God’s Dealings with Israel Rehearsed

20 Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, men from the (A)elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat before me. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord [a]God says: “Do you yourselves come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “(B)I certainly will not be inquired of by you.”’ Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? (C)Make known to them the abominations of their fathers; and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day when I (D)chose Israel and [b]swore to the [c]descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I [d]swore to them, saying, (E)I am the Lord your God, on that day I swore to them, (F)to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had [e]selected for them, (G)flowing with milk and honey, which is (H)the glory of all the lands. And I said to them, ‘(I)Throw away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and (J)do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; (K)I am the Lord your God.’ But they (L)rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not throw away, each of them, the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they abandon the (M)idols of Egypt.

“Then I [f]resolved to (N)pour out My wrath on them, to [g]use up My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted (O)for the sake of My name, that it would (P)not be defiled in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the (Q)wilderness. 11 I gave them My (R)statutes and informed them of My ordinances, (S)which, if [h]a person [i]follows them, then he will live by them. 12 Also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a (T)sign between Me and them, so that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 But the house of Israel (U)rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, (V)which, if [j]a person [k]follows them, then he will live by them; and they greatly profaned My (W)Sabbaths. Then I [l]resolved to (X)pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them. 14 But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out. 15 Also (Y)I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all the lands, 16 because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they also profaned My Sabbaths, because their (Z)heart continually followed their idols. 17 Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not bring about their (AA)annihilation in the wilderness.

18 “Instead, I said to their [m](AB)children in the wilderness, ‘(AC)Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 (AD)I am the Lord your God; (AE)walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and [n]follow them. 20 (AF)Sanctify My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ 21 But the (AG)children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to [o]follow My ordinances which, if [p]a person [q]follows them, then he will live by them; they profaned My Sabbaths. So I [r]resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to [s]use up My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I (AH)withdrew My hand and acted (AI)for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would (AJ)scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, 24 because they had not [t]complied with My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My Sabbaths, and (AK)their eyes were [u]on the idols of their fathers. 25 I also gave them statutes that were (AL)not good, and ordinances by which they could not live; 26 and I pronounced them (AM)unclean because of their gifts, in that they (AN)made all [v]their firstborn pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might (AO)know that I am the Lord.”’

27 “Therefore (AP)speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Again, in this your fathers have (AQ)blasphemed Me by (AR)being disloyal to Me. 28 When I had (AS)brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every (AT)high hill and every tree thick with branches, and there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called [w]Bamah to this day.”’ 30 Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your (AU)fathers and adulterously pursue their detestable things? 31 And [x]when you offer your gifts, when you (AV)make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “I certainly will not be inquired of by you. 32 And whatever (AW)comes [y]into your mind certainly will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, (AX)serving wood and stone.’

God Will Restore Israel to Her Land

33 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “with a mighty hand and with an (AY)outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be (AZ)king over you. 34 I will (BA)bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with (BB)wrath poured out; 35 and I will bring you into the (BC)wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I (BD)entered into judgment with your fathers in the (BE)wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. 37 “I will make you (BF)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 and I will (BG)purge from you the rebels and those who revolt against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they reside, but they will (BH)not enter the [z]land of Israel. So you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “As for you, house of Israel,” this is what the Lord God says: “(BI)Go, serve, everyone of you his idols; [aa]but later you will certainly listen to Me, and My holy name you will no longer (BJ)defile with your gifts and your idols. 40 For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares the Lord God, “there the entire house of Israel, (BK)all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will (BL)accept them and there I will demand your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things. 41 [ab]As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I (BM)bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will show Myself to be (BN)holy among you in the sight of the nations. 42 And (BO)you will know that I am the Lord, (BP)when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the (BQ)land which I swore to give to your forefathers. 43 And there you will (BR)remember your ways and all your deeds by which you have defiled yourselves; and you will (BS)loathe yourselves in your own [ac]sight for all the evil things that you have done. 44 Then (BT)you will know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you (BU)in behalf of My name, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.’”

45 [ad]Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and speak prophetically against the (BV)south and (BW)prophesy against the (BX)forest [ae]land of the Negev, 47 and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to (BY)kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every [af]green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not go out and [ag](BZ)the entire surface from south to north will be scorched by it. 48 And all [ah]mankind will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it will (CA)not go out.”’” 49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking in (CB)riddles?’”

Parable of the Sword of the Lord

21 [ai]And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, (CC)set your face against Jerusalem, and [aj](CD)speak prophetically against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel; and say to the land of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, (CE)I am against you; and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you the (CF)righteous and the wicked. Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out from its sheath against [ak](CG)humanity from south to north. So [al]humanity will know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword from its sheath. It will (CH)not return to its sheath again.”’ As for you, son of man, groan with [am]a breaking heart and bitter grief; you shall groan in their sight. And when they say to you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the (CI)news, for it is coming; and (CJ)every heart will melt, all hands will go limp, every spirit will be disheartened, and all [an]knees will drip with water. Behold, it is coming and it will happen,’ declares the Lord [ao]God.”

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:’ Say,

(CK)A sword, a sword sharpened
And also polished!
10 Sharpened to make a (CL)slaughter,
Polished [ap]to flash like lightning!’

Or shall we rejoice, the [aq]rod of My son (CM)despising every tree? 11 And it is given to be polished, so that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to hand it over to the slaughterer. 12 (CN)Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the (CO)officials of Israel. They are turned over to the sword with My people, therefore [ar]slap your thigh. 13 For there is a testing; and what if even the [as]rod which despises will cease to be?” declares the Lord God.

