Study Desk

Rebellious Israel Purged

In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire^(a) of the Lord , and they sat down in front of me.^(b)

Then the word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, speak to the elders^(c) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire^(d) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord .^(e)'

"Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors^(f)

and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose^(g) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand^(h) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the Lord your God.⁽ⁱ⁾"

On that day I swore^(j) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(k) the most beautiful of all lands.^(l)

And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images^(m) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols⁽ⁿ⁾ of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.^(o)"

"‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;^(p) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.^(q) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.^(r)

But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.^(s) I did it to keep my name from being profaned^(t) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites.

Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.^(u)

I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.^(v)

Also I gave them my Sabbaths^(w) as a sign^(x) between us,^(y) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.^(z)

"‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled^(aa) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws^(ab)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.^(ac) So I said I would pour out my wrath^(ad) on them and destroy^(ae) them in the wilderness.^(af)

But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned^(ag) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.^(ah)

Also with uplifted hand I swore^(ai) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands^(aj)—

because they rejected my laws^(ak) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts^(al) were devoted to their idols.^(am)

Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy^(an) them or put an end to them in the wilderness.

I said to their children in the wilderness, "Do not follow the statutes of your parents^(ao) or keep their laws or defile yourselves^(ap) with their idols.

I am the Lord your God;^(aq) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^(ar)

Keep my Sabbaths^(as) holy, that they may be a sign^(at) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.^(au)"

"‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,^(av) of which I said, "The person who obeys them will live by them," and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger^(aw) against them in the wilderness.^(ax)

But I withheld^(ay) my hand, and for the sake of my name^(az) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter^(ba) them through the countries,

because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^(bb) and desecrated my Sabbaths,^(bc) and their eyes lusted after^(bd) their parents' idols.^(be)

So I gave^(bf) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;^(bg)