Ezekiel 20 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Ezekiel 20 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter recounts Israel's history of rebellion against God, emphasizing their persistent idolatry despite God's repeated attempts to draw them back. It serves as a warning of judgment for their unfaithfulness but also offers a glimmer of hope for future restoration.

Rebellion in Egypt and the Wilderness (20:1-17): Ezekiel recounts how, even in Egypt and during their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites continually disobeyed God and worshipped idols. Despite this, God showed mercy for the sake of his holy name and continued to provide for them.
Rebellion in the Promised Land (20:18-29): The cycle of rebellion continued even after they entered the Promised Land. Each generation continued to worship idols, provoking God's anger. He considered destroying them entirely but again relented for the sake of his name.
Confronting the Present Generation (20:30-39): Ezekiel directly addresses the current generation in exile, accusing them of continuing the same pattern of idolatry as their ancestors. He warns them that God will judge them for their sins.
Promise of Future Restoration (20:40-44): Despite their unfaithfulness, God promises a future day when he will gather the scattered Israelites back to their land. He will cleanse them of their idolatry and establish a new covenant with them, allowing them to worship him in spirit and truth.
Judgment on the Wicked (20:45-49): The chapter concludes with a symbolic vision of judgment upon the wicked, represented by a forest fire. This serves as a final warning that God's judgment is coming for those who persist in their rebellion.

Key Themes:

God's Faithfulness vs. Israel's Unfaithfulness: The chapter highlights the stark contrast between God's constant faithfulness and Israel's persistent rebellion.
Idolatry as a Central Sin: Idolatry is presented as the root of Israel's sin, a constant betrayal of their covenant with God.
Judgment and Hope: While the chapter emphasizes God's coming judgment, it also offers hope for future restoration and a renewed relationship with God.

Overall, Ezekiel 20 serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of remaining faithful to God. It also offers a message of hope, reminding us that God is merciful and desires to restore his people.

Ezekiel 20 bible study ai commentary

Ezekiel 20 recounts Israel's history as a litany of persistent rebellion, starting from the moment God chose them in Egypt. Despite their continuous idolatry through the wilderness and in the Promised Land, God repeatedly spared them, not for their sake, but for the honor of His own name. The prophecy pivots from this indictment of the past to a promise of a future, "new exodus," where God will act as King to forcefully gather, purge, and restore a purified remnant to Himself, who will finally worship Him rightly.

Ezekiel 20 context

This prophecy is dated to August 591 BC, about seven years after Ezekiel's first vision and four years before Jerusalem's final fall. The elders of the Babylonian exiles approach Ezekiel, likely seeking a comforting word or guidance on when their captivity might end. Instead of comfort, God delivers a scathing historical indictment. This serves as a "historical lawsuit" or rîb, a common prophetic genre, where God lays out His case against His covenant people, demonstrating that their current state of exile is the just and inevitable consequence of centuries of spiritual adultery.

Ezekiel 20:1-4

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD and sat before me. And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Make known to them the abominations of their fathers.

In-depth-analysis

A Formal Confrontation: The specific date marks this as a formal, recorded event. The elders, leaders of the community, come for a divine word.
God's Refusal: God's oath, "As I live," underscores the severity of His refusal. He will not be manipulated or approached by those with unrepentant hearts and hidden idols (see v. 31). Their inquiry is hypocritical.
The Counter-Inquiry: God turns the tables. Instead of answering their query, He commissions Ezekiel to question them ("Will you judge them?"). This rhetorical command is not asking Ezekiel to be the final judge, but to act as a prosecuting attorney, confronting them with the evidence.
"Abominations of their fathers": The root of the problem isn't recent; it's generational. God forces them to face their inherited legacy of rebellion, which they themselves are perpetuating.

Bible references

Psalm 66:18: "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Reason for God's refusal).
Isaiah 1:15: "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood." (God rejecting hypocritical worship).
James 4:3: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (Inquiry with wrong motives).

