New Living Translation

New King James Version

The Rebellion of Israel

On August 14,a during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the LORD. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply.

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The Rebellions of Israel

It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me.

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Then this message came to me from the LORD:

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Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

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“Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will tell you nothing!’

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“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,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you.” ’

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“Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.

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Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make known to them the abominations of their fathers.

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Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: When I chose Israel — when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt — I took a solemn oath that I, the LORD, would be their God.

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“Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when I chose Israel and raised 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 raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God.’

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I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them — a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere.

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On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands.

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Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idolsb of Egypt, for I am the LORD your God.’

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Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

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“But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt.

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But they rebelled against Me and would not [a]obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’

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But I didn’t do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.

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But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

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So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.

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“Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

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There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.

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And I gave them My statutes and [b]showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’

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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.

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Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

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“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.

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Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

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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.

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But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.

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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.

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So I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands,

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For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols.

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because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.

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Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.

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Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

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“Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols.

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“But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

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‘I am the LORD your God,’ I told them. ‘Follow my decrees, pay attention to my regulations,

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I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them;

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and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the LORD your God.’

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hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

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“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.

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“Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness.

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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.

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Nevertheless I [c]withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.

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But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations

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Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries,

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because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors.

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because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

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I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.

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“Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live;

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I let them pollute themselvesc with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods — so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the LORD.

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and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all [d]their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the Lord.” ’

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Judgment and Restoration

“Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me,

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“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In this too your fathers have blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me.

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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.

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When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings.

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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.)

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Then I said to them, ‘What is this [e]high place to which you go?’ So its name is called [f]Bamah to this day.” ’

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“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?

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Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your fathers, and committing harlotry according to their abominations?

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For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices,d 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.

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For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you.

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“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.

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What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’

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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.

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God Will Restore Israel

“As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you.

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And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you backe from the lands where you are scattered.

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I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.

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I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.

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And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face.

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I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign LORD.

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Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God.

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I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant.

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“I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

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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.

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I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

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“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.

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“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols — and hereafter — if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.

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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.

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For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your [g]sacrifices, together with all your holy things.

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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 nations watch.

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I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.

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Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised with a solemn oath to give to your ancestors, you will know that I am the LORD.

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Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.

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You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done.

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And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall [h]loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed.

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You will know that I am the LORD, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”

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Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt 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 God.’ ”

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Judgment against the Negev

fThen this message came to me from the LORD:

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Fire in the Forest

Furthermore the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

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“Son of man, turn and face the southg and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev.

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“Son of man, set your face toward the south; [i]preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the [j]South,

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Tell the southern wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Hear the word of the LORD! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north.

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and say 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 shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it.

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And everyone in the world will see that I, the LORD, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’”

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All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”

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Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”

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Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’ ”

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Ezekiel 20

Ezekiel 20