1 I n the seventh year, in the fifth, on the tenth of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord and sat down before me.

On the tenth day of the fifth month in the seventh year, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask the Lord’s will, and they sat down in front of me.

2 T hen came the word of the Lord to me, saying,

The Word of the Lord came to me saying,

3 S on of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you!

“Son of man, speak to the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “Have you come to ask My will? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not let you ask me anything.”’

4 W ill you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then cause them to know, understand, and realize the abominations of their fathers.

Will you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Make known to them the sinful things their fathers did.

5 A nd say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In the day when I chose Israel and lifted up My hand and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up My hand and swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God,

Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “On the day I chose Israel, I raised My hand and made a promise to the children of the family of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I made a promise to them, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God.’

6 O n that day I lifted up My hand and swore to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is an ornament and a glory to all lands.

On that day I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land I had chosen for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

7 T hen said I to them, Let every man cast away the abominable things on which he feasts his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

I said to them, ‘Each of you get rid of the sinful things you have looked upon. Do not make yourselves sinful with the false gods of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

8 B ut they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me; they did not every man cast away the abominable things on which they feasted their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I, I will pour out My wrath upon them and finish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

But they turned against Me and would not listen to Me. They did not get rid of the sinful things they had looked upon. And they did not turn away from the false gods of Egypt. “Then I said that I would be angry with them. I would send My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

9 B ut I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they dwelt, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

But I acted for the good of My name. I did what would keep My name clean in the eyes of the nations they lived among, in whose eyes I made Myself known to them by bringing My people out of Egypt.

10 S o I caused them to go out from the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert.

11 A nd I gave them My statutes and showed and made known to them My judgments, which, if a man keeps, he must live in and by them.

I gave them My Laws and made known to them My Words, which bring life to anyone who obeys them.

12 M oreover, also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might understand and realize that I am the Lord Who sanctifies them.

I gave them My Days of Rest to be something special to see between Me and them, so they would know that I am the Lord Who makes them holy.

13 B ut the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes and they despised and cast away My judgments, which, if a man keeps, he must even live in and by them; and they grievously profaned My Sabbaths. Then I thought I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness and uproot and consume them.

But the people of Israel turned against Me in the desert. They did not obey My Laws, and they turned away from My Words which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They made My Days of Rest very sinful. Then I said that I would be angry with them in the desert and destroy them.

14 B ut I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I brought them out.

But I acted for the good of My name. I did what would keep My name clean in the eyes of the nations who saw Me bring them out of Egypt.

15 Y et also I lifted up My hand to swear 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 ornament and glory of all lands—

So I promised them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them, the land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

16 B ecause they despised and rejected My ordinances and walked not in My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, for their hearts went after their idols.

This was because they turned away from My Laws and did not obey My Words. They did not keep My Days of Rest holy, for they followed after their false gods with all their heart.

17 Y et My eye pitied them instead of destroying them, and I did not make a full end of them in the wilderness.

Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them. I did not make an end of them in the desert.

18 B ut I said to their sons in the wilderness, You shall not walk in the statutes of your fathers nor observe their ordinances nor defile yourselves with their idols.

“And I said to their children in the desert, ‘Do not keep the laws of your fathers, or follow their ways, or make yourselves sinful with their false gods.

19 I the Lord am your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances,

I am the Lord your God. Keep My Laws and obey My Words.

20 A nd hallow (separate and keep holy) My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord your God.

Keep My Days of Rest holy, and they will be something special to see between Me and you. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’

21 Y et the sons rebelled against Me; they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My ordinances which, if a man does, he must live in and by them; they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I thought I would pour out My wrath on them and finish My anger against them in the wilderness.

But the children turned against Me. They did not keep My Laws or obey My Words which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They did not keep My Days of Rest holy. So I said I would be angry with them. I would send My anger against them in the desert.

22 Y et I withheld My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be debased and profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them forth.

But I held My hand back, and acted for the good of My name, to keep it clean in the eyes of the nations who saw Me bring them out of Egypt.

23 M oreover, I lifted up My hand and swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the countries,

And I promised them in the desert that I would send them everywhere among the nations and spread them out among the lands.

24 B ecause they had not executed My ordinances but had despised and rejected My statutes and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers’ idols.

This is because they had not obeyed My Words. They had turned away from My Laws and did not keep My Days of Rest holy. And they worshiped the false gods of their fathers.

25 W herefore also I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances whereby they should not live and could not have life,

Then I gave them laws that were not good, and words they could not live by.

26 A nd I pollute and make themselves unclean in their own offerings, in that they caused to pass through the fire all the firstborn, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord.

