1. And it happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to ask of Jehovah, and sat before me.
2. And came the Word of Jehovah to me, saying,
3. Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Have you come to ask of Me? As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.
4. Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers.
5. And say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: In the day that I chose Israel, and lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt; when I lifted up My hand to them, saying, I am Jehovah your God;
6. in the day that I lifted up My hand to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
7. then I said to them, Let each man throw away the abominations of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God.
8. But they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me. They did not each man throw away the abominations of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. And I said, I will pour out My fury against them to fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9. But I worked for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the nations among whom they were, for I made Myself known to them in their eyes, by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
10. And I caused them to go out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11. And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12. And also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am Jehovah who sets them apart.
13. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which if a man does, he shall even live in them. And they greatly profaned My sabbaths. And I said, I will pour out My fury on them in the wilderness to destroy them.
14. But I worked for My name's sake, so that it should not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I brought them out.
15. And also I lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the glory of all lands;
16. because they despised My judgments and walked not in My sabbaths; and they profaned My sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.
17. But My eye spared them from destroying them, nor did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18. But I said to their sons in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
19. I am Jehovah your God. Walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them,
20. and keep My sabbaths holy; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Jehovah your God.
21. But the sons rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes, nor kept My judgments to do them; the judgments which, if a man do, he shall even live in them; they profaned My sabbaths and I said I would pour out My fury on them, to fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness.
22. But I withdrew My hand and worked for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, from whom I brought them out in their eyes.
23. I also lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations and scatter them through the lands,
24. because they had not done My judgments, but had despised My sabbaths and had profaned My sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
25. Also I gave them statutes not good, and judgments by which they should not live.
26. And I defiled them in their own gifts, in that they caused all that open the womb to pass through the fire, that I might waste them, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah.
27. Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they have committed a sin against Me.
28. When I had brought them into the land for which I lifted up My hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered their sacrifices there. And there they offered their provoking gifts. There also they made their sweet aroma, and poured out their drink offerings there.
29. And I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? And the name of it is called High Place to this day.
30. Therefore say to the house of Israel, So says the Lord Jehovah: Are you defiled in the same way as your fathers? And do you go whoring after their abominations?
31. For when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I Live, says the Lord Jehovah, I will not be inquired of by you.
32. And what comes up on your spirit shall not happen at all, that you say, We will be like the nations, like the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
33. As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, I will reign over you.
34. And I will bring you out from the people, and I will gather you out of the lands in which you are scattered among them, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out.
35. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
36. Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord Jehovah.
37. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
38. And I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who sin against Me. I will bring them out from the land where they reside, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am Jehovah.
39. And you, O house of Israel, so says the Lord Jehovah: Every man go and serve his idols, and do so from now on if you will not listen to Me. But never again defile My holy name with your gifts and with your idols.
40. For in My holy mountain, in the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord Jehovah, there all the house of Israel, all of those in the land, shall serve Me. There will I receive them, and there will I ask for your offerings and the firstfruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.
41. I will receive you with your sweet aroma when I bring you out from the people and gather you out of the lands into which you have been scattered among them. And I will be sanctified in you in the eyes of the nations.
42. And you shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the land for which I lifted up My hand, to give it to your fathers.
43. And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings in which you have been defiled. And you shall despise yourselves in your own sight for all your evils which you have committed.
44. And you shall know that I am Jehovah when I have worked 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 Jehovah.
45. And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
46. Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop a word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field.
47. And say to the forest of the south, Hear the Word of Jehovah. So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall burn up every green tree in you, and every dry tree among you. The flaming flame shall not be put out, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned in it.
48. And all flesh shall see that I Jehovah have kindled it. It shall not be put out.
49. And I said, Ah Lord Jehovah! They say of me, Does he not speak parables?