Ezekiel 20

VIN(i) 1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 Son of man, speak to the old men of Israel, and say to them, Thus said the Sovereign LORD: Come ye to seek me? I live, if I will be sought for you, says the Sovereign LORD. 4 Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Make known to them the detestable things of their ancestors. 5 And say to them, So says the Sovereign LORD: In the day that I chose Israel, and lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt; when I lifted up My hand to them, saying, I am the LORD your God; 6 in that day I swore to them, to bring them 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 the LORD 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 out of the land of Egypt. 10 Therefore I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the desert. 11 and I gave them my statutes and declared unto them my rights, by which the man that does them shall live by them. 12 '""I also gave them certain days to worship me as a sign between us so that they would know that I, the LORD, made them holy. 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 wrought for my name`s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 Yet even l lifted up my hand to them. in the desert,— That I would not b1ing them into the land which I had given to them flowing with milk and honey, The beauty, it was. 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 '""But I had compassion on them. I did not destroy them or completely wipe them out in the desert. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Don't walk in the statutes of your fathers. Don't observe their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my rights, and do them; 20 Make my Sabbaths holy. They shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.' 21 '""But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes. They were not careful to obey my ordinances. If a man obeys them, he will live. They profaned my Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I withdrew my hand, and wrought for my name`s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Again I lifted up my hand upon them in the wilderness, to disperse them among the nations, and scatter 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 Therefore I also gave them statutes that were not good and by 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 the LORD. 27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, So says the Sovereign LORD: Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they have committed a sin against Me. 28 For after I had brought them into the land that I promised to give them, when they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees: they made there offerings, and provoked me with their oblations, making sweet savours there, and poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, What is the high place to which ye go? and its name is called Bamah to this day. 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, So says the Sovereign LORD: Are you defiled in the same way as your fathers? And do you go whoring after their abominations? 31 When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? Should I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will not be inquired of by you! 32 And it shall not be as ye say, We will be as the nations, and as the tribes of the earth, to worship stocks and stones. 33 '"As I am alive,' declares the Sovereign LORD, 'I will rule you with a mighty hand and a powerful arm. I will pour out my fury. 34 And I will bring you out from among the peoples and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered with a strong hand and an up lifted arm and with out poured wrath. 35 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 was judging your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will be judging you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 37 "I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who disobey me. I will bring them out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” 39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Sovereign LORD: 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 Sovereign LORD, 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 shall know that I am the LORD when I bring you into the land of Israel, to the land for which I lifted up My hand to give it 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 You will know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel,” says the Sovereign LORD.'” 45 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop [words] against the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field; 47 And say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of the LORD. The Sovereign LORD 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 All flesh will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it. It will not be quenched.”'” 49 Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, they are saying about me, 'Is he not posing a parable?'"