1 It was in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, that some men from the elders of Israel came to consult the LORD and sat down in front of me.
2 The word of the LORD came to me:
3 "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Is it to consult me that you have come? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not let you consult me.'
4 Will you judge them? Will you judge them, Son of man? Make them aware of the abominations of their fathers.
5 Tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day I chose Israel, I raised my hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to them in the land of Egypt; I raised my hand to them and said, I am the LORD your God.
6 That day I raised my hand to them, swearing to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land I had scouted out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the jewel of all lands.
7 And I told them, Throw away, every one of you, the vile things you look at, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.
8 But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me; they did not throw away, any of them, the vile things they looked at, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. So I thought of pouring out my wrath on them and venting my anger against them there in the land of Egypt.
9 Yet I acted for my name's sake, so that it would not be profaned before the eyes of the nations they were living among, before whose eyes I had revealed myself to them, bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
10 I brought them out of the land of Egypt and took them into the wilderness.
11 I gave them my statutes and taught them my judgments, which give life to the person who carries them out.
12 I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I am the LORD who makes them holy.
13 But in the wilderness the house of Israel rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes; they rejected my judgments, which give life to the person who carries them out; and my Sabbaths they profaned badly. So I thought of pouring out my wrath on them in the wilderness to wipe them out.
14 Yet I acted for my name's sake, so that it would not be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whose eyes I had brought them out.
15 And in the wilderness I raised my hand to them, swearing that I would not bring them into the land I had given, flowing with milk and honey, the jewel of all lands,
16 because they rejected my judgments, did not walk in my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, for their heart kept going after their idols.
17 Yet my eye pitied them, so that I did not destroy them; I did not wipe them out in the wilderness.
18 "'In the wilderness I told their sons, Do not walk in your fathers' statutes or keep their judgments or defile yourselves with their idols.
19 I am the LORD your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments and carry them out.
20 Keep my Sabbaths holy, and let them be a sign between me and you, so that you will know that I am the LORD your God.
21 But the sons rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes or keep my judgments by carrying them out, which give life to the person who carries them out; they profaned my Sabbaths. So I thought of pouring out my wrath on them and venting my anger against them in the wilderness.
22 Yet I held back my hand and acted for my name's sake, so that it would not be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whose eyes I had brought them out.
23 And in the wilderness I raised my hand to them, swearing to scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the lands,
24 because they did not carry out my judgments, but rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers' idols.
25 So I too gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live.
26 I defiled them through their own gifts when they offered up every firstborn of the womb, so that I might fill them with horror, in order that they might know that I am the LORD.'
27 "So, Son of man, speak to the house of Israel and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: In this too your fathers insulted me, by being unfaithful to me.
28 When I brought them into the land I had raised my hand to give them, wherever they spotted a high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, there they presented their provoking offerings, there they put their soothing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings.
29 I said to them, What is the high place you go to?' And it is called Bamah to this day.
30 "So say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Are you defiling yourselves in your fathers' ways and playing the harlot after their vile things?
31 When you present your gifts and offer up your sons in the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this very day. And am I to let you consult me, house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not let you consult me.
32 What has entered your minds will never come about, when you say, Let us be like the nations, like the clans of the lands, worshiping wood and stone.
33 "'As I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you.
34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out.
35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.
37 I will make you pass under the rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant.
38 I will purge from among you those who rebel and revolt against me; I will bring them out of the land where they live as foreigners, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
39 "'And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go and worship your idols, every one of you, now and afterward, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you will no longer profane with your gifts and your idols.
40 For on my holy mountain, on Israel's high mountain, declares the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel, all of them in the land, will serve me. There I will welcome them, and there I will ask for your contributions and the best of your gifts, with all your holy offerings.
41 As a soothing aroma I will welcome you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy through you before the eyes of the nations.
42 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you to the soil of Israel, to the land I raised my hand to give to your fathers.
43 There you will remember your ways and all the deeds by which you defiled yourselves, and you will be disgusted with yourselves for all the evil you have done.
44 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not by your evil ways or your corrupt deeds, house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.'"
45 The word of the LORD came to me:
46 "Son of man, turn your face toward the south; let your words drip toward the south, and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev.
47 Say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to set a fire in you, and it will eat up every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame will not be put out, and every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it.
48 All flesh will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be put out.'"
49 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying about me, 'Isn't he just a teller of parables?'"