Ezéchiel (NAB) 13
13 1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, prophesy! Say to those who prophesy their own thought: Hear the word of the LORD:
3 Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to those prophets who are fools, who follow their own spirit and have seen no vision.
4 Like foxes among ruins are your prophets, O Israel!
5 You did not step into the breach, nor did you build a wall about the house of Israel that would stand firm against attack on the day of the LORD.
6 Their visions are false and their divination lying. They say, "Thus says the LORD!" though the LORD did not send them; then they wait for him to fulfill their word!
7 Was not the vision you saw false, and your divination lying?
8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken falsehood and have seen lying visions, therefore see! I am coming at you, says the Lord GOD.
9 But I will stretch out my hand against the prophets who have false visions and who foretell lies. They shall not belong to the community of my people, nor be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel; thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
10 For the very reason that they led my people astray, saying, "Peace!" when there was no peace, and that, as one built a wall, they would cover it with whitewash,
11 say then to the whitewashers: I will bring down a flooding rain; hailstones shall fall, and a stormwind shall break out.
12 And when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked: Where is the whitewash you spread on?
13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: In my fury I will let loose stormwinds; because of my anger there shall be a flooding rain, and hailstones shall fall with destructive wrath.
14 I will tear down the wall that you have whitewashed and level it to the ground, laying bare its foundations. When it falls, you shall be crushed beneath it; thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
15 When I have spent my fury on the wall and its whitewashers, I tell you there shall be no wall, nor shall there be whitewashers--
16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw for it visions of peace when there was no peace, says the Lord GOD.
17 Now, son of man, turn toward the daughters of your people who prophesy their own thoughts; against these, prophesy: Thus says the Lord GOD:
18 Woe to those who sew bands for everyone's wrists and make veils for every size of head so as to entrap their owners. Do you think to entrap the lives of my people, yet keep yourselves alive?
19 You dishonor me before my people with handfuls of barley and crumbs of bread, killing those who should not die and keeping alive those who should not live, lying to my people who willingly hear lies.
20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: See! I am coming at those bands of yours in which you entrap men's lives: I will tear them from their arms and set free those you have caught.
21 I will tear off your veils and rescue my people from your power, so that they shall no longer be prey to your hands. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
22 Because you have disheartened the upright man with lies when I did not wish him grieved, and have encouraged the wicked man not to turn from his evil conduct and save his life;
23 therefore you shall no longer see false visions and practice divination, but I will rescue my people from your power. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
14 1 When certain elders of Israel came and sat down before me,2 the word of the LORD came to me:
3 Son of man, these men have the memory of their idols fresh in their hearts, and they keep the occasion of their sin before them. Why should I allow myself to be consulted by them?4 Therefore speak with them, and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: If anyone of the house of Israel, holding the memory of his idols in his heart and keeping the occasion of his sin before him, has recourse to a prophet, I, the LORD, will be his answer in person because of his many idols.5 Thus would I bring back to their senses the house of Israel, who have become estranged from me through all their idols.6 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: Return and be converted from your idols; turn yourselves away from all your abominations.7 For if anyone of the house of Israel or any alien resident in Israel is estranged from me, and holds the memory of his idols in his heart and keeps the occasion of his sin before him, yet asks a prophet to consult me for him, I, the LORD, will be his answer in person.8 I will turn against that man, and make of him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from the midst of my people. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.9 As for the prophet, if he is beguiled into speaking a word, I, the LORD, shall have beguiled that prophet; I will stretch out my hand against him and root him out of my people Israel. 10 Each shall receive punishment for his sin, the inquirer and the prophet shall be punished alike,11 so that the house of Israel may no longer stray from me and may no longer be defiled by all their sins. Thus they shall be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord GOD.