Cross references

1 Sam 28:6 (God not answering Saul), Prov 28:9 (prayer is an abomination from the disobedient), Amos 5:21-23 (God hating false piety), Matt 23:29-32 (filling up the measure of their fathers' guilt).

Ezekiel 20:5-9

On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob... saying, I am the LORD your God, on that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them... Then I said to them, ‘Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’ But they rebelled against me... so I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them... But I acted for the sake of my name...

In-depth-analysis

Divine Initiative: God emphasizes His sovereign grace. He "chose," "swore" (nāśā’ yāḏ, literally "lifted my hand"), and "searched out" the land. The relationship began with His unmerited favor.
Rebellion in Egypt: Ezekiel's account is shocking because it locates the start of Israel's idolatry in Egypt itself, even before the Exodus. While the Old Testament historical books focus on the golden calf as the first major apostasy, Ezekiel traces the root back further. They failed the first test.
"For the sake of my name": This becomes the chapter's central refrain. God’s mercy is not based on Israel's merit but on His own reputation and covenant faithfulness. To destroy them in Egypt would have made the surrounding nations question His power and purpose.

Bible references

Exodus 6:6-8: "I am the LORD... I will bring you out... I will take you to be my people... I will bring you into the land that I swore..." (The foundational promise).
Joshua 24:14: "Now therefore fear the LORD... and put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt..." (Confirms Israel's idolatry in Egypt).
Exodus 32:12: "...Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains...?’" (Moses' intercession based on God's name).

Cross references

Deut 7:6-8 (chosen for love, not greatness), Lev 18:3 (warning against Egyptian practices), Psa 106:7-8 (rebelled at the Red Sea, yet He saved them for His name's sake).

Ezekiel 20:10-17

So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live... Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them... But the house of Israel rebelled... my Sabbaths they greatly profaned... Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name...

In-depth-analysis

Life-Giving Law: The Law given at Sinai was not an arbitrary burden; it was a path to "life" (blessing, flourishing in the covenant). This directly contrasts the death that comes from idolatry.
The Sabbath as a "Sign": The Sabbath (Shabbat) is highlighted not just as a day of rest but as a specific, tangible symbol ('oth') of the unique covenant between God and Israel. It was a weekly reminder of God as both Creator and Redeemer. Profaning it was a direct rejection of that relationship.
A Second Chance, A Second Rebellion: The Exodus generation repeated the rebellion of Egypt in the wilderness. God's grace and His law were met with defiance. Again, only His concern for His own reputation prevented their annihilation.

Bible references

Leviticus 18:5: "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD." (The principle of life through obedience).
Exodus 31:13: "Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you." (The Sabbath's purpose as a sign).
Nehemiah 9:13-14: "...you gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments; you made known to them your holy Sabbath..." (Affirming the goodness of the Law).

Cross references

Rom 10:5 (Paul quoting Lev 18:5), Num 14:11-16 (Israel's rebellion at Kadesh and God's response), Psa 95:10-11 (God's grief and oath against that generation).

Ezekiel 20:18-24

And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers... I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes... and hallow my Sabbaths... But the children rebelled against me... they did not walk in my statutes... so I said I would pour out my wrath upon them... Nevertheless, I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name... I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations...

In-depth-analysis

A Generational Plea: God explicitly warned the next generation not to repeat the sins of their parents. The failure was not from ignorance but from willful disobedience.
The Children's Rebellion: This new generation, which witnessed God's provision in the desert and the punishment of their parents, also rebelled. Their sin was also centered on rejecting God's law and profaning the Sabbath.
The Verdict Shifts: For this third wave of rebellion, the judgment changes. Instead of immediate annihilation, God swears an oath that the ultimate consequence will be exile and scattering among the nations—the very punishment the current generation is experiencing.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 28:64: "And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other..." (The curse of exile foretold in the Law).
Psalm 78:5-8: "He... commanded our fathers to teach to their children... so that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation..." (The goal and failure of generational faithfulness).
Jeremiah 3:25: "Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us, for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day..." (Acknowledging generational sin).

