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Ezekiel 20
New American Standard Bible

God’s Dealings with Israel Rehearsed

20 Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, men from the (A)elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat before me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord [a]God says: “Do you yourselves come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “(B)I certainly will not be inquired of by you.”’ 4 Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? (C)Make known to them the abominations of their fathers; 5 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day when I (D)chose Israel and [b]swore to the [c]descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I [d]swore to them, saying, (E)I am the Lord your God, 6 on that day I swore to them, (F)to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had [e]selected for them, (G)flowing with milk and honey, which is (H)the glory of all the lands. 7 And I said to them, ‘(I)Throw away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and (J)do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; (K)I am the Lord your God.’ 8 But they (L)rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not throw away, each of them, the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they abandon the (M)idols of Egypt.

“Then I [f]resolved to (N)pour out My wrath on them, to [g]use up My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted (O)for the sake of My name, that it would (P)not be defiled in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the (Q)wilderness. 11 I gave them My (R)statutes and informed them of My ordinances, (S)which, if [h]a person [i]follows them, then he will live by them. 12 Also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a (T)sign between Me and them, so that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 But the house of Israel (U)rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, (V)which, if [j]a person [k]follows them, then he will live by them; and they greatly profaned My (W)Sabbaths. Then I [l]resolved to (X)pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them. 14 But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out. 15 Also (Y)I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all the lands, 16 because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they also profaned My Sabbaths, because their (Z)heart continually followed their idols. 17 Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not bring about their (AA)annihilation in the wilderness.

18 “Instead, I said to their [m](AB)children in the wilderness, ‘(AC)Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 (AD)I am the Lord your God; (AE)walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and [n]follow them. 20 (AF)Sanctify My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ 21 But the (AG)children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to [o]follow My ordinances which, if [p]a person [q]follows them, then he will live by them; they profaned My Sabbaths. So I [r]resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to [s]use up My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I (AH)withdrew My hand and acted (AI)for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would (AJ)scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, 24 because they had not [t]complied with My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My Sabbaths, and (AK)their eyes were [u]on the idols of their fathers. 25 I also gave them statutes that were (AL)not good, and ordinances by which they could not live; 26 and I pronounced them (AM)unclean because of their gifts, in that they (AN)made all [v]their firstborn pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might (AO)know that I am the Lord.”’

27 “Therefore (AP)speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Again, in this your fathers have (AQ)blasphemed Me by (AR)being disloyal to Me. 28 When I had (AS)brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every (AT)high hill and every tree thick with branches, and there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called [w]Bamah to this day.”’ 30 Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your (AU)fathers and adulterously pursue their detestable things? 31 And [x]when you offer your gifts, when you (AV)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 (AW)comes [y]into your mind certainly will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, (AX)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 (AY)outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be (AZ)king over you. 34 I will (BA)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 (BB)wrath poured out; 35 and I will bring you into the (BC)wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I (BD)entered into judgment with your fathers in the (BE)wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. 37 “I will make you (BF)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 and I will (BG)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 (BH)not enter the [z]land of Israel. So you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “As for you, house of Israel,” this is what the Lord God says: “(BI)Go, serve, everyone of you his idols; [aa]but later you will certainly listen to Me, and My holy name you will no longer (BJ)defile with your gifts and your idols. 40 For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares the Lord God, “there the entire house of Israel, (BK)all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will (BL)accept them and there I will demand your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things. 41 [ab]As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I (BM)bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will show Myself to be (BN)holy among you in the sight of the nations. 42 And (BO)you will know that I am the Lord, (BP)when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the (BQ)land which I swore to give to your forefathers. 43 And there you will (BR)remember your ways and all your deeds by which you have defiled yourselves; and you will (BS)loathe yourselves in your own [ac]sight for all the evil things that you have done. 44 Then (BT)you will know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you (BU)in behalf of My name, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.’”