12 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
13 Son of man, when a land sins against me by breaking faith, I stretch out my hand against it and break its staff of bread, I let famine loose upon it and cut off from it both man and beast;14 and even if these three men were in it, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they could save only themselves by their virtue, says the Lord GOD. 15 If I were to cause wild beasts to prowl the land, depopulating it so that it became a waste, traversed by none because of the wild beasts,16 and these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear they could save neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be saved, and the land would be a waste.17 Or if I brought the sword upon this country, commanding the sword to pass through the land cutting off from it man and beast,18 and these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they would be unable to save either sons or daughters; they alone would be saved.19 Or if I were to send pestilence into this land, pouring out upon it my bloodthirsty fury, cutting off from it man and beast,20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear that they could save neither son nor daughter; they would save only themselves by their virtue.21 Thus says the Lord GOD: Even though I send Jerusalem my four cruel punishments, the sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast,22 still some survivors shall be left in it who will bring out sons and daughters; when they come out to you, you shall see their conduct and their actions and be consoled regarding the evil I have brought on Jerusalem (all that I have brought upon it).23 They shall console you when you see their conduct and actions, for you shall then know that it was not without reason that I did to it what I did, says the Lord GOD.
15 1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
2 Son of man, what makes the wood of the vine better than any other wood? That branch among the trees of the forest!
3 Can you use its wood to make anything worthwhile? Can you make even a peg from it, to hang on it any kind of vessel?
4 If you throw it on the fire as fuel and the fire devours both ends and even the middle is scorched, is it still good for anything?
5 Why, even when it was whole it was good for nothing; how much less, when the fire has devoured and scorched it, can it be used for anything!
6 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have destined as fuel for the fire, do I make the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7 I will set my face against them; they have escaped from the fire, but the fire shall devour them. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD, when I turn my face against them.
8 I will make the land a waste, because they have broken faith, says the Lord GOD.
16 1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:2 Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.
3 Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not cut; you were neither washed with water nor anointed, nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes.5 No one looked on you with pity or compassion to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome, the day you were born.
6 Then I passed by and saw you weltering in your blood. I said to you: Live in your blood7 and grow like a plant in the field. You grew and developed, you came to the age of puberty; your breasts were formed, your hair had grown, but you were still stark naked.8 Again I passed by you and saw that you were now old enough for love. So I spread the corner of my cloak over you to cover your nakedness; I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you; you became mine, says the Lord GOD.
9 Then I bathed you with water, washed away your blood, and anointed you with oil.10 I clothed you with an embroidered gown, put sandals of fine leather on your feet; I gave you a fine linen sash and silk robes to wear.11 I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms, a necklace about your neck,12 a ring in your nose, pendants in your ears, and a glorious diadem upon your head.13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver; your garments were of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. Fine flour, honey, and oil were your food. You were exceedingly beautiful, with the dignity of a queen.14 You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was, because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you, says the Lord GOD.
15 But you were captivated by your own beauty, you used your renown to make yourself a harlot, and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by, whose own you became.16 You took some of your gowns and made for yourself gaudy high places, where you played the harlot.... 17 You took the splendid gold and silver ornaments that I had given you and made for yourself male images, with which also you played the harlot.18 You took your embroidered gowns to cover them; my oil and my incense you set before them;19 the food that I had given you, the fine flour, the oil, and the honey with which I fed you, you set before them as an appeasing odor, says the Lord GOD.
20 The sons and daughters you had borne me you took and offered as sacrifices to be devoured by them! Was it not enough that you had become a harlot? 21 You slaughtered and immolated my children to them, making them pass through fire.22 And through all your abominations and harlotries you remembered nothing of when you were a girl, stark naked and weltering in your blood.
23 Then after all your evildoing-- woe, woe to you! says the Lord GOD-- 24 you raised for yourself a platform and a dais in every public place. 25 At every street corner you built a dais for yourself to use your beauty obscenely, spreading your legs for every passer-by, playing the harlot countless times.26 You played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, so many times that I was provoked to anger.27 Therefore I stretched out my hand against you, I diminished your allowance and delivered you over to the will of your enemies, the Philistines, who revolted at your lewd conduct.28 You also played the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were not satisfied; and after playing the harlot with them, you were still not satisfied.29 Again and again you played the harlot, now going to Chaldea, the land of the traders; but despite this, you were still not satisfied.30 How wild your lust! says the Lord GOD, that you did all these things, acting like a shameless prostitute,31 building your platform at every street corner and erecting your dais in every public place! Yet you were unlike a prostitute, since you disdained payment.32 The adulterous wife receives, instead of her husband, payment.33 All harlots receive gifts. But you rather bestowed your gifts on all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from all sides for your harlotry.34 Thus in your harlotry you were different from all other women. No one sought you out for prostitution. Since you gave payment instead of receiving it, how different you were!
