8:1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, 1 as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting in front of me, the hand 2 of the sovereign Lord seized me. 3
14:1 Then some men from Israel’s elders came to me and sat down in front of me.
20:1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, 4 some of the elders 5 of Israel came to seek 6 the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 20:2 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, 7 declares the sovereign Lord.’ 20:4 “Are you willing to pronounce judgment? 8 Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers, 20:5 and say to them:
“‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore 9 to the descendants 10 of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore 11 to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 20:6 On that day I swore 12 to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land which I had picked out 13 for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, 14 the most beautiful of all lands. 20:7 I said to them, “Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you, 15 and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” 20:8 But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols, 16 nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out 17 my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 20:9 I acted for the sake of my reputation, 18 so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived, 19 before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 20
20:10 “‘So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness. 20:11 I gave them my statutes 21 and revealed my regulations to them. The one 22 who carries 23 them out will live by them! 24 20:12 I also gave them my Sabbaths 25 as a reminder of our relationship, 26 so that they would know that I, the Lord, sanctify them. 27 20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out 28 my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them. 29 20:14 I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 20:15 I also swore 30 to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them – a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 20:16 I did this 31 because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols. 32 20:17 Yet I had pity on 33 them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
20:18 “‘But I said to their children 34 in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, 35 nor defile yourselves with their idols. 20:19 I am the Lord your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out. 20:20 Treat my Sabbaths as holy 36 and they will be a reminder of our relationship, 37 and then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” 20:21 “‘But the children 38 rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out (the one who obeys 39 them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out 40 my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness. 20:22 But I refrained from doing so, 41 and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 20:23 I also swore 42 to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. 43 20:24 I did this 44 because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on 45 their fathers’ idols. 20:25 I also gave 46 them decrees 47 which were not good and regulations by which they could not live. 20:26 I declared them to be defiled because of their sacrifices 48 – they caused all their first born to pass through the fire 49 – so that I would devastate them, so that they will know that I am the Lord.’ 50
20:27 “Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me. 20:28 I brought them to the land which I swore 51 to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offerings that provoke me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings. 20:29 So I said to them, What is this high place you go to?’” (So it is called “High Place” 52 to this day.)
20:30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers 53 and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? 20:31 When you present your sacrifices 54 – when you make your sons pass through the fire – you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me, 55 O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will not allow you to seek me! 56
20:32 “‘What you plan 57 will never happen. You say, “We will be 58 like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.” 59