The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ezekiel 20
1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month,
the tenth day of the month, some of the
elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh,
and sat before me.
2 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of
Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh
says: “Is it to inquire of me that you have
come? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I
will not be inquired of by you.” ’
4 “Will you judge them, son of man? Will
you judge them? Cause them to know the
abominations of their fathers.
5 Tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “In
the day when I chose Israel, and swore to
the offspring of the house of Jacob, and
made myself known to them in the land of
Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, ‘I am
Yahweh your God;’
6 in that day I swore to them to bring
them out of the land of Egypt into a land
that I had searched out for them, flowing
with milk and honey, which is the glory of
all lands.
7 I said to them, ‘Each of you throw away
the abominations of his eyes. Don’t defile
yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am
Yahweh your God.’
8 “ ‘ “But they rebelled against me and
wouldn’tlistentome. Theydidn’t allthrow
away the abominations of their eyes. They
also didn’t forsake the idols of Egypt. Then
I said I would pour out my wrath on them,
to accomplish my anger against them in
the middle of the land of Egypt.
9 But I worked for my name’s sake, that
it should not be profaned in the sight of
the nations among which they were, in whose
sight I made myself known to them
in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
10 So I caused them to go out of the land
of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
11 I gave them my statutes and showed
them my ordinances, which if a man does,
he will live in them.
12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths,
to be a sign between me and them,
that they might know that I am Yahweh
who sanctifies them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled
against me in the wilderness. They didn’t
walk in my statutes and they rejected my
ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall
live in them. They greatly profaned my
Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out
my wrath on them in the wilderness, to
consume them.
14 But I worked for my name’s sake, that
it should not be profaned in the sight ofthe
nations, in whose sightI brought them out.
15 Moreover also I swore to them in the
wilderness that I would not bring them
into the land which I had given them,
flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory
of all lands,
16 because they rejected my ordinances,
and didn’t walk in my statutes, and
profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went
after their idols.
17 Never the less my eye spared them, and
I didn’t destroy them. I didn’t make a full
end of them in the wilderness.
18 I said to their children in the wilderness,
‘Don’t walk in the statutes of your
fathers. Don’t observe their ordinances or
defile yourselves with their idols.
19 I am Yahweh your God. Walk in
my statutes, keep my ordinances, and do
them.
20 Make my Sabbaths holy. They shall be
a sign between me and you, that you may
know that I am Yahweh your God.’
21 “ ‘ “But the children rebelled against
me. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and
didn’t keep my ordinances to do them,
which if a man does, he shall live in them.
They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said
I would pour out my wrath on them, to
accomplish my anger against them in the
wilderness.
22 Nevertheless I withdrew my hand and
worked for my name’s sake, that it should
not be profaned in the sight of the nations,
in whose sight I brought them out.
23 Moreover I swore to them in the
wilderness, that I would scatter them
among the nations and disperse them
through the countries,
24 because they had not executed my
ordinances, but had rejected my statutes,
and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their
eyes were after their fathers’ idols.
25 Moreover also I gave them statutes
that were not good, and ordinances in
which they couldn’t live.
26 I polluted them in their own gifts, in
that they caused all that opens the womb
to pass through the fire, that I might make
them desolate, to the end that they might
know that I am Yahweh.
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the
house of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord
Yahweh says: “Moreover, in this your fathers
have blasphemed me, in that they
have committed a trespass against me.
28 For when I had brought them into
the land which I swore to give to them,
then they saw every high hill and every
thick tree, and they offered there their
sacrifices, and there they presented the
provocation of their offering. There they
also made their pleasant aroma, and there
they poured out their drink offerings.
29 Then I said to them, ‘What does the
high place where you go mean?’ So its
name is called Bamah† to this day.” ’
30 “Therefore tell the house of Israel,
‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Do you pollute
yourselves in the way of your fathers? Do
you play the prostitute after their abominations?
31 When you offer your gifts, when you
make your sons pass through the fire, do
you pollute yourselves with all your idols
to this day? Should I be inquired of by you,
house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord
Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you!
32 “ ‘ “That which comes into your mind
will not be at all, in that you say, ‘We will
be as the nations, as the families of the
countries, to serve wood and stone.’
33 As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh,
“surely with a mighty hand, with an out stretched
arm, and with wrath poured out,
I will be king over you.
34 I will bring you out from the peoples,
and will gather you out of the countries
in which you are scattered with a mighty
hand, with an outstretched arm, and with
wrath poured out.
35 I will bring you into the wilderness
of the peoples, and there I will enter into
judgment with you face to face.
36 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,” says the Lord Yahweh.
37 “I will cause you to pass under the rod,
and I will bring you into the bond of the
covenant.
38 I will purge out from among you the
rebels and those who disobey me. I will
bring them out of the land where they
live, but they shall not enter into the land
of Israel. Then you will know that I am
Yahweh.”
39 “ ‘As for you, house of Israel, the Lord
Yahweh says: “Go, everyone serve his
idols, and hereafter also, if you will not
listen to me; but you shall no more profane
my holy name with your gifts and with
your idols.
40 For in my holy mountain, in the mountain
of the height of Israel,” says the Lord
Yahweh, “there all the house of Israel, all
of them, shall serve me in the land. There
I will accept them, and there I will require
your offerings and the first fruits of your
offerings, with all your holy things.
41 I will accept you as a pleasant aroma
when I bring you out from the peoples and
gather you out of the countries in which
you have been scattered. I will be sanctified
in you in the sight of the nations.
42 You will know that I am Yahweh when
I bring you into the land of Israel, into
the country which I swore to give to your
fathers.
43 There you will remember your ways,
and all your deeds in which you have polluted your
selves. Then you will loathe
yourselves in your own sight for all your
evils that you have committed.
44 You will know thatI am Yahweh, when
I have dealt with you for my name’s sake,
not according to your evil ways, nor according to
your corrupt doings, you house
of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.
45 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
46 “Son of man, set your face toward the
south, and preach toward the south, and
prophesy against the forest of the field in
the south.
47 Tell the forest of the south, ‘Hear Yahweh’s
word: The Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I will
kindle a fire in you, and it will
devour every green tree in you, and every
dry tree. The burning flame will not be
quenched, and all faces from the south to
the north will be burned by it.
48 All flesh will see that I, Yahweh, have
kindled it. It will not be quenched.
49 Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They
say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?