Eze 20 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass in the [ 2 year 1 seventh], in the fifth month, tenth of the month, there came men from the elders of the house of Israel to ask of the lord . And they sat before my face.

Ezekiel 20

CHAPTER 20 Ezekiel Speaks to the Elders

1 And it came to pass in the [²year ¹seventh], in the fifth month, tenth of the month, there came men from the elders of the house of Israel to ask of the lord. And they sat before my face. 2 And [³came ¹the word ²of the lord] to me, saying, 3 O son of man, speak to the elders of Israel! and you shall say to them, Thus says Adonai the lord; Are [³to ask ⁴me ¹you ²come]? As I live, I shall not be answering to you, says Adonai the lord. 4 Shall I punish them with punishment, O son of man? [³of the ⁴lawless deeds ⁵of their fathers ¹Testify ²to them]! 5 And you shall say to them, Thus says the lord; From which day I took up the house of Israel, and made known to the seed of the house of Jacob, and was known by them in the land of Egypt, and took hold of [²with my hand ¹them], saying, I am the lord your God. 6 In that day I took hold of them by my hand, to lead them from out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I prepared for them; a land flowing milk and honey, the honeycomb is beyond every land. 7 And I said to them, Let each [²the ³abominations ⁴of his eyes ¹throw away]! and in the practices of Egypt be not defiled! I am the lord your God. 8 And they revolted from me, and wanted not to listen to me. Each [²the ³abominations ⁴of their eyes ¹threw not away], and the practices of Egypt they abandoned not. And I spoke to pour out my rage upon them; to complete my anger among them in the midst of Egypt. 9 And I acted so that my name should not be thoroughly profaned before the nations which they are in the midst of them, to the ones whom I made known to them of their presence, to lead them from out of the land of Egypt. 10 And I led them from the land of Egypt, and I led them into the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my orders, and [²my ordinances ¹I made known] to them; how if [²should do ³them ¹a man] then he shall live by them. 12 And my Sabbaths I gave to them, to be for a sign between me and between them, for them to know that I am the lord, the one sanctifying them. 13 And [⁴greatly embittered ⁵me ¹the ²house ³of Israel] in the wilderness. In my orders they did not go, and my ordinances they thrust away, which [²shall do ³them ¹a man] and shall live by them. And [²my Sabbaths ¹they profaned] exceedingly. And I spoke to pour out my rage upon them in the wilderness, to completely consume them. 14 And I acted so that my name should not be thoroughly profaned before the nations which I led them out before their eyes. 15 And I lifted my hand against them in the wilderness, the thorough one, to not bring them into the land which I gave to them, a land flowing milk and honey; (the honeycomb is beyond all the land). 16 Because [²my ordinances ¹they thrusted away], and in my orders they went not by them; and [²my Sabbaths ¹they profaned], and [²after ³the ⁴thoughts ⁵of their hearts ¹they went]. 17 And [²spared ³them ¹my eye] to not wipe them away, and I did not commit them unto consumption in the wilderness. 18 And I said to their children in the wilderness, [²in ³the ⁴laws ⁵of your fathers ¹Do not go], and [³their ordinances ¹do not ²keep], and [³in ⁴their practices ¹do not ²intermingle], and be not defiled! 19 I am the lord your God; [²by ³my orders ¹go], and [²my ordinances ¹keep], and do them! 20 And my Sabbaths -- sanctify them! and it will be for a sign between me and you, to know that I am the lord your God. 21 And they rebelled against me. And their children [²by ³my orders ¹went not]. And my ordinances they guarded not to do them, which [²does ¹if a man] then he shall live by them. And my Sabbaths they profaned. And I spoke to pour out my rage upon them, and to complete my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 And I turned my hand against them, and I acted because of myself, so that my name [³thoroughly ¹should not ²be] profaned before the nations; from whom I led them out before their eyes. 23 And I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness, to disperse them among the nations, and to scatter them in the places; 24 because [³my ordinances ¹they did not ²observe], and [²my orders ¹they thrusted away], and [²my Sabbaths ¹profaned], and [³after ⁴the ⁵thoughts ⁶of their fathers ²were ¹their eyes]. 25 And I gave them up to orders that were not good, and ordinances in which they shall not live by them. 26 And I will defile them in their decrees in my traveling by every one opening wide the womb, so that I should obliterate them, that thay shall know that I am the lord. 27 On account of this, speak to the house of Israel, O son of man! And you shall say to them, Thus says Adonai the lord; Until this time [²provoked me to anger ¹your fathers] in their transgressions, in which they fell against me. 28 And I brought them into the land which I lifted up my hand to give it to them. And they beheld every [²hill ¹high], and every [²tree ¹shady]. And they sacrificed there to their gods. And they arranged there the wrath of the gift offerings. And they arranged there a scent of their pleasant aroma offering. And they offered a libation there of their libation offerings. 29 And I said to them, What is Abama, that you enter there? And they called upon its name, Abama, until today's day.

