Ezekiel 20

New International Version

Rebellious Israel Purged

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire^(A) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.^(B)

²Then the word of the Lord came to me: ³“Son of man, speak to the elders^(C) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire^(D) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(E)’

⁴“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors^(F) ⁵and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose^(G) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand^(H) 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.^(I)” ⁶On that day I swore^(J) 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,^(K) the most beautiful of all lands.^(L) ⁷And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images^(M) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols^(N) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.^(O)”

⁸“‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;^(P) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.^(Q) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.^(R) ⁹But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.^(S) I did it to keep my name from being profaned^(T) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. ¹⁰Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.^(U) ¹¹I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.^(V) ¹²Also I gave them my Sabbaths^(W) as a sign^(X) between us,^(Y) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.^(Z)

¹³“‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled^(AA) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws^(AB)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.^(AC) So I said I would pour out my wrath^(AD) on them and destroy^(AE) them in the wilderness.^(AF) ¹⁴But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned^(AG) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.^(AH) ¹⁵Also with uplifted hand I swore^(AI) 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^(AJ)— ¹⁶because they rejected my laws^(AK) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts^(AL) were devoted to their idols.^(AM) ¹⁷Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy^(AN) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. ¹⁸I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents^(AO) or keep their laws or defile yourselves^(AP) with their idols. ¹⁹I am the Lord your God;^(AQ) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^(AR) ²⁰Keep my Sabbaths^(AS) holy, that they may be a sign^(AT) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.^(AU)”

²¹“‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,^(AV) 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^(AW) against them in the wilderness.^(AX) ²²But I withheld^(AY) my hand, and for the sake of my name^(AZ) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter^(BA) them through the countries, ²⁴because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^(BB) and desecrated my Sabbaths,^(BC) and their eyes lusted after^(BD) their parents’ idols.^(BE) ²⁵So I gave^(BF) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;^(BG) ²⁶I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice^(BH) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.^(BI)’

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^(BJ) blasphemed^(BK) me by being unfaithful to me:^(BL) ²⁸When I brought them into the land^(BM) 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.^(BN) ²⁹Then I said to them: What is this high place^(BO) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah^[a] to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

³⁰“Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves^(BP) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?^(BQ) ³¹When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children^(BR) 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.^(BS)

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. ³³As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm^(BT) and with outpoured wrath.^(BU) ³⁴I will bring you from the nations^(BV) and gather^(BW) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand^(BX) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.^(BY) ³⁵I will bring you into the wilderness^(BZ) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment^(CA) upon you. ³⁶As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(CB) ³⁷I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,^(CC) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.^(CD) ³⁸I will purge^(CE) 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.^(CF)

³⁹“‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,^(CG) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name^(CH) with your gifts and idols.^(CI) ⁴⁰For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,^(CJ) 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^(CK) and your choice gifts,^[b] along with all your holy sacrifices.^(CL) ⁴¹I will accept you as fragrant incense^(CM) when I bring you out from the nations and gather^(CN) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy^(CO) through you in the sight of the nations.^(CP) ⁴²Then you will know that I am the Lord,^(CQ) when I bring you into the land of Israel,^(CR) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.^(CS) ⁴³There you will remember your conduct^(CT) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves^(CU) for all the evil you have done.^(CV) ⁴⁴You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake^(CW) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(CX)’”

Prophecy Against the South

⁴⁵The word of the Lord came to me: ⁴⁶“Son of man, set your face toward^(CY) the south; preach against the south and prophesy against^(CZ) the forest of the southland.^(DA) ⁴⁷Say to the southern forest:^(DB) ‘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^(DC) all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north^(DD) will be scorched by it.^(DE) ⁴⁸Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.^(DF)’”

⁴⁹Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,^(DG) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?^(DH)’”^[c]

Footnotes

Ezekiel 20:29 Bamah means high place.
Ezekiel 20:40 Or and the gifts of your firstfruits
Ezekiel 20:49 In Hebrew texts 20:45-49 is numbered 21:1-5.

Psalm 58

New International Version

Psalm 58^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b]

¹Do you rulers indeed speak justly?^(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
²No, in your heart you devise injustice,^(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.^(C)

³Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
⁴Their venom is like the venom of a snake,^(D)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
⁵that will not heed^(E) the tune of the charmer,^(F)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

⁶Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;^(G)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!^(H)
⁷Let them vanish like water that flows away;^(I)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.^(J)
⁸May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,^(K)
    like a stillborn child^(L) that never sees the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns^(M)—
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.^[c]^(N)
¹⁰The righteous will be glad^(O) when they are avenged,^(P)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.^(Q)
¹¹Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;^(R)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”^(S)