Ezekiel 20

1It happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, that certain men among Israel's elders came to seek Yahweh and sat before me.

2Then Yahweh's word came to me, saying,

3Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, "Here is what Lord Yahweh says: Have you come to inquire of me? As I live, declares Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you."

4Will you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Make the abominations of their fathers known to them.

5Say to them, Thus declares Lord Yahweh: On the day I chose Israel and raised my hand to the offspring of Jacob's house, and revealed myself to them in the land of Egypt, when I raised my hand to them, saying, I am Yahweh your God.

6On that day I lifted my hand to them to bring them out from the land of Egypt to a land that I had explored for them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.

7I said to them, “Every one of you, throw away the detestable things before your eyes, and do not defile yourselves with Egypt's idols—I am Yahweh your God.”

8They rebelled against me and refused to heed me; every man held onto the detestable things before his eyes, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my burning anger on them, to spend it fully against them in the midst of Egypt's land.

9But I acted for the sake of my name, lest it be defiled in the eyes of the nations among whom they were, in whose eyes I made myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

10I led them out from the land of Egypt and brought them to the wilderness.

11I gave them my statutes and made my judgments known to them, which a person does—he lives by them.

12I also gave my Sabbaths to them to serve as a sign between me and them, so they would know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.

13The house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes, and they rejected my judgments—which if a person does them, he will live by them—and they greatly defiled my Sabbaths, so I declared I would pour out my fury on them in the wilderness to destroy them.

14But I acted for the sake of my name, lest it be defiled before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I brought them out.

15Moreover, I lifted my hand to them in the wilderness not to bring them into the land I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendor of all lands.

16because they spurned my judgments, refused to follow my statutes, and defiled my sabbaths, since their heart pursued their idols.

17Yet my eye spared them from destroying them, and I did not put an end to them in the wilderness.

18I said to their children in the wilderness, "Do not walk in your fathers' statutes, do not keep their judgments, and do not defile yourselves with their idols."

19I am Yahweh your God; walk in my statutes, keep my ordinances, and do them.

20Sanctify my Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between me and you, that you may know I am Yahweh your God.

21Yet their children rebelled against me; they did not follow my statutes or keep my ordinances to carry them out, ordinances that bring life to anyone who carries them out; they defiled my Sabbaths. Then I resolved to vent my fury on them, to exhaust my anger against them in the wilderness.

22I drew back my hand and acted for my name's sake, lest it be defiled in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I brought them out.

23I also lifted my hand to them in the wilderness to scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries.

24because they had not carried out my judgments, rejected my statutes, desecrated my Sabbaths, and set their eyes on their fathers' idols.

25I also gave them statutes that were not good and judgments by which they would not live.

26I defiled them in their gifts, in their causing every opener of the womb to pass through, so that I might desolate them, so that they might know that I am Yahweh.

27Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Your fathers have blasphemed me yet in this, trespassing against me in treachery.

28When I brought them into the land that I lifted my hand to give them, they saw every high hill and every thick tree, offered their sacrifices there, presented the provocation of their offering there, made their pleasing aroma there, and poured out their drink offerings there.

29And I said to them, "What is the high place that you come to there?" And its name was called Bamah to this day.

30Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Are you defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers? And are you prostituting after their detestables?

31When you present your gifts by passing your sons through the fire, do you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day? Shall I be sought by you, house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, I will not be sought by you.

32What comes into your mind will not happen—what you say: "We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, serving wood and stone."

33As I live, declares Lord Yahweh, surely with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with poured-out wrath I will rule over you.

34And I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with fury poured out.

35I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will contend with you face to face.

36As I contended with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will contend with you, declares the Lord Yahweh.

37I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

38I will purge the rebels and the transgressors against me from among you; I will bring them out from the land of their sojourning, but they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

39As for you, house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh declares: Go, serve each man his idols, and hereafter too if you refuse to heed me; but never again defile my holy name with your gifts and your idols.

40For on my holy mountain, Israel's lofty mountain, says the Lord Yahweh, there the whole house of Israel, all of them in the land, will serve me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your heave offerings and the firstfruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.

41I will accept you as a pleasing aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you were scattered among them, and I will be hallowed in you before the nations.

42You will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country I raised my hand to give to your fathers.

43There you will remember your ways and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have done.

44You will know that I am Yahweh when I act with you for my name's sake, not following your evil ways or your corrupt deeds, house of Israel, declares the Lord Yahweh.

45The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

46Son of man, set your face toward the south, prophesy toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the south.

47Say to the southern forest: Hear Yahweh's word; thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I am kindling a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you and every dry tree—no blazing flame will be quenched—and all faces from south to north will be scorched in it.

48All flesh will see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.

49I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! They say to me, 'Doesn't he speak parables?'"