He said to me,“ Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious pagans who have rebelled against me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this day.

他对我说：“人子啊，我差你往悖逆的国民以色列人那里去。他们是悖逆我的，他们和他们的列祖违背我，直到今日。

他对我说：“人子啊，我差你往悖逆我的国家，以色列人那里去，他们是悖逆我的。他们和他们的祖先违背我，直到今日。

他对我说：“人子啊，我差你往悖逆我的国家，以色列人那里去，他们是悖逆我的。他们和他们的祖先违背我，直到今日。

“人子啊，我派你去那背叛我的以色列人那里。他们和他们的祖先至今仍背叛我。

他对我说：“人子啊！我差派你到以色列人那里去，就是到那背叛我的叛逆国民那里去！他们和他们的列祖都得罪了我，直到今日。

他對我說：「人子啊，我差你往悖逆的國民以色列人那裏去。他們是悖逆我的，他們和他們的列祖違背我，直到今日。

他對我說：「人子啊，我差你往悖逆我的國家，以色列人那裏去，他們是悖逆我的。他們和他們的祖先違背我，直到今日。

他對我說：「人子啊，我差你往悖逆我的國家，以色列人那裏去，他們是悖逆我的。他們和他們的祖先違背我，直到今日。

「人子啊，我派你去那背叛我的以色列人那裡。他們和他們的祖先至今仍背叛我。

他對我說：“人子啊！我差派你到以色列人那裡去，就是到那背叛我的叛逆國民那裡去！他們和他們的列祖都得罪了我，直到今日。

他對我說：『人子啊，我差遣你去找背叛之國以色列人，就是背叛我的：他們和他們的列祖都悖逆了我、直到今天這日子。

人子歟、我遣爾詣以色列人、彼乃悖逆之邦、悖逆乎我、彼與列祖、獲罪於我、迄至今日、

曰、人子、我遣汝至以色列族、彼所行忤逆、自列祖迄今、干犯罪戾、

諭我曰、人子、我遣爾就以色列人、即悖逆之族、悖逆我者、彼與其列祖獲罪於我、迄於今日、

He said:“ Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.

He said,“ Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. That nation has refused to obey me. They have turned against me. They and their people of long ago have been against me to this day.

And he said to me,“ Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.

“ Son of man,” he said,“ I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day.

Then He said to me,“ Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have revolted against Me to this very day.

And He said to me:“ Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.

And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to nations that are rebellious, which have rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me even unto this very day.

He said to me:“ Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious pagans who have rebelled against Me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against Me to this day.

And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me,[ even] unto this very day.

He said to me,“ Son of man, I am sending you to the house of Israel, to rebellious nations who have rebelled against me; both they and their fathers have revolted against me to this very day.

He said to me,“ Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day.

Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our ancestors, from the time of our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the LORD our God.”

But the LORD told him,“ Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods.

You have been rebelling against the LORD ever since I have known you.

we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances.We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land.Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel— those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where you have banished them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward you.LORD, public shame belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you.Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against himand have not obeyed the LORD our God by following his instructions that he set before us through his servants the prophets.All Israel has broken your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. The promised curse written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against him.He has carried out his words that he spoke against us and against our rulers by bringing on us a disaster that is so great that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done under all of heaven.Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to your truth.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.And he replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive.Make the minds of these people dull; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed.

