Ezekiel 20 — GMV

20 Verse 1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, on the fifteenth day of the month, there came men of the elders of the house of Israel to inquire of the Lord, and they sat before me. ^{Verse 2} And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^{Verse 3} Son of man, speak to the elders of the house of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, I will not be inquired of by you, saith the Lord. ^{Verse 4} Shall I utterly take vengeance on them, son of man? testify to them of the iniquities of their fathers: ^{Verse 5} and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord; ^{Verse 6} in that day I helped them with my hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into the land which I prepared for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, it is abundant beyond every land. ^{Verse 7} And I said to them, Let every one cast away the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the devices of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. ^{Verse 8} But they revolted from me, and would not hearken to me: they cast not away the abominations of their eyes, and forsook not the devices of Egypt: then I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them, to accomplish my wrath upon them in the midst of Egypt. ^{Verse 9} But I wrought so that my name should not be at all profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in the midst of whom they are, among whom I was made known to them in their sight, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. ^{Verse 10} And I brought them into the wilderness. ^{Verse 11} And I gave them my commandments, and made known to them mine ordinances, all which if a man shall do, he shall even live in them. ^{Verse 12} And I gave them my Sabbaths, that they should be for a sign between me and them, that they should know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. ^{Verse 13} And I said to the house of Israel in the wilderness, Walk ye in my commandments: but they walked not in them, and they rejected mine ordinances, which if a man shall do, he shall even live in them; and they grievously profaned my Sabbaths: and I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. ^{Verse 14} But I wrought so that my name should not be at all profaned before the Gentiles, before whose eyes I brought them out. ^{Verse 15} But I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness once for all, that I would not bring them into the land which I gave them, a land flowing with milk and honey, it is sweeter than all lands: ^{Verse 16} because they rejected mine ordinances, and walked not in my commandments, but profaned my Sabbaths, and went after the imaginations of their hearts. ^{Verse 17} Yet mine eyes spared them, so as not to destroy them utterly, and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness. ^{Verse 18} And I said to their children in the wilderness, Walk not ye in the customs of your fathers, and keep not their ordinances, and have no fellowship with their practices, nor defile yourselves with them. ^{Verse 19} I am the Lord your God; walk in my commandments, and keep mine ordinances, and do them; ^{Verse 20} and hallow my Sabbaths, and let them be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. ^{Verse 21} But they provoked me, and their children walked not in my commandments, and they took no heed to mine ordinances to do them, which if a man shall do, he shall even live in them, and they profaned my Sabbaths: then I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to accomplish mine anger upon them. ^{Verse 22} But I wrought so that my name might not be at all profaned before the Gentiles; and I brought them out in their sight. ^{Verse 23} I lifted up my hand against them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles, and disperse them in the countries; ^{Verse 24} because they kept not mine ordinances, and rejected my commandments, and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes went after the imaginations of their fathers. ^{Verse 25} So I gave them commandments that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live. ^{Verse 26} And I will defile them by their own decrees, when I pass through upon everyone that opens the womb, that I may destroy them. ^{Verse 27} Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord: Hitherto have your fathers provoked me in their trespasses in which they transgressed against me. ^{Verse 28} Whereas I brought them into the land concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it them; and they looked upon every high hill, and every shady tree, and they sacrificed there to their gods, and offered there a sweet-smelling savor, and there they poured out their drink offerings. ^{Verse 29} And I said to them, What is Bamah, that ye go in thither? and they called its name Bamah, until this day. ^{Verse 30} Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord, Do ye pollute yourselves with the iniquities of your fathers, and do ye go a-whoring after their abominations, ^{Verse 31} and do ye pollute yourselves with the firstfruits of your gifts, in the offerings wherewith ye pollute yourselves in all your imaginations, until this day; and shall I answer you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord, I will not answer you, neither shall this thing come upon your spirit. ^{Verse 32} And it shall not be as ye say, We will be as the nations, and as the tribes of the earth, to worship stocks and stones. ^{Verse 33} Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord, I will reign over you with a strong hand, and with a high arm, and with outpoured wrath: ^{Verse 34} I will bring you out from the nations, and will take you out of the lands wherein ye were dispersed, with a strong hand, and with a high arm, and with outpoured wrath. ^{Verse 35} And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and will plead with you there face to face. ^{Verse 36} As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you, saith the Lord. ^{Verse 37} And I will cause you to pass under my rod, and I will bring you in by number. ^{Verse 38} And I will separate from among you the ungodly and the revolters; for I will lead them forth out of their place of sojourning, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord, even the Lord. ^{Verse 39} And as to you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord, even the Lord; Put away each one his evil practices, and hereafter if ye hearken to me, then shall ye no more profane my holy name by your gifts and by devices. ^{Verse 40} For upon my holy mountain, on the high mountain, saith the Lord, even the Lord, there shall all the house of Israel serve me forever: and there will I accept you, and there will I have respect to your firstfruits, and the firstfruits of your offerings, in all your holy things. ^{Verse 41} I will accept you with a sweet-smelling savor, when I bring you out from the nations, and take you out of the countries wherein ye have been dispersed; and I will be sanctified among you in the sight of the nations. ^{Verse 42} And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have brought you into the land of Israel, into the land concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers. ^{Verse 43} And ye shall there remember your ways, and your devices wherewith ye defiled yourselves; and ye shall bewail yourselves for all your wickedness. ^{Verse 44} And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have done thus to you, that my name may not be profaned in your evil ways, and in your corrupt devices, saith the Lord.