Ezekiel 20

The Rebellion of Israel

20On August 14

, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the Lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply.H7637H8141H2549H6218H2320H582H2205H3478H935H1875H3068H3427H64402Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H5593“Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing!’H1121H120H1696H2205H3478H559H559H136H3069H935H1875H2416H5002H136H3069H18754“Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.H8199H1121H120H8199H3045H8441H15Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God.H559H559H136H3069H3117H977H3478H5375H3027H2233H1004H3290H3045H776H4714H5375H3027H559H3068H4306I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere.H3117H5375H3027H3318H776H4714H776H8446H2100H2461H1706H6643H7767Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols

of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’H559H7993H376H8251H5869H2930H1544H4714H3068H4308“But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt.H4784H14H8085H376H7993H8251H5869H5800H1544H4714H559H8210H2534H3615H639H8432H776H47149But I didn’t do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.H6213H8034H2490H5869H1471H8432H5869H3045H3318H776H471410So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.H3318H776H4714H935H405711There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.H5414H2708H3045H4941H120H6213H242512And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.H5414H7676H226H3045H3068H694213“But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness.H1004H3478H4784H4057H1980H2708H3988H4941H120H6213H2425H7676H3966H2490H559H8210H2534H4057H361514But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt.H6213H8034H2490H5869H1471H5869H331815But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful place on earth.H5375H3027H4057H935H776H5414H2100H2461H1706H6643H77616For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols.H3988H4941H1980H2708H2490H7676H3820H1980H310H154417Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.H5869H2347H7843H6213H3617H405718“Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols.H559H1121H4057H3212H2706H1H8104H4941H2930H154419‘I am the Lord your God,’ I told them. ‘Follow my decrees, pay attention to my regulations,H3068H430H3212H2708H8104H4941H621320and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the Lord your God.’H6942H7676H226H3045H3068H43021“But their children, too, rebelled against me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness.H1121H4784H1980H2708H8104H4941H6213H120H6213H2425H2490H7676H559H8210H2534H3615H639H405722Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt.H7725H3027H6213H8034H2490H5869H1471H5869H331823But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nationsH5375H3027H4057H6327H1471H2219H77624because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors.H6213H4941H3988H2708H2490H7676H5869H310H1H154425I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.H5414H2706H2896H4941H242126I let them pollute themselves

with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.H2930H4979H5674H6363H7356H8074H3045H3068

Judgment and Restoration

27“Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me,H1121H120H1696H1004H3478H559H559H136H3069H1H1442H4603H460428for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them.H935H776H5375H3027H5414H7200H7311H1389H5687H6086H2076H2077H5414H3708H7133H7760H5207H7381H5258H526229I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.)H559H1116H935H8034H7121H1117H311730“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshiping vile images?H559H1004H3478H559H136H3069H2930H1870H1H2181H310H825131For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices

, you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing.H5375H4979H1121H5674H784H2930H1544H3117H1875H1004H3478H2416H5002H136H3069H187532“You say, ‘We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen.H5927H7307H559H1961H1471H4940H776H8334H6086H6833As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power.H2416H5002H136H3069H2389H3027H5186H2220H2534H8210H442734And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back

from the lands where you are scattered.H3318H5971H6908H776H6327H2389H3027H5186H2220H2534H821035I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.H935H4057H5971H8199H6440H644036I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign Lord.H8199H1H4057H776H4714H8199H5002H136H306937I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant.H5674H7626H935H4562H128538I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.H1305H4775H6586H3318H776H4033H935H127H3478H3045H306839“As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.H1004H3478H559H136H3069H3212H5647H376H1544H310H8085H2490H6944H8034H4979H154440For on my holy mountain, the great mountain of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord, the people of Israel will someday worship me, and I will accept them. There I will require that you bring me all your offerings and choice gifts and sacrifices.H6944H2022H2022H4791H3478H5002H136H3069H1004H3478H776H5647H7521H1875H8641H7225H4864H694441When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch.H7521H5207H7381H3318H5971H6908H776H6327H6942H5869H147142Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised with a solemn oath to give to your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord.H3045H3068H935H127H3478H776H5375H3027H5414H143You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done.H2142H1870H5949H2930H6962H6440H7451H621344You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”H3045H3068H6213H8034H7451H1870H7843H5949H1004H3478H5002H136H3069

Judgment against the Negev

Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H55946“Son of man, turn and face the south

and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev.H1121H120H7760H6440H1870H8486H5197H1864H5012H3293H5045H770447Tell the southern wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Hear the word of the Lord! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north.H559H3293H5045H8085H1697H3068H559H136H3069H3341H784H398H3892H6086H3002H6086H3852H7957H3518H6440H5045H6828H686648And everyone in the world will see that I, the Lord, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’”H1320H7200H3068H1197H351849Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”H559H162H136H3069H559H4911H4912