35 Therefore, harlot, hear the word of the LORD!36 Thus says the Lord GOD: Because you poured out your lust and revealed your nakedness in your harlotry with your lovers and abominable idols, and because you sacrificed the life-blood of your children to them,37 I will now gather together all your lovers whom you tried to please, whether you loved them or loved them not; I will gather them against you from all sides and expose you naked for them to see.38 I will inflict on you the sentence of adulteresses and murderesses; I will wreak fury and jealousy upon you.39 I will hand you over to them to tear down your platform and demolish your dais; they shall strip you of your garments and take away your splendid ornaments, leaving you stark naked.40 They shall lead an assembly against you to stone you and hack you with their swords.41 They shall burn your apartments with fire and inflict punishments on you while many women look on. Thus I will put an end to your harlotry, and you shall never again give payment.42 When I have wreaked my fury upon you I will cease to be jealous of you, I will be quiet and no longer vexed.43 Because you did not remember what happened when you were a girl, but enraged me with all these things, therefore in return I am bringing down your conduct upon your head, says the Lord GOD. For did you not add lewdness to the rest of your abominable deeds?
44 See, everyone who is fond of proverbs will say of you, 'Like mother, like daughter.'45 Yes, you are the true daughter of the mother who spurned her husband and children, and you are a true sister to those who spurned their husbands and children-- your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46 Your elder sister was Samaria with her daughters, living to the north of you; and your younger sister, living to the south of you, was Sodom with her daughters. 47 Yet not only in their ways did you walk, and act as abominably as they did; in a very short time you became more corrupt in all your ways than they.48 As I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear that your sister Sodom, with her daughters, has not done as you and your daughters have done!49 And look at the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were proud, sated with food, complacent in their prosperity, and they gave no help to the poor and needy.50 Rather, they became haughty and committed abominable crimes in my presence; then, as you have seen, I removed them.51 Samaria did not commit half your sins! You have done more abominable things than they, and have even made your sisters appear just, with all the abominable deeds you have done.52 You, then, bear your shame; you are an argument in favor of your sisters! In view of your sinful deeds, more abominable than theirs, they appear just in comparison with you. Blush for shame, and bear the shame of having made your sisters appear just.53 I will restore their fortunes, the fortune of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters (and I will restore your fortune along with them),54 that you may bear your shame and be disgraced for all the comfort you brought them.55 Yes, your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, Samaria and her daughters, shall return to their former state (you and your daughters shall return to your former state).56 Was not your sister Sodom kept in bad repute by you while you felt proud of yourself,57 before your wickedness became evident? Now you are like her, reproached by the Edomites and all your neighbors, despised on all sides by the Philistines.58 The penalty of your lewdness and your abominations-- you must bear it all, says the LORD.
59 For thus speaks the Lord GOD: I will deal with you according to what you have done, you who despised your oath, breaking a covenant.60 Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl, and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you.61 Then you shall remember your conduct and be ashamed when I take your sisters, those older and younger than you, and give them to you as daughters, even though I am not bound by my covenant with you.62 For I will re-establish my covenant with you, that you may know that I am the LORD,63 that you may remember and be covered with confusion, and that you may be utterly silenced for shame when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD.
17 1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
2 Son of man, propose a riddle, and speak this proverb to the house of Israel:3 Thus speaks the Lord GOD: The great eagle, with great wings, with long pinions, with thick plumage, many-hued, came to Lebanon. He took the crest of the cedar,4 tearing off its topmost branch, And brought it to a land of tradesmen, set it in a city of merchants.5 Then he took some seed of the land, and planted it in a seedbed; A shoot by plentiful waters, like a willow he placed it,6 To sprout and grow up a vine, dense and low-lying, Its branches turned toward him, its roots lying under him. Thus it became a vine, produced branches and put forth shoots.
7 But there was another great eagle, great of wing, rich in plumage; To him this vine bent its roots, sent out its branches, That he might water it more freely than the bed where it was planted.8 In a fertile field by plentiful waters it was planted, to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a majestic vine.
9 Say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Can it prosper? Will he not rather tear it out by the roots and strip off its fruit, so that all its green growth will wither when he pulls it up by the roots? (No need of a mighty arm or many people to do this.)10 True, it is planted, but will it prosper? Will it not rather wither, when touched by the east wind, in the bed where it grew?
