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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

  1. 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.
  2. 20:7 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 20:8, 16, 18, 24, 31, 39.
  3. 20:25-26 Or I gave them worthless decrees and regulations. . . . I polluted them.
  4. 20:31 Or and make your little children pass through the fire.
  5. 20:34 Greek version reads I will welcome you. Compare 2 Cor 6:17.
  6. 20:45 Verses 20:45-49 are numbered 21:1-5 in Hebrew text.
  7. 20:46 Hebrew toward Teman.
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Ezekiel 20
Legacy Standard Bible

The Abominations of the Fathers of Israel

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

Then I said I would (N)pour out My wrath on them, to [d]spend 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 should (P)not be profaned 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 made them know My judgments, (S)which, if a man does them, he will live by them. 12 And I also gave them My sabbaths to be a (T)sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh 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 judgments, (V)which, if a man does them, he will live by them; and My (W)sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would (X)pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to completely destroy them. 14 But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight 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 lands, 16 because they rejected My judgments, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their (Z)heart continually walked after their idols. 17 Yet My eye had pity on them rather than bringing them to ruin, and I did not make of them a (AA)complete destruction in the wilderness.

18 “I said to their [e](AB)children in the wilderness, ‘(AC)Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers and do not keep their judgments and do not defile yourselves with their idols. 19 (AD)I am Yahweh your God; (AE)walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them. 20 (AF)Keep My sabbaths holy; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.’ 21 But the (AG)children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to do My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them; they profaned My sabbaths. So I said I would pour out My wrath on them, to spend My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I (AH)turned back My hand and acted (AI)for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned 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 [f]disperse them among the lands 24 because they had not done My judgments, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and (AK)their eyes were going after the idols of their fathers. 25 And I also gave them statutes that were (AL)not good and judgments by which they could not live; 26 and I pronounced them (AM)unclean because of their gifts, in that they (AN)caused all [g]their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might (AO)know that I am Yahweh.”’

27 “Therefore, son of man, (AP)speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Yet in this your fathers have (AQ)blasphemed Me by (AR)acting unfaithfully against Me. 28 Indeed, I (AS)brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, and they saw every (AT)high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they gave 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 are going?’ So its name is called [h]Bamah to this day.”’ 30 Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your (AU)fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? 31 [i]And when you offer your gifts, when you (AV)cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you. 32 And what (AW)comes upon your spirit will not happen, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, (AX)to minister to wood and stone.’

Yahweh Judges His People

33 “As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “surely with a strong hand and with an (AY)outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be (AZ)king over you. 34 And I will (BA)bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a strong 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 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 Lord Yahweh. 37 “And 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 transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will (BH)not enter the [j]land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.

39 “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says Lord Yahweh, “(BI)Go, serve everyone his idols; [k]but after this you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will (BJ)profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols. 40 For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh, “there the whole house of Israel, (BK)all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will (BL)accept them, and there I will [l]seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things. 41 [m]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 prove Myself (BN)holy among you in the sight of the nations. 42 And (BO)you will know that I am Yahweh, (BP)when I bring you onto the ground of Israel, into the (BQ)land which I swore to give to your fathers. 43 And there you will (BR)remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will (BS)loathe yourselves to your own faces for all the evil things that you have done. 44 Then (BT)you will know that I am Yahweh when I have dealt with you (BU)for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh.’”

45 [n]Now the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 46 “Son of man, set your face toward [o]Teman and speak, dripping out words, against the (BV)south and (BW)prophesy against the (BX)forest [p]land of the Negev 47 and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh: thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to (BY)kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every [q]green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched, and [r](BZ)the whole surface from south to north will be scorched by it. 48 And all flesh will see that I, Yahweh, have made it burn; it shall (CA)not be quenched.”’” 49 Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking (CB)parables?’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:1 Lit men
  2. Ezekiel 20:5 Lit lifted up My hand, so in ch
  3. Ezekiel 20:6 Lit spied out
  4. Ezekiel 20:8 Or make a complete destruction with, so in ch, cf. 20:13, 17
  5. Ezekiel 20:18 Lit sons
  6. Ezekiel 20:23 Or scatter, cf. Ps 44:11; 106:27
  7. Ezekiel 20:26 Lit that which opens the womb
  8. Ezekiel 20:29 Lit high place
  9. Ezekiel 20:31 Lit In your lifting up
  10. Ezekiel 20:38 Lit ground, soil
  11. Ezekiel 20:39 Or and afterwards, if you will not listen to Me, but
  12. Ezekiel 20:40 Or require
  13. Ezekiel 20:41 Lit With
  14. Ezekiel 20:45 Ch 21:1 in Heb
  15. Ezekiel 20:46 Or the South
  16. Ezekiel 20:46 Lit of the field
  17. Ezekiel 20:47 Lit moist
  18. Ezekiel 20:47 Or all the faces
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Ezekiel 19
Ezekiel 21
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