Ezekiel 20:33-39
New English Translation
33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm[a] and with an outpouring of rage, I will be king over you. 34 I will bring you out from the nations and will gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm and with an outpouring of rage! 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just 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 Sovereign Lord. 37 I will make you pass under[b] the shepherd’s staff,[c] and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will eliminate from among you the rebels and those who revolt[d] against me. I will bring them out from the land where they have been residing, but they will not come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols,[e] if you will not listen to me.[f] But my holy name will not be profaned[g] again by your sacrifices[h] and your idols.
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- Ezekiel 20:33 sn This phrase occurs frequently in Deuteronomy (Deut 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8).
- Ezekiel 20:37 tn This is the same Hebrew verb used to describe the passing of the children through the fire.
- Ezekiel 20:37 sn The metaphor may be based in Lev 27:32 (see also Jer 33:13 and Matt 25:32-33). A shepherd would count his sheep as they passed beneath his staff.
- Ezekiel 20:38 tn See the note at 2:3.
- Ezekiel 20:39 sn Compare the irony here to Amos 4:4 and Jer 44:25.
- Ezekiel 20:39 tn Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.
- Ezekiel 20:39 sn A similar concept may be found in Lev 18:21 and 20:3.
- Ezekiel 20:39 tn Or “gifts.”
Ezekiel 20:33-39
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God Will Restore Israel
33 As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you.(A) 34 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 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.(B) 36 As I entered into judgment with your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord God.(C) 37 I will make you pass under the staff and will bring you within the bond of the covenant.(D) 38 I will purge out the rebels among you and those who transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where they reside as aliens, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.(E)
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve your idols, every one of you now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me, but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.(F)
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