Judgment and Restoration

30 On account of this, say to the house of Israel! Thus says Adonai the lord; Shall [³in ⁴the ⁵lawless deeds ⁶of your fathers ¹you ²defile yourselves]? and [³after ⁴their abominations ¹do you ²fornicate]? 31 And in the first-fruits of your gifts, and in your offerings, in the passing through your children in fire, you defiled yourselves in all your thoughts until today's day. And shall I answer you, O house of Israel, no. As I live, says Adonai the lord, Shall I answer you, and shall [²ascend ³upon ⁴your spirit ¹this thing], no. 32 And it will not be in which manner that you say, We will be as the nations, and as the tribes of the earth, to serve wood and stone idols. 33 On account of this, as I live, says Adonai the lord, with [²hand ¹a fortified] and with [²arm ¹a high], and with rage being poured forth, I will reign over you. 34 And I will lead you from out of the peoples, and I will take you from out of the places of which you were dispersed in them, with [²hand ¹a fortified] and with [²arm ¹a high], and with rage being poured forth. 35 And I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples, and I will litigate for you there face to face. 36 In which manner I litigated for your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you, says Adonai the lord. 37 And I will lead you by my rod, and I will bring you in by number. 38 And I shall choose from you the impious, and the ones revolting; because [³from out of ⁴their sojourning ¹I will lead ²them], and [³into ⁴the ⁵land ⁶of Israel ¹they shall not ²enter]. And you shall realize that I am the lord. 39 And to you, O house of Israel, thus says Adonai the lord; [²each ⁴his evil practices ¹Let ³remove]! And after these things, if you listen to me, and [⁵name ³my ⁴holy ¹shall not ²profane] any longer by your gifts, and by your practices, 40 that upon [³mountain ¹my ²holy], upon [²mountain ¹the high] of Israel, says Adonai the lord, there [⁴shall serve ⁵to me ¹all ²the house ³of Israel] unto the end upon the land. And there I will favorably receive them, and there I shall watch your first-fruits, and the first-fruits of your offerings in all your sanctified things. 41 In a scent of pleasant aroma I will favorably receive you, in my leading you from out of the peoples, and to take you from out of the places in which you were dispersed in them. And I shall be sanctified in you before the eyes of the peoples. 42 And you shall realize that I am the lord, in my bringing you into the land of Israel, into which I lifted my hand to give it to your fathers. 43 And you shall remember [²there ¹your ways], and your practices which you defiled yourselves by them. And you shall beat your faces over all your evils. 44 And you shall realize that I am the lord in my doing thus to you, so that my name should not be profaned, not according to [³ways ¹your ²evil], nor according to [³practices ¹your ²corrupting], O house of Israel, says Adonai the lord. 45 And [³came ¹the word ²of the lord] to me, saying, 46 O son of man, firmly fix your face against Teman, and look upon Daror, and prophesy against the grove leading to Negev! 47 And you shall say to the grove of Negev, Hear the word of the lord! Thus says the lord; Behold, I kindle in you a fire, and it shall devour in you every [²tree ¹green], and every [²tree ¹dry]. [⁴shall not ⁵be extinguished ¹The ²flame ³being lit up], and [⁷shall be incinerated ⁸by ⁹it ¹every ²face ³from ⁴the east wind ⁵unto ⁶the north]. 48 And [³shall realize ¹all ²flesh] that I am the lord. I kindled it, and it shall not be extinguished. 49 And I said, By no means, O lord, O Lord, these shall say to me, [²not ⁴a parable ¹Is ⁵being spoken ³this]?