Cross references

Num 25 (idolatry at Peor), Deut 31:27 (Moses' prediction of future rebellion), Judges 2:10-13 (the next generation abandoned the Lord).

Ezekiel 20:25-26

Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, and I defiled them through their very gifts, in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the LORD.

In-depth-analysis

Judicial Abandonment: These are the most difficult verses. This is not God inventing evil laws. It is a statement of judicial consequence: since they rejected His life-giving laws (v. 21), He "gave them over" to the deadly, demonic "statutes" they preferred—the laws of the pagan nations.
Polemics: The specific example is child sacrifice ("offering up all their firstborn"). God, who detests this practice, judicially allowed them to fall into this ultimate depravity as a form of judgment. In following the laws of pagan gods, they received the fruit of those laws: death and desolation. This is the opposite of the "life" God's laws offer. He "defiled them" by letting them fully pollute themselves with the consequences of their choices.
Devastating Knowledge: The goal was to "devastate" or horrify them (’ashimmēm) into a true knowledge of Yahweh—to see the absolute horror of their sin and the righteousness of His judgment.

Bible references

Romans 1:24, 28: "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity... And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." (The clearest NT parallel for judicial abandonment).
2 Thessalonians 2:11: "...therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false..." (God's judgment includes letting people believe the lies they desire).
Jeremiah 32:35: "They built the high places of Baal... to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind that they should do this abomination..." (God explicitly stating He never commanded this).

Cross references

Psa 81:12 (gave them over to their stubborn hearts), Hos 4:17 (Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!), Lev 20:1-5 (condemnation of Molech worship).

Ezekiel 20:27-32

...your fathers blasphemed me by dealing treacherously with me. For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then whenever they saw any high hill... they offered their sacrifices... So I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? (So its name is called Bamah to this day.) ...Are you defiling yourselves... And when you offer your gifts and burn your sons and your daughters in the fire... shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live... I will not be inquired of by you. What is in your mind shall never be—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations...’

In-depth-analysis

Sin in the Land: The pattern of rebellion continued and intensified once they were in the Promised Land. Every gift of God (high hills, beautiful trees) was turned into a site for idolatry.
Wordplay on "Bamah": Ezekiel uses a sarcastic etymology for "high place" (Bamah), linking it to the question, "What is the [place] to which you go?" (māh-habāmāh ’asher ’attem ha-bā’îm shām). It’s a pun that mocks their futile worship.
Present Application: Ezekiel brings the history crashing into the present. "Are you defiling yourselves?" The elders' generation is doing the exact same things, including child sacrifice.
Rejection of Assimilation: God reads their innermost desire: to abandon their unique identity and simply "be like the nations." God declares with an oath this will never happen. He will not let them escape His sovereign claim on them.

Bible references

1 Samuel 8:5, 20: "Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations... that we also may be like all the nations..." (The desire to be like the nations is an old rebellion).
Jeremiah 44:17: "But we will do everything that we have vowed, to make offerings to the queen of heaven..." (The exiles' explicit refusal to repent).
2 Kings 17:7-12: (A detailed summary of how Israel forsook God for the practices of the nations in the Promised Land).

Cross references

Hosea 4:13 (idolatry under oaks), Deut 12:2 (destroying pagan sites), Acts 7:42 (But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven).

Ezekiel 20:33-44

As I live... with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you... I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face... I will make you pass under the shepherd's rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge out the rebels from among you... they shall not enter the land of Israel... And you shall know that I am the LORD... Then you shall remember your ways... and you shall loathe yourselves...

In-depth-analysis

The New Exodus: God will enact a "new exodus," but it has a different character. The language "mighty hand and an outstretched arm" which described the first Exodus of redemption (Deut 4:34) is now coupled with "wrath poured out." It is a forceful, disciplinary gathering.
Wilderness of Judgment: The "wilderness of the peoples" is a new location for purification. Unlike the Sinai wilderness, this is a metaphorical place among the nations where God will confront and judge His people.
Passing under the Rod: This phrase has a dual meaning. It refers to the shepherd's rod used to count his flock (Lev 27:32), indicating God's sovereign selection. It also signifies the rod of discipline and judgment.
Purging and Restoration: God will separate the righteous from the rebels. The rebels will be purged out and will not enter the land. Only a purified remnant will be restored to the "holy mountain of Israel."
The Result: True Worship and Self-Loathing: This divine intervention will finally produce its intended result: genuine worship from a people who are so ashamed of their past that they loathe themselves. This repentance is a gift of God, a consequence of His gracious, powerful work.