The word of the LORD came to me again:“ Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,who acted like prostitutes in Egypt, behaving promiscuously in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin nipples caressed.The older one was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.“ Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriorsdressed in blue, governors and prefects, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on steeds.She offered her sexual favors to them; all of them were the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all those she lusted after and with all their idols.She didn’t give up her promiscuity that began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin nipples, and poured out their lust on her.Therefore, I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians she lusted for.They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. Since they executed judgment against her, she became notorious among women.“ Now her sister Oholibah saw this, but she was even more depraved in her lust than Oholah, and made her promiscuous acts worse than those of her sister.She lusted after the Assyrians: governors and prefects, warriors splendidly dressed, horsemen riding on steeds, all of them desirable young men.And I saw that she had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.But she increased her promiscuity when she saw male figures carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in bright red,wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers, a depiction of the Babylonians in Chaldea, their native land.At the sight of them she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and defiled her with their lust. But after she was defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.When she flaunted her promiscuity and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust just as I turned away from her sister.Yet she multiplied her acts of promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth when she acted like a prostitute in the land of Egyptand lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.So you revisited the depravity of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your nipples to enjoy your youthful breasts.“ Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: I am going to incite your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust. I will bring them against you from every side:the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans; Pekod, Shoa, and Koa; and all the Assyrians with them— desirable young men, all of them governors and prefects, officers and administrators, all of them riding on steeds.They will come against you with an assembly of peoples and with weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will set themselves against you on every side with large and small shields and helmets. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will judge you by their own standards.When I vent my jealous fury on you, they will deal with you in wrath. They will cut off your nose and ears, and the rest of you will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and the rest of you will be consumed by fire.They will strip off your clothes and take your beautiful jewelry.So I will put an end to your depravity and sexual immorality, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not look longingly at them or remember Egypt anymore.“ For this is what the Lord GOD says: I am going to hand you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust.They will treat you with hatred, take all you have worked for, and leave you stark naked, so that the shame of your debauchery will be exposed, both your depravity and promiscuity.These things will be done to you because you acted like a prostitute with the nations, defiling yourself with their idols.You have followed the path of your sister, so I will put her cup in your hand.”This is what the Lord GOD says:“ You will drink your sister’s cup, which is deep and wide. You will be an object of ridicule and scorn, for it holds so much.You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.You will drink it and drain it; then you will gnaw its broken pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says:“ Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and promiscuity.”Then the LORD said to me,“ Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare their detestable practices to them.For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands; they have committed adultery with their idols. And the children they bore to me they have sacrificed in the fire as food for the idols.They also did this to me: they defiled my sanctuary on that same day and profaned my Sabbaths.On the same day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary to profane it. Yes, that is what they did inside my house.“ In addition, they sent for men who came from far away when a messenger was dispatched to them. And look how they came! You bathed, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry for them.You sat on a luxurious couch with a table spread before it, on which you had set my incense and oil.The sound of a carefree crowd was there. Drunkards from the desert were brought in, along with common men. They put bracelets on the women’s hands and beautiful tiaras on their heads.Then I said concerning this woman worn out by adultery: Will they now have illicit sex with her, even her?Yet they had sex with her as one does with a prostitute. This is how they had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those depraved women.But righteous men will judge them the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged, for they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.“ This is what the Lord GOD says: Summon an assembly against them and consign them to terror and plunder.The assembly will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses.So I will put an end to depravity in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your depraved behavior.They will punish you for your depravity, and you will bear the consequences for your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.”

The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the LORD’s sight was gone.And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your ancestors’ place adding even more to the LORD’s burning anger against Israel.

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Disregard this people’s stubbornness, and their wickedness and sin.

They aligned themselves with Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.

Then he said to me,“ Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or a difficult language but to the house of Israel—not to the many peoples of unintelligible speech or a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to me. For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted.Look, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.

“ This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all Judah’s cities that are coming to worship there. Do not hold back a word.Perhaps they will listen and turn— each from his evil way of life— so that I might relent concerning the disaster that I plan to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.You are to say to them,‘ This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me by living according to my instruction that I set before youand by listening to the words of my servants the prophets— whom I have been sending to you time and time again, though you did not listen—I will make this temple like Shiloh. I will make this city an example for cursing for all the nations of the earth.’”

But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to your commands.They refused to listen and did not remember your wonders you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, and you did not abandon them.Even after they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said,“ This is your god who brought you out of Egypt,” and they had committed terrible blasphemies,

Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them,“ Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?”

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

Our guilt has been terrible from the days of our ancestors until the present. Because of our iniquities we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the surrounding kings, and to the sword, captivity, plundering, and open shame, as it is today.

and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.You are witnesses of these things.

At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard from them.But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.Again he sent another servant to them, and they hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed.

“ You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also.

“ Take a scroll, and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations from the time I first spoke to you during Josiah’s reign until today.

Jesus said to them again,“ Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”After saying this, he breathed on them and said,“ Receive the Holy Spirit.

But the LORD, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, until the LORD’s wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy.

You are righteous concerning all that has happened to us, because you have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your law or listen to your commands and warnings you gave them.When they were in their kingdom, with your abundant goodness that you gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land you set before them, they would not serve you or turn from their wicked ways.

They angered the LORD at the Waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered because of them,for they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded thembut mingled with the nations and adopted their ways.They served their idols, which became a snare to them.They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; so the land became polluted with blood.They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against his people, and he abhorred his own inheritance.

In the camp they were envious of Moses and of Aaron, the LORD’s holy one.The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.Fire blazed throughout their assembly; flames consumed the wicked.At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped the cast metal image.They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt,

Then you will answer them,‘ Because your ancestors abandoned me— this is the LORD’s declaration— and followed other gods, served them, and bowed in worship to them. Indeed, they abandoned me and did not keep my instruction.You did more evil than your ancestors. Look, each one of you was following the stubbornness of his evil heart, not obeying me.

But they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They flung your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to you. They committed terrible blasphemies.

Then the LORD said to me: Do not say,“ I am only a youth,” for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you.

