Ezekiel 20

Rotherham(i) 1 And it came to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tent of the month, that there came in men of the elders of Israel to enquire of Yahweh,––and they sat before me. 2 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying:–– 3 Son of man, Speak thou with the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, To enquire of me, are ye, coming in? As I live, verily I will no be enquired of by you, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh. 4 Wilt thou judge them, wilt thou judge, O son of man? The abominations of their fathers, let them know:
5 So then thou shalt say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, In the day when I made choice of Israel, then lifted I up my hand, to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them, in the land of Egypt,––Yea I lifted up my hand to them, saying, I, Yahweh, am your God. 6 In that day, lifted I up my hand to them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt,––into a land that I had looked out for them, flowing with milk and honey, The beauty, it was, of all lands. 7 And I said unto them., Every one, the abomination of his eyes, cast ye away, And, with the manufactured gods of Egypt, let it not be that ye defile yourselves: I, Yahweh, am your God. 8 But they rebelled against me, And were not willing to hearken unto me, Every man, the abominations of their eyes, they cast not away, And, the manufactured gods of Egypt, forsook they not; Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them, to bring mine anger to an end against them, in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 Howbeit I wrought with effect, for the sake of mine own Name, that it might not be profaned––before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were,––before whose eyes I made myself known unto them, by bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10 Therefore brought I them forth out of the land of Egypt,––and caused them to come into the desert. 11 Then gave I unto them my statutes, And, my regulations, caused I them to know,––By the which the man, that doeth them, shall live. 12 Moreover also, my sabbaths, gave I unto them, to become a sign betwixt me and them,––that it might be known, that, I, Yahweh, was hallowing them. 13 But the house of Israel, rebelled against me, in the desert, In my statutes, walked they not, And my regulations, they rejected, By the which the man, that doeth them, shall live, My sabbaths also, they profaned exceedingly. Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them in the desert, to make an end of them. 14 Howbeit I wrought with effect, for the sake of mine own Name,––that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I had brought them forth. 15 Yet, even I, lifted up my hand to them, in the desert,––That I would not bring them into the land which I had given to them, flowing with milk and honey, The beauty, it was, of all lands: 16 Because, my regulations, they had rejected, And, as for my statutes, they had not walked therein, My sabbaths also, had they profaned; For, after their manufactured gods, their heart, had been going. 17 Nevertheless mine eye, threw a shield, over them, that they should not be destroyed; So I made not of them a full end, in the desert. 18 But I said unto their children, in the desert, In the statutes of your fathers, let it not be that ye walk, And their regulations, let it not be that ye observe,––And with their manufactured gods, let it not be that ye defile yourselves. 19 I, Yahweh, am your God, In my statutes, walk ye,––And my regulations, observe ye and do them; 20 My sabbaths also, hallow ye,––And they shall become a sign betwixt me and you, That it may be known, that, I, Yahweh, am your God. 21 Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against me, In my statutes, walked they not, And my regulations, observed they not, to do them, Wherein the man, who shall do them, shall live, My sabbaths, they profaned. Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them, to bring mine anger to an end against them, in the desert. 22 Howbeit I withdrew my hand, and wrought with effect, for the sake of mine own Name,––that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them forth: 23 Even, I, lifted up my hand to them, in the desert,––That I would disperse them throughout the nations, And scatter them throughout the lands; 24 Because, my regulations, had they not done, And, my statutes, they had rejected, My sabbaths also, they had profaned,––And, after the manufactured gods of their fathers, were their eyes [turned]. 25 I myself, indeed, suffered them [to walk in] statutes which were, not good,––And regulations, in which they could not live. 26 Yea I let them defile themselves with their gifts, when they caused every firstborn to pass through [the fire], ––that I might make them desolate. To the end they might know, that, I, am Yahweh.
27 Therefore, speak thou unto the house of Israel, Son of man, and say unto them, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh,––Yet further in this, did your fathers, insult me, by the treachery wherewith they dealt treacherously against me; 28 When I brought them into the land, as to which I had lifted up mine hand to give it them, then beheld they every high hill and every tangled tree, And offered, there, their sacrifices, And presented, there, their provoking, gift, And placed, there, their satisfying, odour, And poured out, there, their drink–offerings. 29 Therefore said I unto them, What! a high–place, whereinto ye, are entering? And so the name thereof hath been called High–place, unto this day. 30 Therefore, say thou unto the house of Israel, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, Is it, in the way of your fathers, ye, are defiling yourselves,––And, after their abominations, that ye, are committing lewdness? 31 Yea, when ye lift up your gifts, When ye cause your children to pass through the fire, Ye, are defiling yourselves unto all your manufactured gods, unto this day, And shall, I, be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh, Surely I will not be enquired of by you. 32 And, as for that which is rising up on your spirit, it shall, not at all come to pass, In that ye, are saying, Let us be like the nations, Like the families of the lands, By ministering unto Wood and Stone!
33 As I live, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh, Surely, with a strong hand, and, With an outstretched arm, and, With outpoured indignation, Will I be king over you; 34 And I will bring you forth from among the peoples, And gather you together, out of the lands, throughout which ye have been dispersed, With a strong hand, and, With an outstretched arm, and, With outpoured indignation; 35 And I will bring you, into the desert of the peoples,––and will contend with you there, face to face. 36 Just as I contended with yore fathers, in the desert of the land of Egypt, So, will I contend with you, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh; 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, And will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 And will sever from you, those who are rebelling and those who are transgressing against me, Out of the land of their sojournings, will I bring them forth, Yet, upon the soil of Israel, shall they not enter, So shall ye know, that, I, am Yahweh. 39 But, as for you, O house of Israel, Thus, saith my Lord, Yahweh, Go, serve, every man, his own manufactured gods, Yet, afterwards, surely, Ye shall be ready to hearken unto me,––And, my holy name, shall ye profane no more, With your gifts, and, With your manufactured gods. 40 For, in my holy, mountain, In the mountain of the height of Israel, Declareth, My Lord, Yahweh, There, shall all the house of Israel, serve me, all of it, in the land, There, will I accept them, and, There, will I seek your heave–offerings, and the firstfruits of your gifts, in all your holy things: 41 As a satisfying, odour, will I accept, you, Through my bringing you forth from among the peoples, And gathering you, out of the lands, throughout which ye have been dispersed; Thus will I hallow myself in you, before the eyes of the nations. 42 So shall ye know, that, I, am Yahweh, Through my bringing you in unto the soil of Israel, Unto the land, as to which I lifted up my hand, to give it unto your fathers. 43 Then shall ye call to mind, there, your own ways, and all your own doings, wherewith ye had defiled yourselves,––And ye shall become loathsome in your own sight, for all your wickednesses, which ye have done. 44 So shall ye know, that, I, am Yahweh, Through my dealing effectively with you, for the sake of mine own Name,––Not according to your own wicked ways, Nor according to your corrupted doings, O house of Israel, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh.
45 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying: 46 Son of man, Set thy face the way towards Teman, And drop [thy word] against the land of the sun, And prophesy unto the forest of the field of the South; 47 And thou shalt say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Yahweh,––Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh––Behold me! kindling in thee a fire, And it shall devour in thee every moist tree and every dry tree, The spreading flame, shall not be quenched, Then, shall be scorched thereby, all faces, from south to north; 48 And all flesh shall see, that, I, Yahweh, have kindled it,––It shall not be quenched. 49 Then said I, Ah! My Lord, Yahweh: They, are saying of me, Is, not he a, putter forth of parables?