[1] In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month,
certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before
me. [2] And the word of the LORD came to me: [3] "Son of man, speak to the
elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, Is it to inquire
of me that you come? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired
of by you. [4] Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then
let them know the abominations of their fathers, [5] and say to them, Thus
says the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the seed of
the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I
swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God. [6] On that day I swore to
them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I
had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most
glorious of all lands. [7] And I said to them, Cast away the detestable
things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves
with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. [8] But they rebelled
against me and would not listen to me; they did not every man cast away the
detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of
Egypt. "Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my
anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. [9] But I acted for
the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the
nations among whom they dwelt, in whose sight I made myself known to them
in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. [10] So I led them out of the
land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. [11] I gave them my
statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live.
[12] Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that
they might know that I the LORD sanctify them. [13] But the house of Israel
rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not walk in my statutes but
rejected my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live; and my sabbaths
they greatly profaned. "Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them
in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. [14] But I acted for the
sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the
nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. [15] Moreover I swore to
them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I
had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of
all lands, [16] because they rejected my ordinances and did not walk in my
statutes, and profaned my sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.
[17] Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a
full end of them in the wilderness. [18] "And I said to their children in
the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe
their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. [19] I the LORD
am your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to observe my ordinances,
[20] and hallow my sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you,
that you may know that I the LORD am your God. [21] But the children
rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes, and were not careful
to observe my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live; they profaned
my sabbaths. "Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend
my anger against them in the wilderness. [22] But I withheld my hand, and
acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight
of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. [23] Moreover I
swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations
and disperse them through the countries, [24] because they had not executed
my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my sabbaths, and
their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. [25] Moreover I gave them
statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not have
life; [26] and I defiled them through their very gifts in making them offer
by fire all their first-born, that I might horrify them; I did it that they
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 again your
fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me. [28] For when I
had brought them into the land which I swore to give them, then wherever
they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their
sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent
up their soothing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings.
[29] (I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So its name
is called Bamah to this day.) [30] Wherefore say to the house of Israel,
Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your
fathers and go astray after their detestable things? [31] When you offer
your gifts and sacrifice your sons by fire, you defile yourselves with all
your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of
Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
[32] "What is in your mind shall never happen--the thought, `Let us be like
the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.'
[33] "As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an
outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. [34]
I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries
where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and
with wrath poured out; [35] and I will bring you into the wilderness of the
peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. [36]
As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land
of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord GOD. [37] I
will make you pass under the rod, and I will let you go in by number. [38]
I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress
against me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they
shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
[39] "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every
one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but
my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols. [40]
"For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord GOD,
there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land;
there I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and
the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. [41] As a
pleasing odor I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and
gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will
manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. [42] And you
shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel,
the country which I swore to give to your fathers. [43] And there you shall
remember your ways and all the doings with which you have polluted
yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have
committed. [44] And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you
for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your
corrupt doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord GOD." [45] And the word of
the LORD came to me: [46] "Son of man, set your face toward the south,
preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the
Negeb; [47] say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus
says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour
every green tree in you and every dry tree; the blazing flame shall not be
quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. [48]
All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be
quenched." [49] Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD! they are saying of me, `Is he
not a maker of allegories?'"