11 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
12 Son of man, say now to the rebellious house: Do you not understand what this means? It is this: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took away its king and princes with him to Babylon.13 Then he selected a man of the royal line with whom he made a covenant, binding him under oath, while removing the nobles of the land,14 so that the kingdom would remain a modest one, without aspirations, and would keep his covenant and obey him.15 But this man rebelled against him, sending envoys to Egypt to obtain horses and a great army. Can he prosper? Can he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still go free?16 As I live, says the Lord GOD, in the home of the king who set him up to rule, whose oath he spurned, whose covenant with him he broke, there in Babylon I swear he shall die!17 When ramps are cast up and siege towers are built for the destruction of many lives, he shall not be saved in the conflict by Pharaoh with a great army and numerous troops.18 He spurned his oath, breaking his covenant. Though he gave his hand in pledge, he did all these things. He shall not escape!19 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, my oath which he spurned, my covenant which he broke, I swear to bring down upon his head.20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there over his breaking faith with me.21 All the crack troops among his forces shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered in every direction. Thus you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken.
22 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, And plant it on a high and lofty mountain; 23 on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, Bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, Wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
18 1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,
2 what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel: "Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children's teeth are on edge"? 3 As I live, says the Lord GOD: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel.4 For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.
5 If a man is virtuous-- if he does what is right and just,6 if he does not eat on the mountains, nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile his neighbor's wife, nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period; 7 if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;8 if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury; if he holds off from evildoing, judges fairly between a man and his opponent;9 if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is virtuous-- he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.
10 But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer, or who does any of these things11 (though the father does none of them), a son who eats on the mountains, defiles the wife of his neighbor,12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not give back a pledge, raises his eyes to idols, does abominable things,13 lends at interest and exacts usury-- this son certainly shall not live. Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die; his death shall be his own fault.
14 On the other hand, if a man begets a son who, seeing all the sins his father commits, yet fears and does not imitate him;15 a son who does not eat on the mountains, or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife;16 who does not oppress anyone, or exact a pledge, or commit robbery; who gives his food to the hungry and clothes the naked;17 who holds off from evildoing, accepts no interest or usury, but keeps my ordinances and lives by my statutes-- this one shall not die for the sins of his father, but shall surely live.18 Only the father, since he violated rights, and robbed, and did what was not good among his people, shall in truth die for his sins.
19 You ask: "Why is not the son charged with the guilt of his father?" Because the son has done what is right and just, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.20 Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with the guilt of his son. The virtuous man's virtue shall be his own, as the wicked man's wickedness shall be his own.21 But if the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.22 None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.23 Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?24 And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die.25 You say, "The LORD'S way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?26 When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.27 But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life;28 since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.29 And yet the house of Israel says, "The LORD'S way is not fair!" Is it my way that is not fair, house of Israel, or rather, is it not that your ways are not fair?
30 Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you.31 Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live!
19 1 As for you, son of man, raise a lamentation over the prince of Israel:
2 What a lioness was your mother, a lion of lions! Among young lions she couched to rear her whelps.
3 One whelp she raised up, a young lion he became; He learned to seize prey, men he devoured.
4 Then nations raised cries against him, in their pit he was caught; They took him away with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5 Then she saw that in vain she had waited, her hope was destroyed. She took another of her whelps, him she made a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions, a young lion he became; He learned to seize prey, men he devoured;
7 He ravaged their strongholds, their cities he wasted. The land and all in it were appalled at the noise of his roar.
8 Nations laid out against him snares all about him; They spread their net to take him, in their pit he was caught.
9 They put him in a cage and took him away to the king of Babylon, So that his voice would not be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine planted by the water; Fruitful and branchy was she because of the abundant water.
11 One strong branch she put out as a royal scepter. Stately was her height amid the dense foliage; Notably tall was she with her many clusters.
12 But she was torn up in fury and flung to the ground; The east wind withered her up, her fruit was torn off; Then her strong branch withered up, fire devoured it.
13 So now she is planted in the desert, in a land dry and parched,
14 For fire came out of the branch and devoured her shoots; She is now without a strong branch, a ruler's scepter. This is a lamentation and serves as a lamentation.
