Ezekiel

History of a Rebellion

It happened on the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year when some elders of Jerusalem came to consult the Lord and sat in front of me.

Then the word of the Lord came to me in these words:

“Son of man, say to the elders of Israel, ‘This is the word of the Lord: Do you come to consult me? As I live, I will not answer you—word of the Lord.

Judge them, son of man: will you judge them? Let them know about the detestable practices of their ancestors

and say to them: This is what the Lord has said: The day I chose Israel, I made a vow to the descendants of Jacob. I revealed myself to them in Egypt and swore: ‘I am the Lord, your God.’

On that day, I promised to bring them out of Egypt into a land I had prepared for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of lands.

I told them: Let each one reject the horrors that draw him! Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.

But they rebelled against me and refused to listen; none of them rejected the horrors that drew them in, and none abandoned the filthy idols of Egypt. I then thought about unleashing my fury on them, taking out my anger on them in the land of Egypt.

But for the sake of my Name I relented, lest it be profaned in the sight of the nations where they lived, whose inhabitants had seen how I revealed myself to the Israelites in bringing them out of Egypt.

So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the desert.

I gave them my decrees and made my laws known to them, laws by which people can live if they observe them.

I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between us, showing them that I am the Lord who makes them holy.

But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not follow my decrees; they despised my laws, by which man lives, as long as he obeys them; they so profaned my Sabbaths that, in my fury, I considered destroying them in the desert.

But, again, I relented, for the sake of my Name, lest it be profaned in the sight of the nations who saw me bring them out.

However, I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey that I had given them—the best of lands—

because they had despised my laws and had not followed my decrees; they had profaned my Sabbaths, and their hearts went after their idols.

But I had compassion on them and did not destroy them; I did not wipe them out in the desert.

I told their children in the desert: Do not follow your fathers’ example; do not keep their practices and do not defile yourselveswith their idols.

I am the Lord, your God. Follow my decrees, observe my laws, and practice them.

Keep my Sabbaths holy, and let them be a sign between us; then you will know that I am the Lord, your God.

But their children, too, rebelled against me; they did not follow my decrees or observe my laws. They did not carry out these laws, by which man lives if he obeys them. They profaned my Sabbaths, and I thought of pouring out my fury on them and exhausting my anger against them in the desert.

But once again, I held back my hand, lest my name be dishonored in the eyes of the nations that had seen me bring them out.

However, I swore to them in the desert that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them to other lands because they had not obeyed my laws;

instead, they had defiled my Sabbaths and looked to the idols of their ancestors.

In the meantime, I gave them statutes that were not good and laws they could not follow,

so that they might be defiled by their gifts. I allowed them to offer their firstborn by fire to shame them and to let them know that I am the Lord.

Therefore, son of man, speak to Israel; tell them: This is what the Lord says: Don’t you know that your ancestors offended me by their unfaithfulness?

I led them to the land I had promised to give them, but whenever they saw a tall hill or a leafy tree, they offered sacrifices. They provoked me with the offerings they made,pleasing aromas and drink offerings.

Then I asked them: ‘What is this place you are going to?’ That’s why they called it “high place.”

Say to Israel, thus says the Lord: Because you follow your ancestors, lusting after their detestable practices,

bringing your offerings, and sacrificing your children by fire, never stopping to defile yourselves with your idols, am I to answer when you consult me, Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will not answer you.

You plan to be like other nations, worshiping wood and stone, but this will not happen.

As I live, declares the Lord, I will rule you with an iron hand, an outstretched arm, and pouring out my wrath.

Then I will bring you from the nations and from the peoples where I have scattered you, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and pouring out my wrath.

I will lead you into the wilderness of Syria,

and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I judged your ancestors in the desert of Egypt,

so will I judge you, declares the Lord. I will make you feel my rod and discipline you.

I will remove rebelsfrom among you; even if they go into exile, they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

People of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go, serve your idols; but in the end, you will not refuse to listen to me. No longer shall you profane my holy name with your gifts and your idols.

For it is on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel—word of the Lord—that all Israel, all in the land, shall serve me.

There, I will accept you as a pleasing fragrance when I bring you out from the nations; I will gather you from the lands where you were dispersed;and through you, my holiness will be revealed to the nations.

You will know that I am the Lord when I lead you into the land of Israel, the land I swore to your ancestors to give you.

There, you will remember your ways and all your deeds, by which you defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves because of your evil ways.

You will know that I am the Lord when I deal with you, Israel, for the sake of my name and not according to your wickedness and corrupt deeds, declares the Lord.