“ From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until this very day— twenty-three years— the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again, but you have not obeyed.The LORD sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again, but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.He announced,‘ Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds. Live in the land the LORD gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.Do not follow other gods to serve them and to bow in worship to them, and do not anger me by the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.“‘ But you have not obeyed me’— this is the LORD’s declaration—‘ with the result that you have angered me by the work of your hands and brought disaster on yourselves.’

The word of the LORD came to me again:“ Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices.You are to say,‘ This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hethite.As for your birth, your umbilical cord wasn’t cut on the day you were born, and you weren’t washed clean with water. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.No one cared enough about you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. But you were thrown out into the open field because you were despised on the day you were born.“‘ I passed by you and saw you thrashing around in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood,“ Live!” Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood,“ Live!”I made you thrive like plants of the field. You grew up and matured and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were stark naked.“‘ Then I passed by you and saw you, and you were indeed at the age for love. So I spread the edge of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged myself to you, entered into a covenant with you— this is the declaration of the Lord GOD— and you became mine.I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil.I clothed you in embroidered cloth and provided you with fine leather sandals. I also wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on your wrists and a necklace around your neck.I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became extremely beautiful and attained royalty.Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through my splendor, which I had bestowed on you. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.“‘ But you trusted in your beauty and acted like a prostitute because of your fame. You lavished your sexual favors on everyone who passed by. Your beauty became his.You took some of your clothing and made colorful high places for yourself, and you engaged in prostitution on them. These places should not have been built, and this should never have happened!You also took your beautiful jewelry made from the gold and silver I had given you, and you made male images so that you could engage in prostitution with them.Then you took your embroidered clothing to cover them and set my oil and incense before them.The food that I gave you— the fine flour, oil, and honey that I fed you— you set it before them as a pleasing aroma. That is what happened. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.“‘ You even took your sons and daughters you bore to me and sacrificed them to these images as food. Wasn’t your prostitution enough?You slaughtered my children and gave them up when you passed them through the fire to the images.In all your detestable practices and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were stark naked and thrashing around in your blood.“‘ Then after all your evil— Woe, woe to you!— the declaration of the Lord GOD—you built yourself a mound and made yourself an elevated place in every square.You built your elevated place at the head of every street and turned your beauty into a detestable thing. You spread your legs to everyone who passed by and increased your prostitution.You engaged in promiscuous acts with Egyptian men, your well-endowed neighbors, and increased your prostitution to anger me.“‘ Therefore, I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your provisions. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the Philistine women, who were embarrassed by your indecent conduct.Then you engaged in prostitution with the Assyrian men because you were not satisfied. Even though you did this with them, you were still not satisfied.So you extended your prostitution to Chaldea, the land of merchants, but you were not even satisfied with this!“‘ How your heart was inflamed with lust— the declaration of the Lord GOD— when you did all these things, the acts of a brazen prostitute,building your mound at the head of every street and making your elevated place in every square. But you were unlike a prostitute because you scorned payment.You adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband!Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from all around for your sexual favors.So you were the opposite of other women in your acts of prostitution; no one solicited you. When you paid a fee instead of one being paid to you, you were the opposite.“‘ Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the LORD!This is what the Lord GOD says: Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness exposed by your acts of prostitution with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols and the blood of your children that you gave to them,I am therefore going to gather all the lovers you pleased— all those you loved as well as all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose your nakedness to them so they see you completely naked.I will judge you the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged. Then I will bring about the shedding of your blood in jealous wrath.I will hand you over to them, and they will demolish your mounds and tear down your elevated places. They will strip off your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you stark naked.They will bring a mob against you to stone you and to cut you to pieces with their swords.They will burn your houses and execute judgments against you in the sight of many women. I will stop you from being a prostitute, and you will never again pay fees for lovers.So I will satisfy my wrath against you, and my jealousy will turn away from you. Then I will be calm and no longer angry.Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will also bring your conduct down on your own head. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. Haven’t you committed depravity in addition to all your detestable practices?“‘ Look, everyone who uses proverbs will quote this proverb about you:“ Like mother, like daughter.”You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hethite and your father an Amorite.Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you, and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to the south of you.Didn’t you walk in their ways and do their detestable practices? It was only a short time before all your ways were more corrupt than theirs.“‘ As I live— the declaration of the Lord GOD— your sister Sodom and her daughters have not behaved as you and your daughters have.Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had pride, plenty of food, and comfortable security, but didn’t support the poor and needy.They were haughty and did detestable acts before me, so I removed them when I saw this.But Samaria did not commit even half your sins. You have multiplied your detestable practices beyond theirs and made your sisters appear righteous by all the detestable acts you have committed.You must also bear your disgrace, since you have helped your sisters out. For they appear more righteous than you because of your sins, which you committed more detestably than they did. So you also, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, since you have made your sisters appear righteous.“‘ I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and those of Samaria and her daughters. I will also restore your fortunes among them,so you will bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you did when you comforted them.As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters and Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state. You and your daughters will also return to your former state.Didn’t you treat your sister Sodom as an object of scorn when you were proud,before your wickedness was exposed? It was like the time you were scorned by the daughters of Aram and all those around her, and by the daughters of the Philistines— those who treated you with contempt from every side.You yourself must bear the consequences of your depravity and detestable practices— this is the LORD’s declaration.“‘ For this is what the Lord GOD says: I will deal with you according to what you have done, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.But I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a permanent covenant with you.Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant.I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD,so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth again because of your disgrace. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”

“ Stand in the gate of the house of the LORD and there call out this word:‘ Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who enter through these gates to worship the LORD.

