Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 It happened in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, that certain of the Zakenim of Yisra'el came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
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In the seventh year, the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask for guidance from God. They sat down before me.
2 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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Then God's Message came to me:
3 Son of man, speak to the Zakenim of Yisra'el, and tell them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
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"Son of man, talk with the leaders of Israel. Tell them, 'God, the Master, says, "Have you come to ask me questions? As sure as I am the living God, I'll not put up with questions from you. Decree of God, the Master."'
4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers;
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"Son of man, why don't you do it? Yes, go ahead. Hold them accountable. Confront them with the outrageous obscenities of their parents.
5 and tell them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In the day when I chose Yisra'el, and swore to the seed of the house of Ya`akov, and made myself known to them in the land of Mitzrayim, when I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
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Tell them that God, the Master, says:
6 in that day I swore to them, to bring them forth out of the land of Mitzrayim into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.
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On the same day that I raised my hand in the solemn oath, I promised them that I would take them out of the country of Egypt and bring them into a country that I had searched out just for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, a jewel of a country.
7 I said to them, Cast you away every man the abominations of his eyes, and don't defile yourselves with the idols of Mitzrayim; I am the LORD your God.
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"'At that time I told them, "Get rid of all the vile things that you've become addicted to. Don't make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. I alone am God, your God."
8 But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me; they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Mitzrayim. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Mitzrayim.
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"'But they rebelled against me, wouldn't listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt.
9 But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Mitzrayim.
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Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt.
10 So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Mitzrayim, and brought them into the wilderness.
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And then I did it: I led them out of Egypt into the desert.
11 I gave them my statutes, and shown them my ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live in them.
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"'I gave them laws for living, showed them how to live well and obediently before me.
12 Moreover also I gave them my Shabbatot, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
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I also gave them my weekly holy rest days, my "Sabbaths," a kind of signpost erected between me and them to show them that I, God, am in the business of making them holy.
13 But the house of Yisra'el rebelled against me in the wilderness: they didn't walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keep, he shall live in them; and my Shabbatot they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
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"'But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn't follow my statutes. They despised my laws for living well and obediently in the ways I had set out. And they totally desecrated my holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert.
14 But I worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
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But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.
15 Moreover also I swore 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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But I did lift my hand in a solemn oath there in the desert and promise them that I would not bring them into the country flowing with milk and honey that I had chosen for them, that jewel among all lands.
16 because they rejected my ordinances, and didn't walk in my statutes, and profaned my Shabbatot: for their heart went after their idols.
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I canceled my promise because they despised my laws for living obediently, wouldn't follow my statutes, and went ahead and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. They preferred living by their no-god idols.
17 Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn't destroy them, neither did I make a full end of them in the wilderness.
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But I didn't go all the way: I didn't wipe them out, didn't finish them off in the desert.
18 I said to their children in the wilderness, Don't you walk in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
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"'Then I addressed myself to their children in the desert: "Don't do what your parents did. Don't take up their practices. Don't make yourselves filthy with their no-god idols.
19 I am the LORD your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them;
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I myself am God, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws.
20 and make my Shabbatot holy; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.
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Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signaling that I am God, your God."
21 But the children rebelled against me; they didn't walk in my statutes, neither kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them; they profaned my Shabbatot. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
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"'But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert.
22 Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.
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But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.
23 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;
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"'But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and swore that I would scatter them all over the world, disperse them every which way
24 because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Shabbatot, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
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because they didn't keep my laws nor live by my statutes. They desecrated my Sabbaths and remained addicted to the no-god idols of their parents.
25 Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live;
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Since they were determined to live bad lives, I myself gave them statutes that could not produce goodness and laws that did not produce life.
26 and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through [the fire] all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.
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I abandoned them. Filthy in the gutter, they perversely sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. The very horror should have shocked them into recognizing that I am God.'
27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Yisra'el, and tell them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In this moreover have your fathers blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
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"Therefore, speak to Israel, son of man. Tell them that God says, 'As if that wasn't enough, your parents further insulted me by betraying me.
