3 The Lord denieth that he wil anſwere them when thei praie becauſe of their wickednes. 33 He promiſeth that his people ſhal returne from captiuitie 46 By the foreſt that ſhould be burnt, is ſignified the burning of Ieruſalem.

1.ANd in the ^aſeuenth yere in the fift moneth, y^e tenth day of y^e moneth, came certaine of the Elders of Iſraél to enquire of the Lord, and ſate before me.

2.Then came the worde of the Lord vnto me, ſaying,

3.Sonne of man, ſpeake vnto the Elders of Iſraél, and ſaie vnto them, Thus ſaith the Lord God, Are ye come to inquire of me? as I liue, ſaith the Lord God, when I am aſked, I wil not anſwer you.

4.Wilt thou iudge them, ſonne of mã? wilt thou iudge them? cauſe ^bthem to vnderſtand the abominations of their fathers,

5.And ſaie vnto them, Thus ſaith y^e Lord God, In the daie when I choſe Iſraél, and ^clift vp mine hand vnto the ſede of the houſe of Iaakób, and made my ſelf knowẽ vnto them in the land of Egypt, when I lift vp mine hand vnto them, and ſaid, I am the Lord your God,

6.In the daie that I lift vp mine hand vnto them to bring them forthe of the land of Egypt, into a land that I had prouided for them, flowing with milke & honie which is pleaſant among all lands,

7.Then ſaid I vnto them, Let euerie man caſt awaie the abominacions of his eyes, ^dand defile not your ſelues with y^e idoles of Egypt: for I am the Lord your God.

8.But thei rebelled againſt me, and wolde not heare me: for none caſt awaie the abominacions of ^etheir eyes, nether did thei forſake y^e idoles of Egypt: then I thoght to powre out mine indignacion vpon thẽ, & to accompliſh my wrath againſt them in the middes of the land of Egypt.

9.But I had reſpect to my ^fName, that it ſhulde not be polluted before the heathen, among whome thei were, & in whoſe ſight I made my ſelf knowẽ vnto thẽ in bringing them forthe of the land of Egypt.

10.Now I caried them out of the land of Egypt & broght them into the wildernes.

11.And I gaue them my ſtatutes, and declared my iudgements vnto them, ^*which if a man do, he ſhal liue in them.

12.Moreouer I gaue thẽ alſo my ^*Sabbaths to be a ſigne betwene me and thẽ, that thei might knowe that I am y^e Lord, that ſanctifie them.

13.But the houſe of Iſraél rebelled againſt me in the wildernes: thei walked not in my ſtatutes, and thei caſt awaie my iudgements, which if a man do, he ſhal liue in them, and my Sabbaths haue thei greatly polluted: then I thoght to powre out mine indignation vpon them ^*in the wildernes to conſume them,

14.But I had reſpect to ^gmy Name, that it ſhulde not be polluted before the heathen in whoſe ſight I broght them out.

15.Yet neuertheles, I lift vp mine hand vnto them in the wildernes that I wolde not bring them into the land, which I had giuen them, flowing with milke & hony, which was pleaſant aboue all lands,

16.Becauſe thei caſt awaie my iudgements, and walked not in my ſtatutes, but haue polluted my ^hSabbaths: for their heart went after their idoles.

17.Neuertheles, mine eye ſpared thẽ, that I wolde not deſtroye them, nether wolde I conſume them in the wildernes.

18.But I ſaid vnto their children in the wildernes, Walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers, nether obſerue their maners, nor defile your ſelues with their idoles.

19.I am the Lord your God: walke in my ſtatutes, and kepe my iudgements & do thẽ,

20.And ſanctifie my Sabbaths, & thei ſhalbe a ſigne betwene me & you, that ye maie knowe that I am the Lord your God.

21.Notwithſtanding the children rebelled againſt me: thei walked not in my ſtatutes, not kept my iudgements to do thẽ, which if a man do, he ſhal liue in them, but thei polluted my Sabbaths: then I thoght to powre out mine indignation vpon them, & to accompliſh my wrath againſt them in the wildernes.

22.Neuertheles I withdrewe mine hand & had reſpect to my Name that it ſhulde not be polluted before the heathen, in whoſe ſight I broght them forthe.

23.Yet I lift vp mine hand vnto them in the wildernes, that I wolde ſcatter them among the heathen, and diſperce them through the countreis.

24.Becauſe thei had not executed my iudgements, but had caſt awaie my ſtatutes & had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after ^ktheir fathers idoles.

