Ezekiel:20

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* And it came to pass in the seventh year in the fifth month , on the tent of the month , that there came in men of the elders of Israel to enquire of Yahweh , and they sat before me . * Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying :- * Son of man , Speak thou with the elders of Israel , and say unto them , Thus , saith My Lord . Yahweh , To enquire of me , are ye coming in . As I live , very I will no be enquired of by you , Declareth My Lord Yahweh . * Wilt thou judge them , wilt thou judge , O son of man ? The abominations of their fathers , let them know : * So then thou shalt say unto them Thus , saith My Lord Yahweh , In the day when I made choice of Israel , then lifted I up my hand . to the seed of the house of Jacob , and made myself known to them , in the land of Egypt ,- Yea I lifted up my hand to them , saying , Yahweh am your God . * In that day , lifted I up my hand to them , to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt , into a land that I had looked out for them flowing with milk and honey , The beauty , it was of all lands , * And I said unto them . Every one the abomination of his eyes , cast ye away , And with the manufactured gods of Egypt , let it not be that ye defile yourselves : I , Yahweh , am your God . * But they rebelled against me And were not willing to hearken unto me , Every man the abominations of their eyes , they east not away , And the manufactured gods of Egypt , forsook they not ; Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them to bring mine anger to an end against them , in the midst of the land of Egypt . * Howbeit I wrought with effect , for the sake of mine own Name , that it might not be profanedbefore the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were , before whose eyes I made myself known unto them , by bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt . * Therefore brought I them forth out of the land of Egypt , and caused them to come into the desert . * Then gave I unto them my statutes , And my regulations , caused I them to know ,- By the which the man that doeth them shall live . * Moreover also my sabbaths , gave I unto them , to become a sign betwixt me and them , that it might be known that , I , Yahweh , was hallowing them . * But the house of Israel rebelled against reel in the desert In ray statutes , walked they not . And my regulations , they rejected By the which the man that doeth them shall live , my sabbaths also , they profaned exceedingly . Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them in the desert , to make an end of them . * Howbeit I wrought with effect for the sake of mine own Name , that it should not b profaned in the eyes of the nations , in whose eyes I had brought them forth . * Yet even l lifted up my hand to them . in the desert , That I would not b1ing them into the land which I had given to them flowing with milk and honey , The beauty , it was . of all lands : * Because my regulations , they had rejected . And as for my statutes , they had not walked therein , My sabbaths also , had they profaned ; or after their manufactured gods , their heart had been going . * Nevertheless mine eye threw a shield over them that they should not be destroyed ; So I made not of them a full end in the desert . * But I said unto their children in the desert , In the statutes of your fathers , let it not be that ye walk , And their regulations , let it not be that ye observe , And with their manufactured gods , let it not be that ye defile yourselves . * I , Yahweh , am your God , In my statutes , walk ye , And my regulations , observe ye and do them ; * My sabbaths also , hallow ye , And they shall become a sign betwixt me and you , That it may be known that I Yahweh am your God . * Notwithstanding . the children rebelled against me . In my statutes , walked they not . And my regulations , observed they not . to do them . Wherein the man who shall do them shall live , My sabbaths , they profaned . Therefore spake I of pouring out mine indignation upon them to bring mine anger to an end against them . in the desert . * Howbeit I withdrew my hand , and wrought with effect for the sake of mine own Name , that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations , before whose eyes I had brought them forth : * Even , I , lifted up my hand to them in the desert , That I would disperse them throughout the nations , And scatter them throughout the lands ; * Because my regulations , had they not done And my statutes , they had rejected , My sabbaths also , they had profaned ,- And after the manufactured gods of their fathers , were their eyes turned . * I myself , indeed , suffered them to walk in statutes which were not good , And regulations in which they