45 [ad]Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and speak prophetically against the (BV)south and (BW)prophesy against the (BX)forest [ae]land of the Negev, 47 and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to (BY)kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every [af]green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not go out and [ag](BZ)the entire surface from south to north will be scorched by it. 48 And all [ah]mankind will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it will (CA)not go out.”’” 49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking in (CB)riddles?’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Ezekiel 20:5 Lit lifted up My hand, and so throughout the ch
  3. Ezekiel 20:5 Lit seed
  4. Ezekiel 20:5 Lit lifted up My hand, and so throughout the ch
  5. Ezekiel 20:6 Lit spied out
  6. Ezekiel 20:8 Lit said
  7. Ezekiel 20:8 Or finish
  8. Ezekiel 20:11 Lit the person
  9. Ezekiel 20:11 Lit does them
  10. Ezekiel 20:13 Lit the person
  11. Ezekiel 20:13 Lit does them
  12. Ezekiel 20:13 Lit said
  13. Ezekiel 20:18 Lit sons
  14. Ezekiel 20:19 Lit do
  15. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit do My
  16. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit the person
  17. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit does them
  18. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit said
  19. Ezekiel 20:21 Or finish
  20. Ezekiel 20:24 Lit done My
  21. Ezekiel 20:24 Lit after
  22. Ezekiel 20:26 Lit that which opens the womb
  23. Ezekiel 20:29 Or High Place
  24. Ezekiel 20:31 Lit in your lifting up
  25. Ezekiel 20:32 Lit upon your spirit
  26. Ezekiel 20:38 Lit ground; or soil
  27. Ezekiel 20:39 Or and afterward, if you will not listen to Me, but
  28. Ezekiel 20:41 Lit With
  29. Ezekiel 20:43 Lit faces
  30. Ezekiel 20:45 Ch 21:1 in Heb
  31. Ezekiel 20:46 Lit of the field
  32. Ezekiel 20:47 Lit moist
  33. Ezekiel 20:47 Or all the faces
  34. Ezekiel 20:48 Lit flesh
Listen to Ezekiel 20
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Ezekiel 20
New King James Version

The Rebellions of Israel

20 It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that (A)certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord God, (B)“I will not be inquired of by you.” ’ 4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then (C)make known to them the abominations of their fathers.

5 “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when (D)I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself (E)known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, (F)‘I am the Lord your God.’ 6 On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, (G)to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, (H)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ (I)the glory of all lands. 7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, (J)throw away (K)the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with (L)the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ 8 But they rebelled against Me and would not [a]obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will (M)pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ 9 (N)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself (O)known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

10 “Therefore I (P)made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 (Q)And I gave them My statutes and [b]showed them My judgments, (R)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ 12 Moreover I also gave them My (S)Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 Yet the house of Israel (T)rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they (U)despised My judgments, (V)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly (W)defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the (X)wilderness, to consume them. 14 (Y)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 So (Z)I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, (AA)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ (AB)the glory of all lands, 16 (AC)because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for (AD)their heart went after their idols. 17 (AE)Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

18 “But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God: (AF)Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; 20 (AG)hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

21 “Notwithstanding, (AH)the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, (AI)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I [c]withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that (AJ)I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, 24 (AK)because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and (AL)their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

25 “Therefore (AM)I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; 26 and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all [d]their firstborn to pass (AN)through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they (AO)might know that I am the Lord.” ’

27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In this too your fathers have (AP)blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me. 28 When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and (AQ)they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their (AR)sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, ‘What is this [e]high place to which you go?’ So its name is called [f]Bamah to this day.” ’ 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your (AS)fathers, and committing harlotry according to their (AT)abominations? 31 For when you offer (AU)your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will (AV)not be inquired of by you. 32 (AW)What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’

God Will Restore Israel

33 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand, (AX)with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there (AY)I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 (AZ)Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God.

37 “I will make you (BA)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the (BB)covenant; 38 (BC)I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but (BD)they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: (BE)“Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; (BF)but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols. 40 For (BG)on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “there (BH)all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there (BI)I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your [g]sacrifices, together with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you as a (BJ)sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. 42 (BK)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, (BL)when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. 43 And (BM)there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and (BN)you shall [h]loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed. 44 (BO)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you (BP)for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel,” says the Lord God.’ ”

Fire in the Forest

45 Furthermore the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46 (BQ)“Son of man, set your face toward the south; [i]preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the [j]South, 47 and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, (BR)I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour (BS)every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces (BT)from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”

49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak (BU)parables?’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:8 Lit. listen to
  2. Ezekiel 20:11 Lit. made known to
  3. Ezekiel 20:22 Refrained from judgment
  4. Ezekiel 20:26 Lit. that open the womb
  5. Ezekiel 20:29 Place for pagan worship
  6. Ezekiel 20:29 Lit. High Place
  7. Ezekiel 20:40 offerings
  8. Ezekiel 20:43 Or despise
  9. Ezekiel 20:46 proclaim, lit. drop
  10. Ezekiel 20:46 Heb. Negev
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Ezekiel 19
Ezekiel 21
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