Ezekiel 20
20:1And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, tenth of the month, there came men from the elders of the house of Israel to ask of the lord. And they sat before my face.
20:2And the word of the lord came to me, saying,
20:3O son of man, speak to the elders of Israel! and you shall say to them, Thus says Adonai the lord; Are you come to ask me? As I live, I shall not be answering to you, says Adonai the lord.
20:4Shall I punish them with punishment, O son of man? Testify to them of the lawless deeds of their fathers!
20:5And you shall say to them, Thus says the lord; From which day I took up the house of Israel, and made known to the seed of the house of Jacob, and was known by them in the land of Egypt, and took hold of them with my hand, saying, I am the lord your God.
20:6In that day I took hold of them by my hand, to lead them from out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I prepared for them; a land flowing milk and honey, the honeycomb is beyond every land.
20:7And I said to them, Let each throw away the abominations of his eyes! and in the practices of Egypt be not defiled! I am the lord your God.
20:8And they revolted from me, and wanted not to listen to me. Each threw not away the abominations of their eyes, and the practices of Egypt they abandoned not. And I spoke to pour out my rage upon them; to complete my anger among them in the midst of Egypt.
20:9And I acted so that my name should not be thoroughly profaned before the nations which they are in the midst of them, to the ones whom I made known to them of their presence, to lead them from out of the land of Egypt.
20:10And I led them from the land of Egypt, and I led them into the wilderness.
20:11And I gave them my orders, and I made known my ordinances to them; how if a man should do them then he shall live by them.
20:12And my Sabbaths I gave to them, to be for a sign between me and between them, for them to know that I am the lord, the one sanctifying them.
20:13And the house of Israel greatly embittered me in the wilderness. In my orders they did not go, and my ordinances they thrust away, which a man shall do them and shall live by them. And they profaned my Sabbaths exceedingly. And I spoke to pour out my rage upon them in the wilderness, to completely consume them.
20:14And I acted so that my name should not be thoroughly profaned before the nations which I led them out before their eyes.
20:15And I lifted my hand against them in the wilderness, the thorough one, to not bring them into the land which I gave to them, a land flowing milk and honey; (the honeycomb is beyond all the land).
20:16Because they thrusted away my ordinances, and in my orders they went not by them; and they profaned my Sabbaths, and they went after the thoughts of their hearts.
20:17And my eye spared them to not wipe them away, and I did not commit them unto consumption in the wilderness.
20:18And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not go in the laws of your fathers, and do not keep their ordinances, and do not intermingle in their practices, and be not defiled!
20:19I am the lord your God; go by my orders, and keep my ordinances, and do them!
20:20And my Sabbaths -- sanctify them! and it will be for a sign between me and you, to know that I am the lord your God.
20:21And they rebelled against me. And their children went not by my orders. And my ordinances they guarded not to do them, which if a man does then he shall live by them. And my Sabbaths they profaned. And I spoke to pour out my rage upon them, and to complete my anger against them in the wilderness.
20:22And I turned my hand against them, and I acted because of myself, so that my name should not be thoroughly profaned before the nations; from whom I led them out before their eyes.
20:23And I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness, to disperse them among the nations, and to scatter them in the places;
20:24because they did not observe my ordinances, and they thrusted away my orders, and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after the thoughts of their fathers.
20:25And I gave them up to orders that were not good, and ordinances in which they shall not live by them.
20:26And I will defile them in their decrees in my traveling by every one opening wide the womb, so that I should obliterate them, that thay shall know that I am the lord.
20:27On account of this, speak to the house of Israel, O son of man! And you shall say to them, Thus says Adonai the lord; Until this time your fathers provoked me to anger in their transgressions, in which they fell against me.
20:28And I brought them into the land which I lifted up my hand to give it to them. And they beheld every high hill, and every shady tree. And they sacrificed there to their gods. And they arranged there the wrath of the gift offerings. And they arranged there a scent of their pleasant aroma offering. And they offered a libation there of their libation offerings.
20:29And I said to them, What is Abama, that you enter there? And they called upon its name, Abama, until today's day.
20:30On account of this, say to the house of Israel! Thus says Adonai the lord; Shall you defile yourselves in the lawless deeds of your fathers? and do you fornicate after their abominations?
20:31And in the first-fruits of your gifts, and in your offerings, in the passing through your children in fire, you defiled yourselves in all your thoughts until today's day. And shall I answer you, O house of Israel, no. As I live, says Adonai the lord, Shall I answer you, and shall this thing ascend upon your spirit, no.
20:32And it will not be in which manner that you say, We will be as the nations, and as the tribes of the earth, to serve wood and stone idols.
20:33On account of this, as I live, says Adonai the lord, with a fortified hand and with a high arm, and with rage being poured forth, I will reign over you.
20:34And I will lead you from out of the peoples, and I will take you from out of the places of which you were dispersed in them, with a fortified hand and with a high arm, and with rage being poured forth.
20:35And I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples, and I will litigate for you there face to face.
20:36In which manner I litigated for your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you, says Adonai the lord.
20:37And I will lead you by my rod, and I will bring you in by number.
20:38And I shall choose from you the impious, and the ones revolting; because I will lead them from out of their sojourning, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel. And you shall realize that I am the lord.
20:39And to you, O house of Israel, thus says Adonai the lord; Let each remove his evil practices! And after these things, if you listen to me, and shall not profane my holy name any longer by your gifts, and by your practices,
20:40that upon my holy mountain, upon the high mountain of Israel, says Adonai the lord, there all the house of Israel shall serve to me unto the end upon the land. And there I will favorably receive them, and there I shall watch your first-fruits, and the first-fruits of your offerings in all your sanctified things.
20:41In a scent of pleasant aroma I will favorably receive you, in my leading you from out of the peoples, and to take you from out of the places in which you were dispersed in them. And I shall be sanctified in you before the eyes of the peoples.
20:42And you shall realize that I am the lord, in my bringing you into the land of Israel, into which I lifted my hand to give it to your fathers.
20:43And you shall remember your ways there, and your practices which you defiled yourselves by them. And you shall beat your faces over all your evils.
20:44And you shall realize that I am the lord in my doing thus to you, so that my name should not be profaned, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupting practices, O house of Israel, says Adonai the lord.
20:45And the word of the lord came to me, saying,
20:46O son of man, firmly fix your face against Teman, and look upon Daror, and prophesy against the grove leading to Negev!
20:47And you shall say to the grove of Negev, Hear the word of the lord! Thus says the lord; Behold, I kindle in you a fire, and it shall devour in you every green tree, and every dry tree. The flame being lit up shall not be extinguished, and every face from the east wind unto the north shall be incinerated by it.
20:48And all flesh shall realize that I am the lord. I kindled it, and it shall not be extinguished.
20:49And I said, By no means, O lord, O Lord, these shall say to me, Is not this a parable being spoken?