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shame to be brought on my name among the
surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself
by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. 10 So I
brought them out of Egypt and led them into
the wilderness. 11 There I gave them my decrees
and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. 12 And I gave them my Sabbath days
of rest as a sign between them and me. It was
to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set
them apart to be holy.
13 “But the people of Israel rebelled against
me, and they refused to obey my decrees there
in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have
given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury
on them, and I made plans to utterly consume
them in the wilderness. 14 But again I held back
in order to protect the honor of my name before
the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt. 15 But I took a solemn
oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I
would not bring them into the land I had given
them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the
most beautiful place on earth. 16 For they had
rejected my regulations, refused to follow my
decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their
hearts were given to their idols. 17 Nevertheless,
I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.
18 “Then I warned their children not to follow
in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves
with their idols. 19 ‘I am the Lord your God,’
I told them. ‘Follow my decrees, pay attention
to my regulations, 20 and keep my Sabbath days
holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am
the Lord your God.’
21 “But their children, too, rebelled against
me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience
would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened
to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment
against them to protect the honor of my name
before the nations that had seen my power
in bringing them out of Egypt. 23 But I took a
solemn oath against them in the wilderness.
I swore I would scatter them among all the nations 24 because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating
my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of
their ancestors. 25 I gave them over to worthless
decrees and regulations that would not lead to
life. 26 I let them pollute themselves* with the
very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them
to give their firstborn children as offerings to
20:25-26 Or I gave them worthless decrees and regulations. . . .
I polluted them. 20:31 Or and make your little children pass
through the fire. 20:34 Greek version reads I will welcome
you. Compare 2 Cor 6:17.
EZEKIEL 20
their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.
Judgment and Restoration
27 “Therefore, son of man, give the people of
Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord:
Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me, 28 for when I brought them into the land
I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on
every high hill and under every green tree they
saw! They roused my fury as they offered up
sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid
offerings to them. 29 I said to them, ‘What is this
high place where you are going?’ (This kind of
pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high
place’—ever since.)
30 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this
message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan
to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did?
Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves
by worshiping vile images? 31 For when you offer
gifts to them and give your little children to be
burned as sacrifices,* you continue to pollute
yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow
you to ask for a message from me, O people of
Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign
Lord, I will tell you nothing.
32 “You say, ‘We want to be like the nations
all around us, who serve idols of wood and
stone.’ But what you have in mind will never
happen. 33 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign
Lord, I will rule over you with an iron fist in
great anger and with awesome power. 34 And
in anger I will reach out with my strong hand
and powerful arm, and I will bring you back*
from the lands where you are scattered. 35 I will
bring you into the wilderness of the nations,
and there I will judge you face to face. 36 I will
judge you there just as I did your ancestors in
the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt,
says the Sovereign Lord. 37 I will examine you
carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant. 38 I will purge you of all those who rebel
and revolt against me. I will bring them out of
the countries where they are in exile, but they
will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will
know that I am the Lord.
39 “As for you, O people of Israel, this is what
the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and
worship your idols, but sooner or later you will
obey me and will stop bringing shame on my
holy name by worshiping idols. 40 For on my
holy mountain, the great mountain of Israel,
says the Sovereign Lord, the people of Israel
will someday worship me, and I will accept
them. There I will require that you bring me
all your offerings and choice gifts and sacrifices. 41 When I bring you home from exile, you
will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I
will display my holiness through you as all the