Bible references

Jeremiah 23:7-8: "Therefore, behold, the days are coming... when they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of... Egypt,' but 'As the LORD lives who brought up... the house of Israel from the north country...'" (Prophecy of a greater, new exodus).
Hosea 2:14-15: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her... And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth..." (The wilderness as a place of renewed relationship).
Zechariah 13:9: "And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver... they will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" (The remnant refined by fire).

Cross references

Mic 7:14 (Shepherd your people with your staff), Isa 27:12-13, Jer 31:31-34 (new covenant), Mal 3:2-3 (refiner's fire), Rom 11:25-27 (the future salvation of all Israel).

Ezekiel 20:45-49

And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest of the Negeb... A flaming flame shall not be quenched, and every face from south to north shall be scorched by it... And all flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it... Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a speaker of parables?’”

In-depth-analysis

A Parable of Judgment: This is a short, symbolic prophecy acting as a bridge to chapter 21. The "south" (Heb. Teman), and "forest of the Negeb" represent Judah and Jerusalem.
All-Consuming Fire: The forest represents the people of Judah. The fire, kindled by God, represents the inescapable and total judgment of the Babylonian invasion, affecting every "green tree" (the righteous) and "dry tree" (the wicked) in its path.
Ezekiel's Complaint: The chapter ends with Ezekiel's frustration. The people dismiss his vivid imagery and warnings as mere riddles or allegories (mashal), refusing to see the plain and terrifying reality he is describing. This sets the stage for God to provide the explicit interpretation in the next chapter.

Bible references

Ezekiel 21:1-7: (The direct and explicit interpretation of this parable, identifying the sword of the king of Babylon as the fire).
Luke 23:31: "For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (Jesus uses a similar metaphor for judgment falling on both the innocent and the guilty).
Jeremiah 21:14: "I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the LORD; I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall devour all that is around it." (Fire as a metaphor for judgment on Jerusalem).

Cross references

Isa 9:18-19 (wickedness burns like a fire), Amos 7:4 (the Lord God calling for a judgment by fire), Zech 11:1-2 (parable of trees/leaders being destroyed).

Ezekiel chapter 20 analysis

The Centrality of God's Name: The primary motivation for God's actions throughout Israel's history—both in sparing and in promising to restore—is the holiness and reputation of His own name. Israel's salvation is ultimately a function of God's unwavering commitment to His own glory.
Historical Recital as Legal Indictment: Ezekiel employs a historical survey not for nostalgia but as evidence in a covenant lawsuit. He methodically proves that exile is not a surprise but the long-overdue sentence for centuries of breach of contract.
The Unbroken Chain of Sin: The chapter emphasizes that there was never a "golden age" of faithfulness. The rebellion began in Egypt, continued with the first generation in the wilderness, was repeated by their children, and intensified in the Promised Land. The exiles are the direct heirs and practitioners of this legacy.
The New Exodus as Judgment and Salvation: The future hope is framed as a "New Exodus," but one that is fundamentally different. It is an act of sovereign power that first gathers all, then purges the rebellious in a wilderness of judgment, before bringing a purified remnant into the land. Salvation requires purification.
The Gift of Repentance: The final vision is not of a people who manage to reform themselves. Rather, it is of a people whom God's dramatic action has so transformed that they are brought to a place of genuine worship and profound self-loathing for their sin (Ezek 20:43). True repentance is a result of God's work.

