1And it happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yehovah, and sat before me. 2And the word of Yehovah came to me, saying, 3Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord Yehovah: Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live, says the Lord Yehovah, I will not be inquired of by you. 4Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers; 5and say to them, Thus says the Lord Yehovah: On the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am Yehovah your God; 6on that day I swore to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. 7And I said to them, Cast away, every man, the abominations of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Yehovah your God. 8But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me; they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9But I acted for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. 12Moreover I also gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yehovah who sanctifies them. 13But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they did not walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14But I acted for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. 15Moreover I also 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; 16because they rejected my ordinances, and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. 17Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them, nor did I make a full end of them in the wilderness. 18And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19I am Yehovah your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them; 20and hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am Yehovah your God. 21But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes, nor kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he shall live in them; they profaned my sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and acted for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. 23Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; 24because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. 25Moreover I also gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances by which they could not live; 26and 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 Yehovah. 27Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord Yehovah: In this moreover your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. 28For 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 their sacrifices there, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their sweet savor, and they poured out their drink offerings there. 29Then I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So its name is called Bamah to this day. 30Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yehovah: Do you pollute yourselves after the manner of your fathers? and do you play the prostitute after their abominations? 31and when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yehovah, I will not be inquired of by you; 32and what comes into your mind shall never happen, in that you say, We will be like the nations, like the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. 33As I live, says the Lord Yehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. 34And 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; 35and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord Yehovah. 37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am Yehovah. 39As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yehovah: Go, serve each one his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols. 40For on my holy mountain, on the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord Yehovah, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land: there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. 41As a sweet savor I will 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. 42And you shall know that I am Yehovah, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers. 43And there you shall remember your ways, and all your deeds, by which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed. 44And you shall know that I am Yehovah, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, says the Lord Yehovah. 45And the word of Yehovah came to me, saying, 46Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South; 47and say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Yehovah: Thus says the Lord Yehovah, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. 48And all flesh shall see that I, Yehovah, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched. 49Then I said, Ah Lord Yehovah! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?