Ezekiel 20 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

The Rebellion of Israel

Eze 20:1On August 14,[fn] 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.

Eze 20:2

Eze 20:2Then this message came to me from the LORD:

Eze 20:3

Eze 20:3“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!’

Eze 20:4

Eze 20:4“Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.

Eze 20:5

Eze 20:5Give 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.

Eze 20:6

Eze 20:6I 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.

Eze 20:7

Eze 20:7Then 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[fn] of Egypt, for I am the LORD your God.’

Eze 20:8

Eze 20:8“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.

Eze 20:9

Eze 20:9But 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.

Eze 20:10

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

Eze 20:11

Eze 20:11There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.

Eze 20:12

Eze 20:12And 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.

Eze 20:13

Eze 20:13“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.

Eze 20:14

Eze 20:14But 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.

Eze 20:15

Eze 20:15But 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.

Eze 20:16

Eze 20:16For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols.

Eze 20:17

Eze 20:17Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.

Eze 20:18

Eze 20:18“Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols.

Eze 20:19

Eze 20:19‘I am the LORD your God,’ I told them. ‘Follow my decrees, pay attention to my regulations,

Eze 20:20

Eze 20:20and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the LORD your God.’

Eze 20:21

Eze 20:21“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.

Eze 20:22

Eze 20:22Nevertheless, 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.

Eze 20:23

Eze 20:23But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations

Eze 20:24

Eze 20:24because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors.

Eze 20:25

Eze 20:25I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.

Eze 20:26

Eze 20:26I let them pollute themselves[fn] 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.

Judgment and Restoration

Eze 20:27

Eze 20:27“Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me,

Eze 20:28

Eze 20:28for 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.

Eze 20:29

Eze 20:29I 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.)

Eze 20:30

Eze 20:30“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?

Eze 20:31

Eze 20:31For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices,[fn] 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.

Eze 20:32

Eze 20:32“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.

Eze 20:33

Eze 20:33As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power.

Eze 20:34

Eze 20:34And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back[fn] from the lands where you are scattered.

Eze 20:35

Eze 20:35I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.

Eze 20:36

Eze 20:36I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign LORD.

Eze 20:37

Eze 20:37I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant.

Eze 20:38

Eze 20:38I 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.

Eze 20:39

Eze 20:39“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.

Eze 20:40

Eze 20:40For 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.

Eze 20:41

Eze 20:41When 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.

Eze 20:42

Eze 20:42Then 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.

Eze 20:43

Eze 20:43You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done.

Eze 20:44

Eze 20:44You 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!”

Judgment against the Negev

Eze 20:45

Eze 20:45 [fn]Then this message came to me from the LORD:

Eze 20:46

Eze 20:46“Son of man, turn and face the south[fn] and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev.

Eze 20:47

Eze 20:47Tell 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.

Eze 20:48

Eze 20:48And everyone in the world will see that I, the LORD, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’”

Eze 20:49

Eze 20:49Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”