CHAPTER 20

1 It occurred in the seventh year, the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, Men from the elders of Israel came to consult Jehovah, And sat before my face. And the word of Jehovah

2 Came to me, saying, Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel,

3 And say unto there, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Are you come. to inquire of me? As I live, If I will be sought by you, saith the Lord Jehovah,

4 Wilt you judge them, wilt you judge them, son of man? Explain to them the abominations of their fathers;

5 Then you shall say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, In the day on which I chose Israel, and lifted up my hand To the seed of the house of Jacob, and was known to them in the land of Egypt, Then I raised my hand to them, saying, I am Jehovah your God:

6 In that day I lifted up my hand towards them, To bring them from the land of Egypt into a land which I espied for them, Flowing with milk and honey, desirable beyond all lands.

7 Then I said to them, Cast you away every one the abominations of his eyes, And pollute not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I Jehovah am your God; and they rebelled against me,

8 And were unwilling to hear me: they did not cast away The idols of their eyes: they did not desert the idols of Egypt: Then I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them; To fill up nay fury against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But, I acted for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, In the midst of which they were; in whose sight I was known to them, By bringing them forth from the land of Egypt.

10 Then I led them out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the desert.

11 And I gave them my decrees, and made known my judgments unto them, Which if a man do, he shall live in them.

12 Moreover I gave them my Sabbaths for a sign between me and them, That they might know that I am he who sanctifieth them.

13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert: They walked not in my decrees, And despised my judgments, Which if a mall do, he shall live in them. And my sabbaths they greatly violated: Then I said I would pour out my wrath in the desert to consume them.

14 Then I acted for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned In the eyes of the nations, in whose sight I led them out.

15 Yet I lifted up my hand to them in the desert, That I should not lead them into the land which I had given them, Flowing with milk and honey, the desire of all lands,

16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my decrees, And polluted my sabbaths; because their heart walked after their idols.

17 Then mine eye spared them, so that I did not destroy them, And did not consume them in the desert.

18 Then I said unto their sons in the desert, Walk you not in the decrees of your fathers, And keep not their judgments, and pollute not yourselves with their idols:

19 I Jehovah am your God, walk you in my decrees, And keep my judgments, and do them:

20 And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, That you may know that I Jehovah am your God.

21 Then these sons became rebels against me: They walked not in my decrees, and kept not my judgments To do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them; They profaned my Sabbaths: and I said That I would pour out my wrath upon them, To accomplish my fury against them in the desert.

22 Then I withdrew my hand, and acted for my name’s sake, That it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, Before whose sight I led them out.

23 I also lifted up my hand to them in the desert To scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the lands;

24 Because they did not perform my judgments, And despised my statutes, and violated my Sabbaths; And their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.

25 I therefore gave them decrees that were not good, And judgments by which they could not live;

26 And I contaminated them in their gifts, By casting away every first-born offspring, To destroy them, that. they may know that I am Jehovah.

27 Wherefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Hither to your fathers Have dishonored me in this by prevaricating greatly against me:

28 For I introduced them into the land, for which I raised my hand to give it them; And they saw every high inn, and every branching tree: Then they sacrificed there their offerings, And offered there the irritation of their oblation, And placed there the odor of their sweet fragrance, And poured out there their libations.

29 Then said I unto them, What is the high place to which you approach? For its name is called “Lofty” unto this day.

30 Wherefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Are you polluted after the way of your fathers? And do you commit adultery after their idols?

31 For in offering your gifts, and in passing your sons through the fire, You pollute yourselves in all your idols unto this day Then shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel! As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, if I shall be inquired of by you.

32 That also which comes it to your mind shall not happen, Since you say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands,

33 To serve wood and stone. As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, If I will not rule over you with a strong hand, and an extended arm, and in fury poured forth.

34 And I will lead you out from the people, and collect you from the lands Through which you were dispersed, by a strong hand, and with an extended arm,

35 And with fury poured forth. Then I will lead you into the desert of the Gentiles, And will plead with you there face to face.

36 As I pleaded with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, So will I dispute with you, says the Lord Jehovah.

37 Then I will make you pass under the rod, And bring you within the bond of a covenant:

38 Then will I purge out from among you the rebels, And the transgressors against me from the land of their habitation Will I bring the impious, and they shall not enter the land of Israel; And you shall know that I am Jehovah.

39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord Jehovah, Go you, let each serve his idols, since you do not hear me, And the name of my sanctity profane no longer

40 With your gifts and your idols, since in the mountain of my sanctity, In a lofty mountain of Israel, says the Lord Jehovah, There shall the whole house of Israel worship me; All, I say, in the land there will I be propitious to them; And there will I require your oblations, And the first-fruits of your gifts in all your purification’s.

41 In the odor of sweet fragrance will I be propitious to you, When I shall have brought you from the people, And gathered you from the lands through which you will be dispersed; And I will be sanctified in you in the eyes of the nations.

42 Then shall you know that I am Jehovah, When I shall have brought you back into the land of Israel, Into the region about which I raised my hand to give it to your fathers.

43 And there I will remember your ways, and all your works, In which you were polluted; and you shall be confused in face ³⁵⁰³⁵⁰    See vol. 2, p. 342, note. Through all your wickedness which you have committed.

44 Then shall you know that I am Jehovah, when I shall have done among you According to. my name, not according to your evil ways, Nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord Jehovah.