Ezekiel 20 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Abominations of the Fathers of Israel

Now it happened in the seventh^H7637 year^H8141, in the fifth^H2549 month, on the tenth^H6218 of the month^H2320, that [fn]some^H376 of the elders^H2205 of Israel^H3478 came^H935 to inquire^H1875 of Yahweh^H3068 and sat^H3427 before^H6440 me.

Eze 20:2

Eze 20:2And the word of Yahweh came to me saying,

Eze 20:3

Eze 20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’

Eze 20:4

Eze 20:4“Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers

Eze 20:5

Eze 20:5and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “On the day when I chose Israel and [fn]swore to the seed of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am Yahweh your God,

Eze 20:6

Eze 20:6on that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had [fn]selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.

Eze 20:7

Eze 20:7“I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.’

Eze 20:8

Eze 20:8“But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; each one did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

Then I said^H559 I would pour^H8210 out^H8210 My wrath^H2534 on them, to [fn]spend^H3615 My anger^H639 against them in the midst^H8432 of the land^H776 of Egypt^H4714.

Eze 20:9

Eze 20:9“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 by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

Eze 20:10

Eze 20:10“So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

Eze 20:11

Eze 20:11“I gave them My statutes and made them know My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them.

Eze 20:12

Eze 20:12“And I also gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.

Eze 20:13

Eze 20:13“But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes, and they rejected My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them; and My sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to completely destroy them.

Eze 20:14

Eze 20:14“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.

Eze 20:15

Eze 20:15“Also I 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,

Eze 20:16

Eze 20:16because they rejected My judgments, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually walked after their idols.

Eze 20:17

Eze 20:17“Yet My eye had pity on them rather than bringing them to ruin, and I did not make of them a complete destruction in the wilderness.

Eze 20:18

“I said^H559 to their [fn]children^H1121 in the wilderness^H4057, ‘Do not walk^H1980 in the statutes^H2706 of your fathers^H1 and do not keep^H8104 their judgments^H4941 and do not defile^H2930 yourselves with their idols^H1544.

Eze 20:19

Eze 20:19‘I am Yahweh your God; walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them.

Eze 20:20

Eze 20:20‘Keep My sabbaths holy; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.’

Eze 20:21

Eze 20:21“But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to do My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them; they profaned My sabbaths. So I said I would pour out My wrath on them, to spend My anger against them in the wilderness.

Eze 20:22

Eze 20:22“But I turned back 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.

Eze 20:23

Eze 20:23“Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and [fn]disperse them among the lands

Eze 20:24

Eze 20:24because they had not done My judgments, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and their eyes were going after the idols of their fathers.

Eze 20:25

Eze 20:25“And I also gave them statutes that were not good and judgments by which they could not live;

Eze 20:26

Eze 20:26and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all [fn]their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am Yahweh.”’

Eze 20:27

“Therefore^H3651, son^H1121 of man^H120, speak^H1696 to the house^H1004 of Israel^H3478 and say^H559 to them, ‘Thus^H3541 says^H559 Lord^H136 Yahweh^H3068, “Yet^H5750 in this^H2088 your fathers^H1 have blasphemed^H1442 Me by acting^H4603 unfaithfully^H4603 against Me.

Eze 20:28

Eze 20:28“Indeed, I brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they gave the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma, and there they poured out their drink offerings.

Eze 20:29

Eze 20:29“Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you are going?’ So its name is called [fn]Bamah to this day.”’

Eze 20:30

Eze 20:30“Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things?

Eze 20:31

Eze 20:31“[fn]And when you offer your gifts, when you cause 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 Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.

Eze 20:32

Eze 20:32“And what comes upon your spirit will not happen, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to minister to wood and stone.’

Yahweh Judges His People

Eze 20:33

“As I live^H2416,” declares^H5002 Lord^H136 Yahweh^H3068, “surely^H518^H3808 with a strong^H2389 hand^H3027 and with an outstretched^H5186 arm^H2220 and with wrath^H2534 poured^H8210 out^H5186, I shall be^H4427 king^H4427 over^H5921 you.

Eze 20:34

Eze 20:34“And I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out;

Eze 20:35

Eze 20:35and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

Eze 20:36

Eze 20:36“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 Lord Yahweh.

Eze 20:37

Eze 20:37“And I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

Eze 20:38

Eze 20:38and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the [fn]land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.

Eze 20:39

“As for you, O house^H1004 of Israel^H3478,” thus^H3541 says^H559 Lord^H136 Yahweh^H3068, “Go^H1980, serve^H5647 everyone^H376 his idols^H1544; [fn]but after^H310 this you will surely^H518^H369 listen^H8085 to Me, and My holy^H6944 name^H8034 you will profane^H2490 no^H3808 longer^H5750 with your gifts^H4979 and with your idols^H1544.

Eze 20:40

Eze 20:40“For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh, “there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them, and there I will [fn]seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things.

Eze 20:41

Eze 20:41“[fn]As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.

Eze 20:42

Eze 20:42“And you will know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you onto the ground of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your fathers.

Eze 20:43

Eze 20:43“And there you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves to your own faces for all the evil things that you have done.

Eze 20:44

Eze 20:44“Then you will know that I am Yahweh when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh.’”

Eze 20:45

[fn]Now the word^H1697 of Yahweh^H3068 came^H1961 to me, saying^H559,

Eze 20:46

Eze 20:46“Son of man, set your face toward [fn]Teman and speak, dripping out words, against the south and prophesy against the forest [fn]land of the Negev

Eze 20:47

Eze 20:47and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh: thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every [fn]green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched, and [fn]the whole surface from south to north will be scorched by it.

Eze 20:48