Ezekiel 20:1-32

New King James Version

The Rebellions of Israel

20 It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that ^(A)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, ^(B)“I will not be inquired of by you.” ’ ⁴ Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then ^(C)make known to them the abominations of their fathers.

⁵ “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when ^(D)I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself ^(E)known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, ^(F)‘I am the Lord your God.’ ⁶ On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, ^(G)to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ^(H)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ ^(I)the glory of all lands. ⁷ Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, ^(J)throw away ^(K)the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with ^(L)the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ ⁸ But they rebelled against Me and would not ^[a]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 ^(M)pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ ^9 (N)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 ^(O)known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ “Therefore I ^(P)made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ^11 (Q)And I gave them My statutes and ^[b]showed them My judgments, ^(R)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ ¹² Moreover I also gave them My ^(S)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 ^(T)rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they ^(U)despised My judgments, ^(V)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly ^(W)defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the ^(X)wilderness, to consume them. ^14 (Y)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 ^(Z)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, ^(AA)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ ^(AB)the glory of all lands, ^16 (AC)because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for ^(AD)their heart went after their idols. ^17 (AE)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: ^(AF)Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; ^20 (AG)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, ^(AH)the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ^(AI)‘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 ^[c]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 ^(AJ)I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, ^24 (AK)because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and ^(AL)their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

²⁵ “Therefore ^(AM)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 ^[d]their firstborn to pass ^(AN)through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they ^(AO)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 ^(AP)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 ^(AQ)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 ^(AR)sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings. ²⁹ Then I said to them, ‘What is this ^[e]high place to which you go?’ So its name is called ^[f]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 ^(AS)fathers, and committing harlotry according to their ^(AT)abominations? ³¹ For when you offer ^(AU)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 ^(AV)not be inquired of by you. ^32 (AW)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.’