25.Wherefore I ^lgaue them alſo ſtatutes that were not good, & iudgemẽts, wherein they ſhulde not liue.

26.And I polluted thẽ in their owne ^mgiftes in that they cauſed to paſſe by the fyre all that firſt openeth the wõbe, that I might deſtroye them, to the end that they might knowe that I am the Lord.

27.Therefore, ſonne of man, ſpeake vnto the houſe of Iſraél, & ſay vnto the, Thus ſaith the Lord God, yet in this your fathers haue blaſphemed me, thogh thei had before grieuouſly tranſgreſſed againſt me.

28.ⁿFor when I had broght them into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hand to giue it; then they ſawe euerie hie hil, & all the thicke trees, and they offred there their ſacrifices, and there they preſented their offring of prouocation: there alſo they made their ſwete fauour, and powred out there their drinke offrings.

29.Then I ſaid vnto them, What is the hie place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof was called ^oBamáh vnto this day.

30.Wherefore, ſay vnto the houſe of Iſraél, Thus ſaith the Lord God, Are ye not polluted ^"after the maner of your fathers? & commit ye not whoredome after their abominations?

31.For when you offer your giftes, and make your ſonnes to paſſe through the fyre, you pollute your ſelues with all your idoles vnto this day: ſhal I anſwer you whē I am aſked, ô houſe of Iſraél? as I liue, ſaith the Lord God, ^pI wil not anſwer you when I am aſked.

32.Nether ſhal that be done that cometh into your minde: for ye ſay, We wil be as the heathen, and as the families of the countreis, and ſerue wood, and a ſtone.

33.^qAs I liue, ſaith the Lord God, I wil ſurely rule you with a mightie hand, and with a ſtretched out arme, & in my wrath powred out,

34.And wil bring you from the people, and wil gather you out of the countreis, wherein ye are ſcatered, with a mightie hand, & with a ſtretched out arme and in my wrath powred out.

35.And I wil bring you into the ^rwildernes of the people, & there wil I plead with you face to face.

36.Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernes of the lād of Egypt, ſo wil I pleade with you, ſaith the Lord God.

37.And I wil cauſe you to paſſe vnder the rod, and wil bring you into the bonde of the couenant.

38.And I wil ^schuſe out from amōg you the rebelles, and them that tranſgreſſe againſt me: I wil bring them out of the lād where thei dwell, & they ſhal not entre into y lād of Iſraél, & you ſhal knowe y I am y Lord.

39.As for you, ô houſe of Iſraél, thus ſaith the Lord God, ^tGo you, and ſerue euerie one his idole, ſeing that ye wil not obey me, and pollute mine holie Name no more with your giftes and with your idoles.

40.For in mine holie mountaine euen in the hie moūtaine of Iſraél, ſaith y Lord God, there ſhal all the houſe of Iſraél, and all in the land, ſerue me: there wil I accept the, and there wil I require your offrings and the firſt frutes of your oblations, with all your holy things.

41.I wil accept your ſwete fauour, when I bring you from the people, & gather you out of the countreis, wherein ye haue bene ſcattered, that I may be ſanctified in you before the heathen.

42.And ye ſhal knowe, that I am the Lord, when I ſhal bring you into the land of Iſraél, into the lād, for the which I lifted vp mine hand to giue it to your fathers.

43.And there ſhal ye remēber your wayes, and all your workes, wherein ye haue bene defiled, and ye ^uſhal iudge your ſelues worthy to be cut of, for all your euils, that ye haue committed.

44.And ye ſhal knowe, that I am the Lord, when I haue reſpect vnto you for my Names ſake, and not after your wicked waies, nor according to your corrupt workes, ô ye houſe of Iſraél, ſaith the Lord God.

45.Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, ſaying,

46.Sonne of man, ſet thy face toward the way of Temán, and droppe thy worde towarde ^xthe South, and prophecie towarde the foreſt of the field of the South,

47.And ſay to the foreſt of the South, Heare the worde of the Lord: thus ſaith the Lord God, Beholde, I wil kindle a fyre in thee, and it ſhal deuoure all the ^ygrene wood in thee, and all the dry wood: the cōtinual flame ſhal not be quenched, & euerie face from the South to the North ſhalbe burnt therein.

48.And all fleſh ſhal ſe, that I y Lord haue kindled it, & it ſhal not be quēched. Thē ſaid I, Ah Lord God, thei ſay of me, Doeth not he ſpeake ^zparables?

Ezekiel 20

Notes