02 September - Ezekiel 20-21

Jude Fri Aug 31, 2018 3:57 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

EZEKIEL 20

1And it came to be in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, that certain of the elders of Yisra’ĕl came to inquire of יהוה, and sat before me.

2And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,

3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live, I am not being inquired of by you,” declares the Master יהוה.’

4“Judge them, son of man, judge them! Make known to them the abominations of their fathers.

5“And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “On the day when I chose Yisra’ĕl and lifted My hand in an oath to the seed of the house of Ya‛aqoḇ, and made Myself known to them in the land of Mitsrayim, I lifted My hand in an oath to them, saying, ‘I am יהוה your Elohim.’

6“On that day I lifted My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendour of all lands.

7“And I said to them, ‘Each one of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Mitsrayim! I am יהוה your Elohim.’

8“But they rebelled against Me, and would not obey Me. All of them did not throw away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Mitsrayim. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them to complete My displeasure against them in the midst of the land of Mitsrayim.

9“But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the gentiles among whom they were – before whose eyes I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim.

10“So I took them out of the land of Mitsrayim, and I brought them into the wilderness.

11“And I gave them My laws and showed them My right-rulings, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’

12“And I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a signa between them and Me, to know that I am יהוה who sets them apart.

13“But the house of Yisra’ĕl rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My laws, and they rejected My right-rulings, which, if a man does, he shall live by them. And they greatly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

14“But I acted for My Name’s sake, not to profane it before the gentiles, before whose eyes I had brought them out.

15“And I Myself also lifted My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, not to bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendour of all lands,

16because they rejected My right-rulings and did not walk in My laws, and they profaned My Sabbaths. For their heart went after their idols.

17“And My eye pardoned them, from destroying them. And I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

18“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the laws of your fathers, nor observe their rulings, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

19‘I am יהוה your Elohim. Walk in My laws, and guard My right-rulings, and do them.

20‘And set apart My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, to know that I am יהוה your Elohim.’

21“But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My laws, and My right-rulings they did not guard to do them, which, if a man does, he shall live by them. They profaned My Sabbaths, so I resolved to pour out My wrath on them to complete My displeasure against them in the wilderness.

22“But I held back My hand and acted for My Name’s sake, not to profane it before the eyes of the gentiles, before whose eyes I had brought them out.

23“Also, I Myself lifted My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, to scatter them among the gentiles and disperse them throughout the lands,

24because they had not done My right-rulings, and they rejected My laws, and they profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on their fathers’ idols.

25“And I also gave them up to laws that were not good, and right-rulings by which they would not livea.

26“And I defiled them by their own gifts, as they passed all their first-born through the fire, so that I might stun them, so that they know that I am יהוה.” ’

27“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “In this your fathers have further reviled Me, by committing trespass against Me.

28“When I brought them into the land for which I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, they offered their slaughterings there and provoked Me with their offerings there. And they sent up their sweet fragrance there and poured out their drink offerings there.

29“And I said to them, ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ So its name is called High Place to this day.” ’

30“Therefore say to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Are you defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers? And do you whore after their abominations?

31“For when you lift up your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Yisra’ĕl? As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “I am not being inquired of by you.

32“And what comes up in your spirit shall never be, when you say, ‘Let us be like the gentiles, like the tribes in other lands, serving wood and stone.’

33“As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “do not I, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, reign over you?

34“And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out.

35“And I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and shall enter into judgment with you face to face there.

36“As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so I shall enter into judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה.

37“And I shall make you pass under the rod, and shall bring you into the bond of the covenant,

38and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall know that I am יהוה.

39“As for you, O house of Yisra’ĕl,” thus said the Master יהוה, “Go, serve each of you his idols, and afterwards, if you are not listening to Me. But do not profane My set-apart Name any more with your gifts and your idols.

40“For on My set-apart mountain, on the mountain height of Yisra’ĕl,” declares the Master יהוה, “there all the house of Yisra’ĕl, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There I shall accept them, and there I shall require your offerings and the first-fruits of your offerings, together with all your set-apart gifts.

