20:1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month,1 some of the elders2 of Israel came to seek3 the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 20:2 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Why do you come seeking me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
20:4 “Are you willing to pronounce judgment?4 Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Make known to them the abominable practices of their fathers, 20:5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore5 to the descendants6 of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore7 to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 20:6 On that day I swore8 to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land which I had picked out9 for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,10 the most beautiful of all lands. 20:7 I said to them, “Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you,11 and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”
20:8 “‘But they rebelled against me, and refused to hear me; no one got rid of their detestable idols,12 nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I announced that I would pour out13 my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 20:9 I acted for the sake of my reputation,14 so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived,15 before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.16 20:10 So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness. 20:11 I gave them my statutes17 and revealed my laws to them. The one18 who obeys19 them will live by them!20 20:12 I also gave them my Sabbaths21 as a reminder of our relationship,22 so that they would know that I, the Lord, make them holy.23
20:13 “‘But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they disobeyed my statutes and rejected my laws. (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I announced that I would pour out my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them.24 20:14 I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 20:15 I also solemnly vowed to them25 in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 20:16 I did this26 because they rejected my laws, disobeyed my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for they were attached to their idols.27 20:17 Yet I had pity on28 them and did not destroy them, nor did I annihilate them in the wilderness. 20:18 I said to their children29 in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe laws,30 nor defile yourselves with their idols. 20:19 I am the Lord your God; follow31 my statutes, observe my laws, and obey32 them. 20:20 Treat my Sabbaths as holy33 and they will be a reminder of our relationship,34 and then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”
20:21 “‘But the children35 rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my laws by obeying them (the one who obeys them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I announced36 that I would pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness. 20:22 But I refrained from doing so,37 and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 20:23 I also solemnly vowed to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.38 20:24 I did this39 because they disobeyed my laws, rejected my statutes, desecrated my Sabbaths, and looked longingly at40 their fathers’ idols. 20:25 I also gave them decrees which were not good and laws by which they could not live. 20:26 I defiled them because of their sacrifices—they caused all their first born to pass through the fire41—to terrify them, so that they will know that I am the Lord.’42
20:27 “Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me. 20:28 I brought them to the land which I promised43 to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offering that provokes me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings. 20:29 So I said to them, What is this high place you go to?’” (So it is called “High Place”44 to this day.)
20:30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers45 and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? 20:31 When you present your sacrifices—when you make your sons pass through the fire—you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not allow you to seek me.
20:32 “‘What you plan46 will never happen. You say, “We will be47 like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.”48 20:33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will rule over you, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm,49 and with an outpouring of rage. 20:34 I will bring you out from the nations, and will gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm and with an outpouring of rage! 20:35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 20:36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 20:37 I will make you pass under50 the shepherd’s staff,51 and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 20:38 I will eliminate the rebels among you, and those who sin52 against me. I will bring them out from the land where they have been residing, but they will not come to the land I promised you.53 Then you will know that I am the Lord.
20:39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols, if you will not listen to me. But my holy name will not be profaned54 again by your sacrifices and your idols. 20:40 For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them55 in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things. 20:41 When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, I will accept you along with your soothing aroma. I will display my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 20:42 When I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I promised56 to give to your fathers, you will know that I am the Lord. 20:43 You will remember your conduct57 there, and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves. You will despise yourselves58 because of all the evil deeds you have done. 20:44 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my reputation and not according to your wicked conduct and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Prophecy Against the South
20:45 59 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:46 “Son of man, turn toward60 the south, and speak out against the south.61 Prophesy against the forest land of the Negev, 20:47 and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to start a fire in you,62 and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The flaming fire will not be extinguished, and the whole surface of the ground from the Negev to the north will be scorched by it. 20:48 And everyone63 will see that I, the Lord, have ignited it; it will not be extinguished.’”
20:49 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in parables?’”
The Sword of Judgment