20On the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, men came from the elders of Israel to seek the Lord. They sat down in front of me.H7637H8141H2549H6218H2320H582H2205H3478H935H1875H3068H3427H64402"Son of Man," the Lord told me,H1697H3068H5593"Tell the elders of Israel, 'This is what the Lord God asks, "Did you come to inquire of me?As long as I live, I won't let myself be sought by you," declares the Lord God.'H1121H120H1696H2205H3478H559H559H136H3069H935H1875H2416H5002H136H3069H18754"Will you judge them?Son of Man, will you indeed judge them?Teach them about the detestable practices that their ancestors did.H8199H1121H120H8199H3045H8441H15Tell them, 'This is what the Lord God says, "The day I chose Israel, when I made my commitment to the descendants of Jacob's house, I revealed myself to them in the land of Egypt and I made my promise to them with the words 'I am the Lord your God.'H559H559H136H3069H3117H977H3478H5375H3027H2233H1004H3290H3045H776H4714H5375H3027H559H3068H4306That day I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt to the land that I had explored for them - a land flowing with milk and honey. It's the most beautiful of all lands.H3117H5375H3027H3318H776H4714H776H8446H2100H2461H1706H6643H7767Then I said to them, 'Each of you are to abandon your detestable practices. You are not to defile yourselves with Egypt's idols. I am the Lord your God.'"H559H7993H376H8251H5869H2930H1544H4714H3068H4308"But they rebelled against me and weren't willing to obey me. None of them abandoned their detestable practices or their Egyptian idols. So I said, 'I'll pour out my anger and spend my fury against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.'H4784H14H8085H376H7993H8251H5869H5800H1544H4714H559H8210H2534H3615H639H8432H776H47149I did this so my reputation might not be tarnished among the nations where they were living, among whom I made myself known in their presence when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.H6213H8034H2490H5869H1471H8432H5869H3045H3318H776H471410I brought them out of the land of Egypt to bring them to the wildernessH3318H776H4714H935H405711where I gave them my statutes and revealed my ordinances to them, which if a person observes, he'll live by them.H5414H2708H3045H4941H120H6213H242512Also, I instituted my Sabbath for them as a sign between me and them, so they would know that I am the Lord, who has set them apart."H5414H7676H226H3045H3068H694213"But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn't live by my statutes. They despised my ordinances, which if a person observes, he'll live by them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my anger on them and bring them to an end in the wilderness.H1004H3478H4784H4057H1980H2708H3988H4941H120H6213H2425H7676H3966H2490H559H8210H2534H4057H361514I did this so my reputation wouldn't be tarnished among the nations in whose presence I had brought them out.H6213H8034H2490H5869H1471H5869H331815"Moreover, I solemnly swore to them in the wilderness that I wouldn't bring them to the land that I had given them?a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands - 16because they kept on rejecting my ordinances. They didn't live life consistent with my statutes, they profaned my Sabbaths, and their hearts followed their idols.H5375H3027H4057H935H776H5414H2100H2461H1706H6643H77617Even then, I looked on them with compassion and didn't completely destroy them in the wilderness.H5869H2347H7843H6213H3617H405718I told their children in the wilderness, 'You are not to follow the statutes of your ancestors, observe their ordinances, or be defiled by their idols.H559H1121H4057H3212H2706H1H8104H4941H2930H154419I am the Lord your God. You are to follow my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them.H3068H430H3212H2708H8104H4941H621320You are to make my Sabbaths sacred, and you are to let them serve as a sign between you and me, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God."H6942H7676H226H3045H3068H43021"But they rebelled against me. They didn't live according to my statutes, observe my ordinances, or practice them, by which a person will live. They also kept profaning my Sabbaths. So I said that I was going to pour out my anger on them and in my anger bring a complete end to them in the wilderness.H1121H4784H1980H2708H8104H4941H6213H120H6213H2425H2490H7676H559H8210H2534H3615H639H405722But I withdrew my decision so my reputation wouldn't be tarnished among the nations before whose eyes I brought them out.H7725H3027H6213H8034H2490H5869H1471H5869H331823"Futhermore, I solemnly swore in the wilderness to disperse them among the nations and scatter them to other landsH5375H3027H4057H6327H1471H2219H77624because they didn't observe my ordinances. Instead, they rejected my statutes, profaned my Sabbaths, and worshipped their ancestors' idols.H6213H4941H3988H2708H2490H7676H5869H310H1H154425So I gave them statutes that weren't good and ordinances by which they could not live.H5414H2706H2896H4941H242126I made them unclean because of their offerings, so they made all their firstborn to pass through the fire, so that I could make them appalled. Then they'll know that I am the Lord."H2930H4979H5674H6363H7356H8074H3045H306827"Therefore, Son of