14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands; and let the sword be (CP)doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, 15 so that their (CQ)hearts will waver, and many (CR)fall at all their (CS)gates. I have granted the slaughter of the sword. Oh! It is made for striking like lightning, it is sharpened in readiness for slaughter. 16 Prove yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your [at]edge is ordered. 17 I will also clap My hands, and I will (CT)satisfy My wrath; I, the Lord, have spoken.”

The Instrument of God’s Judgment

18 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 19 “Now as for you, son of man, [au](CU)make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And [av]make a signpost; [aw]make it at the head of the way to the city. 20 You shall [ax]mark a way for the sword to come to (CV)Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into (CW)fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the [ay]parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use (CX)divination; he (CY)shakes the arrows, he consults the [az](CZ)household idols, he looks at the liver. 22 Into his right hand came the divination, ‘Jerusalem,’ to (DA)set up battering rams, to open the mouth [ba]for [bb]slaughter, to raise the voice with a battle cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to pile up assault ramps, to build a siege wall. 23 And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; (DB)they have sworn solemn oaths. But he (DC)makes guilt known, so that they may be seized.

24 “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you have made your guilt known, in that your offenses are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins are seen—because you have come to mind, you will be seized by the hand. 25 And you, slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose (DD)day has come, in the time of the [bc]punishment of the end,’ 26 this is what the Lord God says: ‘Remove the [bd]turban and take off the (DE)crown; this will [be]no longer be the same. (DF)Exalt that which is low, and humble that which is high. 27 (DG)Ruins, ruins, ruins, I will make it! This also will be no longer until (DH)He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.’

28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says concerning the sons of Ammon and their (DI)taunting,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, sharpened for the slaughter, to make it [bf](DJ)consume, so that it may be like lightning— 29 while they see (DK)false visions for you, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the wicked who are killed, whose day has come, in the (DL)time of the [bg]punishment of the end. 30 (DM)Return it to its sheath. In the (DN)place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. 31 I will (DO)pour out My indignation on you; I will (DP)blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I will hand you over to brutal men, (DQ)craftsmen of destruction. 32 You will be [bh](DR)fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will (DS)not be remembered, for I, the Lord, have spoken.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Ezekiel 20:5 Lit lifted up My hand, and so throughout the ch
  3. Ezekiel 20:5 Lit seed
  4. Ezekiel 20:5 Lit lifted up My hand, and so throughout the ch
  5. Ezekiel 20:6 Lit spied out
  6. Ezekiel 20:8 Lit said
  7. Ezekiel 20:8 Or finish
  8. Ezekiel 20:11 Lit the person
  9. Ezekiel 20:11 Lit does them
  10. Ezekiel 20:13 Lit the person
  11. Ezekiel 20:13 Lit does them
  12. Ezekiel 20:13 Lit said
  13. Ezekiel 20:18 Lit sons
  14. Ezekiel 20:19 Lit do
  15. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit do My
  16. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit the person
  17. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit does them
  18. Ezekiel 20:21 Lit said
  19. Ezekiel 20:21 Or finish
  20. Ezekiel 20:24 Lit done My
  21. Ezekiel 20:24 Lit after
  22. Ezekiel 20:26 Lit that which opens the womb
  23. Ezekiel 20:29 Or High Place
  24. Ezekiel 20:31 Lit in your lifting up
  25. Ezekiel 20:32 Lit upon your spirit
  26. Ezekiel 20:38 Lit ground; or soil
  27. Ezekiel 20:39 Or and afterward, if you will not listen to Me, but
  28. Ezekiel 20:41 Lit With
  29. Ezekiel 20:43 Lit faces
  30. Ezekiel 20:45 Ch 21:1 in Heb
  31. Ezekiel 20:46 Lit of the field
  32. Ezekiel 20:47 Lit moist
  33. Ezekiel 20:47 Or all the faces
  34. Ezekiel 20:48 Lit flesh
  35. Ezekiel 21:1 Ch 21:6 in Heb
  36. Ezekiel 21:2 Lit flow
  37. Ezekiel 21:4 Lit all flesh
  38. Ezekiel 21:5 Lit all flesh
  39. Ezekiel 21:6 Lit shaking hips
  40. Ezekiel 21:7 Heb idiom meaning to wet oneself
  41. Ezekiel 21:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  42. Ezekiel 21:10 Lit that lightning may be to her
  43. Ezekiel 21:10 Or scepter
  44. Ezekiel 21:12 I.e., in grief
  45. Ezekiel 21:13 Or scepter
  46. Ezekiel 21:16 Lit face
  47. Ezekiel 21:19 Or set for yourself
  48. Ezekiel 21:19 Lit cut out a hand
  49. Ezekiel 21:19 Lit cut it
  50. Ezekiel 21:20 Lit set
  51. Ezekiel 21:21 Lit mother
  52. Ezekiel 21:21 Heb teraphim
  53. Ezekiel 21:22 Lit in
  54. Ezekiel 21:22 Another reading is war-cry
  55. Ezekiel 21:25 Or wrongdoing
  56. Ezekiel 21:26 Or headband
  57. Ezekiel 21:26 Lit not this
  58. Ezekiel 21:28 Lit finish
  59. Ezekiel 21:29 Or wrongdoing
  60. Ezekiel 21:32 Lit food

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