Chapter 20.
And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the
month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord,
and sat before me.
Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto the elders
of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
Are ye come to inquire of me?
As I live, saith the Lord God.
I will not be inquired of by you.
Wilt thou judge them, son of man?
Wilt thou judge them?
Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers, and say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord God.
In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of
the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt,
when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God.
In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of
Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey,
which is the glory of all lands.
Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes,
and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt.
I am the Lord your God.
But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me.
They did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did
they forsake the idols of Egypt.
Then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them
in the midst of the land of Egypt.
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the
heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto
them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into
the wilderness.
And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do,
he shall even live in them.
Moreover, also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them,
that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness.
They walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments,
which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
And my sabbaths, they greatly polluted.
Then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them.
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the
heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
Yet also I lifted up my hand unto 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 despised my judgments, and walked not in my
statutes, but polluted my sabbaths, for their heart went after their idols.
Nevertheless, mine eyes spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end
of them in the wilderness.
But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of
your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with
their idols.
I am the Lord your God.
Walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them, and hallow my
sabbaths.
And they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord
your God.
Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against me.
They walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them,
which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
They polluted my sabbaths.
Then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them
in the wilderness.
Nevertheless, I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my namesake, that it
should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen in whose sight I brought them
forth.
I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them
among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries.
Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes,
and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their father's idols.
Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they
should not live.
And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the
fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate,
to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.
Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord God.
Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass
against me, for when I had brought them into the land.
For the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them.
Then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered
there their sacrifices.
And there they presented the provocation of their offering.
There also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink
offerings.
Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go?
And the name thereof is called Bema unto this day.
Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God.
Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers?
And commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire,
ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day.
And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel?
As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.
And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all that ye say, We will be as
the heathen, as the families of the country, to serve wood and stone.
As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a
stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you.
And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries
wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm,
and with fury poured out.
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with
you face to face.
Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt,
so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.
And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of
the covenant, and I will purge out from among you the rebels and them that
transgress against me.
I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not
enter into the land of Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, Go ye,
serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken
unto me, but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts and with your idols.
For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord
God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me.
There will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings and the firstfruits
of your oblations with all your holy things.
I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people and
gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered.
And I will be sanctified in you before the heathen, and ye shall know that I am the
Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which
I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been
defiled.
And ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have
committed.
And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name's
sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings,
O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face
toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest
of the south field.
And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall
devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree.
The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north
shall be burned therein.
And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it, it shall not be quenched.
Then said I, Ah, Lord God, they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?