³ the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, ⁴ the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, ⁵ the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas,^(A) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— ⁶ this Ezra^(B) came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted^(C) him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.^{(D) 7} Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.^(E)

⁸ Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. ⁹ He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.^(F)

⁷ “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner^(A) residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block^(B) before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire^(C) of me, I the Lord will answer them myself.

⁶ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent!^(A) Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!^(B)

³ and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry^(A) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father^(B) was an Amorite^(C) and your mother a Hittite.^(D)

⁴⁴ “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs^(A) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” ⁴⁵ You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised^(B) her husband^(C) and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.^{(D) 46} Your older sister^(E) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.^{(F) 47} You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.^{(G) 48} As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign^(H) Lord, your sister Sodom^(I) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.^(J)

⁴⁹ “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:^(K) She and her daughters were arrogant,^(L) overfed and unconcerned;^(M) they did not help the poor and needy.^{(N) 50} They were haughty^(O) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.^{(P) 51} Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.^{(Q) 52} Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous^(R) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear^(S) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

¹⁸ I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents^(A) or keep their laws or defile yourselves^(B) with their idols. ¹⁹ I am the Lord your God;^(C) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^{(D) 20} Keep my Sabbaths^(E) holy, that they may be a sign^(F) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.^(G)”

²¹ “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,^(H) 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^(I) against them in the wilderness.^{(J) 22} But I withheld^(K) my hand, and for the sake of my name^(L) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³ Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter^(M) them through the countries, ²⁴ because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^(N) and desecrated my Sabbaths,^(O) and their eyes lusted after^(P) their parents’ idols.^{(Q) 25} So I gave^(R) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;^{(S) 26} I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice^(T) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.^(U)’

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^(V) blasphemed^(W) me by being unfaithful to me:^{(X) 28} When I brought them into the land^(Y) 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.^{(Z) 29} Then I said to them: What is this high place^(AA) 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^(AB) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?^{(AC) 31} When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children^(AD) 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.^(AE)

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. ³³ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm^(AF) and with outpoured wrath.^{(AG) 34} I will bring you from the nations^(AH) and gather^(AI) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand^(AJ) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.^{(AK) 35} I will bring you into the wilderness^(AL) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment^(AM) upon you. ³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(AN) 37} I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,^(AO) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.^{(AP) 38} I will purge^(AQ) 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.^(AR)

³⁹ “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,^(AS) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name^(AT) with your gifts and idols.^{(AU) 40} For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,^(AV) 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^(AW) and your choice gifts,^[b] along with all your holy sacrifices.^{(AX) 41} I will accept you as fragrant incense^(AY) when I bring you out from the nations and gather^(AZ) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy^(BA) through you in the sight of the nations.^{(BB) 42} Then you will know that I am the Lord,^(BC) when I bring you into the land of Israel,^(BD) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.^{(BE) 43} There you will remember your conduct^(BF) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves^(BG) for all the evil you have done.^{(BH) 44} You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake^(BI) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(BJ)’”