Ezekiel 20

1In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat before me. 2The word of the LORD came to me: 3"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD GOD, "Have you come to inquire of me? As I live, I will not be inquired of by you," declares the LORD GOD. 4Will you judge them, will you judge, son of man? Let them know the detestable practices of their fathers. 5And say to them, 'Thus says the LORD GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, I lifted my hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I lifted my hand to them, saying, "I am the LORD your God." 6On that day I lifted my hand to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands. 7And I said to them, "Each of you cast away the detestable things before your eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God." 8But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me; no one cast away the detestable things that were before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. Therefore I said I would pour out my wrath upon them to fulfill my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10And I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. 11I gave them my statutes and made known to them my ordinances, by which if a person keeps them, they will live. 12I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. 13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances which, if a person does, they will live by them, and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. So I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness to annihilate them. 14But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations before whose eyes I had brought them out. 15I also lifted my hand to them in the wilderness, swearing that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands, 16because they rejected my ordinances and did not walk in my statutes, and they profaned my Sabbaths, for their hearts went after their idols. 17Nevertheless, I looked upon them with pity not to destroy them entirely, and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness. 18And I said to their children in the wilderness, "Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor follow their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, keep my ordinances, and do them. 20Sanctify my Sabbaths; they will be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God." 21But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes nor keep my ordinances to do them, even though a person would live by doing them. They profaned my Sabbaths, so I said I would pour out my wrath upon them, to spend my anger against them in the wilderness. 22But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations before whose eyes I had brought them out. 23And I also lifted my hand to them in the wilderness, swearing I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, 24because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. 25I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. 26I defiled them through their gifts, when they offered up all their firstborn, that I might make them desolate, that they might know that I am the LORD. 27Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD GOD: In this also your fathers have blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me. 28For when I brought them into the land I swore to give them, wherever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offerings; they also placed their pleasing aromas and poured out their drink offerings. 29Then I said to them, "What is this high place to which you go?"' So its name is called Bamah to this day. 30Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? 31When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. Should I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, declares the LORD GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. 32What you have in mind will never happen, when you say, "We will be like the nations, like the families of the countries, serving wood and stone." 33As I live, declares the LORD GOD, surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. 34I will bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out. 35I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36As 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 LORD GOD. 37I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD. 39As for you, house of Israel, thus says the LORD GOD: Go, serve every one of you his idols, but afterward, you shall surely listen to me, and my holy name you shall no longer profane with your gifts and your idols. 40For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the LORD GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, will serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the best of your gifts with all your holy things. 41As a pleasing aroma, I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. 42You will know that I am the LORD when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. 43There you will remember your ways and all your deeds by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil you have done. 44And you will know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways or your corrupt deeds, house of Israel, declares the LORD GOD.

45And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 46"Son of man, set your face toward the south, prophesy against the south, and speak against the forest of the south. 47Say 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 will devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face
from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48All flesh will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.'" 49Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not speaking in parables?'"