Ezekiel 20 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

The Rebellions of Israel

The History of Rebellious Israel

Eze 20:1It 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.

Eze 20:2

Eze 20:2Then the word of the LORD 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 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.” ’

Eze 20:4

Eze 20:4“Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make known to them the abominations of their fathers.

Eze 20:5

Eze 20:5“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.’

Eze 20:6

Eze 20:6“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,’[fn] the glory of all lands.

Eze 20:7

Eze 20:7“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.’

Eze 20:8

Eze 20:8“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.’

Eze 20:9

Eze 20:9“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.

Eze 20:10

Eze 20:10“Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

Eze 20:11

Eze 20:11“And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’[fn]

Eze 20:12

Eze 20:12“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.

Eze 20:13

Eze 20:13“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’;[fn] and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

Eze 20:14

Eze 20:14“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.

Eze 20:15

Eze 20:15“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,’[fn] the glory of all lands,

Eze 20:16

Eze 20:16“because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.

Eze 20:17

Eze 20:17“Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

Eze 20:18

Eze 20:18“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.

Eze 20:19

Eze 20:19‘I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them;

Eze 20:20

Eze 20:20‘hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’

Eze 20:21

Eze 20:21“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’;[fn] 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.

Eze 20:22

Eze 20:22“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.

Eze 20:23

Eze 20:23“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,

Eze 20:24

Eze 20:24“because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

Eze 20:25

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

Eze 20:26

Eze 20:26“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.” ’

Eze 20:27

Eze 20:27“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.

Eze 20:28

Eze 20:28“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.

Eze 20:29

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

Eze 20:30

Eze 20:30“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?

Eze 20:31

Eze 20:31“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.

Eze 20:32

Eze 20:32“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.’

God Will Restore Israel

Eze 20:33

Eze 20:33“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.

Eze 20:34

Eze 20:34“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.

Eze 20:35

Eze 20:35“And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face.

Eze 20:36

Eze 20:36“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.

Eze 20:37

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

Eze 20:38

Eze 20:38“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.

Eze 20:39

Eze 20:39“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.

Eze 20:40

Eze 20:40“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.

Eze 20:41

Eze 20:41“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.

Eze 20:42

Eze 20:42“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.

Eze 20:43

Eze 20:43“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.

Eze 20:44

Eze 20:44“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.’ ”

Fire in the Forest

Eze 20:45

Eze 20:45Furthermore the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Eze 20:46

Eze 20:46“Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South,[fn]

Eze 20:47

Eze 20:47“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.

Eze 20:48

Eze 20:48“All flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”

Eze 20:49

Eze 20:49Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’ ”

See the NKJV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NKJV Footnotes

Literally High Place

(20:46)

Hebrew Negev

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For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.

Ezekiel Chapter 20 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New Living Translation New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

Ezekiel 20 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

NKJV Footnotes

Ezekiel Chapter 20 — Additional Translations:

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