Man, you are to speak to the children of Israel and tell them, "This is what the Lord God says: 'Your ancestors also blasphemed me in their treacherous behavior against me.H1121H120H1696H1004H3478H559H559H136H3069H1H1442H4603H460428I brought them to the land that I had promised to give them. But whenever they saw any high hill and or any leafy tree, they slaughtered their sacrifices there and presented their offerings that provoked my anger. There they presented their pleasing aromas and poured out their drink offering.H935H776H5375H3027H5414H7200H7311H1389H5687H6086H2076H2077H5414H3708H7133H7760H5207H7381H5258H526229So I asked them, "What is the high place to which you're going? That's why the name of the place has been called Bamah to this day.'"H559H1116H935H8034H7121H1117H311730"Therefore you are to say to Israel's house, "This is what the Lord God says: 'Will you defile yourselves like your ancestors did by acting as a prostitute, consistent with their horrible deeds -H559H1004H3478H559H136H3069H2930H1870H1H2181H310H825131When you present your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with your idols to this day. Should I be inquired of by you, you house of Israel?As I live,' declares the Lord, 'I certainly won't be inquired of by you.'H5375H4979H1121H5674H784H2930H1544H3117H1875H1004H3478H2416H5002H136H3069H187532The thing that you're imagining is never going to happen, since you're thinking, 'We'll be like the nations, like the clans of other lands who serve gods made from wood and stone.'"H5927H7307H559H1961H1471H4940H776H8334H6086H6833"As I live," declares the Lord God, "with my powerful hand and outstreched arm, along with my wrath poured out, I'll reign as king over you.H2416H5002H136H3069H2389H3027H5186H2220H2534H8210H442734I'll bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you were scattered. With a powerful hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured outH3318H5971H6908H776H6327H2389H3027H5186H2220H2534H821035I'll bring you into the wilderness of the peoples. I'll enter into judgment with you there face to face.H935H4057H5971H8199H6440H644036Just as I've entered into judgment with your ancestors in the wilderness in the land of Egypt, so I'll enter into judgment with you," declares the Lord.H8199H1H4057H776H4714H8199H5002H136H306937"I'll cause you to pass under the rod until I shall have brought you into the bond of the covenant.H5674H7626H935H4562H128538I'll eliminate the rebels among you, along with those who are transgressing against me. I'll bring them out of the land where you've lived, but they won't be able to enter the land of Israel. Then you'll know that I am the Lord."H1305H4775H6586H3318H776H4033H935H127H3478H3045H306839"And now, you house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says, 'Go ahead and serve your idols, and thereafter, but later you'll listen to me, and you won't profane my sacred name again by your offerings and idols."H1004H3478H559H136H3069H3212H5647H376H1544H310H8085H2490H6944H8034H4979H154440"For on my holy mountain, on Israel's high mountains," declares the Lord God, "the whole of Israel's house, all of it, will serve me there in the land. I'll accept them there. And there I'll demand your offerings, the first fruits of your portions of all your sacred things.H6944H2022H2022H4791H3478H5002H136H3069H1004H3478H776H5647H7521H1875H8641H7225H4864H694441"When I shall have brought you from among the people and have gathered you from the lands where you were scattered, I'll accept you as a pleasing aroma. I'll reveal my holiness among you, and the entire world will see it.H7521H5207H7381H3318H5971H6908H776H6327H6942H5869H147142Then you'll know that I, the Lord, brought you to the land of Israel, to the land that I promised to give to your ancestors.H3045H3068H935H127H3478H776H5375H3027H5414H143You'll remember all your practices and evils deeds by which you've become defiled. You'll loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evil things you've done.H2142H1870H5949H2930H6962H6440H7451H621344Then you'll know that I am the Lord, when I shall have dealt with you for the benefit of my own reputation and not according to your evil attitudes or corrupt practices, you house of Israel," declares the Lord God."H3045H3068H6213H8034H7451H1870H7843H5949H1004H3478H5002H136H306945This message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H55946"Son of Man, turn to the south and oppose it, talking toward the south.H1121H120H7760H6440H1870H8486H5197H1864H5012H3293H5045H770447Prophesy against the forest of the Negev, 'Listen to the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says: 'Look out! I'm about to kindle a fire against you that will devour tree?whether green or dry?that lives in you. This powerful flame will not be extinguishable, and the entire surface from so uth to north will be scorched by it.H559H3293H5045H8085H1697H3068H559H136H3069H3341H784H398H3892H6086H3002H6086H3852H7957H3518H6440H5045H6828H686648Then everyone will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it, because it won't be extinguished."H1320H7200H3068H1197H351849Then I said, "O Lord God! They're saying about me, 'Isn't he one to propound parables?"H559H162H136H3069H559H4911H4912
Dublin, OH