“ As for the incense you burned in Judah’s cities and in Jerusalem’s streets— you, your ancestors, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land— did the LORD not remember them? He brought this to mind.

They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the LORD’s sight and angered him.Therefore, the LORD was very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained.Even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God but lived according to the customs Israel had practiced.So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, punished them, and handed them over to plunderers until he had banished them from his presence.

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of Israel’s elders came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.Then the word of the LORD came to me:“ Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel and tell them,‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: Are you coming to inquire of me? As I live, I will not let you inquire of me. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’“ Will you pass judgment against them, will you pass judgment, son of man? Explain the detestable practices of their ancestors to them.Say to them,‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of Jacob’s house and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore to them, saying,“ I am the LORD your God.”On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.I also said to them,“ Throw away, each of you, the abhorrent things that you prize, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”“‘ But they rebelled against me and were unwilling to listen to me. None of them threw away the abhorrent things that they prized, and they did not abandon the idols of Egypt. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them, exhausting my anger against them within the land of Egypt.But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations they were living among, in whose sight I had made myself known to Israel by bringing them out of Egypt.“‘ So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.Then I gave them my statutes and explained my ordinances to them— the person who does them will live by them.I also gave them my Sabbaths to serve as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I am the LORD who consecrates them.“‘ But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my statutes and they rejected my ordinances— the person who does them will live by them. They also completely profaned my Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.But 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.However, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them— the most beautiful of all lands, flowing with milk and honey—because they rejected my ordinances, profaned my Sabbaths, and did not follow my statutes. For their hearts went after their idols.Yet I spared them from destruction and did not bring them to an end in the wilderness.“‘ Then I said to their children in the wilderness,“ Don’t follow the statutes of your fathers, defile yourselves with their idols, or keep their ordinances.I am the LORD your God. Follow my statutes, keep my ordinances, and practice them.Keep my Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between me and you, so you may know that I am the LORD your God.”“‘ But the children rebelled against me. They did not follow my statutes or carefully keep my ordinances— the person who does them will live by them. They also profaned my Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out my wrath on them and exhausting my anger against them in the wilderness.But 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 brought them out.However, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.For they did not practice my ordinances but rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances they could not live by.When they sacrificed every firstborn in the fire, I defiled them through their gifts in order to devastate them so they would know that I am the LORD.’“ Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them,‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your ancestors blasphemed me by committing treachery against me:When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices and presented their offensive offerings there. They also sent up their pleasing aromas and poured out their drink offerings there.So I asked them,“ What is this high place you are going to?” And it is still called Bamah today.’“ Therefore say to the house of Israel,‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: Are you defiling yourselves the way your ancestors did, and prostituting yourselves with their abhorrent things?When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your children in the fire, you still continue to defile yourselves with all your idols today. So should I let you inquire of me, house of Israel? As I live— this is the declaration of the Lord GOD— I will not let you inquire of me!“‘ When you say,“ Let’s be like the nations, like the clans of other countries, serving wood and stone,” what you have in mind will never happen.As I live— the declaration of the Lord GOD— I will reign over you with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath.I will bring you from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you were scattered, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath.I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples and enter into judgment with you there face to face.Just as I entered into judgment with your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant.I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they live as foreign residents, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.“‘ As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to me, and you will no longer defile my holy name with your gifts and idols.For on my holy mountain, Israel’s high mountain— the declaration of the Lord GOD— there the entire house of Israel, all of them, will serve me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your contributions and choicest gifts, all your holy offerings.When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will demonstrate my holiness through you in the sight of the nations.When I lead you into the land of Israel, the land I swore to give your ancestors, you will know that I am the LORD.There you will remember your ways and all your deeds by which you have defiled yourself, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil things you have done.You will know that I am the LORD, house of Israel, when I have dealt with you for the sake of my name rather than according to your evil ways and corrupt acts. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”The word of the LORD came to me:“ Son of man, face the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest land in the Negev,and say to the forest there,‘ Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be extinguished, and every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it.Then all humanity will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it. It will not be extinguished.’”Then I said,“ Oh, Lord GOD, they are saying of me,‘ Isn’t he just composing parables?’”