Ezekiel 20

1And it happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and they sat before me.

2And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

3Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live, I will not be inquired of by you, declares the Lord GOD.

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

5And say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, I lifted up my hand to the offspring of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I lifted up my hand to them, saying, “I am Yahweh your God.”’

6On that day I raised my hand to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the glory of all lands.

7And I said to them, ‘Each man, throw away the detestable things before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’

8But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things before their eyes or abandoned the idols of Egypt. So I said that I would pour out my wrath on them, bringing my anger against them to its full measure in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they were, to whom I had made myself known in their sight by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

10So I brought them out from the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

11I gave them my statutes, and I made my judgments known to them, which, if a man does them, he will live by them.

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

13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes, and they rejected my judgments, which if a person does them, he will live by them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to put an end to them.

14But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.

15Yet I myself also raised my hand to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.

16because they rejected my judgments, and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.

17But my eye spared them from destroying them, and I did not make a complete end of them in the wilderness.

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

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

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

21But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes, and they did not keep my judgments so as to do them—the judgments that, if a man does them, he will live by them. They profaned my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to spend my anger against them in the wilderness.

22But I held back my hand, and I acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out.

23Moreover, I also raised my hand to them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the lands.

24because they did not practice my judgments, and they rejected my statutes, and they profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after the idols of their fathers.

25Moreover, I myself gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.

26And I defiled them through their gifts, by making every firstborn pass through the fire, so that I might devastate them, so that they might know that I am Yahweh.

27Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by acting treacherously against me.’

28So I brought them into the land that I had lifted up my hand to give to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they sacrificed their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering, and there they set their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings.

29Then I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ So its name is 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 whoring after their detestable things?

31And when you present your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.

32What is coming up in your mind will certainly not happen—that you say, ‘We will be like the nations, like the clans of the lands, serving wood and stone.’

33As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I will reign over you.

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

35I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

36Just 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 the Lord GOD.

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

38I will purge from among you the rebels and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

39But as for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go, each man, serve his idols—if afterward you will not listen to me; but you shall no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols.

40For on my holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, will serve me. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the firstfruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.

41I will accept you like a pleasing aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy through you before the eyes of the nations.

42Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land that I lifted up 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 the evils that you have done.

44Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I deal with you for the sake of my name, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.