Old Testament · Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20

Israel’s Rebellion in Egypt

1And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, men^a from the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat before me.

2And the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 3Son of man^b, speak with the elders of Israel, and you shall say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD: Is it to inquire of me that you are coming? As I live^c, I will not be inquired of by you, declares the Lord GOD.

4Will you judge them, will you judge, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers. 5And you shall say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD: In the day I chose Israel, and I lifted up my hand to the seed of the house of Jacob, and I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, and I lifted up my hand to them, saying, I am the LORD your God,

6in that day I lifted up my hand to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt to a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey; the beauty it is of all the lands. 7And I said to them, Each man, cast away the detestable things of his eyes, and with the idols of Egypt do not defile yourselves; I am the LORD your God.

8But they rebelled against me, and they were not willing to listen to me; each man, the detestable things of their eyes they did not cast away, and the idols of Egypt they did not forsake. Then I said to pour out my fury upon them, to spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were, in whose eyes I made myself known to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt.

Israel’s Rebellion in the Wilderness

10And I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and I brought them to the wilderness. 11And I gave to them my statutes^d, and my judgments^e I made known to them, which, if the man does them, he shall live by them. 12And also my Shabbat I gave to them, to be a sign^f between me and them, to know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; in my statutes they did not walk, and my judgments they rejected, which, if the man does them, he shall live by them; and my Shabbat they greatly profaned. Then I said to pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I had brought them out.

15And also I lifted up my hand to them in the wilderness, not to bring them to the land that I had given, flowing with milk and honey; the beauty it is of all the lands; 16because my judgments they rejected, and in my statutes they did not walk, and my Shabbat they profaned; for after their idols their heart was going. 17But my eye spared them from destroying them, and I did not make of them a full end in the wilderness.

18And I said to their sons in the wilderness, In the statutes^g of your fathers do not walk, and their judgments do not keep, and with their idols do not defile yourselves. 19I am the LORD your God; in my statutes walk, and my judgments keep, and do them. 20And my Shabbat sanctify, and they shall be a sign between me and you, to know that I am the LORD your God.

21But the sons rebelled against me; in my statutes they did not walk, and my judgments they did not keep to do them, which, if the man does them, he shall live by them; my Shabbat they profaned. Then I said to pour out my fury upon them, to spend my anger against them in the wilderness. 22But I withdrew my hand, and I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I had brought them out.

23Also I lifted up my hand to them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations, and to disperse them through the lands; 24because my judgments they did not do, and my statutes they rejected, and my Shabbat they profaned, and after the idols of their fathers their eyes were.

25And also I gave to them statutes not good, and judgments by which they could not live. 26And I defiled them in their gifts, in their making pass over every opener of the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.

Israel’s Rebellion in the Land

27Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and you shall say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD: Yet in this your fathers blasphemed me, in their treachery which they committed against me. 28For I brought them to the land that I lifted up my hand to give to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they sacrificed there their sacrifices, and they presented there the provocation of their offering, and they set there their soothing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. 29And I said to them, What is the high place to which you are going? And its name was called Bamah to this day.

30Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus said the Lord GOD: In the way of your fathers are you defiling yourselves, and after their detestable things are you whoring? 31And in the lifting up of your gifts, in the passing of your sons through the fire, you are defiling 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.

32And what comes up upon your spirit^h shall not be at all, that which you say, We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to minister to wood and stone.

Judgment and Restoration

33As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will reign over you. 34And I will bring you out from the peoples, and I will gather you from the lands in which you were scattered, with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35And I will bring you to the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you, face to face.

36As 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 GOD. 37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenantⁱ. 38And I will purge out from you the rebels and those transgressing against me; from the land of their sojournings I will bring them out, but to the ground^j of Israel they shall not come; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

39And you, O house of Israel, thus said the Lord GOD: Each man, go, serve^k his idols; and afterward, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no longer profane with your gifts and with your idols.

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

41With a soothing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and I gather you from the lands in which you were scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the eyes of the nations. 42And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you to the ground of Israel, to the land that I lifted up my hand to give to your fathers.

43And you shall remember there your ways, and all your doings in which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you did. 44And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for the sake of my name, not according to your evil ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.