28 For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their sweet savor, and they poured out there their drink-offerings.
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When I brought them into that land that I had solemnly promised with my upraised hand to give them, every time they saw a hill with a sex-and-religion shrine on it or a grove of trees where the sacred whores practiced, they were there, buying into the whole pagan system.
29 Then I said to them, What means the high place whereunto you go? So the name of it is called Bamah to this day.
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I said to them, "What hill do you go to?"' (It's still called "Whore Hills.")
30 Therefore tell the house of Yisra'el, Thus says the Lord GOD: Do you pollute yourselves after the manner of your fathers? and play you the prostitute after their abominations?
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"Therefore, say to Israel, 'The Message of God, the Master: You're making your lives filthy by copying the ways of your parents. In repeating their vile practices, you've become whores yourselves.
31 and when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, house of Yisra'el? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you;
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In burning your children as sacrifices, you've become as filthy as your no-god idols - as recently as today! "'Am I going to put up with questions from people like you, Israel? As sure as I am the living God, I, God, the Master, refuse to be called into question by you!
32 and that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, in that you say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
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"'What you're secretly thinking is never going to happen. You're thinking, "We're going to be like everybody else, just like the other nations. We're going to worship gods we can make and control."
33 As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you:
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'"As sure as I am the living God, says God, the Master, think again! With a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger, I will be King over you!
34 and I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out;
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I'll bring you back from the nations, collect you out of the countries to which you've been scattered, with a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger.
35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face.
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I'll bring you to the desert of nations and haul you into court, where you'll be face to face with judgment.
36 Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitzrayim, so will I enter into judgment with you, says the Lord GOD.
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"'As I faced your parents with judgment in the desert of Egypt, so I'll face you with judgment.
37 I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
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I'll scrutinize and search every person as you arrive, and I'll bring you under the bond of the covenant.
38 and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who disobey against me; I will bring them forth out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into Eretz-Yisra'el: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
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I'll cull out the rebels and traitors. I'll lead them out of their exile, but I won't bring them back to Israel. "'Then you'll realize that I am God.
39 As for you, house of Yisra'el, thus says the Lord GOD: Go you, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name shall you no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.
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"'But you, people of Israel, this is the Message of God, the Master, to you: Go ahead, serve your no-god idols! But later, you'll think better of it and quit throwing filth and mud on me with your pagan offerings and no-god idols.
40 For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Yisra'el, says the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Yisra'el, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.
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For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, I, God, the Master, tell you that the entire people of Israel will worship me. I'll receive them there with open arms. I'll demand your best gifts and offerings, all your holy sacrifices.
41 As a sweet savor will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.
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What's more, I'll receive you as the best kind of offerings when I bring you back from all the lands and countries in which you've been scattered. I'll demonstrate in the eyes of the world that I am The Holy.
42 You shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into Eretz-Yisra'el, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.
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When I return you to the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with upraised arm to give to your parents, you'll realize that I am God.
43 There shall you remember your ways, and all your doings, in which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.
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Then and there you'll remember all that you've done, the way you've lived that has made you so filthy - and you'll loathe yourselves.
44 You shall know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Yisra'el, says the Lord GOD.
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"'But, dear Israel, you'll also realize that I am God when I respond to you out of who I am, not by what I feel about the evil lives you've lived, the corrupt history you've compiled. Decree of God, the Master.'" Nobody Will Put Out the Fire
45 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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God's Message came to me:
46 Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop [your word] toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South;
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"Son of man, face south. Let the Message roll out against the south. Prophesy against the wilderness forest of the south.
47 and tell the forest of the South, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt thereby.
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"Tell the forest of the south, 'Listen to the Message of God! God, the Master, says, I'll set a fire in you that will burn up every tree, dead trees and live trees alike. Nobody will put out the fire. The whole country from south to north will be blackened by it.
48 All flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.
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Everyone is going to see that I, God, started the fire and that it's not going to be put out.'"
49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Isn't he a speaker of parables?
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And I said, "O God, everyone is saying of me, 'He just makes up stories.'" A Sword! A Sword!
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.