Ezekiel 20

Ezekiel Chapter 20 KJV

1God refuseth to be consulted by the elders of Israel: 4he rehearseth the rebellions of their ancestors in Egypt, 13in the wilderness, 27and in the promised land: 30he reproacheth the present generation with the like corrupt manners. 33He threateneth to rule over them with rigour, but with promise to gather them, to purge out the rebels, and accept the services of the faithful in his church. 45The destruction of Jerusalem prophesied under the name of a forest.
1 And it came to pass in the 1seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of 2the elders of Israel came 3to enquire of the Lord, and 4sat before me.
2 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As 1I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
4 Wilt 1thou ajudge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? 2cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
5 ¶ And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when 1I chose Israel, and alifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and 2made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, 3I am the Lord your God;
6 In the day that 1I lifted up mine hand unto them, to 2bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had 3espied for them, 4flowing with milk and honey, which is the 5glory of all lands:
7 Then said I unto them, 1Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and 2defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
8 But they 1rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, 2I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 But 1I wrought 2for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10 ¶ Wherefore 1I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11 And 1I agave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, 2which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12 Moreover also I gave them my 1sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that 2I am the Lord that sanctify them.
13 But the house of Israel 1rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and 2my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, 3I would pour out my fury upon them in the 4wilderness, to consume them.
14 But 1I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
15 Yet 1also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land 2which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16 Because 1they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after 2their idols.
17 1Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 But 1I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in 2the statutes of your 3fathers, neither observe their judgments, 4nor defile yourselves with their idols:
19 I am 1the Lord your God; 2walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
20 And 1hallow my sabbaths; and 2they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.
21 Notwithstanding 1the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they 2polluted my sabbaths: 3then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22 Nevertheless 1I withdrew mine hand, and 2wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose 3sight I brought them forth.
23 I 1lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
24 Because 1they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and 2their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
25 Wherefore 1I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
26 And 1I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they 2might know that I am the Lord.
27 ¶ Therefore, son of man, speak unto 1the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have 2blasphemed me, in that they have acommitted a trespass against me.
28 for when 1I had brought them into the land, for the which I 2lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw 3every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the 4provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29 Then aI said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? 1And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.
30 Wherefore say unto 1the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; 2Are ye polluted after the manner of your 3fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
31 For when ye 1offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: 2and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
32 And that which cometh into your mind shall 1not be at all, that ye say, 2We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve 3wood and stone.
33 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely 1with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
34 And 1I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35 And I will bring you into the 1wilderness of the people, and there will 2I plead with you 3face to face.
36 1Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.
37 And I will cause you to 1pass under the rod, and 2I will bring you into the abond of the covenant:
38 And 1I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and 2they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and 3ye shall know that I am the Lord.
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; 1Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but 2pollute ye my holy name no more with 3your gifts, and with your idols.
40 For in mine 1holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I 2accept them, and there will I require 3your offerings, and the afirstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
41 I will accept you with your asweet savour, when 1I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and 2I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
42 And 1ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43 And there 1shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
44 And 1ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I 2have wrought with you for my name's sake, 3not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
45 ¶ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
46 Son of man, 1set thy face toward the south, and 2drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, 1I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every 2dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces 3from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
48 And 1all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be 2quenched.
49 Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak 1parables?
Ezekiel 20