20 1 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consult the LORD and sat down before me. 2 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
3 Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Have you come to consult me? As I live! I swear I will not allow myself to be consulted by you, says the Lord GOD.4 Will you judge them? Will you judge, son of man? Make known to them the abominations of their ancestors
5 in these words: Thus speaks the Lord GOD: The day I chose Israel, I swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob; in the land of Egypt I revealed myself to them and swore: I am the LORD, your God.6 That day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt to the land I had scouted for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, a jewel among all lands.7 Then I said to them: Throw away, each of you, the detestable things that have held your eyes; do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD, your God.
8 But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me; none of them threw away the detestable things that had held their eyes, they did not abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I thought of pouring out my fury on them and spending my anger on them there in the land of Egypt;9 but I acted for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they were, in whose presence I had made myself known to them, revealing that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt.10 Therefore I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert.11 Then I gave them my statutes and made known to them my ordinances, which everyone must keep, to have life through them.12 I also gave them my sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, to show that it was I, the LORD, who made them holy.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not observe my statutes, and they despised my ordinances that bring life to those who keep them. My sabbaths, too, they desecrated grievously. Then I thought of pouring out my fury on them in the desert to put an end to them,14 but I acted for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose presence I had brought them out.15 Nevertheless I swore to them in the desert not to bring them to the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, a jewel among all lands.16 So much were their hearts devoted to their idols, they had not lived by my statutes, but despised my ordinances and desecrated my sabbaths.17 But I looked on them with pity, not wanting to destroy them, so I did not put an end to them in the desert.18 Then I said to their children in the desert: Do not observe the statutes of your parents or keep their ordinances; do not defile yourselves with their idols.19 I am the LORD, your God: observe my statutes and be careful to keep my ordinances;20 keep holy my sabbaths, as a sign between me and you to show that I am the LORD, your God.
21 But their children rebelled against me: they did not observe my statutes or keep my ordinances that bring life to those who observe them, and my sabbaths they desecrated. Then I thought of pouring out my fury on them, of spending my anger on them in the desert;22 but I stayed my hand, acting for my name's sake, lest it be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose presence I brought them out.23 Nevertheless I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them over foreign lands;24 for they did not keep my ordinances, but despised my statutes and desecrated my sabbaths, with eyes only for the idols of their fathers.25 Therefore I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances through which they could not live. 26 I let them become defiled by their gifts, by their immolation of every first-born, so as to make them an object of horror.
27 Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord GOD: In this way also your fathers blasphemed me, breaking faith with me:28 when I had brought them to the land I had sworn to give them, and they saw all its high hills and leafy trees, there they offered their sacrifices (there they brought their offensive offerings), there they sent up appeasing odors, and there they poured out their libations.29 I asked them: To what sort of high place do you betake yourselves?-- and so they call it a high place even to the present day.
30 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers? Will you lust after their detestable idols?31 By offering your gifts, by making your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols even to this day. Shall I let myself be consulted by you, house of Israel? As I live! says the Lord GOD: I swear I will not let myself be consulted by you.32 What you are thinking of shall never happen: "We shall be like the nations, like the peoples of foreign lands, serving wood and stone."
33 As I live, says the Lord GOD, with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, with poured-out wrath, I swear I will be king over you!34 With a mighty hand and outstretched arm, with poured-out wrath, I will bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries over which you are scattered;35 then I will lead you to the desert of the peoples, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, says the Lord GOD.37 I will count you with the staff and bring back but a small number.38 I will separate from you those who have rebelled and transgressed against me; from the land where they sojourned as aliens I will bring them out, but they shall not return to the land of Israel. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
39 As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Come, each one of you, destroy your idols! Then listen to me, and never again profane my holy name with your gifts and your idols.40 For on my holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel without exception shall worship me; there I will accept them, and there I will claim your tributes and the first fruits of your offerings, and all that you dedicate.41 As a pleasing odor I will accept you, when I have brought you from among the nations and gathered you out of the countries over which you were scattered; and by means of you I will manifest my holiness in the sight of the nations.42 Thus you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you back to the land of Israel, the land which I swore to give to your fathers.43 There you shall recall your conduct and all the deeds by which you defiled yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves because of all the evil things you did.44 And you shall know that I am the LORD when I deal with you thus, for my name's sake, and not according to your evil conduct and corrupt actions, O house of Israel, says the Lord GOD.
Ezéchiel (NAB) 13