1
Now it came about in the seventh year, in the fifth month , on the tenth day of the month , that certain of the responsible men of Israel came to get directions from the Lord and were seated before me.
2
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
3
Son of man , say to the responsible men of Israel , This is what the Lord has said : Have you come to get directions from me? By my life , says the Lord , you will get no directions from me.
4
Will you be their judge , O son of man , will you be their judge ? make clear to them the disgusting ways of their fathers ,
5
And say to them, This is what the Lord has said : In the day when I took Israel for myself, when I made an oath to the seed of the family of Jacob , and I gave them knowledge of myself in the land of Egypt , saying to them with an oath, I am the Lord your God ;
6
In that day I gave my oath to take them out of the land of Egypt into a land which I had been searching out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey , the glory of all lands :
7
And I said to them, Let every man among you put away the disgusting things to which his eyes are turned, and do not make yourselves unclean with the images of Egypt ; I am the Lord your God .
8
But they would not be controlled by me, and did not give ear to me; they did not put away the disgusting things to which their eyes were turned, or give up the images of Egypt : then I said I would let loose my passion on them to give full effect to my wrath against them in the land of Egypt .
9
And I was acting for the honour of my name , so that it might not be made unclean before the eyes of the nations among whom they were, and before whose eyes I gave them knowledge of myself, by taking them out of the land of Egypt .
10
So I made them go out of the land of Egypt and took them into the waste land .
11
And I gave them my rules and made clear to them my orders, which, if a man keeps them, will be life to him.
12
And further, I gave them my Sabbaths , to be a sign between me and them, so that it might be clear that I, who make them holy, am the Lord .
13
But the children of Israel would not be controlled by me in the waste land: they were not guided by my rules, and they were turned away from my orders, which, if a man does them, will be life to him; and they had no respect for my Sabbaths : then I said that I would let loose my passion on them in the waste land, and put an end to them.
14
And I was acting for the honour of my name , so that it might not be made unclean in the eyes of the nations , before whose eyes I had taken them out.
15
And further, I gave my oath to them in the waste land , that I would not take them into the land which I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey , the glory of all lands ;
16
Because they were turned away from my orders, and were not guided by my rules, and had no respect for my Sabbaths : for their hearts went after their images .
17
But still my eye had pity on them and I kept them from destruction and did not put an end to them completely in the waste land.
18
And I said to their children in the waste land, Do not be guided by the rules of your fathers or keep their orders or make yourselves unclean with their images :
19
I am the Lord your God ; be guided by my rules and keep my orders and do them:
20
And keep my Sabbaths holy; and they will be a sign between me and you so that it may be clear to you that I am the Lord your God .
21
But the children would not be controlled by me; they were not guided by my rules, and they did not keep and do my orders, which, if a man does them, will be life to him; and they had no respect for my Sabbaths : then I said I would let loose my passion on them to give full effect to my wrath against them in the waste land.
22
And I was acting for the honour of my name , so that it might not be made unclean in the eyes of the nations , before whose eyes I had taken them out.
23
Further, I gave my oath to them in the waste land that I would send them wandering among the nations , driving them out among the countries;
24
Because they had not done my orders, but had been turned away from my rules, and had not given respect to my Sabbaths , and their eyes were turned to the images of their fathers .
25
And further, I gave them rules which were not good and orders in which there was no life for them;
26
I made them unclean in the offerings they gave, causing them to make every first child go through the fire, so that I might put an end to them.
27
For this cause, son of man , say to the children of Israel , This is what the Lord has said : In this your fathers have further put shame on my name by doing wrong against me.
28
For when I had taken them into the land which I made an oath to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every branching tree and made their offerings there, moving me to wrath by their offerings ; and there the sweet smell of their offerings went up and their drink offerings were drained out.
29
Then I said to them, What is this high place where you go to no purpose? And it is named Bamah to this day .
30
For this cause say to the children of Israel , This is what the Lord has said : Are you making yourselves unclean as your fathers did? are you being untrue to me by going after their disgusting works?
31
And when you give your offerings , causing your sons to go through the fire , you make yourselves unclean with all your images to this day ; and will you come to me for directions, O children of Israel ? By my life , says the Lord , you will get no direction from me.
32
And that which comes into your minds will never take place; when you say , We will be like the nations , like the families of the countries, servants of wood and stone ;
33
By my life , says the Lord , truly, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with burning wrath let loose, I will be King over you:
34
And I will take you out from the peoples and get you together out of the countries where you are wandering, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with burning wrath let loose:
35
And I will take you into the waste land of the peoples, and there I will take up the cause with you face to face .
36
As I took up the cause with your fathers in the waste land of the land of Egypt , so will I take up the cause with you says the Lord .
37
And I will make you go under the rod and will make you small in number:
38
Clearing out from among you all those who are uncontrolled and who are sinning against me; I will take them out of the land where they are living, but they will not come into the land of Israel : and you will be certain that I am the Lord .
39
As for you, O children of Israel , the Lord has said : Let every man completely put away his images and give ear to me: and let my holy name no longer be shamed by your offerings and your images .
40
For in my holy mountain , in the high mountain of Israel , says the Lord , there all the children of Israel , all of them, will be my servants in the land ; there I will take pleasure in them, and there I will be worshipped with your offerings and the first -fruits of the things you give, and with all your holy things.
41
I will take pleasure in you as in a sweet smell , when I take you out from the peoples and get you together from the countries where you have been sent in flight; and I will make myself holy in you before the eyes of the nations .
42
And you will be certain that I am the Lord , when I take you into the land of Israel , into the country which I made an oath to give to your fathers .
43
And there, at the memory of your ways and of all the things you did to make yourselves unclean , you will have bitter hate for yourselves because of all the evil things you have done.
44
And you will be certain that I am the Lord , when I take you in hand for the honour of my name , and not for your evil ways or your unclean doings, O children of Israel , says the Lord .
45
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
46
Son of man , let your face be turned to the south , let your words be dropped to the south , and be a prophet against the woodland of the south ;
47
And say to the woodland of the South , Give ear to the words of the Lord : this is what the Lord has said : See , I will have a fire lighted in you, for the destruction of every green tree in you and every dry tree : the flaming flame will not be put out, and all faces from the South to the north will be burned by it.
48
And all flesh will see that I the Lord have had it lighted: it will not be put out.
49
Then I said , Ah, Lord ! they say of me, Is he not a maker of stories?