King James Version

1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, that men from the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying. 3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you inquire of me? As I live, if I will be inquired of by you, declares the Lord GOD. 4 Will you judge them? Will you judge, O son of man, their abominations, which their fathers informed? 5 And you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: On the day I chose in Israel, I lifted my hand to the offspring of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, and I lifted my hand to them, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God.’” 6 In that day I raised my hand to them to bring them out from the land of Egypt to the land that I had described to them, flowing with milk and honey; it is a glory to all the lands. 7 And I said to them, "Each man, cast away the abominations of your eyes; and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God." 8 And they rebelled against me and did not want to listen to me; each man did not throw away the abominations of their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath upon them to consume my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 And I will act for the sake of My name, so that it will not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they are, and in whose sight I made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. 10 And I will bring them out of the land of Egypt, and I will bring them to the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my statutes and my judgments; I made known to them which a man shall do, and he shall live by them. 12 And also My Sabbaths I gave to them to be a sign between Me and them, to know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. 13 And the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not walk in my statutes, and they rejected my judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them; and my Sabbaths they greatly desecrated. So I said I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them. 14 And I will do for my name's sake, to prevent it from being profaned in the sight of the nations from which I brought them in their sight. 15 And I also lifted my hand to them in the wilderness, to not bring them into the land which I gave, flowing with milk and honey; it is a glory to all the lands. 16 Because they have rejected my judgments and have not walked in my statutes, and they have profaned my Sabbaths, for their hearts went after their idols. 17 And I had compassion on them, so I did not destroy them completely in the wilderness. 18 And I said to their sons in the wilderness, "You shall not walk in the statutes of your fathers, and you shall not keep their judgments, and you shall not defile yourselves with their idols." 19 I am Yahweh your God; walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and do them. 20 And you shall keep My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you to know that I am the Lord your God. 21 And they rebelled against my statutes; they did not walk in my judgments, and they did not keep to do them, which if a man does, he shall live by them. My Sabbaths they profaned, and I said I would pour out my fury upon them to consume them in the wilderness. 22 And I will withdraw my hand and I will act for the sake of my name, so that I do not profane it in the sight of the nations from which I brought them in their sight. 23 I also lifted my hand to them in the wilderness to scatter them among the nations and to disperse them in the lands. 24 Because they did not do my judgments and they rejected my statutes and they profaned my Sabbaths, and after the idols of their ancestors were their eyes. 25 And I also gave them statutes that were not good and judgments by which they shall not live. 26 And I will defile them with their gifts by causing all that opens the womb to pass over, so that I may make them desolate, so that they will know that I am the Lord. 27 Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, "Even so, this they have provoked my anger, the ancestors of you, by their transgressions." 28 And I will bring them to the land which I lifted my hand to give to them, and they will see every high hill and every thick tree, and they will sacrifice there their sacrifices and they will give there their offerings of anger, and they will place there the sweet aroma of their offerings, and they will pour out there their drink offerings. 29 And I said to them, "What is this high place to which you are coming?" And it is called by that name high place to this day. 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says Lord Yahweh: By the way of your fathers you have become unclean, and after their abominations you are committing whoredom. 31 And in your giving of your gifts by passing your children through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. And I will demand of you, O house of Israel, as I live, declares the Lord God, if I will demand of you. 32 And the offering upon your spirit will not be as you say, "We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to serve wood and stone." 33 As I live, declares the Lord God, if it is not by a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with a poured-out fury, I will rule over you. 34 And I will bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries in which you are scattered, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with fierce anger. 35 And I brought you to the wilderness of the nations, and I judged with you there face to face. 36 As I judged your forefathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord Yahweh. 37 And I will pass you under the rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 And I will bring out from among you the rebels and the transgressors; I will bring them out from the land of their exile, and they shall not come to the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 39 And you, house of Israel, thus says my Lord Yahweh: Every man of your idols, go serve them; and if you do not listen to me, and my holy name you shall no longer profane in your gifts and your idols. 40 For on my holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord God, there all the house of Israel will serve me, all of it in the land; there I will accept your offerings and the firstfruits of your contributions in all your sacred places. 41 With a pleasing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be sanctified in you before the nations. 42 And you shall know that I am the LORD when I bring you into the land of Israel, to the land which I raised my hand to give it to your fathers. 43 And you will remember there your ways and all your deeds by which you have been defiled, and you will be ashamed in your presence of all your evils that you have done. 44 And you shall know that I am the LORD when I act with you for the sake of My name, not according to your wicked ways and your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD. 45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy 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 the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein. 48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched. 49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?