Ezekiel 20 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the seventh year, some of Israel's elders came to ask Yahweh for guidance. They sat down in front of me.

Then Yahweh's word came to me:

"Son of man, speak to Israel's elders and tell them: This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, says — Have you come to ask me for guidance? As I live, I will not let you consult me. This is the declaration of Yahweh, the Sovereign One."

"Will you judge them? Will you actually judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the disgusting things their ancestors did."

"Tell them: This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, says — On the day I chose Israel, I raised my hand in a solemn oath to the descendants of Jacob's family. I made myself known to them in Egypt. I raised my hand and swore to them: I am Yahweh your God."

"On that day I swore to bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them — a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands."

"I told them: Each of you, throw away the vile images you stare at. Don't defile yourselves with Egypt's false gods. I am Yahweh your God."

"But they rebelled against me and refused to listen. Not one of them threw away the vile images they stared at, and they didn't abandon Egypt's false gods. So I was ready to pour out my fury on them, to exhaust my anger against them right there in Egypt."

"But I acted for the sake of my name, so it wouldn't be dishonored in the eyes of the nations they lived among. I had revealed myself to them in the sight of those nations by bringing them out of Egypt."

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

"I gave them my guidelines and made my standards known to them — the one who follows them will truly live by them."

"I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I, Yahweh, am the one who sets them apart."

"But Israel's people rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn't follow my guidelines and they rejected my standards — the very things that give life to anyone who follows them. They completely violated my Sabbaths. So I was ready to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness and destroy them."

"But I acted for the sake of my name, so it wouldn't be dishonored in the eyes of the nations who had watched me bring them out."

"I also raised my hand and swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them — that land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands —"

"because they rejected my standards, didn't follow my guidelines, and violated my Sabbaths. Their hearts were chasing after their false gods."

"But I looked at them with compassion and didn't destroy them. I didn't finish them off in the wilderness."

"I said to their children in the wilderness: Don't follow your parents' ways. Don't observe their standards. Don't defile yourselves with their false gods."

"I am Yahweh your God. Follow my guidelines and be careful to keep my standards."

"Keep my Sabbaths set apart, and they will be the sign between us, so you will know that I am Yahweh your God."

"But the children also rebelled against me. They didn't follow my guidelines, and they didn't carefully keep my standards — the very things that give life to anyone who follows them. They violated my Sabbaths. So I was ready to pour out my fury on them, to exhaust my anger against them in the wilderness."

"But I held back my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so it wouldn't be dishonored in the eyes of the nations who had watched me bring them out."

"I also raised my hand and swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the lands,"

"because they didn't practice my standards, they rejected my guidelines, they violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their parents' false gods."

"So I also gave them guidelines that were not good and standards by which they could not live."

"I let them defile themselves through their own offerings — sacrificing every firstborn child — so that I might devastate them, so they would know that I am Yahweh."

"Therefore, son of man, speak to Israel's people and tell them: This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, says — In this way too your ancestors dishonored me by being utterly unfaithful to me:"

"When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them, they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices, there they presented their offensive offerings, there they set out their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings."

"I asked them: What is this high place you keep going to? (So it has been called 'High Place' to this day.)"

"Therefore tell Israel's people: This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, says — Are you defiling yourselves the way your ancestors did, chasing after their vile things like unfaithful lovers?"

"When you offer your gifts — sacrificing your children in the fire — you are still defiling yourselves with all your false gods to this day. And you want me to let you consult me, house of Israel? As I live — this is the declaration of Yahweh, the Sovereign One — I will not let you consult me."

"What you have in mind will never happen — when you say, 'We want to be like the other nations, like the peoples of other lands, who worship wood and stone.'"

"As I live — this is the declaration of Yahweh, the Sovereign One — with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, and fury poured out, I will be king over you."

"I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you've been scattered — with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, and fury poured out."

"I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face."

"Just as I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of Egypt, so I will judge you — this is the declaration of Yahweh, the Sovereign One."

"I will make you pass under the shepherd's rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant."

"I will purge out the rebels and those who have broken faith with me from among you. I will bring them out of the land where they live as foreigners, but they will never enter Israel's land. Then you will know that I am Yahweh."

"As for you, house of Israel — this is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, says — Go ahead, every one of you, and worship your false gods! But afterward, you will listen to me and no longer dishonor my set-apart name with your offerings and false gods."

"For on my set-apart mountain, on Israel's high mountain — this is the declaration of Yahweh, the Sovereign One — there the entire house of Israel, all of them, will worship me in the land. There I will accept them. There I will require your contributions and the best of your offerings, with all your set-apart gifts."

"I will accept you as a pleasing aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you've been scattered. Through you I will show myself to be set apart in the eyes of the nations."

"Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you into Israel's land — the land I swore with a raised hand to give to your ancestors."

"There you will remember your ways and all the actions by which you defiled yourselves, and you will be disgusted with yourselves for all the evil you have done."

"Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I deal with you for the sake of my name — not according to your evil ways or your corrupt actions, house of Israel. This is the declaration of Yahweh, the Sovereign One."

Then Yahweh's word came to me:

"Son of man, set your face toward the south. Preach against the southland and prophesy against the forest of the Negev."

"Tell the Negev forest: Hear Yahweh's word! This is what Yahweh, the Sovereign One, says — I am about to set a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it."

"Everyone will see that I, Yahweh, have set it ablaze. It will not be quenched."

Then I said, "Ah, Yahweh, Sovereign One! They're already saying about me, 'Isn't he just telling riddles?'"