Ezekiel 20

Ezekiel 20:4

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

Wilt thou any more denounce and inculcate my despised judgments unto them? Or, wilt thou plead with me for them, any

Ezekiel 20:5

When I lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob.

When I solemnly swore by myself, for the confirmation of that covenant, which I made with the seed of Jacob.

Ezekiel 20:7

Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes.

Cast ye away, every one of you, those abominable idols, which your eyes have seen and affected.

Ezekiel 20:12

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.

Moreover also, as I gave them, together with the rest, a royal law, which was written in the very heart of man; so I did peculiarly give them my sabbaths, as a special cognizance of my people, whereby they might be known to be severed from all others, and might have this bond of sanctifying my name above all other nations.

Ezekiel 20:25

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

Wherefore I did, in my just judgment, give them up to their own inventions, so as they made to themselves wicked laws, and perverted their ways before me;

Ezekiel 20:26

And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb.

And I yielded them over to a pollution, with their own gifts and oblations, so as in those things, wherein they vainly hoped and pretended to please me, they foully defiled themselves, namely, in their superstitious and idolatrous lustrations, wherewith they wickedly thought to consecrate the fruit of their womb.

Ezekiel 20:27

Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

Yet in this your fathers have shamefully reproached me, in that, being so graciously dealt with by me, yet they demeaned themselves wickedly and rebelliously against me.

Ezekiel 20:28

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, &c.

For when I had brought them into the land of Canaan, which I had promised and swore to give unto them, they cast their eyes upon those hills and groves, wherein the heathen had wont to offer their idolatrous sacrifices; and there, contrary to my commandment, they made their sinful oblations, to provoke me to wrath against them.

Ezekiel 20:29

Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go?

L L 2 Notwithstanding that I dissuaded them from these idolatrous courses, and sharply reproved them; expostulating with them on the vanity and wickedness of these services of theirs; What mean you thus to frequent your forbidden altars? Do you not know, that I have confined my worship to one place! Why will ye thus wilfully transgress my law?

Ezekiel 20:35

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

And I will bring you into the desert land of your captivity under the heathen, and there will I argue this case with you; laying before you those offences, wherewith you have justly provoked me.

Ezekiel 20:37

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

I will cause you to pass under the rod, both of my correction and my guidance; and will recall you to the memory and recognition of that bond of mutual covenant, which hath been made betwixt us.

Ezekiel 20:39

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols.

As for you, O ye house of Israel, thus saith the Lord; I will have none of your half-services: never hope to divide betwixt me and your idols; since ye will not be wholly mine, go ye, serve ye every one his idols.

Ezekiel 20:40

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, &c.

But for you, that are the true spiritual seed of faithful Israel, ye shall all serve me in my holy Church; and I will both expect and graciously accept of those services and devotions, which ye shall offer unto me. So also verses 41 and 42.

Ezekiel 20:46

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;

Son of man, turn thy face toward Jerusalem, which lieth southward from the land where thou art, and utter thy words towards that coast; and prophesy against the sinful land of Israel, which hath been as some wild forest in those southern parts;

Ezekiel 20:47

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, &c.

And say to the land of Israel, Hear the word of the Lord, &c. I will bring a grievous destruction upon thee, by the hand of thy merciless enemies, which, like a furious and unquenchable fire, shall utterly consume thee. So verse 48.

Ezekiel 20:49

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

Then said I, Ah, Lord God, this perverse people are apt to take exceptions against me; and now they quarrel me for the obscurity of my prophecies, and say, This man speaks riddles and parables: we know not what he means.