel’s fertile land, to the land that I swore to give to your ancestors. 43 There you will remember how your ways and all your wicked deeds defiled you, and you will loathe yourselves for all the wicked things that you’ve done. 44 Then, house of Israel, you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my name and not according to your wicked ways and ruinous deeds. This is what the Lord God says.
Fire in the southern plain
45 [d] The Lord’s word came to me: 46 Human one, face Teman, preach against the south, and prophesy against the thicket in the arid southern plain. 47 Say to the thicket in the arid southern plain: Hear the Lord God’s word. This is what the Lord God says: I’m about to set a fire in you, and it will consume every green and every dry tree in you. Its blazing flame won’t be put out, and everything from south to north will be scorched. 48 Everyone will see that I, the Lord, have set it on fire. It won’t be quenched. 49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God! They say about me, ‘Isn’t he one for making metaphors?’”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 20:12 Or to make them holy
- Ezekiel 20:29 Heb sounds like Where are you going?
- Ezekiel 20:39 Heb uncertain
- Ezekiel 20:45 21:1 in Heb
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