Ezekiel 20 summary

God responds to an inquiry from Israel's elders not with comfort, but with a searing indictment of their entire history. He recounts their ceaseless idolatry from Egypt through the wilderness and into the Promised Land, explaining that He only spared them repeatedly for the sake of His own holy name. After pronouncing judgment and refusing to be manipulated, God pivots to a prophecy of a future, forceful "new exodus." In this coming action, He will act as king to gather his scattered people, purge the rebels through judgment, and finally restore a purified remnant to His holy mountain, who will at last worship Him with true, shame-filled repentance.

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Ezekiel chapter 20 kjv

¹ 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 enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
² Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
³ Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
⁴ Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
⁵ 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;
⁶ 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:
⁷ 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.
⁸ 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.
⁹ 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.
¹⁰ Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
¹¹ And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
¹² 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.
¹³ 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.
¹⁴ But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
¹⁵ 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;
¹⁶ Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
¹⁷ Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
¹⁸ 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:
¹⁹ I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
²⁰ 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.
²¹ 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.
²² Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
²³ 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;
²⁴ Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
²⁵ Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
²⁶ 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.
²⁷ 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.
²⁸ 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 savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
²⁹ Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day.
³⁰ 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?
³¹ 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 enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
³² 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 countries, to serve wood and stone.
³³ 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:
³⁴ 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.
³⁵ And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
³⁶ 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.
³⁷ And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
³⁸ 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.
³⁹ 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.
⁴⁰ 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.
⁴¹ 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.
⁴² 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.
⁴³ And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
⁴⁴ 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.
⁴⁵ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
⁴⁶ 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;
⁴⁷ 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.
⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
⁴⁹ Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

Ezekiel chapter 20 nkjv

¹ It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
² Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
³ "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you." '
⁴ Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make known to them the abominations of their fathers.
⁵ "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On the day when I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, 'I am the LORD your God.'
⁶ On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, 'flowing with milk and honey,' the glory of all lands.
⁷ Then I said to them, 'Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'
⁸ But they rebelled against Me and would not obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, 'I will pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.'
⁹ But I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
¹⁰ "Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
¹¹ And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them.'
¹² Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
¹³ Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them'; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
¹⁴ But I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
¹⁵ So I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, 'flowing with milk and honey,' the glory of all lands,
¹⁶ because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.
¹⁷ Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
¹⁸ "But I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
¹⁹ I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them;
²⁰ hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.'
²¹ "Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them'; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness.
²² Nevertheless I withdrew My hand and acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
²³ Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries,
²⁴ because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers' idols.
²⁵ "Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live;
²⁶ and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the LORD." '
²⁷ "Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "In this too your fathers have blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me.
²⁸ When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings.
²⁹ Then I said to them, 'What is this high place to which you go?' So its name is called Bamah to this day." '
³⁰ Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your fathers, and committing harlotry according to their abominations?
³¹ For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you.
³² What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, 'We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.'
³³ "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you.
³⁴ I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.
³⁵ And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face.
³⁶ Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you," says the Lord GOD.
³⁷ "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
³⁸ I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
³⁹ "As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the Lord GOD: "Go, serve every one of you his idols?and hereafter?if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.
⁴⁰ For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel," says the Lord GOD, "there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, together with all your holy things.
⁴¹ I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.
⁴² Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.
⁴³ And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed.
⁴⁴ Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for My name's sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel," says the Lord GOD.' "
⁴⁵ Furthermore the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
⁴⁶ "Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South,
⁴⁷ and say to the forest of the South, 'Hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it.
⁴⁸ All flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched." ' "
⁴⁹ Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, 'Does he not speak parables?' "

