Ezekiel 20

MLV(i) 1 And it happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah and sat before me. 2 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, The lord Jehovah says thus: Is it to inquire of me that you* have come? As I live, says the lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you*.
4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers, 5 and say to them, The lord Jehovah says thus: In the day when I chose Israel and 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, I am Jehovah your* God, 6 I swore to them in that day, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.
7 And I said to them, Cast away every man the abominations of his eyes and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Jehovah your* God. 8 But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me. They did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I worked for my name's sake (that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them) in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10 So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he will live in them.
12 Moreover I also gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Jehovah who sanctifies them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he will live in them. And they greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14 But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
15 Moreover also 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 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, nor did I make a full end of them in the wilderness.
18 And I said to their sons in the wilderness, Walk you* not in the statutes of your* fathers. Neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am Jehovah your* God. Walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them, 20 and sanctify my Sabbaths and they will be a sign between me and you*, that you* may know that I am Jehovah your* God.
21 But the sons rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes, nor kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he will live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew my hand and worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.
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 had profaned my Sabbaths and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
25 Moreover I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances in which they will not live. 26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah.
27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, The lord Jehovah says thus: In this moreover your* fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
28 For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every thick tree and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their sweet aroma and they poured out there their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, What does the high place to which you* go mean? So the name of it is called Bamah to this day.
30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, The lord Jehovah says thus: Do you* pollute yourselves according to the manner of your* fathers and play you* the prostitute according to their abominations? 31 And when you* offer your* gifts, when you* make your* sons to pass through the fire, do you* pollute yourselves with all your* idols to this day? And shall I be inquired of by you*, O house of Israel? As I live, says the lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you*.
32 And what comes into your* mind will not be at all, in that you* say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. 33 As I live, says the lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you*.
34 And I will bring you* out from the peoples and will gather you* out of the countries in which you* are scattered, with a mighty hand and with 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.
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*, says the lord Jehovah. 37 And I will cause you* to pass under the rod. And I will bring you* into the bond of the covenant.
38 And I will purge out from among you* the rebels and those who transgress against me. I will bring them forth out of the land where they journey, but they will not enter into the land of Israel.
And you* will know that I am Jehovah.
39 As for you*, O house of Israel, thus says the lord Jehovah: Go you*. Serve each one his idols and hereafter also, if you* will not listen to me. But you* will no more profane my holy name with your* gifts and with your* idols.
40 For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the lord Jehovah, there will all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land. There I will accept them and there I will require your* offerings and the first-fruits of your* oblations, with all your* holy things.
41 I will accept you* as a sweet aroma when I bring you* out from the peoples and gather you* out of the countries in which you* have been scattered. And I will be made holy in you* in the sight of the nations. 42 And you* will know that I am Jehovah when I will bring you* into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your* fathers.
43 And there you* will remember your* ways and all your* practices, by which you* have polluted yourselves. And you* will loathe yourselves in your* own sight for all your* evils that you* have committed.
44 And you* will know that I am Jehovah when I have dealt with you* for my name's sake, not according to your* evil ways, nor according to your* corrupt practices, O you* house of Israel, says the lord Jehovah.
45 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 46 Son of man, set your face toward the south and drop your word toward the south and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South. 47 And say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Jehovah. The lord Jehovah says thus: Behold, I will kindle a fire in you and it will devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The flaming flame will not be quenched and all faces from the south to the north will be burnt by it. 48 And all flesh will see that I, Jehovah, have kindled it. It will not be quenched.
49 Then I said, Ah lord Jehovah! They say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?