Ezekiel 20

¹ In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consultYahweh and were sitting with me,

² when the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as fol ows,

³ 'Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel. Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Have you come toconsult me? As I live, I wil not be consulted by you -- declares the Lord Yahweh."

⁴ 'Are you ready to judge them? Are you ready to judge them, son of man? Confront them with theloathsome practices of their ancestors.

⁵ Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: On the day when I chose Israel, when I pledged my word to theHouse of Jacob, I made myself known to them in Egypt; I pledged my word to them and said: I am Yahweh yourGod.

⁶ That day I pledged them my word that I would bring them out of Egypt to a country which I hadreconnoitred for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, and the loveliest of them al .

⁷ And I said to them: Each of you must reject the horrors which attract you; do not pol ute yourselveswith the foul idols of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.

⁸ But they rebel ed against me and would not listen to me. Not one of them rejected the horrors whichattracted them; they did not give up the foul idols of Egypt. I then resolved to vent my fury on them, to sate myanger on them in Egypt.

⁹ But respect for my own name kept me from letting it be profaned in the eyes of the nations amongwhom they were living, and before whom I had made myself known to them and promised to bring them out ofEgypt.

¹⁰ So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the desert.

¹¹ I gave them my laws and taught them my judgements, in whose observance people find life.

¹² And I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I,Yahweh, am the one who sanctifies them.

¹³ The House of Israel, however, rebel ed against me in the desert; they refused to keep my laws, theyscorned my judgements, in whose observance people find life, and they grossly profaned my Sabbaths. I thenresolved to vent my fury on them in the desert and destroy them.

¹⁴ But respect for my own name kept me from letting it be profaned in the eyes of the nations, beforewhom I had brought them out.

¹⁵ Even so, I pledged them my word in the desert that I would not lead them to the country which I hadgiven them, a country flowing with milk and honey, and the loveliest of them al ,

¹⁶ since they had scorned my judgements, had refused to keep my laws and had profaned mySabbaths, their hearts being attached to foul idols.

¹⁷ In spite of this, I took pity on them; I refrained from destroying them and did not make an end of themin the desert.

¹⁸ "I said to their children in the desert: Do not follow the laws of your ancestors, do not practise theirjudgements, do not defile yourselves with their foul idols.

¹⁹ I am Yahweh your God. Keep my laws, respect my judgements and practise them.

²⁰ Keep my Sabbaths holy; let them be a sign between me and you, so that people may know that I amYahweh your God.

²¹ Their children, however, rebel ed against me; they refused to keep my laws, they did not respect orpractise my judgements, which must be practised by al who want to live; they profaned my Sabbaths. I thenresolved to vent my fury on them, to sate my anger on them in the desert.

²² But I restrained my hand; respect for my own name kept me from letting it be profaned in the eyes ofthe nations, before whom I had brought them out.

²³ Once again, however, I pledged them my word that I would scatter them throughout the nations anddisperse them in foreign countries,

²⁴ because they had not fol owed my judgements but had rejected my laws and profaned my Sabbaths,their eyes being fastened on the foul idols of their ancestors.

²⁵ And for this reason I gave them laws that were not good and judgements by which they could neverlive;

²⁶ and I pol uted them with their own offerings, making them sacrifice every first-born son in order to filthem with revulsion, so that they would know that I am Yahweh."

²⁷ 'For this reason, son of man, speak to the House of Israel. Say to them, "The Lord Yahweh says this:Here is another way by which your ancestors outraged me by their infidelity.

²⁸ Once I had brought them into the country which I had pledged my word to give them, they then sawal sorts of high hil s, al kinds of leafy trees, and there they performed their sacrifices and made offerings thatprovoked my anger; there they set out their pleasing smel and poured their libations.

²⁹ I then said to them: What is this high place where you go? And they gave, and stil give it, the nameof Bamah."

³⁰ 'So, say to the House of Israel, "The Lord Yahweh says this: If you are pol uting yourselves as yourancestors did by fornicating with their horrors-

³¹ for by offering your gifts and by burning your children as sacrifices, you have been pol utingyourselves with al your foul idols to this very day -- shal I let myself be consulted by you, House of Israel? As Ilive -- declares Lord Yahweh -- I shal not let myself be consulted by you.

³² And what you sometimes imagine wil never be so, when you say: We shal be like the peoples, thetribes of foreign lands, worshipping wood and stone.

³³ As I live I swear it -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- I am the one who will reign over you, with a stronghand and outstretched arm, once my fury is sated.

³⁴ With a strong hand and outstretched arm, once my fury is sated, I shall bring you back from thepeoples and gather you again from the countries throughout which you have been scattered.

³⁵ I shal lead you into the desert of the nations and there I shal judge you face to face.

³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the desert of Egypt, so wil I judge you -- declares the Lord Yahweh.

³⁷ I shal make you pass under the crook, bring you to respect the covenant

³⁸ and rid you of the rebels who have revolted against me; I shall bring them out of the country wherethey are staying, but they will not enter the country of Israel, and you wil know that I am Yahweh.

³⁹ House of Israel, Lord Yahweh says this: Go on, all of you, worship your foul idols, but later we shal see if you don't listen to me! Then you wil stop profaning my holy name with your offerings and your foul idols.

⁴⁰ For on my holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- is where thewhole House of Israel, everyone in the country, wil worship me. There I shal accept and there expect yourpresents, your choicest offering and al your consecrated gifts.

⁴¹ I shal welcome you like a pleasing smell when I bring you back from the peoples and gather youfrom the countries throughout which you have been scattered, and through you I shal display my holiness for althe nations to see;

⁴² and you wil know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you back to the soil of Israel, to the country which Ipledged my word to give to your ancestors.

⁴³ There you wil remember your past behaviour and al the actions by which you have defiledyourselves, and you wil loathe yourselves for al the wrongs which you have committed.

⁴⁴ And you wil know that I am Yahweh, when I treat you as respect for my own name requires, and notas your wicked behaviour and corrupt actions deserve, House of Israel -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '