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Ezekiel 20

King James Version

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 enquire of the LORD, and sat before me. 2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. 4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them ? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: 5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God; 6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of 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: 7 Then said I unto 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. 8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto 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. 9 But I wrought for my name' sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were , in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. 10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even 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 the LORD that sanctify them. 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 do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14 But I wrought for my name' sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto 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 despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. 18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: 19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; 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. 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name' sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. 23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; 24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers'idols. 25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; 26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD. 27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet 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, for the which I lifted up mine 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 savour, and poured out there their drink offerings. 29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day. 30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? 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 unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. 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. 33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 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. 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 unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. 40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height 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 firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. 42 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. 43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. 44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name' sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. 45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field; 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. 48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched. 49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables? 

King James Bible (1769). Public Domain.
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Ezekiel 20

English Standard Version



1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. (Eze 1:2; Eze 8:1; Eze 14:1; Eze 24:1; Eze 26:1; Eze 29:1; Eze 29:17; Eze 30:20; Eze 31:1; Eze 32:1; Eze 32:17; Eze 33:21; Eze 40:1) 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. (Eze 2:1; Eze 14:3; Eze 16:48) 4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let them know the abominations of their fathers, (Eze 16:2; Eze 22:2; Eze 23:36) 5 and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore[1] to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. (Ge 14:22; Ex 3:8; Ex 4:31; Ex 6:2; Ex 6:7; Eze 20:15; Eze 20:23; Eze 20:28; Eze 20:42; Eze 36:7; Eze 47:14) 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. (Ex 3:8; Jer 3:19; Eze 20:15; Zec 7:14) 7 And I said to them, ‘Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’ (Ex 20:2; Le 18:3; Eze 18:31; Eze 20:8; Eze 20:18; Eze 20:19; Eze 20:24) 8 But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. “Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. (Eze 5:13; Eze 20:7; Eze 20:21) 9 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. (Ps 106:8; Isa 48:11; Eze 20:14; Eze 20:22; Eze 20:44) 10 So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. (Ex 13:18; Ex 13:20) 11 I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live. (Le 18:5; De 4:8; Ne 9:13; Ps 147:19; Eze 18:9; Ro 10:5; Ga 3:12) 12 Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. (Ex 20:8; Le 21:23; De 5:12; Eze 20:13; Eze 20:16; Eze 20:21; Eze 20:24; Eze 37:28) 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. “Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. (Eze 20:21; Eze 20:24; Eze 22:8; Eze 23:38) 14 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. (Eze 20:9) 15 Moreover, I swore 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, the most glorious of all lands, (Ex 3:8; Nu 14:28; Ps 95:11; Eze 20:5; Eze 20:6) 16 because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. (Nu 15:39; Ps 78:37; Eze 20:24) 17 Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness. (Eze 5:11; Eze 11:13) 18 “And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. (Jos 24:14; Eze 2:3; Eze 20:7; Eze 20:21; 1Pe 1:18) 19 I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, (Ex 20:2; De 5:32; Eze 20:5) 20 and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ (Ge 9:12; Ge 17:11; Jer 17:22; Eze 20:12) 21 But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths. “Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. (De 31:27; Eze 20:8; Eze 20:13; Eze 20:16) 22 But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. (Eze 20:9; Eze 20:14; Eze 20:44) 23 Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, (De 28:64; Eze 20:5; Eze 20:15) 24 because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers’ idols. (Eze 20:16) 25 Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, (Ps 81:12; Eze 20:39; Ac 7:42; Ro 1:24; Ro 1:28; 2Th 2:11) 26 and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord. (Eze 6:7; Eze 16:20; Eze 20:31) 27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me. (Eze 2:1; Eze 14:13) 28 For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings. (Eze 6:13; Eze 8:17; Eze 20:5) 29 (I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called Bamah[2] to this day.) (Eze 20:40) 30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? (Ps 106:39; Eze 20:7) 31 When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire,[3] you defile 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. (Eze 14:3; Eze 16:48; Eze 20:26) 32 “What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.’ (De 4:28; 2Ki 19:18; Jer 44:17; Eze 11:5; Da 5:4; Da 5:23; Re 9:20) 



33 “As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. (Jer 21:5; Eze 20:8; Eze 20:31) 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. (Jer 31:8) 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. (De 5:4; Eze 17:20; Eze 20:10; Ho 2:14) 36 As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God. (Nu 14:20; Nu 14:28) 37 I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. (Le 27:32) 38 I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. (Eze 6:7; Eze 13:9; Eze 20:35; Eze 34:17; Eze 34:20; Eze 34:22; Mt 25:32) 39 “As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols. (Jud 10:14; Jer 44:25; Eze 20:25; Eze 39:7; Eze 43:7) 40 “For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord God, 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 contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. (Isa 56:7; Isa 60:7; Eze 17:23; Eze 28:14; Eze 39:25; Eze 43:27; Mal 3:4; Ro 12:1) 41 As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. (Nu 20:12; Isa 8:13; Eze 20:34; Eze 28:22; Eze 36:23; Eze 38:16; Eze 38:23; Eze 39:27) 42 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers. (Eze 6:7; Eze 20:5) 43 And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. (Eze 6:9) 44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.” (Ps 103:10; Eze 20:9; Eze 20:14; Eze 20:22) 45 [4] And the word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the southland;[5] preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb. (Isa 55:10; Eze 2:1; Eze 21:2; Am 7:16) 47 Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. (Jer 21:14; Eze 17:24; Eze 21:4; Lu 23:31) 48 All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” (Isa 30:33; Isa 40:5) 49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of parables?’” (Eze 4:14; Eze 17:2; Eze 24:3) 

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