CHAPTER 20
In the seventh
year,
on the tenth
day
of the fifth month,
some of the elders
of Israel
came
to inquire
of the LORD,
and they sat down
before me.
“Son
of man,
speak
to the elders
of Israel
and tell
them
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘Have you
come
to inquire
of Me?
As surely as
I live,
I will not
be consulted
by you,
declares
the Lord
GOD.'
Will you judge
them,
will you judge them,
son
of man?
Confront them with
the abominations
of their fathers
and tell
them
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘On the day
I chose
Israel,
I swore an oath
to the descendants
of the house
of Jacob
and made Myself known
to them
in the land
of Egypt.
With an uplifted
hand
I said
to them,
"I
am the LORD
your God."
On that
day
I swore
to them
to bring them out
of Egypt
into
a land
that
I had searched out
for them,
a land flowing
with milk
and honey,
the glory
of all
lands.
And I said
to them:
“Each of you
must throw away
the abominations
before his eyes,
and you must not
defile yourselves
with the idols
of Egypt.
I
am the LORD
your God.”
But they rebelled
against Me
and refused
to listen.
None of them
cast away
the abominations
before their eyes,
and they did not
forsake
the idols
of Egypt.
So I resolved
to pour out
My wrath
upon them
and vent
My anger
against them
in
the land
of Egypt.
But I acted
for the sake
of My name,
that it should not
be profaned
in the eyes
of the nations
among whom they were living,
in whose
sight
I had revealed Myself
to Israel
by bringing them out
of Egypt.
And I gave
them
My statutes
and made known
to them
My ordinances—
for the man
who
does these things
will live
by them.
I also
gave
them
My Sabbaths
as a sign
between us,
so that they would know
that
I
am the LORD
who sanctifies them.
Yet the house
of Israel
rebelled
against Me
in the wilderness.
They did not
follow
My statutes
and they rejected
My ordinances—
though the man
who
does these things
will live
by them—
and they
utterly
profaned
My Sabbaths.
Then I resolved
to pour
out My wrath
upon them
and put an end to them
in the wilderness.
But I acted
for the sake
of My name,
so that it would not
be profaned
in the eyes
of the nations
in whose
sight
I had brought them out.
Moreover,
with an uplifted hand
I
swore
to them
in the wilderness
that I would not
bring
them into
the land
I had given them—
a land flowing
with milk
and honey,
the glory
of all
lands—
because
they kept rejecting
My ordinances,
profaning
My Sabbaths,
and refusing
to walk
in My statutes.
For
their hearts
continually went
after
their idols.
Yet I looked on them with pity
and did not destroy them
or
bring
them
to an end
in the wilderness.
In the wilderness
I said
to
their children:
“Do not
walk
in the statutes
of your fathers
or keep
their ordinances
or defile
yourselves with their idols.
Keep My Sabbaths
holy,
and they will be
a sign
between us,
so that you may know
that
I
am the LORD
your God.”
But the children
rebelled
against Me.
They did not
walk
in My statutes
or carefully
observe
My ordinances—
though the man
who
does these things
will live
by them—
and they profaned
My Sabbaths.
So I resolved
to pour
out My wrath
upon them
and vent
My anger
against them
in the wilderness.
But I withheld
My hand
and acted
for the sake
of My name,
so that it would not
be profaned
in the eyes
of the nations
in whose
sight
I had brought them out.
However,
with an uplifted hand I swore
to them
in the wilderness
that I would scatter
them
among the nations
and disperse
them
throughout the lands.
For
they did not
practice
My ordinances,
but they rejected
My statutes
and profaned
My Sabbaths,
fixing
their eyes
on the idols
of their fathers.
I
also
gave
them over
to statutes
that were not
good
and ordinances
by which
they could not
live.
And I pronounced them unclean
through their gifts—
the sacrifice
of every
firstborn in the fire—
so that
I might devastate them,
in order that
they would know
that
I
am the LORD.’
Therefore,
son
of man,
speak
to
the house
of Israel,
and tell them that
this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘In this way
also
your fathers
blasphemed
Me
by their unfaithfulness
against Me.
When I brought
them into
the land
that
I swore
to give
them
and they saw
any
high
hill
or leafy
tree,
there
they offered
their sacrifices,
presented
offerings
that provoked Me,
sent up
their fragrant
incense,
and poured out
their drink offerings.
Therefore
tell
the house
of Israel
that this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘Will you
defile yourselves
the way
your fathers did,
prostituting
yourselves
with
their abominations?
When you offer
your gifts,
sacrificing your sons
in the fire,
you
continue to defile
yourselves with all
your idols
to
this day.
So should I
be consulted by you,
O house
of Israel?
As surely as
I live,
declares
the Lord
GOD,
I will not
be consulted
by you!
When
you
say:
“Let us be
like the nations,
like the peoples
of the lands,
serving
wood
and stone,”
what you have in
mind
will never
happen.
As surely as
I live,
declares
the Lord
GOD,
with a strong
hand,
an outstretched
arm,
and outpoured
wrath
I will rule
over you.
With a strong
hand,
an outstretched
arm,
and outpoured
wrath
I will bring
you from
the peoples
and gather
you from
the lands
to which
you were scattered.
And I will bring
you
into
the wilderness
of the nations,
where
I will enter into judgment
with you
face
to
face.
Just as
I entered into judgment
with
your fathers
in the wilderness
of the land
of Egypt,
so
I will enter into judgment
with you,
declares
of the Lord
GOD.
And I will purge you
of those who rebel
and transgress
against Me.
I will bring them out
of
the land
in which they dwell,
but they will not
enter
the land
of Israel.
Then you will know
that
I
am the LORD.’
And as for you,
O house
of Israel,
this is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘Go
and serve
your idols,
every one of you.
But afterward,
you will surely
listen
to Me,
and you will no
longer
defile
My holy
name
with your gifts
and idols.
For
on My holy
mountain,
the high
mountain
of Israel,
declares
the Lord
GOD,
there
the whole
house
of Israel,
all of them,
will serve
Me in the land.
There
I will accept
them
and will require
your offerings
and choice
gifts,
along with all
your holy sacrifices.
When I bring
you from
the peoples
and gather
you from
the lands
to which
you have been scattered,
I will accept
you as a pleasing
aroma.
And I will show My holiness
through you in the sight
of the nations.
Then you will know
that
I
am the LORD,
when I bring
you
into
the land
of Israel,
the land
I swore
to give
your fathers.
There
you will remember
your ways
and all
the deeds
with which
you have defiled yourselves,
and you will loathe
yourselves
for all
the evils
you have done.
Then you will know,
O house
of Israel,
that
I
am the LORD,
when I have dealt
with you
for the sake
of My name
and not according to
your wicked
ways
and corrupt
acts,
declares
the Lord
GOD.’”
“Son
of man,
set
your face
toward the south,
preach
against
it,
and prophesy
against
the forest
of the Negev.
Say
to the forest
of the Negev:
Hear
the word
of the LORD!
This is what
the Lord
GOD
says:
‘I am about to ignite
in you
a fire,
and it will devour
all
your
trees,
both green
and
dry.
The blazing
flame
will not
be quenched,
and by it
every
face
from south
to north
will be scorched.