i.
Through Jehovah's response to the elders' inquiring of Jehovah
20:1-44
Ezek. 20
:1
20:1
Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and they sat before me.
Ezek. 20
:2
20:2
Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Ezek. 20
:3
20:3
aSon of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live, I will not be inquired of by you, declares the Lord Jehovah.
Ezek. 20
:4
20:4
Will you judge them, will you judge, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers,
Ezek. 20
:5
20:5
And say to them, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, On the day when I
achose Israel and
1lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob and
bmade Myself known to them in the land of Egypt; when I lifted up My hand to them, saying, I am Jehovah your God;
Ezek. 20
:6
20:6
On that day I lifted up My hand to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a
1land that I had spied out for them,
aflowing with milk and honey, which is the
bglory of all the lands.
Ezek. 20
:7
20:7
And I said to them, Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of your eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the
aidols of Egypt; I am Jehovah your God.
Ezek. 20
:8
20:8
But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not, each one, cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Thus I thought to pour out My wrath upon them and to spend My anger on them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
Ezek. 20
:9
20:9
But I did
something for My name’s sake that it might not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in the midst of whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them in order to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
Ezek. 20
:10
20:10
Therefore I caused them to
ago forth from the land of Egypt, and I brought them into the wilderness.
Ezek. 20
:11
20:11
And I gave them My
astatutes and made known to them My ordinances, by which, if a man does them, he will
blive.
Ezek. 20
:12
20:12
And also I gave them My
aSabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might
bknow that I am Jehovah who sanctifies them.
Ezek. 20
:13
20:13
But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the
awilderness; they did not walk in My statutes, and they rejected My ordinances, by which, if a man does them, he will live; and they greatly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I thought to pour out My wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
Ezek. 20
:14
20:14
But I did
something for My name’s sake that it might not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had caused them to go forth.
Ezek. 20
:15
20:15
Yet I also
alifted up My hand to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given
them, a land flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all the lands;
Ezek. 20
:16
20:16
Because they rejected My ordinances and did not walk in My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, for their heart went after idols.
Ezek. 20
:17
20:17
But My eye pitied them, so that I did not destroy them, and I did
anot bring them to their end in the wilderness.
Ezek. 20
:18
20:18
And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances, and do not defile yourselves with their idols.
Ezek. 20
:19
20:19
I am Jehovah your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them;
Ezek. 20
:20
20:20
And sanctify My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you might know that I am Jehovah your God.
Ezek. 20
:21
20:21
But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes and they were not careful to do My ordinances, by which, if a man does them, he will live; they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I thought to pour out My wrath upon them to spend My anger on them in the wilderness.
Ezek. 20
:22
20:22
Yet I withdrew My hand and did
something for My name’s sake that it might not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.
Ezek. 20
:23
20:23
I also lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness that I would
ascatter them among the nations and would disperse them among the countries,
Ezek. 20
:24
20:24
Because they did not do My ordinances, but rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were directed to the idols of their fathers.
Ezek. 20
:25
20:25
And I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they would not live,
Ezek. 20
:26
20:26
And I declared them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused everything that opens the womb to pass through
fire, that I might make them desolate so that they would know that I am Jehovah.
Ezek. 20
:27
20:27
Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Still yet in this your fathers blasphemed Me by acting unfaithfully against Me:
Ezek. 20
:28
20:28
When I had brought them into the land which I had lifted up My hand to give them, they saw every high hill and every leafy tree; and there they offered their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering, and there they made their sweet savor, and there they poured out their drink offerings.
Ezek. 20
:29
20:29
Then I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? Therefore the name of it is called Bamah to this day.
Ezek. 20
:30
20:30
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Do you defile yourselves in the way of your fathers? And do you go about as a harlot after their detestable things?
Ezek. 20
:31
20:31
And when you offer up your gifts, when you make your children pass through fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols until today. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.
Ezek. 20
:32
20:32
And that which comes up in your spirit shall by no means occur, that which you say, We will be
alike the nations, like the families of the countries, serving wood and stone.
Ezek. 20
:33
20:33
As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah, surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will rule over you.
Ezek. 20
:34
20:34
And I will bring you out from the peoples and will
agather you from the countries among which you have been scattered, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out.
Ezek. 20
:35
20:35
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and I will enter into judgment with you there face to face.
Ezek. 20
:36
20:36
As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord Jehovah.
Ezek. 20
:37
20:37
And I will cause you to pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
Ezek. 20
:38
20:38
And I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out from the land of their sojourning, but not one will enter into the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am Jehovah.
Ezek. 20
:39
20:39
As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord Jehovah,
aGo, serve every one his idols; but afterward, you shall surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will no longer profane with your gifts and with your idols.
Ezek. 20
:40
20:40
For on My holy
amountain, on the
1mountain of the height of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah, there will the whole house of Israel, all of them, serve Me in the land; there will I accept them and there will I require your contributions and the firstfruits of your offerings with all your holy things.
Ezek. 20
:41
20:41
As a sweet savor I will accept you, when I
abring you out from the peoples and
bgather you from the countries among which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.
Ezek. 20
:42
20:42
And you will know that I am Jehovah, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land concerning which I lifted up My hand to give to your fathers.
Ezek. 20
:43
20:43
aAnd there you will remember your ways and all your doings by which you defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have done.
Ezek. 20
:44
20:44
And you will know that I am Jehovah, when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah.
j.
Through a parable of a consuming forest fire
20:45-49
Ezek. 20
:45
20:45
And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Ezek. 20
:46
20:46
Son of man, set your face toward Teman, and utter
something against the south and prophesy against the forest field of the
1Negev;
Ezek. 20
:47
20:47
And say to the forest of the Negev, Hear the word of Jehovah: Thus says the Lord Jehovah, I am now kindling a fire in you, and it will consume in you every tender
atree and every dry tree; the flaming flame will not be quenched, and every surface will be scorched, from the south to the north.
Ezek. 20
:48
20:48
And all flesh will see that I, Jehovah, kindled it; it will not be quenched.
Ezek. 20
:49
20:49
Then I said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! They say of me, Does he not
just use parables?
