Ezekiel - Chapter 20

¹ In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consult Yahweh and were sitting with me,

² when the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

³ 'Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel. Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Have you come to consult me? As I live, I will not be consulted by you -- declares the Lord Yahweh."

⁴ 'Are you ready to judge them? Are you ready to judge them, son of man? Confront them with the loathsome practices of their ancestors.

⁵ Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: On the day when I chose Israel, when I pledged my word to the House of Jacob, I made myself known to them in Egypt; I pledged my word to them and said: I am Yahweh your God.

⁶ That day I pledged them my word that I would bring them out of Egypt to a country which I had reconnoitred for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, and the loveliest of them all.

⁷ And I said to them: Each of you must reject the horrors which attract you; do not pollute yourselves with the foul idols of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.

⁸ But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me. Not one of them rejected the horrors which attracted them; they did not give up the foul idols of Egypt. I then resolved to vent my fury on them, to sate my anger on them in Egypt.

⁹ But respect for my own name kept me from letting it be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, and before whom I had made myself known to them and promised to bring them out of Egypt.

¹⁰ So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the desert.

¹¹ I gave them my laws and taught them my judgements, in whose observance people find life.

¹² And I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I, Yahweh, am the one who sanctifies them.

¹³ The House of Israel, however, rebelled against me in the desert; they refused to keep my laws, they scorned my judgements, in whose observance people find life, and they grossly profaned my Sabbaths. I then resolved to vent my fury on them in the desert and destroy them.

¹⁴ But respect for my own name kept me from letting it be profaned in the eyes of the nations, before whom I had brought them out.

¹⁵ Even so, I pledged them my word in the desert that I would not lead them to the country which I had given them, a country flowing with milk and honey, and the loveliest of them all,

¹⁶ since they had scorned my judgements, had refused to keep my laws and had profaned my Sabbaths, their hearts being attached to foul idols.

¹⁷ In spite of this, I took pity on them; I refrained from destroying them and did not make an end of them in the desert.

¹⁸ "I said to their children in the desert: Do not follow the laws of your ancestors, do not practise their judgements, do not defile yourselves with their foul idols.

¹⁹ I am Yahweh your God. Keep my laws, respect my judgements and practise them.

²⁰ Keep my Sabbaths holy; let them be a sign between me and you, so that people may know that I am Yahweh your God.

²¹ Their children, however, rebelled against me; they refused to keep my laws, they did not respect or practise my judgements, which must be practised by all who want to live; they profaned my Sabbaths. I then resolved to vent my fury on them, to sate my anger on them in the desert.

²² But I restrained my hand; respect for my own name kept me from letting it be profaned in the eyes of the nations, before whom I had brought them out.

²³ Once again, however, I pledged them my word that I would scatter them throughout the nations and disperse them in foreign countries,

²⁴ because they had not followed my judgements but had rejected my laws and profaned my Sabbaths, their eyes being fastened on the foul idols of their ancestors.

²⁵ And for this reason I gave them laws that were not good and judgements by which they could never live;

²⁶ and I polluted them with their own offerings, making them sacrifice every first-born son in order to fill them with revulsion, so that they would know that I am Yahweh."

²⁷ 'For this reason, son of man, speak to the House of Israel. Say to them, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Here is another way by which your ancestors outraged me by their infidelity.

²⁸ Once I had brought them into the country which I had pledged my word to give them, they then saw all sorts of high hills, all kinds of leafy trees, and there they performed their sacrifices and made offerings that provoked my anger; there they set out their pleasing smell and poured their libations.

²⁹ I then said to them: What is this high place where you go? And they gave, and still give it, the name of Bamah."

³⁰ 'So, say to the House of Israel, "The Lord Yahweh says this: If you are polluting yourselves as your ancestors did by fornicating with their horrors-

³¹ for by offering your gifts and by burning your children as sacrifices, you have been polluting yourselves with all your foul idols to this very day -- shall I let myself be consulted by you, House of Israel? As I live -- declares Lord Yahweh -- I shall not let myself be consulted by you.

³² And what you sometimes imagine will never be so, when you say: We shall be like the peoples, the tribes of foreign lands, worshipping wood and stone.

³³ As I live I swear it -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- I am the one who will reign over you, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, once my fury is sated.

³⁴ With a strong hand and outstretched arm, once my fury is sated, I shall bring you back from the peoples and gather you again from the countries throughout which you have been scattered.

³⁵ I shall lead you into the desert of the nations and there I shall judge you face to face.

³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the desert of Egypt, so will I judge you -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

³⁷ I shall make you pass under the crook, bring you to respect the covenant

³⁸ and rid you of the rebels who have revolted against me; I shall bring them out of the country where they are staying, but they will not enter the country of Israel, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

³⁹ House of Israel, Lord Yahweh says this: Go on, all of you, worship your foul idols, but later we shall see if you don't listen to me! Then you will stop profaning my holy name with your offerings and your foul idols.

⁴⁰ For on my holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- is where the whole House of Israel, everyone in the country, will worship me. There I shall accept and there expect your presents, your choicest offering and all your consecrated gifts.

⁴¹ I shall welcome you like a pleasing smell when I bring you back from the peoples and gather you from the countries throughout which you have been scattered, and through you I shall display my holiness for all the nations to see;

⁴² and you will know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you back to the soil of Israel, to the country which I pledged my word to give to your ancestors.

⁴³ There you will remember your past behaviour and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the wrongs which you have committed.

⁴⁴ And you will know that I am Yahweh, when I treat you as respect for my own name requires, and not as your wicked behaviour and corrupt actions deserve, House of Israel -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '

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