Ezekiel 20

1In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, a group of Israel’s elders came to consult the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.

2The word of the LORD came to me: 3Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel. Say to them, The Lord GOD says this: Have you come to consult me? As surely as I live, I will not let you consult me, declares the Lord GOD. 4Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then make them see the detestable practices of their ancestors. 5Say to them, The Lord GOD says this: On the day I chose Israel, I raised my hand in an oath to the offspring of Jacob’s house and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I raised my hand in an oath to them and said, “I am the LORD your God.” 6On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land I had scouted out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 7I said to them, “Every one of you must throw away the vile idols you look to, and do not make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” 8But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. None of them threw away the vile idols they looked to, and they did not abandon the idols of Egypt. So I said that I would pour out my wrath on them and use up my anger against them there in the land of Egypt. 9But I acted for the sake of my name, to keep it from being dishonored in the eyes of the nations they lived among, the nations in whose sight I had made myself known to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10So I led them out of the land of Egypt and took them into the wilderness. 11I gave them my statutes and taught them my rulings. The one who does them will live by them. 12I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I am the LORD, the one who sets them apart as holy. 13But in the wilderness the house of Israel rebelled against me. They did not follow my statutes; they rejected my rulings, though the one who does them will live by them, and they utterly dishonored my Sabbaths. So I said that I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness and destroy them completely. 14But I acted for the sake of my name, to keep it from being dishonored in the eyes of the nations who had watched me bring them out. 15Also, in the wilderness, I swore an oath to them that I would not lead them into the land I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands, 16because they rejected my rulings, did not follow my statutes and dishonored my Sabbaths. Their hearts were set on their idols. 17Yet I had pity on them and did not destroy them; I did not wipe them out in the wilderness. 18In the wilderness I said to their children, “Do not follow the statutes of your ancestors or keep their rulings, and do not make yourselves unclean with their idols. 19I am the LORD your God. Follow my statutes, and be careful to keep my rulings. 20Keep my Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between me and you, so that you will know that I am the LORD your God.” 21But the children rebelled against me too. They did not follow my statutes and were not careful to keep my rulings, though the one who does them will live by them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. So I said that I would pour out my wrath on them and use up my anger against them in the wilderness. 22But I held back my hand and acted for the sake of my name, to keep it from being dishonored in the eyes of the nations who had watched me bring them out. 23In the wilderness I also swore to them that I would scatter them among the nations and spread them through the countries, 24because they had not kept my rulings, had rejected my statutes and dishonored my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on the idols of their ancestors. 25I also gave them statutes that were not good and rulings by which they could not live. 26I made them unclean through their own gifts, when they gave up every firstborn child as an offering, so that I might bring them to ruin, so that they would know that I am the LORD.

27Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, The Lord GOD says this: In this way too your ancestors insulted me, by breaking faith with me. 28When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them, wherever they saw a high hill or a leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there. There they presented offerings that provoked me, there they sent up their soothing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29I asked them, “What is this high place you go to?” And it is still called Bamah to this day. 30Therefore say to the house of Israel, The Lord GOD says this: Will you make yourselves unclean as your ancestors did, and prostitute yourselves by running after their vile idols? 31When you offer your gifts and make your children pass through the fire, you are making yourselves unclean with all your idols to this very day. House of Israel, should I then let you consult me? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, you will get no answer from me. 32What you have in mind will never happen, when you say, “We will be like the nations, like the peoples of other lands, who worship wood and stone.” 33As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I will rule over you as king. 34I will bring you out from among the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out. 35I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. 36As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Lord GOD. 37I will make you pass under the shepherd’s rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38I will purge from among you those who revolt and rebel against me. I will bring them out of the country where they are living as foreigners, but not one of them will set foot in Israel’s land. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 39As for you, house of Israel, the Lord GOD says this: Go, then, every one of you, and serve your idols, now and later, if you will not listen to me. But you will no longer dishonor my holy name with your gifts and your idols. 40For on my holy mountain, Israel’s high mountain, declares the Lord GOD, there in the land the whole house of Israel, every one of them, will serve me. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and your choicest gifts, with all your holy offerings. 41I will accept you as a soothing aroma when I bring you out from among the peoples and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and through you I will show myself holy in the sight of the nations. 42Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have brought you to the land of Israel, the land I swore to give to your ancestors. 43There you will remember your ways and all the deeds by which you made yourselves unclean, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. 44Then you will know that I am the LORD, house of Israel, when I deal with you for the sake of my name and not as your evil ways and your corrupt deeds deserve, declares the Lord GOD.

45The word of the LORD came to me: 46Son of man, turn to face the south. Preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev. 47Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear what the LORD has to say. The Lord GOD says this: I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be put out, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. 48Everyone will see that I, the LORD, have set it ablaze; it will not be put out. 49Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying about me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”