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And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month , the tenth day of the month , that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD , and sat before me.
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Then came the word of the LORD to me, saying,
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Son of man , speak to the elders of Israel , and say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
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Wilt thou judge them, son of man , wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers :
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And say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD ; In the day when 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 the LORD your God ;
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In the day that I lifted up my hand to them, to bring them forth from the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey , which is the glory of all lands :
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Then said I to them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes , and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt : I am the LORD your God .
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But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken to me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes , neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt : then I said , I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt .
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But I wrought for my name 's sake, that it should not be profaned before the heathen , among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth from the land of Egypt .
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Wherefore I caused them to go forth from the land of Egypt , and brought them into the wilderness .
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And I gave them my statutes , and showed them my judgments , which if a man doeth, he shall even live in them.
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Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths , to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
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But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness : they walked not in my statutes , and they despised my judgments , which if a man doeth, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned: then I said , I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness , to consume them.
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But I wrought for my name 's sake, that it should not be profaned before the heathen , in whose sight I brought them out.
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Yet 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 , which is the glory of all lands ;
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Because they despised my judgments , and walked not in my statutes , but profaned my sabbaths : for their heart went after their idols .
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Nevertheless my eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness .
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But I said to their children in the wilderness , Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers , neither observe their judgments , nor defile yourselves with their idols :
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I am the LORD your God ; walk in my statutes , and keep my judgments , and do them;
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And hallow my sabbaths ; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God .
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Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes , neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man doeth, he shall even live in them: they profaned my sabbaths : then I said , I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness .
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Nevertheless I withdrew my hand , and wrought for my name 's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the heathen , in whose sight I brought them forth.
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I lifted up my hand to them also in the wilderness , that I would scatter them among the heathen , and disperse them through the countries;
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Because they had not executed my judgments , but had despised my statutes , and had profaned my sabbaths , and their eyes were after their fathers ' idols .
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Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good , and judgments by which they should not live;
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And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all the first-born, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD .
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Therefore, son of man , speak to the house of Israel , and say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
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For 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 there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savor , and poured out there their drink-offerings .
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Then I said to them, What is the high place to which ye go ? and its name is called Bamah to this day .
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Wherefore say to the house of Israel , Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers ? and commit ye lewd deeds after their abominations?
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For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire , ye pollute yourselves with all your idols , even to this day : and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel ? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
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And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say , We will be as the heathen , as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone .
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As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand , and with an out-stretched arm , and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
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And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries in which ye are scattered , with a mighty hand , and with an out-stretched arm , and with fury poured out.
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And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face .
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As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt , so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
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And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
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And I will purge out from among you the rebels , and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel : and ye shall know that I am the LORD .
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As for you, O house of Israel , thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols , and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken to me: but profane ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols .
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For on my holy mountain , on the mountain of the hight of Israel , saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel , all of them in the land , serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings , and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
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I will accept you with your sweet savor , when I bring you out from the people , and gather you out of the countries in which ye have been scattered ; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen .
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And ye shall know that I am the LORD , when I shall bring you into the land of Israel , into the country for which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers .
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And there shall ye remember your ways , and all your doings in which ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
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And ye shall know that I am the LORD , when I have wrought with you for my name 's sake, not according to your wicked ways , nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel , saith the Lord GOD.
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Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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Son of man , set thy face towards the south , and drop thy word towards the south , and prophesy against the forest of the south field ;
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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.
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And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
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Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?