Atlas Biblica

    Ezekiel · 49 verses

    Ezekiel 20

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    The chapter

    What happens here

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    God tells Israel to go and serve its idols—then, with magnificent impatience, adds that Israel will eventually listen.

    The long family history of rebellionvv. 1–44

    The elders of Israel arrive to inquire of the LORD, but the answer is not an oracle for their convenience: Ezekiel is told to confront them with the abominations of their fathers. The story runs from Egypt into the wilderness and onward through the generations. The LORD gives statutes by which a person may live, Sabbaths as a sign, and a land flowing with milk and honey; Israel rebels, rejects, profanes, and fixes its eyes on idols. Again and again wrath is announced, and again and again the LORD withholds the hand, acting for the sake of the divine name. Even the children repeat the performance, as though rebellion were an heirloom with remarkably good keeping qualities. Then comes the strangest command in the chapter: Israel may go and serve its idols, though only until it listens. The scattered house will be gathered, judged face to face, passed under the rod, and brought into the bond of the covenant. On the holy mountain, the whole house of Israel will serve, and the LORD will accept them—not according to their wicked ways, but for the sake of the name.

    The forest and the parablevv. 45–49

    The word of the LORD comes again, this time turning Ezekiel's face toward the south and the forest of the Negev. A fire is to consume every tree, green and dry alike, blazing from south to north and refusing the courtesy of extinction. All people will see who kindled it. Ezekiel's final word is a small, wonderfully human protest: they are saying that he is merely telling parables.

    The text

    Read it

    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. Ezek 20:1In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me.

    2. Ezek 20:2Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

    3. Ezek 20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of Me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.

    4. Ezek 20:4Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Confront them with the abominations of their fathers

    5. Ezek 20:5and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’

    6. Ezek 20:6On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.

    7. Ezek 20:7And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’

    8. Ezek 20:8But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

    9. Ezek 20:9But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

    10. Ezek 20:10So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.

    11. Ezek 20:11And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.

    12. Ezek 20:12I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

    13. Ezek 20:13Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.

    14. Ezek 20:14But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

    15. Ezek 20:15Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands—

    16. Ezek 20:16because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.

    17. Ezek 20:17Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or bring them to an end in the wilderness.

    18. Ezek 20:18In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

    19. Ezek 20:19I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.

    20. Ezek 20:20Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’

    21. Ezek 20:21But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.

    22. Ezek 20:22But I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

    23. Ezek 20:23However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

    24. Ezek 20:24For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.

    25. Ezek 20:25I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.

    26. Ezek 20:26And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.

    27. Ezek 20:27Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by their unfaithfulness against Me.

    28. Ezek 20:28When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.

    29. Ezek 20:29So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ (And to this day it is called Bamah.)

    30. Ezek 20:30Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations?

    31. Ezek 20:31When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

    32. Ezek 20:32When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.

    33. Ezek 20:33As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.

    34. Ezek 20:34With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered.

    35. Ezek 20:35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

    36. Ezek 20:36Just 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 Lord GOD.

    37. Ezek 20:37I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

    38. Ezek 20:38And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

    39. Ezek 20:39And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

    40. Ezek 20:40For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your offerings and choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.

    41. Ezek 20:41When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will show My holiness through you in the sight of the nations.

    42. Ezek 20:42Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give your fathers.

    43. Ezek 20:43There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done.

    44. Ezek 20:44Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.”

    45. Ezek 20:45Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

    46. Ezek 20:46“Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.

    47. Ezek 20:47Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched.

    48. Ezek 20:48Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

    49. Ezek 20:49Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 632 passages were voted onto 47 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 41Ezekiel 28:25This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, I will show Myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will dwell in their own land, which I have given to My servant Jacob.
    • 1Ezekiel 8:1In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me.
    • 13Ezekiel 20:21But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.
    • 7Leviticus 18:3You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs.
    • 12Ezekiel 20:20Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’
    • 21Ezekiel 20:13Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.
    • 25Psalms 81:12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
    • 33Jeremiah 21:5And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.
    • 37Leviticus 27:32Every tenth animal from the herd or flock that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD.
    • 37Jeremiah 33:13In the cities of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev, in the land of Benjamin and the cities surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.
    • 41Ezekiel 11:17Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’
    • 4Ezekiel 22:2“As for you, son of man, will you judge her? Will you pass judgment on the city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her abominations
    • 9Ezekiel 39:7So I will make My holy name known among My people Israel and will no longer allow it to be profaned. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
    • 13Ezekiel 20:8But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.
    • 23Leviticus 26:33But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.
    • 40Isaiah 56:7I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

    Onward

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