Ezekiel:20

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* And it happened 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 . * And came the Word of the LORD to me , saying , * Son of man , speak to the elders of Israel and say to them , So says the Lord Jehovah : Have you come to ask of Me ? [As ] I live , says the Lord Jehovah , I will not be inquired of by you . * Will you judge [them ], son of man , will you judge them ? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers . * And say to them , So says the Lord Jehovah : In the day that I chose Israel , and lifted up My hand to the seed 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 ] Jehovah your God ; * 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 ; * 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 ] Jehovah your God . * 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 . * 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 . * And I caused them to go out from the land of Egypt , and brought them into the wilderness . * And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments , which [if ] a man do , he shall even live in them . * And also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them , that [they ] might know that I [am ] the LORD who sets them apart . * But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness ; they did not walk in My statutes , and they despised My judgments , which [if ] a man does , he shall even live in them . And they greatly profaned My sabbaths . And I said , I ] will pour out My fury on them in the wilderness to destroy them . * 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 . * And 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 ; * because they despised My judgments and walked not in My sabbaths ; and they profaned My sabbaths ; for their heart went after their idols . * But My eye spared them from destroying them , nor did I make an end of them in the wilderness . * But I said to their sons in the wilderness , Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers , nor observe their judgments , nor defile yourselves with their idols . * I [am ] Jehovah your God . Walk in My statutes , and keep My judgments , and do them , * and keep My sabbaths holy ; and they shall be a sign between Me and you , that you may know that I [am ] Jehovah your God . * But the sons rebelled against Me . They did not walk in My statutes , nor kept My judgments to do them ; the judgments which , [if ] a man do , he shall even 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 . * But I withdrew My hand and worked for My name 's sake , that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations , from whom I brought them out in their eyes . * I also lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness , that I would scatter them among the nations and scatter them through the lands , * because they had not done My judgments , but had despised My sabbaths and had profaned My sabbaths , and their eyes were after their fathers ' idols . * Also I gave them statutes not good , and judgments by which they should not live . * And I defiled them in their own gifts , in that they caused all that open the womb to pass through [the fire ], that I might waste them , to the end that they might know that I [am ] the LORD . * Therefore , son of man , speak to the house of Israel and say to them , So says the Lord Jehovah : Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me , in that they have committed a sin against Me . * 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 . * And 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 . * Therefore say to the house of Israel , So says the Lord Jehovah : Are you defiled in the same way as your fathers ? And do you go whoring after their abominations ? * For 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 . And shall I be inquired of by you , O house of Israel ? [As ] I Live , says the Lord Jehovah , I will not be inquired of by you . * And what comes up on your spirit shall not happen at all , that you say , We will be like the nations , like the families of the countries , to serve wood and stone . * [As ] I live , says the Lord Jehovah , surely with a mighty hand , and with a stretched out arm , and with fury poured out , I will reign over you . * And 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 . * And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people , and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face . * 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 Jehovah . * And I will cause you to pass under the rod , and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant . * And 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 shall not enter into the land of Israel . And you shall know that I [am ] the LORD . * And you , O house of Israel , so says the Lord Jehovah : [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 . * For in My holy mountain , in the mountain height [of ] Israel , says the Lord Jehovah , 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 . * 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 . And I will be sanctified in you in the eyes of the nations . * And you shall 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 . * And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings in which you have been defiled . And you shall despise yourselves in your own sight for all your evils which you have committed . * And you shall 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 Jehovah . * And the Word of the LORD came to me , saying , * 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 . * And say to the forest of the south , Hear the Word of the LORD . So says the Lord Jehovah : 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 . * And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it . It shall not be put out . * And I said , Ah Lord Jehovah ! They say of me , Does he not speak parables ?

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