 1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to ask of the Lord, and sat before me. 2 Came the Word of the Lord to me saying, 3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to ask of me? 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? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers. 5 Say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In the day that I chose Israel and lifted up my hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. When I lifted up my hand to them saying, I am the Lord your God; 6 in the day that I lifted up my hand to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; 7 then I said to them, Let each man throw away the abominations of his eyes, 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 each man throw away the abominations of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. And I said, I will pour out my fury against them to fulfill my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the nations among whom they were, for I made myself known to them in their eyes, by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 I caused them to go out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes and showed them my judgments, which if anyone will do, they will live in them. 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them so that they might know that I am the Lord who sets them apart. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but they despised my judgments, which if a man does, he shall even live in them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths and I said, I will pour out my fury on them in the wilderness to destroy them. 14 But I worked for my name's sake so that it should not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Also I lifted up my hand to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey. It is the glory of all lands. 16 Because they despised my judgments and did not walk not in my Sabbaths. They profaned my Sabbaths. For their hearts went after their idols. 17 But my eye spared them from destroying them, nor did I make an end of them in the wilderness. 18 But I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers nor observe their judgments nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God. Walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and do them. 20 Keep my Sabbaths holy. They will be a sign between me and you so that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 21 But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes nor keep my judgments to do them. The judgments which, if anyone will do, they shall live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths and I said I would pour out my fury on them, to fulfill my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I withdrew my hand and worked for my name's sake so that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations from whom I brought them out in their eyes. 23 I also lifted up my hand to them in the wilderness so that I would scatter them among the nations and scatter them through the lands. 24 Because they had not done my judgments but had despised my Sabbaths and profaned my Sabbaths and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. 25 I also gave them statutes not good and judgments by which they should not live. 26 I defiled them in their own gifts because they caused their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate to the end 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: Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a sin against me. 28 When I had brought them into the land for which I lifted up my hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered their sacrifices there. And there they offered their provoking gifts. There also they made their sweet aroma, and poured out their drink offerings there. 29 I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? And the name of it is called High Place to this day. 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Are you defiled in the same way as your fathers? And do you go whoring after their abominations? 31 When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, you defile+ yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. 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 comes up on your spirit will not happen at all. You say, We will be like the nations, like the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. 33 As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out I will reign over you. 34 I will bring you out from the people, and I will gather you out of the lands in which you are scattered among them, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out. 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 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, says the Lord God. 37 I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who sin against me. I will bring them out from the land where they reside and they will not enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 39 You, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Every man go and serve his idols, and do so from now on if you will not listen to me. But never again defile my holy name with your gifts and with your idols. 40 For in my holy mountain, in the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of those in the land, shall serve me. There will I receive them, and there will I ask for your offerings and the firstfruits of your offerings, with all your holy things. 41 I will receive you with your sweet aroma when I bring you out from the people and gather you out of the lands into which you have been scattered among them. Then I will be sanctified in you in the eyes of the nations. 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you into the land of Israel into the land for which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers. 43 There you will remember your ways and all your doings in which you have been defiled. Then you will despise yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed. 44 Then you will know that I am the Lord when I have worked with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings O house of Israel, says the Lord God. 45 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, 46 Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop a word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field. 47 Say to the forest of the south, Hear the Word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall burn up every green tree in you, and every dry tree among you. The flaming flame shall not be put out, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned in it. 48 All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it. It shall not be put out. 49 I said, Ah Lord God. They say of me, Does he not speak parables?
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