41“As a sweet fragrance I shall accept you when I bring you out from the peoples. And I shall gather you out of the lands where you have been scattered. And I shall be set-apart in you before the gentiles.

42“And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I bring you into the land of Yisra’ĕl, into the land for which I lifted My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.

43“And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you were defiled. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you did.

44“And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I have dealt with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your evil ways nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Yisra’ĕl,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”

45And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,

46“Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop word against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South.

47“And you shall say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of יהוה! Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am kindling a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you – the blazing flame is not quenched. And it shall burn all faces from the south to the north.

48“And all flesh shall see that I, יהוה, have kindled it, it is not quenched.” ’ ”

49And I said, “Ah, Master יהוה! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not speaking parables?’ ”

EZEKIEL 21

1And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, set your face toward Yerushalayim, and drop word against the set-apart places, and prophesy against the land of Yisra’ĕl.

3“And you shall say to the land of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said יהוה, “See, I am against you, and I shall draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wrong.

4“Because I shall cut off from you the righteous and the wrong, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north.

5“And all flesh shall know that I, יהוה, have drawn My sword out of its sheath, not to turn back again.” ’

6“And you, son of man, sigh with a breaking of loins, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.

7“And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the report that is coming. And every heart shall melt, and all hands shall go limp, and every spirit become faint, and all knees be weak as water. See, it is coming, and it shall be,’ declares the Master יהוה.”

8And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,

9“Son of man, prophesy, and you shall say, ‘Thus said יהוה! “Say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished!

10‘It is sharpened to make a slaughter, it is polished to flash like lightning!’ Or shall we rejoice? My son, you have despised the rod, every stick!

11“And He has given it to be polished, to be taken by the hand. This sword is sharpened and polished, to be given into the hand of the slayer.

12“Cry and wail, son of man, for it shall be on My people, on all the leaders of Yisra’ĕl. They shall be delivered to the sword together with My people, therefore strike your thigh.

13“For it is a trier, and what if it even despises the rod? Shall it not be?” declares the Master יהוה.

14“And you, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together. And let the sword come down twice, thrice, the sword for the slain. It is the sword of the slain, the great one, which surrounds them.

15“I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, to melt the heart and that the overthrown be many. Ah! It is made like lightning, keen for slaughter.

16“Sharpen yourself on the right, set yourself on the left, wherever your edge is appointed!

17“And I too, I shall strike My hands together and cause My wrath to rest. I, יהוה, have spoken.”

18And the word of יהוה came to me again, saying,

19“And you, son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the sovereign of Baḇel to go, both of them coming from one land. And place a signpost, put it at the head of the way to the city.

20“Appoint a way for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Yehuḏah, into the walled Yerushalayim.

21“For the sovereign of Baḇel shall stand at the parting of the way, at the fork of the two ways, to practise divination. He shall shake the arrows, he shall ask the household idols, he shall look at the liver.

22“In his right hand shall be the divination for Yerushalayim: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, to build a wall.

23“And it shall be to them as a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths to them. But he is bringing their crookedness to remembrance, so that they are taken.

24“Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because you have made your crookedness to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that your sins are seen in all your deeds. Because you have been remembered, you are taken by hand.

25‘And to you, O profane, wrong one, leader of Yisra’ĕl, whose day has come, in the time of the crookedness of the end,

26thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown! This shall not remain! Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.

27‘Overthrown, overthrown, I make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, until He comes to whom it rightly belongs – and I shall give it!’

28“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach.’ And you shall say, ‘A sword, a sword, drawn for slaughter, polished to the utmost like lightning –

29while they see false visions for you, while they divine a lie to you – to put you on the necks of the profaned ones, the wrong ones whose day has come, in the time of the crookedness of the end.

30‘Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I shall judge you.

31‘And I shall pour out My displeasure on you, blow against you with the fire of My wrath, and shall give you into the hands of beastly men, skilled to destroy.

32‘You are to be fuel for the fire, your blood to be in the midst of the land. You are not to be remembered, for I יהוה have spoken.’ ”