3
"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'Thussays the LordGOD, "Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live," declares the LordGOD, "I will not be inquired of by you."'
5
and say to them, 'Thussays the LordGOD, "On the day when I choseIsrael and swore* to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore* to them, saying, I am the LORD your God,
6
on that day I swore* to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of alllands.
7
"I said to them, 'Castaway, each of you, the detestablethings of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.'
8
"But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not castaway the detestablethings of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9
"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nationsamongwhom they lived, in whosesight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
13
"But the house of Israelrebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, by which, if a manobserves them, he will live; and My sabbaths they greatlyprofaned. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them.
15
"Also I swore* to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the landwhich I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of alllands,
16
because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually wentafter their idols.
18
"I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.
21
"But the childrenrebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a manobserves them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.
22
"But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whosesight I had brought them out.
24
because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers.
26
and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to passthrough the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the LORD."'
27
"Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, 'Thussays the LordGOD, "Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me by actingtreacherously against Me.
28
"When I had brought them into the landwhich I swore* to give to them, then they saweveryhighhill and everyleafytree, and they offeredthere their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothingaroma and there they poured out their drinkofferings.
30
"Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thussays the LordGOD, "Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and play the harlotafter their detestablethings?
31
"When you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live," declares the LordGOD, "I will not be inquired of by you.
34
"I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the landswhere you are scattered, with a mightyhand and with an outstretchedarm and with wrathpoured out;
36
"As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you," declares the LordGOD.
38
and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the landwhere they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.
39
"As for you, O house of Israel," thussays the LordGOD, "Go, serveeveryone his idols; but later you will surely*listen to Me, and My holyname you will profanenolonger with your gifts and with your idols.
40
"For on My holymountain, on the highmountain of Israel," declares the LordGOD, "there the wholehouse of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them and there I will seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holythings.
41
"As a soothingaroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the landswhere you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.
43
"There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evilthings that you have done.
44
"Then you will know that I am the LORD when I have dealt with you for My name'ssake, not according to your evilways or according to your corruptdeeds, O house of Israel," declares the LordGOD.' "