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Ezekiel 20

20 In the seventh year after the Babylonians took King Jehoiachin and the rest of us away to Babylonia, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to ask Yahweh what they should do, and they sat down in front of me. 2 Then Yahweh gave me this message. He said, 3 “Mortal, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, say: ‘So you have come to ask me what you should do! As surely as I am alive, I refuse to let you ask me anything. That is what I, the Lord Yahweh, declare.’

4 Mortal, you must judge those elders! Yes, you must condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the things were that their ancestors did. 5 Tell them that this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, say: ‘When I chose Israel to be my people, I solemnly swore to the descendants of Jacob that I would help them, and I revealed myself to them while they were in the land of Egypt. I solemnly swore to them, “I am Yahweh your God.” 6 At that same time I solemnly promised them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a very productive land. That land was the most beautiful of all lands. 7 I said to them, “Every one of you must throw away the disgusting idols that you look at and desire, and you must not make yourselves unclean by worshiping the idols of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.” 8 But they rebelled against me and refused to obey me. Not one of them threw away the disgusting idols that they desired, and they did not abandon the idols of Egypt. So I said that I would punish them severely there in the land of Egypt until I was no longer angry with them. 9 But I did not do that, because I wanted to protect my reputation. I did not want the nations among whom my people were living to despise me, since those nations had watched me reveal myself to my people when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.

10 So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. 11 I told them what I commanded them to do, and I taught them how I had decided they should live; anyone who obeys these things will live by them. 12 I also gave them my Sabbath days as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I, Yahweh, am the one who sets them apart to belong to me. 13 But the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not obey my laws, and they rejected my rules, even though anyone who obeys them will live by them; and they completely dishonored my Sabbath days. So I said that I would punish them severely in the wilderness and destroy them there. 14 But I did not do that, because I wanted to protect my reputation. I did not want the nations who had watched me bring my people out of Egypt to despise me. 15 I also solemnly swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, that very productive land, the most beautiful of all lands. 16 I swore that because they rejected my rules and did not obey my laws and dishonored my Sabbath days. They did all this because they wanted more than anything to worship their idols. 17 But I pitied them and did not destroy them; I did not wipe them out completely in the wilderness.

18 I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the laws that your parents followed, and do not obey their rules, and do not make yourselves unclean by worshiping their idols. 19 I am Yahweh your God. Obey my laws, and carefully keep my rules and do what they say. 20 Honor my Sabbath days as holy, and they will serve as a sign between me and you, so that you will know that I am Yahweh your God.” 21 But their children also rebelled against me. They did not obey my laws, and they did not carefully keep my rules and do what they say, even though anyone who obeys them will live by them; they dishonored my Sabbath days. So I said that I would punish them severely in the wilderness until I was no longer angry with them. 22 But I held back from punishing them, because I wanted to protect my reputation. I did not want the nations who had watched me bring my people out of Egypt to despise me. 23 I also solemnly swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them everywhere among the nations of many lands, 24 because they did not obey my rules and they rejected my laws and dishonored my Sabbath days, and because they longed to worship the idols that their ancestors had worshiped. 25 So I let them follow practices that were not good and rules by which they could not live. 26 I let them make themselves unclean by the gifts they offered, when they sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. I did that in order to horrify them, so that they would know that I am Yahweh.’

27 Therefore, Mortal, speak to the people of Israel and tell them that this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, say: ‘Here is yet another way that your ancestors insulted me: they acted unfaithfully toward me. 28 I brought them into the land that I had solemnly promised to give to them. But whenever they saw a high hill or a leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there. They presented offerings there that made me angry, they burned offerings there that gave off a pleasing smell, and they poured out their wine offerings there. 29 So I asked them, “What is this high place that you keep going to?” To this day people call such places Bamah, a name that means “high place.” ’

30 Therefore, tell the people of Israel that this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, say: ‘You are making yourselves unclean in the same way that your ancestors did, and you are being unfaithful to me by worshiping their detestable idols. 31 When you present your gifts and sacrifice your children in the fire, you make yourselves unclean by worshiping all your idols; you are still doing this today. So I will certainly not let you ask me anything, you people of Israel. As surely as I am alive, I refuse to let you ask me anything. That is what I, the Lord Yahweh, declare. 32 What you are thinking will never happen. You are saying, “We want to be like the other nations, like the peoples of other lands, who worship idols of wood and stone.”

33 As surely as I am alive— this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, declare— I will rule over you with my great power, and I will show you how angry I am. 34 With my great power I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where I scattered you, and I will show you how angry I am. 35 I will bring you into a desert that lies among the other nations, and there I will judge you in person. 36 I will judge you just as I judged your ancestors in the desert near the land of Egypt. That is what I, the Lord Yahweh, declare. 37 I will count each of you as you pass by, and I will require you to obey the covenant that I made with you. 38 I will remove from among you those who rebel and sin against me. I will bring them out of the lands where they have been living as foreigners, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 39 As for you, people of Israel, this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, say: If you refuse to listen to me, then go ahead and worship your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me, and you will never again dishonor my holy name by offering your gifts to your idols.

40 For on my holy mountain, Zion, the high mountain of Israel— this is what I, the Lord Yahweh, declare— all the people of Israel, every one of them, will worship me there in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require you to bring me your contributions and the best of your gifts, along with all your holy offerings. 41 I will be pleased with you and accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where I scattered you. Then the nations will watch what I do among you and will recognize that I am holy. 42 You will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly swore to give to your ancestors. 43 There you will remember how you behaved and all the deeds by which you made yourselves unclean, and you will hate yourselves for all the evil things that you did. 44 You will know that I am Yahweh when I act toward you in order to protect my reputation, and not according to how evil and corrupt your behavior has been, you people of Israel. That is what I, the Lord Yahweh, declare.’ ”

45 Yahweh gave me another message. He said, 46 “Mortal, turn and face toward the south. Speak out against the southern region, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negev. 47 Say to that forest in the Negev, ‘Listen to the message that Yahweh is sending you! I, the Lord Yahweh, am about to start a fire in you, and it will burn up every tree in you, both the green trees and the dry ones. No one will put out that blazing fire, and it will scorch everyone from the south to the north. 48 Then everyone will see that I, Yahweh, started that fire, and no one will put it out.’ ” 49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord Yahweh! People are saying about me, ‘He is only telling us parables!’ ”

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