1 A nd it cometh to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth, in the tenth of the month, come in have certain of the elders of Israel to seek Jehovah, and they sit before me;

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

2 a nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me saying,

3 ` Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To seek Me are ye coming in? I live -- I am not sought by you -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “ I will not be inquired of by you.”’

4 D ost thou judge them? Dost thou judge, son of man? The abominations of their fathers cause them to know,

Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers;

5 a nd thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the day of My fixing on Israel, I lift up My hand, To the seed of the house of Jacob, And am known to them in the land of Egypt, And I lift up My hand to them, Saying, I Jehovah your God.

and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God,

6 I n that day I did lift up My hand to them, To bring them forth from the land of Egypt, Unto a land that I spied out for them, Flowing with milk and honey, A beauty it to all the lands,

on that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.

7 A nd I say unto them, Let each cast away the detestable things of his eyes, And with the idols of Egypt be not defiled, I Jehovah your God.

I said to them, ‘ Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’

8 A nd -- they rebel against Me, And have not been willing to hearken to Me, Each, the detestable things of their eyes, They have not cast away, And the idols of Egypt have not forsaken, And I say -- to pour out My fury on them, To complete Mine anger against them, In the midst of the land of Egypt.

But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 A nd I do for My name's sake, Not to pollute before the eyes of the nations, In whose midst they, Before whose eyes I became known to them, To bring them out from the land of Egypt.

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 by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

10 A nd I bring them out of the land of Egypt, And I bring them in unto the wilderness,

So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

11 A nd I give to them My statutes, And my judgments I caused them to know, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them.

I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live.

12 A nd also My sabbaths I have given to them, To be for a sign between Me and them, To know that I Jehovah their sanctifier.

Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

13 A nd -- rebel against me do the house of Israel in the wilderness, In My statutes they have not walked, And My judgments they have despised, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them. And My sabbaths they have greatly polluted, And I say to pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; and My sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them.

14 A nd I do for My name's sake, Not to pollute before the eyes of the nations, Before whose eyes I brought them forth.

But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight I had brought them out.

15 A nd also, I, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, Not to bring them in to the land that I had given, Flowing with milk and honey, A beauty it to all the lands,

Also I swore 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,

16 B ecause against My judgments they did kick, And in My statutes they have not walked, And My sabbaths they have polluted, For after their idols their heart is going.

because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their idols.

17 A nd Mine eye hath pity on them -- against destroying them, And I have not made of them an end in the wilderness.

Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not cause their annihilation in the wilderness.

18 A nd I say to their sons in the wilderness: In the statutes of your fathers ye walk not, And their judgments ye do not observe, And with their idols ye are not defiled.

“I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘ Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

19 I Jehovah your God, in My statutes walk, And My judgments observe, and do them,

I am the Lord your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them.

20 A nd My sabbaths sanctify, And they have been for a sign between Me and you, To know that I, Jehovah, your God.

Sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

21 A nd -- the sons rebel against Me, In My statutes they have not walked, And My judgments they have not observed -- to do them, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them. My sabbaths they have polluted, And I say to pour out My fury upon them, To complete Mine anger against them in the wilderness.

But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.

22 A nd I have turned back My hand, And I do for My name's sake, Not to pollute before the eyes of the nations, Before whose eyes I brought them out.

But I withdrew 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.

23 I also, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, To scatter them among nations, And to spread them through lands.

Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands,

24 B ecause My judgments they have not done, And My statutes they have despised, And My sabbaths they have polluted, And after idols of their fathers have their eyes been.

because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers.

25 A nd I also, I have given to them statutes not good, And judgments by which they do not live.

I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live;

26 A nd I defile them by their own gifts, By causing to pass away every opener of a womb, So that I make them desolate, So that they know that I Jehovah.

and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the Lord.”’

27 T herefore, speak unto the house of Israel, son of man, and thou hast said unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Still in this have your fathers reviled Me, In their committing against Me a trespass.

“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me by acting treacherously against Me.

28 A nd I bring them in unto the land, That I did lift up My hand to give to them, And they see every high hill, and every thick tree, And they sacrifice there their sacrifices, And give there the provocation of their offering, And make there their sweet fragrance, And they pour out there their libations.

When I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings.

29 A nd I say unto them: What the high place whither ye are going in? And its name is called `high place' to this day.

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

30 T herefore, say unto the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the way of your fathers are ye defiled? And after their detestable things go a-whoring?

Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things?

31 A nd in the offering of your gifts, In causing your sons to pass through fire, Ye are defiled by all your idols to this day, And I am sought by you, O house of Israel! I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, I am not sought by you.

When you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass 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.

32 A nd that which is going up on your mind, It is not at all -- in that ye are saying: We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, To serve wood and stone.

What comes into your mind will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.’ God Will Restore Israel to Her Land

33 I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Do not I, with a strong hand, And with a stretched-out arm, And with fury poured out -- rule over you?

“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you.

34 A nd I have brought you forth from the peoples, And assembled you from the lands In which ye have been scattered, With a strong hand and with a stretched-out arm, And with fury poured out.

I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out;

35 A nd I have brought you in unto the wilderness of the peoples, And have been judged with you there face to face.

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

36 A s I was judged with your fathers, In the wilderness of the land of Egypt, So I am judged with you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

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.

37 A nd I have caused you to pass under the rod, And brought you into the bond of the covenant,

“I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

38 A nd cleared out from you the rebels, And them transgressing against Me, From the land of their sojournings I bring them out, And unto the land of Israel they come not, And ye have known that I Jehovah.

and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.

39 A nd ye, O house of Israel, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Each his idols -- go -- serve ye, And, afterwards, if ye are not hearkening to me, And My holy name ye do not pollute any more by your gifts, and by your idols.

“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God, “ Go, serve everyone his idols; but later you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols.

40 F or, in My holy mountain, In the mountain of the height of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, There serve Me do all the house of Israel, All of it, in the land -- there I accept them, And there I do seek your heave-offerings, And with the first-fruit of your gifts, With all your holy things.

For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares the Lord God, “there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them and there I will seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things.

41 W ith sweet fragrance I do accept you, In My bringing you out from the peoples, And I have assembled you from the lands In which ye have been scattered, And I have been sanctified in you Before the eyes of the nations.

As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.

42 A nd ye have known that I Jehovah, In My bringing you to the ground of Israel, Unto the land that I did lift up My hand To give it to your fathers,

And you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your forefathers.

43 A nd ye have remembered there your ways, And all your doings, In which ye have been defiled, And ye have been loathsome in your own faces, For all your evils that ye have done.

There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done.

44 A nd ye have known that I Jehovah, In My dealing with you for My name's sake, Not according to your evil ways, And according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

Then you will know that I am the Lord when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.’”

45 A nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

46 S on of man, set thy face the way of Teman, and prophesy unto the south, and prophesy unto the forest of the field -- the south;

“Son of man, set your face toward Teman, and speak out against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev,

47 a nd thou hast said to the forest of the south: Hear a word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am kindling in thee a fire, And it hath devoured in thee every moist tree, and every dry tree, Not quenched is the glowing flames, And burnt by it have been all faces from south to north.

and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched and the whole surface from south to north will be burned by it.

48 A nd seen have all flesh, that I, Jehovah, have kindled it -- it is not quenched.'

All flesh will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”’”

49 A nd I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, They are saying of me, Is he not using similes?

Then I said, “Ah Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking parables?’”