God’s Dealings with Israel for His Name’s Sake

¹ And then in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to consult Yahweh, and they sat ⌞before me⌟.¹

1. Literally “to the face of”

² And the word of Yahweh ⌞came⌟¹ to me, ⌞saying⌟,²

1. Literally “was”
2. Literally “to say”

³ “Son of man,¹ speak with the elders of Israel, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Are you coming to consult me? ⌞As I live⌟,² I will surely not allow myself³ to be consulted by you!” ’ ⌞declares⌟⁴ the Lord Yahweh.

1. Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
2. Literally “live I”
3. Or “me”
4. Literally “declaration of”

⁴ Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man?¹ Make known to them the detestable things of their ancestors.²

1. Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
2. Or “fathers”

⁵ And you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “On the day of my choosing Israel ⌞I swore⌟¹ to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, and ⌞I swore⌟² to them, ⌞saying⌟,³ ‘I am Yahweh your God.’

1. Literally “and I raised my hand”
2. Literally “and I raised my hand”
3. Literally “to say”

⁶ On that day ⌞I swore⌟¹ to them to bring them out from the land of Egypt to the land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands.

1. Literally “I raised my hand”

⁷ Then I said to them, ‘Let each one throw away the detestable things of his eyes, and you must not make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt! I am Yahweh your God.’

⁸ But they rebelled against me, and they were not willing to listen to me; each one ⌞did not throw away⌟¹ the detestable things of their eyes; and ⌞they did not abandon⌟² the idols of Egypt, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

1. Literally “not they threw away”
2. Literally “not they abandoned”

⁹ “But¹ I acted for the sake of my name ⌞to keep it from being profaned⌟² before the eyes of the nations ⌞among whom they lived⌟,³ where I made known to them before their eyes, to bring them out from the land of Egypt.

1. Or “And”
2. Literally “not to be profaned before the eyes of”
3. Literally “which they were in their midst”

¹⁰ And I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and I brought them to the desert,

¹¹ and I gave my statutes to them, and my regulations I made known to them, which, if a person does them, then he will live by them.

¹² And also my Sabbaths I gave to them to be a sign between me and between them ⌞so they would know⌟¹ that I, Yahweh, am the one sanctifying them.

1. Literally “know”

¹³ “But¹ in the desert the house of Israel rebelled against me; ⌞they did not walk in my statutes⌟,² and they rejected my regulations, which, if a person does them, he will live by them, and they greatly profaned my Sabbaths, and I decided to pour out my rage on them in the desert to destroy them,

1. Or “And”
2. Literally “in my statutes not they went”

¹⁴ and I acted for the sake of my name, that it not be profaned before the eyes of the nations ⌞before whom I brought them out⌟.¹

1. Literally “which I brought out them before their eyes”

¹⁵ And also ⌞I myself swore⌟¹ to them in the desert not to bring them into the land that I had given to them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands—

1. Literally “I, I raised my hand”

¹⁶ because they despised my judgments, and ⌞they did not walk in my statutes⌟,¹ and my Sabbaths they profaned, for their heart was going after their idols.

1. Literally “and my statutes not they went in them”

¹⁷ But my eye took pity on them by not destroying them, and ⌞I did not completely destroy them⌟¹ in the desert.

1. Literally “and not I make them complete destruction”

¹⁸ “And I said to their children in the desert, ‘You must not go in the statutes of your parents;¹ you must not keep their regulations, and you must not make yourself unclean with their idols.

1. Or “fathers”

¹⁹ I, Yahweh, am your God, so go in my statutes and keep my regulations and do them.

²⁰ And treat my Sabbaths as holy, and they will be a sign between me and between you ⌞that you may know⌟¹ that I, Yahweh, am your God.’

1. Literally “know”

²¹ But the children rebelled against me; ⌞they did not walk in my statutes⌟,¹ and ⌞they did not observe my regulations⌟,² which if a person does them, then he will live by them. My Sabbaths they desecrated, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to finish my anger against them in the desert.

1. Literally “in statutes my not they went”
2. Literally “my regulations not they kept to do them”

²² But I withheld my hand, and I acted for the sake of my name not to be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whom I had brought them out before their eyes.

²³ What is more, ⌞I swore⌟¹ to them in the desert to scatter them among the nations and to disperse them in the lands,

1. Literally “I will raise my hand”

²⁴ because they did not do my regulations, and my statutes they despised, and my Sabbaths they profaned, and their eyes were after the idols of their ancestors.¹

1. Or “fathers”

²⁵ And in turn I gave to them rules that were not good and regulations ⌞by which they will not live⌟.¹

1. Literally “regulations not they will live by them”

²⁶ And I defiled them through their gifts in sacrificing all of the first offspring of the womb, in order that¹ I will cause them to be stunned, so that they will know that I am Yahweh.

1. Or “so that”

²⁷ “Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man,¹ and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Again in this your ancestors blasphemed me ⌞at² their display of infidelity toward me⌟.” ’³

1. Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
2. Or “by”
3. Literally “at/in acting unfaithfully they against me in/by unfaithfulness”

²⁸ And I brought them to the land that ⌞I swore⌟¹ to give² to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered their sacrifices, and they presented there the provocation of their offering, and they gave there their fragrant incense offering, and they poured out their libations there.

1. Literally “I raised my hand”
2. Hebrew “give it”

²⁹ And I said to them, ‘What is the high place¹ to which you are going?’ And ⌞it is called⌟² Bamah until this day.

1. Hebrew Bamah, which became its name
2. Literally “it is called name its”

³⁰ Therefore thus say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In the way of your ancestors¹ will you defile yourself, and after their vile idols will you prostitute yourselves?

1. Or “fathers”

³¹ And ⌞when you lift up your gifts, sacrificing your children⌟¹ through the fire, you are defiling yourself through all of your idols until ⌞today⌟,² and will I let myself³ be consulted by you, house of Israel?” ’ ⌞As I live⌟,”⁴ ⌞declares⌟⁵ the Lord Yahweh, “I will not let myself⁶ be consulted by you!

1. Literally “at to lift up your gifts at causing to pass over your children”
2. Literally “the day”
3. Hebrew “me”
4. Literally “Live I”
5. Literally “declaration of”
6. Hebrew “me”

³² And ⌞what you are planning⌟,¹ surely it will not be—that you are saying, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the clans² of the lands, ⌞serving wood and stone⌟!’³

1. Literally “what is going up on your spirit”
2. Or “tribes”
3. Literally “to serve wood and stone”

³³ “⌞As I live⌟,”¹ ⌞declares⌟² the Lord Yahweh, “⌞surely⌟³ with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with ⌞rage pouring forth⌟⁴ I will reign as king over you!

1. Literally “live I”
2. Literally “declaration of”
3. Literally “if not”
4. Literally “rage poured out”

³⁴ And I will bring you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage poured out.

³⁵ Then I will bring you to the desert of the peoples, and I will execute justice on you there face to face.

³⁶ ⌞Just as⌟¹ I executed justice on your ancestors² in the desert of the land of Egypt, likewise I will execute justice on you!” ⌞declares⌟³ the Lord Yahweh.

1. Literally “Like what”
2. Or “fathers”
3. Literally “declaration of”

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

³⁸ And I will purge the rebels from among you and the ones transgressing against me; I will bring them out from the land ⌞where they are living as aliens⌟,¹ but into the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am Yahweh.