20:1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth
[month], the tenth [day] of the month, [that] certain of the
elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before
me.
20:2 Then came the word of the LORD to me, saying,
20:3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them,
Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to inquire of me? [As] I
live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.
20:4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge [them]?
cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
20:5 And say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I
chose Israel, and lifted up my hand to the seed of the house of
Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when
I lifted up my hand to them, saying, I [am] the LORD your God;
20:6 In the day [that] I lifted up my hand to them, to bring
them forth from the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied
for them, flowing with milk and honey, which [is] the glory of
all lands:
20:7 Then said I to them, Cast ye away every man the
abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the
idols of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.
20:8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken to me:
they did not every man cast away the abominations of their
eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said,
I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger
against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
20:9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be
profaned before the heathen, among whom they [were], in whose
sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth from
the land of Egypt.
20:10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth from the land of
Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
20:11 And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments,
which [if] a man doeth, he shall even live in them.
20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign
between me and them, that they might know that I [am] the LORD
that sanctify them.
20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the
wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised
my judgments, which [if] a man doeth, he shall even live in
them; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned: then I said, I
would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume
them.
20:14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be
profaned before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
20:15 Yet also I lifted up my hand 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;
20:16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my
statutes, but profaned my sabbaths: for their heart went after
their idols.
20:17 Nevertheless my eye spared them from destroying them,
neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
20:18 But I said to their children in the wilderness, Walk ye
not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their
judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
20:19 I [am] the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my
judgments, and do them;
20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between
me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the LORD your God.
20:21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they
walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do
them, which [if] a man doeth, he shall even live in them: they
profaned my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury
upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the
wilderness.
20:22 Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and wrought for my name's
sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the
heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
20:23 I lifted up my hand to them also in the wilderness, that I
would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through
the countries;
20:24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had
despised my statutes, and had profaned my sabbaths, and their
eyes were after their fathers' idols.
20:25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes [that were] not good,
and judgments by which they should not live;
20:26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they
caused to pass through [the fire] all the first-born, that I
might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that
I [am] the LORD.
20:27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and
say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers
have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass
against me.
20:28 [For] when I had brought them into the land, [for] which I
lifted up my hand to give it to them, then they saw every high
hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their
sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their
offering: there also they made their sweet savor, and poured
out there their drink-offerings.
20:29 Then I said to them, What [is] the high place to which ye
go? and its name is called Bamah to this day.
20:30 Wherefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and
commit ye lewd deeds after their abominations?
20:31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to
pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your
idols, even to this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O
house of Israel? [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be
inquired of by you.
20:32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all,
that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the
countries, to serve wood and stone.
20:33 [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty
hand, and with an out-stretched arm, and with fury poured out,
will I rule over you:
20:34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather
you out of the countries in which ye are scattered, with a
mighty hand, and with an out-stretched arm, and with fury
poured out.
20:35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people,
and there will I plead with you face to face.
20:36 As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the
land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
20:37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will
bring you into the bond of the covenant.
20:38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them
that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the
country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the
land of Israel: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.
20:39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go
ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter [also], if ye
will not hearken to me: but profane ye my holy name no more
with your gifts, and with your idols.
20:40 For on my holy mountain, on the mountain of the hight of
Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of
Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept
them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first
fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
20:41 I will accept you with your sweet savor, when I bring you
out from the people, and gather you out of the countries in
which ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you
before the heathen.
20:42 And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I shall bring
you into the land of Israel, into the country [for] which I
lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers.
20:43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings
in which ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in
your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
20:44 And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have
wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your
wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house
of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
20:45 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
20:46 Son of man, set thy face towards the south, and drop [thy
word] towards the south, and prophesy against the forest of the
south field;
20:47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the
LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in
thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every
dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all
faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
20:48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it:
it shall not be quenched.
20:49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not
speak parables?
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