CHAPTER 20
1 And it was done in the seventh year, in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, men of the elders of Israel came to ask the Lord; and they sat before me.
2 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
3 Son of man, speak thou to the elder men of Israel; and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Whether ye came to ask me? I live, for I shall not answer to you, saith the Lord God.
4 Son of man, if thou deemest them, if thou deemest, show thou to them the abominations of their fathers.
5 And thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, In the day in which I chose Israel, and raised mine hand for the generation of the house of Jacob, and I appeared to them in the land of Egypt, and I raised mine hand for them, and I said, I am your Lord God,
6 in that day I raised mine hand for them, that I should lead them out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I had purveyed for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, which is noble among all lands.
7 And I said to them, Each man cast away the offences of his eyes, and do not ye be defouled in the idols of Egypt; I am your Lord God.
8 And they stirred me to wrath, and would not hear me; each man casted not away the abominations of his eyes, neither they forsook the idols of Egypt. And I said, that I would shed out mine indignation on them, and [ful] fill my wrath in them, in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 And I did for my name, that it should not be defouled before heathen men, in the midst of whom they were, and among whom I appeared to them, that I should lead them out of the land of Egypt.
10 Therefore I casted them out of the land of Egypt, and I led them out into desert;
11 and I gave to them my command-ments, and I showed to them my dooms, which a man shall do, and live in those [or them].
12 Furthermore and I gave to them my sabbaths, that it should be a sign betwixt me and them, and that they should know, that I am the Lord hallowing them.
13 And the house of Israel stirred me to wrath in desert; they went not in my commandments, and they casted away my dooms, which a man that doeth, shall live in those [or them]; and they defouled greatly my sabbaths. Therefore I said, that I would shed out my strong vengeance on them in desert, and waste them;
14 and I did for my name, lest it were defouled before heathen men, from whom I casted them out in the sight of those [or them].
15 Therefore I raised mine hand on them in the desert, that I brought not them into the land which I gave to them, the land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands.
16 For they casted away my dooms, and went not in my commandments, and they defouled my sabbaths; for the heart of them went after idols.
17 And mine eyes spared on them, that I killed not them, neither I wasted them in the desert.
18 Forsooth I said to the sons of them in wilderness, Do no ye go in the commandments of your fathers, neither keep ye the dooms of them, neither be ye defouled in the idols of them.
19 I am your Lord God, go ye in my commandments, and keep ye my dooms, and do ye those [or them].
20 And hallow ye my sabbaths, that it be a sign betwixt me and you, and that it be known, that I am your Lord God.
21 And the sons stirred me to wrath, and went not in my commandments, and kept not my dooms, that they did those [or them], which when a man hath done, he shall live in those [or them], and they defouled my sabbaths. And I menaced to [or threatened] them that I would shed out my strong vengeance on them, and [ful] fill my wrath in them in the desert.
22 But I turned away mine hand, and I did this for my name, that it were not defouled before heathen men, from which I casted them out before the eyes of those [or them].
23 Again I raised mine hand against them in wilderness, that I should scatter them into nations, and winnow them into other lands;
24 for that that they had not done my dooms, and had reproved my commandments, and had defouled my sabbaths, and their eyes had been longing after the idols of their fathers.
25 Therefore and I gave to them commandments not good, and dooms in which they shall not live.
26 And I defouled them in their gifts, when they offered to me for their trespasses all thing that openeth the womb; and they shall know, that I am the Lord.
27 Wherefore speak thou, son of man, to the house of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God saith these things, Yet and in this your fathers blasphemed me, when they despising had forsaken me,
28 and I had brought them into the land on which I raised mine hand, that I should give [it] to them, they saw each high little hill, and each tree full of boughs, and they offered there their sacrifices, and they gave there their offerings, into stirring me to wrath; and they set [or put] there the odour of their sweetness, and they offered their moist sacrifices.
29 And I said to them, What is the high thing, to which ye enter? And the name thereof is called High Thing till to this day.
30 Therefore say thou to the house of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, Certainly ye be defouled in the way of your fathers, and ye do fornication after the offendings of them,
31 and in the offering of your gifts, when ye led over your sons by fire, ye be defouled in all your idols till today, and shall I answer to you, the house of Israel? I live, saith the Lord God, for I shall not answer to you;
32 neither the thought of your soul shall be done, that say, We shall be as heathen men, and as [the] nations of earth, that we worship trees and stones.
33 I live, saith the Lord God, for in strong hand, and in arm stretched forth, and in strong vengeance shed out, I shall reign [up] on you.
34 And I shall lead out you from peoples, and I shall gather you from lands, in which ye be scattered; in strong hand, and in arm stretched forth, and in strong vengeance shed out I shall reign on you.
35 And I shall bring you into desert of peoples, and I shall be deemed there with you face to face.
36 As I strived in doom against your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I shall deem you, saith the Lord;
37 and I shall make you subject to my sceptre, and I shall bring in you in the bonds of peace.
38 And I shall choose of you trespassers, and wicked men; and I shall lead them out of the land of their dwelling, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know, that I am the Lord.
39 And ye, the house of Israel, the Lord God saith these things, Go ye each man after your idols, and serve ye those [or them]. That and if ye hear not me in this, and defoul more mine holy name in your gifts, and in your idols,
40 in mine holy hill, in the high hill of Israel, saith the Lord God, ye shall be punished grievouslier. There all the house of Israel shall serve me, soothly all men in the land, in which they shall please me; and there I shall seek your first fruits, and the beginning of your tithes in all your hallowings.
41 I shall receive you into odour of sweetness, when I shall lead you out of peoples, and shall gather you from lands, in which ye were scattered; and I shall be hallowed in you before the eyes of the nations.
42 And ye shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the land for which I raised mine hand, that I should give it to your fathers.
43 And ye shall have mind there on your ways, and on all your great trespasses, by which ye be defouled in those [or them]; and ye shall displease you in your sight, in all your malices which ye did.
44 And ye shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall do well to you for my name; not by your evil ways, neither by your worst trespasses, ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
45 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
46 Thou, son of man, set thy face against the way of the south, and drop thou thy word to the south, and prophesy thou to the forest of the midday, [or south], field.
47 And thou shalt say to the midday, [or south], forest, Hear thou the word of the Lord. The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall kindle a fire in thee, and I shall burn in thee each green tree, and each dry tree; the flame of burning shall not be quenched, and each face shall be burnt therein, from the south till to the north.
48 And each man shall see, that I the Lord have kindled it, and it shall not be quenched.
49 And I said, A! A! A! Lord God, they say of me, Whether this man speaketh not by parables?