could not live . * Yea I let them defile themselves with their gifts , when they caused every firstborn to pass through the fire ,-.that I might make them desolate . To the end they might know that , I , am Yahweh . * Therefore speak thou unto the house of Israel Son of man , and say unto them , Thus saith My Lord Yahweh , Yet further in this , did your fathers insult me , by the treachery wherewith they dealt treacherously against me ; * When I brought them into the land as to which I had lifted up mine hand to give it them , then beheld they every high hill and every tangled tree And offered there their sacrifices , And presented there , their provoking gift , And placed there , their satisfying odour , And poured out there , their drink - offerings . * Therefore said I unto them , What ! a high-place , whereinto ye are entering , And so the name thereof hath been called High-place , unto this day . * Therefore say thou unto the house of Israel . Thus saith My Lord Yahweh , Is it in the way of your fathers , you are defiling yourselves ,- And after their abominations , that ye are committing lewdness * Yea when ye lift up your gifts When ye cause your children to pass through the fire , Ye are defiling yourselves unto all your manufactured gods unto this day , And shall be enquired of by you . house of Israel . As I live , Declareth My Lord Yahweh , Surely I will not be enquired of by you . * And as for that which is rising up on your spirit , it shall mot at all come to pass , In that ye are saying Let us be like the nations Like the families of the lands , By ministering unto Wood and Stone ! * As I live , Declareth My Lord Yahweh , Surely with a strong hand and With an outstretched arm and With outpoured indignation Will I be king over you ; * And I will bring you forth from among the peoples , And gather you together out of the lands , throughout which ye have been dispersed , With t strong hand and With an outstretched arm , and With outpoured indignation ; * And I will bring you into the desert of the peoples , and will contend with you there , I face to face . * Just as I contended with yore fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt , So will I contend with you , Declareth My Lord Yahweh ; * And I will cause you to pass under the rod And will bring you into the bond of the covenant ; * And will sever from you those who are rebelling and those who are transgressing against me , Out of the land of their sojournings , will I bring them forth , Yet upon the so of Israel , shall they not enter , So shall ye know that , I , am Yahweh . * But as for you , O house of Israel Thus , saith my Lord . Yahweh , Go . serve every man his own manufactured gods , Yet afterwards , surely Ye shall be ready to hearken unto me , And my holy name , shall ye profane no more , With your gifts , and With your manufactured gods . * For in my holy mountain . In the mountain of the height of Israel , Declareth , My Lord Yahweh , There shall all the house of Israel serve me , all of it , in the land , There will I accept them , and There , will I seek your heave-offerings and the firstfruits of your gifts , in all your holy things : * As a satisfying odour , will I accept you I , Through my bringing you forth from among the peoples , And gathering you out of the lands , throughout which ye ha e been dispersed ; Thus will I hallow myself in you before the eyes of the nations . * So shall ye know that I am Yahweh , Through my bringing you in unto the so of Israel , Unto the land as to which I lifted up my hand , to give it unto your fathers . * Then shall ye call to mind . there , your own ways and all your own doings , where - with ye had defiled yourselves ,- And ye stroll become loathsome in your own sight , for all your wickednesses , which ye have done . * So shall ye know that , I , am Yahweh , Through my dealing effectively with you , for the sake of mine own Name ,- Not according to your own wicked ways . Nor according to your corrupted doings . O house of Israel , Declareth My Lord Yahweh . * Then came the word of Yahweh unto me . saying : * Son of man Set thy face the way towards Teman , And drop thy word against the land of the sun , And prophesy unto the forest of the field of the South ; * And thou shalt say to the forest of the South Hear the word of Yahweh , Thus saith My Lord Yahweh-Behold me ! kindling in thee a fire . And it shall devour in thee every moist tree and every dry tree . The spreading flame shall not be quenched , Then shall be scorched thereby all faces from south to north ; * And all flesh shall see that I . Yahweh have kindled it ,- It shall not be quenched . * Then said I , Ah ! My Lord Yahweh : They are saying of me , Is not he a putter forth of parables ?

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