Now in the seventh year
, in the fifth
month, on the tenth
of the month
, 1certain
of the aelders
of Israel
came
to inquire
of the LORD
, and sat
before
me.
And the word of the LORD
came
to me saying
,
"Son of man
, speak
to the elders
of Israel
and say
to them, `Thus
says
the Lord
1GOD
, "Do you come
to inquire
of Me? As I live
," declares
the Lord
GOD
, " aI will not be inquired
of by you."'
"Will you judge them, will you judge
them, son
of man
? aMake them know
the abominations
of their fathers
;
and say to them, `Thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, "On the day
when I achose
Israel
and 1swore
to the 2descendants
of the house
of Jacob
and made
Myself known
to them in the land
of Egypt
, when I 1swore
to them, saying
, bI am the LORD
your God
,
on that day I swore
to them, ato bring
them out from the land
of Egypt
into a land
that I had 1selected
for them, bflowing
with milk
and honey
, which
is cthe glory
of all
lands
.
"I said to them, ` aCast
away
, each
of you, the detestable
things
of his eyes
, and bdo not defile
yourselves with the idols
of Egypt
; cI am the LORD
your God
.'
"But they arebelled against Me and were not willing
to listen
to Me; 1they did not cast
away
the detestable
things
of their eyes
, nor
did they forsake
the bidols
of Egypt
.
Then I 2resolved to cpour
out My wrath
on them, to accomplish
My anger
against them in the midst
of the land
of Egypt
.
"But I acted afor the sake
of My name
, that it should bnot 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
.
"So I took them out of the land
of Egypt
and brought
them into the awilderness
.
"I gave them My astatutes
and informed
them of My ordinances
, by bwhich
, if a man
1observes
them, he will live
.
"Also I gave
them My sabbaths
to be a asign
between
Me and them, that they might know
that I am the LORD
who sanctifies
them.
"But the house of Israel
arebelled
against Me in the wilderness
. They did not walk
in My statutes
and they rejected
My ordinances
, bby which
, if a man
1observes
them, he will live
; and My csabbaths
they greatly
profaned
. Then I 2resolved
to dpour
out My wrath
on them in the wilderness
, to annihilate
them.
"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.
"Also aI 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
,
because they rejected
My ordinances
, and as for My statutes
, they did not walk
in them; they even profaned
My sabbaths
, for their aheart
continually went
after
their idols
.
"Yet My eye spared
them rather
than
destroying
them, and I did not cause
their aannihilation
in the wilderness
.
"I said to their 1 achildren
in the wilderness
, ` bDo not walk
in the statutes
of your fathers
or keep
their ordinances
or defile
yourselves with their idols
.
` aI am the LORD your God
; bwalk
in My statutes
and keep
My ordinances
and 1observe
them.
` aSanctify My sabbaths
; and they shall be a sign
between
Me and you, that you may know
that I am the LORD
your God
.'
"But the achildren 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 1resolved
to pour
out My wrath
on them, to accomplish
My anger
against them in the wilderness
.
"But I awithdrew My hand
and acted
bfor 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.
"Also I swore
to them in the wilderness
that I would ascatter
them among the nations
and disperse
them among the lands
,
because they had not observed
My ordinances
, but had rejected
My statutes
and had profaned
My sabbaths
, and atheir eyes
were 1on the idols
of their fathers
.
"I also gave
them statutes
that were anot good
and ordinances
by which they could not live
;
and I pronounced them aunclean
because of their gifts
, in that they bcaused all
1their firstborn
to pass
through
the fire so
that I might make
them desolate
, in order
that they might cknow
that I am the LORD
."'
"Therefore, son
of man
, aspeak
to the house
of Israel
and say
to them, `Thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, "Yet
in this
your fathers
have bblasphemed
Me by cacting
treacherously
against Me.
"When I had abrought them into the land
which
I swore
to give
to them, then they saw
every
bhigh
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
.
"Then I said to them, `What
is the high
place
to which
you go
?' So its name
is called
1Bamah
to this
day
."'
"Therefore, say
to the house
of Israel
, `Thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, "Will you defile
yourselves 1after the manner
of your afathers
and play
the harlot
after
their detestable
things
?
" 1When you offer your gifts
, when you acause 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.
"What acomes 1into your mind
will not come
about, when
you say
: `We will be like the nations
, like the tribes
of the lands
, bserving
wood
and stone
.'
"As I live," declares
the Lord
GOD
, "surely
with a mighty
hand
and with an aoutstretched
arm
and with wrath
poured
out, I shall be bking
over
you.
"I will abring 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 bwrath
poured
out;
and I will bring you into the awilderness
of the peoples
, and there
I will enter
into judgment
with you face
to face
.
"As I aentered into judgment
with your fathers
in the bwilderness
of the land
of Egypt
, so
I will enter
into judgment
with you," declares
the Lord
GOD
.
"I will make you apass under
the rod
, and I will bring
you into the bond
of the covenant
;
and I will apurge from you the rebels
and those who transgress
against Me; I will bring
them out of the land
where
they sojourn
, but they will bnot enter
the 1land
of Israel
. Thus you will know
that I am the LORD
.
"As for you, O house of Israel
," thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, " aGo
, serve
everyone
his idols
; 1but later
you will surely
listen
to Me, and My holy
name
you will bprofane
no
longer
with your gifts
and with your idols
.
"For on My holy mountain
, on the high
mountain
of Israel
," declares
the Lord
GOD
, "there
the whole
house
of Israel
, aall
of them, will serve
Me in the land
; there
I will baccept
them and there
I will 1seek
your contributions
and the choicest
of your gifts
, with all
your holy
things
.
" 1As a soothing aroma
I will accept
you when I abring
you out from the peoples
and gather
you from the lands
where
you are scattered
; and I will prove
Myself bholy
among you in the sight
of the nations
.
"And ayou will know that I am the LORD
, bwhen I bring
you into the land
of Israel
, into the cland
which
I swore
to give
to your forefathers
.
"There you will aremember
your ways
and all
your deeds
with which
you have defiled
yourselves; and you will bloathe
yourselves in your own 1sight
for all
the evil
things
that you have done
.
"Then ayou will know that I am the LORD
when I have dealt
with you bfor My name's
sake
, not according to your evil
ways
or according to your corrupt
deeds
, O house
of Israel
," declares
the Lord
GOD
.' "
1Now the word of the LORD
came
to me, saying
,
"Son of man
, set
your face
toward
1Teman
, and speak
out against
the asouth
and bprophesy
against
the cforest
2land
of the Negev
,
and say to the forest
of the Negev
, `Hear
the word
of the LORD
: thus
says
the Lord
GOD
, "Behold
, I am about to akindle
a fire
in you, and it will consume
every
1green
tree
in you, as well as every
dry
tree
; the blazing
flame
will not be quenched
and 2 bthe whole
surface
from south
to north
will be burned
by it.
"All flesh
will see
that I, the LORD
, have kindled
it; it shall anot be quenched
.""'
Then I said, "Ah
Lord
GOD
! They are saying
of me, `Is he not just speaking
aparables
?' "