20 3 The Lord denieth that he will answer them when they pray, because of their wickedness. 33 He promiseth that his people shall return from captivity. 46 By the forest that should be burnt, is signified the burning of Jerusalem.
1 And in the [a]seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, came certain of the Elders of Israel to inquire of the Lord, and sat 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 inquire of me? as I live, saith the Lord God, when I am asked, I will not answer you.
4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man? wilt thou judge them? cause [b]them to understand the abominations of their fathers,
5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, In the day when I chose Israel, and [c]lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lift up mine hand unto them, and said, I am the Lord your God,
6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt, into a land that I had provided for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is pleasant among all lands,
7 Then said I unto them, Let every man cast away the abominations of his eyes, [d]and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: for I am the Lord your God.
8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hear me: for none cast away the abominations of [e]their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I thought to pour out mine indignation upon them, and to accomplish my wrath against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 But I had respect to my [f]Name, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, and in whose sight I made myself known unto them in bringing them forth of the land of Egypt.
10 Now I carried them out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11 And I gave them my statutes, and declared my judgments unto them, (A)which if a man do, he shall live in them.
12 Moreover I gave them also my (B)Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord, that sanctify them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they cast away my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them, and my Sabbaths have they greatly polluted: then I thought to pour out mine indignation upon them (C)in the wilderness to consume them,
14 But I had respect to my name, that it should not be polluted before the [g]heathen in whose sight I brought them out.
15 Yet nevertheless, I lifted up mine hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land, which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which was pleasant above all lands,
16 Because they cast away my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but have polluted my [h]Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
17 Nevertheless, mine eye spared them, that I would not destroy them, neither would I consume them in the wilderness.
18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the ordinances of your [i]fathers, neither observe their manners, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
19 I am the Lord your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments and do them,
20 And sanctify my Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.
21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, nor kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them, but they polluted my Sabbaths: then I thought to pour out mine indignation upon them, and to accomplish my wrath against them in the wilderness.
22 Nevertheless, I withdrew mine hand and had respect to my Name, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
23 Yet I lifted up mine hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries,
24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had cast away my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after [j]their fathers’ idols.
25 Wherefore I gave [k]them also statutes that were not good, and judgments, wherein they should not live.
26 And I polluted them in their own [l]gifts in that they caused to pass by the fire all that first openeth the womb, that I might destroy them, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.
27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, though they had before grievously transgressed against me.
28 [m]For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented their offering of provocation: there also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof was called [n]Bamah unto this day.
30 Wherefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye not polluted [o]after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye not whoredom after their abominations?
31 For when you offer your gifts, and make your sons to pass through the fire, you pollute yourselves with all your idols unto this day: shall I answer you when I am asked, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, [p]I will not answer you when I am asked.
32 Neither shall that be done that cometh into your mind: for ye say, we will be as the heathen, and as the families of the countries, and serve wood, and [q]stone.
33 As I live, saith the Lord God, I will surely rule you with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and in my wrath poured out,
34 And will bring you 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 in my wrath poured out,
35 And I will bring you into the [r]wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36 Like 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 pass under the rod, and will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
38 And I will [s]choose out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them out of the land where they dwell, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, [t]Go you, and serve everyone his idol, seeing that ye will not obey me, and pollute mine holy Name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
40 For in mine holy mountain, even in the high mountain of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, and all in the land serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
41 I will accept your sweet savor, when I bring you from the people, and gather you out of the countries, wherein ye have been scattered, that I may be sanctified in you before the heathen.
42 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the land for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your works, wherein ye have been defiled, and ye [u]shall judge yourselves worthy to be cut off, for all your evils, that ye have committed.
44 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have respect unto you for my Name’s sake, and not after your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt works, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
45 ¶ Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
46 Son of man, Set thy face toward the way of Teman, and drop thy word toward [v]the South, and prophesy toward the forest of the field of the South,
47 And say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of the Lord: thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour all the [w]green wood in thee, and all the dry wood: the continual flame shall not be quenched, and every face from the South to the North shall be burnt therein.
48 And all flesh shall see, that I the Lord have kindled it, and it shall not be quenched. Then said I, Ah Lord God, they say of me, Doth not he speak [x]parables?
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 20:1 Of the captivity of Jeconiah.
- Ezekiel 20:4 This declareth the great lenity and patience of God, which calleth sinners to repentance before he condemns them.
- Ezekiel 20:5 I sware that I would be their God, which manner of oath was observed from all antiquity, where they used to lift up their hands toward the heaven, acknowledging God to be the author of truth, and the defender thereof, and also the Judge of the heart, wishing that he should take vengeance, if they concealed anything which they knew to be truth.
- Ezekiel 20:7 God had forbidden them to make mention of the idols, Exod. 23:13; Ps. 16:4.
- Ezekiel 20:8 Which thing declareth the wickedness of man’s heart, which judge God’s service by their eyes and outward senses.
- Ezekiel 20:9 God had ever this respect to his glory, that he would not have his Name evil spoken of among the Gentiles for the punishment that his people deserved, in confidence whereof the godly ever prayed, as Exod. 32:12; Num. 14:13.
- Ezekiel 20:14 Who might thereby take an occasion to blaspheme my Name and to accuse me of lack of ability, or else that I had sought a means to destroy them more commodiously.
- Ezekiel 20:16 That is, my true religion, which I had commanded them, and gave themselves to serve me according to their own fantasies.
- Ezekiel 20:18 Whereby the holy Ghost confuteth them that say that they will follow the religion and example of their fathers, and not measure their doings by God’s word whether they be approvable thereby or no.
- Ezekiel 20:24 Meaning, that they set their delight upon them.
- Ezekiel 20:25 Because they would not obey my laws, I gave them up to themselves, that they should obey their own fantasies, as verse 39; Rom. 1:21, 24.
- Ezekiel 20:26 I condemned those things, and counted them as abominable, which they thought had been excellent, and to have declared most zeal, Luke 16:15, for that which God required, as most excellent, that they gave to their idols.
- Ezekiel 20:28 Not only in the wilderness, when I brought them out of Egypt, but since I placed them in this land: which declareth how prompt man’s heart is to idolatry, seeing that by no admonitions he can be drawn back.
- Ezekiel 20:29 Which signifieth an high place, declaring that they vaunted themselves of their idolatry, and were not ashamed thereof, though God had commanded them expressly that they should have no altar lifted upon high by stairs, Exod. 20:26.
- Ezekiel 20:30 Hebrew, in the way.
- Ezekiel 20:31 He showeth that the ingratitude of the people deserveth that God should cut them off, and that they should not have the comfort of his word.
- Ezekiel 20:32 He declareth that man of nature is wholly enemy unto God, and to his own salvation, and therefore God calleth him to the right way, partly by chastising, but chiefly by his mercy in forgiving his rebellion, and wickedness.
- Ezekiel 20:35 I will bring you among strange nations as into a wilderness, and there will visit you, and so call you to repentance, and then bring the godly home again, Isa. 65:9.
- Ezekiel 20:38 Signifying, that he will not burn the corn with the chaff, but choose out the wicked to punish them when he will spare his.
- Ezekiel 20:39 This is spoken to the hypocrites.
- Ezekiel 20:43 Your own consciences shall convict you after, that you have felt my mercies.
- Ezekiel 20:46 For Judah stood South from Babylon.
- Ezekiel 20:47 Both strong and weak in Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 20:48 The people said that the Prophet spake darkly: therefore he desireth the Lord to give them a plain declaration thereof.