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Chapter 20
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1
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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. |
2
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Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, |
3
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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. |
4
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Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them?
cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: |
5
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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; |
6
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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: |
7
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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. |
8
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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. |
9
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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. |
10
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Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land
of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. |
11
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And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments,
which if a man do, he shall even live in them. |
12
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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. |
13
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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. |
14
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But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not
be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought
them out. |
15
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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; |
16
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Because they despised my judgments, and walked not
in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart
went after their idols. |
17
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Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them,
neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. |
18
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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: |
19
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I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep
my judgments, and do them; |
20
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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. |
21
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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. |
22
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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. |
23
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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; |
24
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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. |
25
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Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good,
and judgments whereby they should not live; |
26
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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. |
27
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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. |
28
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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. |
29
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Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto
ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this
day. |
30
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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? |
31
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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. |
32
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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. |
33
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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: |
34
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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. |
35
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And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people,
and there will I plead with you face to face. |
36
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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. |
37
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And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will
bring you into the bond of the covenant: |
38
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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. |
39
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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. |
40
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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. |
41
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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. |
42
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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. |
43
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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. |
44
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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. |
45
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Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, |
46
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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; |
47
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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. |
48
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And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled
it: it shall not be quenched. |
49
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Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not
speak parables? |
