Study Desk

Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat before me.

And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the Lord , and sat before me.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Do you yourselves come to inquire of Me? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I certainly will not be inquired of by you."'

Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God , I will not be enquired of by you.

"Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make known to them the abominations of their fathers;

Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

and say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God,

And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God;

on that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all the lands.

In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:

"And I said to them, 'Throw away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.'

Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

"But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not throw away, each of them, the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. "Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to use up My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it would not be defiled in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

"So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

"I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them.

And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

"Also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, so that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.

"But 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 person follows them, then he will live by them; and they greatly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them.

But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

"But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out.

But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.

"Also I 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 the lands,

Yet also I lifted up my hand unto 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;

because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they also profaned My Sabbaths, because their heart continually followed their idols.

Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.

"Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not bring about their annihilation in the wilderness.

Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

"Instead, I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

'I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and follow them.

I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;

'Sanctify My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.'

And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.

"But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to follow My ordinances which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them; they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to use up My anger against them in the wilderness.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

"But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be defiled in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.

"Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands,

I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

because they had not complied with My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers.

Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

"I also gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances by which they could not live;

Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they made all their firstborn pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the LORD."'

And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord .

"Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Again, in this your fathers have blasphemed Me by being disloyal to Me.

Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

"When I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every tree thick with branches, and there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings.

For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.

"Then I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you go?' So its name is called Bamah to this day."'

Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day.

"Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Will you defile yourselves in the way of your fathers and adulterously pursue their detestable things?

Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God ; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

"And when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I certainly will not be inquired of by you.

For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God , I will not be enquired of by you.

"And whatever comes into your mind certainly will not come about, when you say: 'We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, serving wood and stone.'

And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be king over you.

As I live, saith the Lord God , surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

"I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out;

And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.

and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

"Just 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.

Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God .

"I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:

and I will purge from you the rebels and those who revolt against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they reside, but they will not enter the land of Israel. So you will know that I am the LORD.

And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord .

"As for you, house of Israel," this is what the Lord GOD says: "Go, serve, everyone of you his idols; but later you will certainly listen to Me, and My holy name you will no longer defile with your gifts and your idols.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God ; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

"For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "there the entire house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them and there I will demand your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things.

For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God , there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

"As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will show Myself to be holy among you in the sight of the nations.

I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.

"And you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your forefathers.

And ye shall know that I am the Lord , when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.

"And there you will remember your ways and all your deeds by which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done.

And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

"Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you in behalf of My name, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.'"

And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God .

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

"Son of man, set your face toward the south, and speak prophetically against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev,

Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;

and say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of the LORD: this is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am going to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not go out and the entire surface from south to north will be scorched by it.

And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord ; Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

"And all mankind will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not go out."'"

And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

Then I said, "Oh, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not just speaking in riddles?'"

Then said I, Ah Lord God ! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?