Ezekiel chapter 20 niv

¹ In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.
² Then the word of the LORD came to me:
³ "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.'
⁴ "Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors
⁵ and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the LORD your God."
⁶ On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.
⁷ And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."
⁸ "?'But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.
⁹ But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites.
¹⁰ Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
¹¹ I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.
¹² Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.
¹³ "?'Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws?by which the person who obeys them will live?and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness.
¹⁴ But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
¹⁵ Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them?a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands?
¹⁶ because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols.
¹⁷ Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness.
¹⁸ I said to their children in the wilderness, "Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols.
¹⁹ I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
²⁰ Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God."
²¹ "?'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, "The person who obeys them will live by them," and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.
²² But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
²³ Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries,
²⁴ because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents' idols.
²⁵ So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;
²⁶ I defiled them through their gifts?the sacrifice of every firstborn?that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.'
²⁷ "Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your ancestors blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me:
²⁸ When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.
²⁹ Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?'?" (It is called Bamah to this day.)
³⁰ "Therefore say to the Israelites: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?
³¹ When you offer your gifts?the sacrifice of your children in the fire?you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will not let you inquire of me.
³² "?'You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen.
³³ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.
³⁴ I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered?with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.
³⁵ I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.
³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD.
³⁷ I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
³⁸ I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
³⁹ "?'As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.
⁴⁰ For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.
⁴¹ I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations.
⁴² Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.
⁴³ There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.
⁴⁴ You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.'?"
⁴⁵ The word of the LORD came to me:
⁴⁶ "Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland.
⁴⁷ Say to the southern forest: 'Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it.
⁴⁸ Everyone will see that I the LORD have kindled it; it will not be quenched.'?"
⁴⁹ Then I said, "Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling parables?'?"

Ezekiel chapter 20 esv

¹ In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
² And the word of the LORD came to me:
³ "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
⁴ Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let them know the abominations of their fathers,
⁵ and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God.
⁶ On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.
⁷ And I said to them, 'Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.'
⁸ But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
⁹ But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
¹⁰ So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
¹¹ I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.
¹² Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
¹³ But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them.
¹⁴ But I acted for 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.
¹⁵ Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands,
¹⁶ because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.
¹⁷ Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.
¹⁸ "And I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
¹⁹ I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules,
²⁰ and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.'
²¹ But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.
²² But I withheld my hand and acted for 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.
²³ Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,
²⁴ because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols.
²⁵ Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life,
²⁶ and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the LORD.
²⁷ "Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me.
²⁸ For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings.
²⁹ (I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you go?' So its name is called Bamah to this day.)
³⁰ "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?
³¹ When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile 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.
³² "What is in your mind shall never happen ? the thought, 'Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.'
³³ "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you.
³⁴ I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out.
³⁵ And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
³⁶ As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.
³⁷ I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
³⁸ I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
³⁹ "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
⁴⁰ "For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings.
⁴¹ As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations.
⁴² And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers.
⁴³ And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed.
⁴⁴ And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD."
⁴⁵ And the word of the LORD came to me:
⁴⁶ "Son of man, set your face toward the southland; preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb.
⁴⁷ Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it.
⁴⁸ All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched."
⁴⁹ Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of parables?'"

Ezekiel chapter 20 nlt

¹ On 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.
² Then this message came to me from the LORD:
³ "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!'
⁴ "Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.
⁵ Give 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.
⁶ I 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.
⁷ Then 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.'
⁸ "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.
⁹ But 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.
¹⁰ So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.
¹¹ There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.
¹² And 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.
¹³ "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.
¹⁴ But 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.
¹⁵ But 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.
¹⁶ For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols.
¹⁷ Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.
¹⁸ "Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents' footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols.
¹⁹ 'I am the LORD your God,' I told them. 'Follow my decrees, pay attention to my regulations,
²⁰ and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the LORD your God.'
²¹ "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.
²² Nevertheless, 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.
²³ But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations
²⁴ because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors.
²⁵ I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.
²⁶ I 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.
²⁷ "Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me,
²⁸ for 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.
²⁹ I 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.)
³⁰ "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?
³¹ For 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.
³² "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.
³³ As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power.
³⁴ And 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.
³⁵ I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.
³⁶ I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign LORD.
³⁷ I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant.
³⁸ I 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.
³⁹ "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.
⁴⁰ For 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.
⁴¹ When 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.
⁴² Then 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.
⁴³ You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done.
⁴⁴ You 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!"
⁴⁵ Then this message came to me from the LORD:
⁴⁶ "Son of man, turn and face the south and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev.
⁴⁷ Tell 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.
⁴⁸ And everyone in the world will see that I, the LORD, have set this fire. It will not be put out.'"
⁴⁹ Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, 'He only talks in riddles!'"