Ezekiel 20:1-29
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.”’
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- Ezekiel 20:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
- Ezekiel 20:5 Lit lifted up My hand, and so throughout the ch
- Ezekiel 20:5 Lit seed
- Ezekiel 20:5 Lit lifted up My hand, and so throughout the ch
- Ezekiel 20:6 Lit spied out
- Ezekiel 20:8 Lit said
- Ezekiel 20:8 Or finish
- Ezekiel 20:11 Lit the person
- Ezekiel 20:11 Lit does them
- Ezekiel 20:13 Lit the person
- Ezekiel 20:13 Lit does them
- Ezekiel 20:13 Lit said
- Ezekiel 20:18 Lit sons
- Ezekiel 20:19 Lit do
- Ezekiel 20:21 Lit do My
- Ezekiel 20:21 Lit the person
- Ezekiel 20:21 Lit does them
- Ezekiel 20:21 Lit said
- Ezekiel 20:21 Or finish
- Ezekiel 20:24 Lit done My
- Ezekiel 20:24 Lit after
- Ezekiel 20:26 Lit that which opens the womb
- Ezekiel 20:29 Or High Place
Ezekiel 20:1-29
Revised Standard Version
Israel’s Continuing Rebellion
20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. 4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then let them know the abominations of their fathers, 5 and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the seed of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. 7 And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. 8 But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not every man cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.
“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they dwelt, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live. 12 Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not walk in my statutes but rejected my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned.
“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. 14 But I acted 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. 15 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, 16 because they rejected my ordinances and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.
18 “And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I the Lord am your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to observe my ordinances, 20 and hallow my sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I the Lord am your God. 21 But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes, and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live; they profaned my sabbaths.
“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I withheld my hand, and acted 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 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, 24 because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers’ idols. 25 Moreover I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not have life; 26 and I defiled them through their very gifts in making them offer by fire all their first-born, that I might horrify them; I did it that they 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 again your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land which I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their soothing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 (I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So its name is called Bamah[a] to this day.)
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- Ezekiel 20:29 That is High Place
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.