¶ And it came to pass in the seventh¹ year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain² of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat³ before me.

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

Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are⁴ ye come to enquire of me? As I⁵ live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.

Wilt thou judge them,⁶ son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause⁷ them to know the abominations of their fathers:

¶ And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the⁸ day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand⁹ unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made¹⁰ myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am¹¹ the LORD your God;

In the day that I lifted¹² up mine hand unto them, to bring¹³ them forth of the land of Egypt into¹⁴ a land that I had espied for them, flowing¹⁵ with milk and honey, which is¹⁶ the glory of all lands:

Then said I unto them, Cast¹⁷ ye away every man the abominations¹⁸ of his eyes, and defile¹⁹ not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am²⁰ the LORD your God.

But they rebelled²¹ against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did²² not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I²³ 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 wrought²⁴ for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose²⁵ sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

¶²⁶Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

And I gave²⁷ them my statutes, and shewed them²⁸ my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

Moreover also I gave²⁹ them my sabbaths, to be³⁰ a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am³¹ the LORD that sanctify them.

But the house of Israel rebelled³² against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they³³ despised my judgments, which³⁴ if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my³⁵ sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said³⁶, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

³⁷But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.

Yet also I lifted³⁸ up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing³⁹ with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;

Because they⁴⁰ despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their⁴¹ heart went after their idols.

Nevertheless mine⁴² eye spared them from destroying them, neither⁴³ did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

But I said⁴⁴ unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes⁴⁵ of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile⁴⁶ yourselves with their idols:

I am the LORD⁴⁷ your God; walk⁴⁸ in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;

¶⁴⁹And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

Notwithstanding the children⁵⁰ rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man⁵¹ do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would⁵² pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish⁵³ my anger against them in the wilderness.

Nevertheless I withdrew⁵⁴ mine hand, and wrought⁵⁵ for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.

I lifted⁵⁶ up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I⁵⁷ would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

Because they had⁵⁸ not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes⁵⁹ were after their fathers' idols.

Wherefore I gave⁶⁰ them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

And I polluted⁶¹ them in their own gifts, in that⁶² they caused to pass through the fire all that⁶³ openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end⁶⁴ that they might know that I am the LORD.

¶ Therefore, son of man, speak⁶⁵ unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet⁶⁶ in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed⁶⁷ a trespass against me.

For when I⁶⁸ had brought them into the land, for the which⁶⁹ I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw⁷⁰ 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 sweet⁷¹ savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.

Then I said⁷² unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.

¶ Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye⁷³ polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

For when ye offer⁷⁴ your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall⁷⁵ 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 that which⁷⁶ cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will⁷⁷ be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve⁷⁸ wood and stone.

¶ As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely⁷⁹ with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

⁸⁰And 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 will⁸¹ bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there⁸² will I plead with you face to face.

⁸³Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.

And I will cause you to pass⁸⁴ under the rod, and I will⁸⁵ bring you into the bond⁸⁶ of the covenant:

And I will purge⁸⁷ 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 shall⁸⁸ not enter into the land of Israel: and ye⁸⁹ shall know that I am the LORD.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye,⁹⁰ serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but⁹¹ pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

¶ For in mine⁹² holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall⁹³ 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 firstfruits⁹⁴ of your oblations, with all your holy things.

I will accept you with your⁹⁵ sweet savour⁹⁶, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will⁹⁷ be sanctified in you before the heathen.

And ye shall⁹⁸ know that I am the LORD, when I⁹⁹ shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which¹⁰⁰ I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.

And there shall ye¹⁰¹ remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall¹⁰² lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

And ye shall¹⁰³ know that I am the LORD, when I¹⁰⁴ 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.

¶ Moreover¹⁰⁵ the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, set¹⁰⁶ thy face toward¹⁰⁷ the south, and drop¹⁰⁸ thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest¹⁰⁹ of the south field;

And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle¹¹⁰ a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green¹¹¹ tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming¹¹² flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south¹¹³ to the north shall be burned therein.

¹¹⁴And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth¹¹⁵ he not speak parables?