And I let them become sinful because of their gifts. I let them give all their first-born sons as burnt gifts. This was to punish them and show them that I am the Lord.”’

27 T herefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Again in this your fathers blasphemed Me, in that they dealt faithlessly and treacherously with Me and committed a treasonous trespass against Me.

“So, son of man, speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “This is another way that your fathers have brought shame to My name by not being faithful to Me.

28 F or when I had brought them into the land which I lifted up My hand and swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every dark and leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented their offering that provoked My anger and sadness; there also they made their sweet-smelling savor and poured out there their drink offerings.

I brought them into the land I promised to give them. And when they saw all the high hills and trees with many leaves, they gave their gifts on all of them and made Me angry. They also burned special perfume there, and poured out their drink gifts.

29 T hen I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? And the name of it is called Bamah to this day.

Then I said to them, ‘What is this high place you go to?’ So it is called Bamah to this day.”’

30 T herefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Do you debase and defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers? And do you play the harlot after their loathsome and detestable things?

So tell the people of Israel, ‘The Lord God says, “Will you make yourselves sinful in the same way your fathers did, and go after their sinful things?

31 A nd when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you not debase and defile yourselves with all your idols to this day? And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you!

When you give your gifts and make your sons go through the fire, you are making yourselves sinful with all your false gods to this day. Am I to let you question Me, O people of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not let you ask Me anything.

32 A nd that which has come up in your mind shall never happen, in that you think, We will be as the nations, as the tribes of the countries, to serve idols of wood and stone.

You say, ‘We will be like the nations, like the people of the lands, who serve wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen. Israel Will Come Back to God

33 A s I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out will I be King over you.

“As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will be King over you, and will rule with a powerful hand, a strong arm, and with anger.

34 A nd 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 and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out.

I will bring you out of the nations and countries where you have been divided. I will gather you together with a powerful hand, a strong arm, and with anger.

35 A nd I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you and contend with you face to face.

I will bring you into the desert of the nations, and there I will punish you face to face.

36 A s I entered into judgment and contended with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment and contend with you, says the Lord God.

As I punished your fathers in the desert of Egypt, so I will punish you,” says the Lord God.

37 A nd I will cause you to pass under the rod and bring you into the covenant to which you are permanently bound.

“I will hold power over you and make you obey the agreement.

38 A nd I will purge out and separate from among you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they temporarily dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord.

I will take away from among you all those who sin or who turn against Me. I will bring them out of the land where they are living, but they will not go into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 A s 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 you shall not profane My holy name any more with your sacrificial gifts and your idols!

As for you, O people of Israel,” the Lord God says, “Go and serve your false gods, every one of you, now and later if you will not listen to Me. Do not ever again bring shame to My holy name with your gifts and your false gods.

40 F or on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings and the firstfruits and the choicest of your contributions, with all your sacred things.

For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,” says the Lord God, “all the people of Israel will serve Me in the land. There I will receive them. And there I will ask for the best of your gifts, with all your holy things.

41 I will accept you as a pleasant odor when I lead you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered, and I will manifest My holiness among you in the sight of the nations.

I will receive you as the pleasing smell of special perfume, when I bring you out of the nations and gather you from the different lands where you have been sent. And I will prove Myself holy among you in the eyes of the nations.

42 A nd you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I lifted up My hand and swore to give to your fathers.

Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I promised to give to your fathers.

43 A nd there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evil deeds which you have done.

There you will remember your ways and all the bad things you did to make yourselves sinful. And you will hate yourselves in your own eyes for all the sinful things you have done.

44 A nd you shall know, understand, and realize 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 doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord God.

You will know that I am the Lord when I honor My name by being good to you even though your ways have been sinful and you have done many sinful things, O people of Israel,” says the Lord God.’” Words against the South

45 M oreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

The Word of the Lord came to me saying,

46 S on of man, set your face toward the south, preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land of the South (the Negeb),

“Son of man, look toward the south. And speak out against the south and against the land of many trees in the Negev.

47 A nd say to the forest of the South (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 the south to the north shall be scorched by it.

Say to the land of trees in the Negev, ‘Hear the Word of the Lord. The Lord God says, “See, I am about to start a fire that will destroy all of your green trees and all of your dry trees. The hot fire will not be put out, and every face from south to north will be burned by it.

48 A ll flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.

Everyone will see that I, the Lord, have made the fire. It will not be put out.”’”

49 T hen said I, Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, Does he not speak in parables and make allegories?

Then I said, “O Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling picture-stories?’”