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
New Living Translation
The Rebellion of Israel
20 On August 14,[a] during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the Lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply. 2 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 3 “Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing!’
4 “Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were. 5 Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God. 6 I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. 7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols[b] of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’
8 “But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt. 9 But I didn’t do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. 10 So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. 11 There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. 12 And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.
13 “But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness. 14 But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt. 15 But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful place on earth. 16 For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols. 17 Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.
18 “Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols. 19 ‘I am the Lord your God,’ I told them. ‘Follow my decrees, pay attention to my regulations, 20 and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the Lord your God.’
21 “But their children, too, rebelled against me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt. 23 But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations 24 because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors. 25 I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. 26 I let them pollute themselves[c] with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.
Judgment and Restoration
27 “Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me, 28 for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them. 29 I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.)
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,[d] 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[e] 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.
39 “As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols. 40 For on my holy mountain, the great mountain of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord, the people of Israel will someday worship me, and I will accept them. There I will require that you bring me all your offerings and choice gifts and sacrifices. 41 When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch. 42 Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised with a solemn oath to give to your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord. 43 You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done. 44 You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Judgment against the Negev
45 [f]Then this message came to me from the Lord: 46 “Son of man, turn and face the south[g] and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev. 47 Tell the southern wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Hear the word of the Lord! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north. 48 And everyone in the world will see that I, the Lord, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’”
49 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”
Footnotes
- 20:1 Hebrew In the fifth month, on the tenth day, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was August 14, 591 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.
- 20:7 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 20:8, 16, 18, 24, 31, 39.
- 20:25-26 Or I gave them worthless decrees and regulations. . . . I polluted them.
- 20:31 Or and make your little children pass through the fire.
- 20:34 Greek version reads I will welcome you. Compare 2 Cor 6:17.
- 20:45 Verses 20:45-49 are numbered 21:1-5 in Hebrew text.
- 20:46 Hebrew toward Teman.
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