Israel’s Rebellion in Egypt 1 UDB Almost seven years after the Babylonians had taken us Israelites to their land, on the tenth day of the fifth month of that year, some Israelite elders came to me to ask if I had any message for them from Yahweh. BSB BSB: In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me.
2 UDB Then Yahweh gave me a message for them. He said, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
3 UDB "Son of man, speak to the elders and tell them that the Lord Yahweh says this: 'You say that you have come to ask if there is any message from me, but as surely as I am alive, I will not allow you to ask for any message from me.' BSB BSB: “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of Me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.
4 UDB If you are willing to warn them, remind them of the disgusting things that their ancestors did. BSB BSB: Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Confront them with the abominations of their fathers
5 UDB Then say to them, 'On the day that I chose you Israelite people to belong to me, I made a solemn oath to your ancestors while they were still in Egypt.' I said to them, 'I am Yahweh, your God. BSB BSB: and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’
6 UDB I will bring you out of Egypt and lead you to a land that I have chosen for you. It is the most fertile and beautiful land in the world. BSB BSB: On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.
7 UDB Each of you must get rid of the disgusting idols that you love, and the idols which you learned to worship in Egypt, and with which you made it impossible for me to accept you. I, Yahweh your God, am saying this to you.' BSB BSB: And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’
8 UDB But they rebelled against me. They would not pay attention to me. They did not get rid of the disgusting idols they loved; they did not reject the idols that they saw in Egypt. So because I was angry with them, I said that I would punish them in Egypt. BSB BSB: But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.
9 UDB But for the sake of my own reputation, I decided to do something for your people so that the other peoples would not laugh at me and say I had no power. I decided that they would see me bring my people out of Egypt. BSB BSB: But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
Israel’s Rebellion in the Wilderness 10 UDB Therefore I led your people out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. BSB BSB: So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.
11 UDB I gave them all my laws and decrees, in order that they would obey them, and as a result they would live for a long time. BSB BSB: And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.
12 UDB Also, I established the Sabbath days to be a reminder between me and them, so they would know that I am Yahweh, the one who sets them apart for my honor. BSB BSB: I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
13 UDB But the Israelite people rebelled against me in the wilderness also. They did not obey my commands; they rejected them, even though they would have lived a long time if they had obeyed them, and they treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So I said that I would destroy them in the wilderness, because that would show that I was very angry with them. BSB BSB: Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.
14 UDB But again, so that the other peoples would not laugh at me, I decided to do something in order to show those peoples that I was still as powerful as when they had seen me bring my people out of Egypt. BSB BSB: But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
15 UDB I solemnly swore to your people in the wilderness that I would not take them into the land that I had promised to give them, a land that was the most fertile and beautiful land in the world. BSB BSB: Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands—
16 UDB I made this oath, because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day. And they insisted on worshiping their idols. BSB BSB: because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.
17 UDB But I still pitied them, so I did not destroy them in the wilderness. BSB BSB: Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or bring them to an end in the wilderness.
18 UDB I said to their children, the next generation, 'Do not do the things that your parents always do. Do not worship their idols and so make it impossible for me to accept you. BSB BSB: In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.
19 UDB I am Yahweh your God. Carefully obey my laws and commands. BSB BSB: I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.
20 UDB Respect my Sabbath days, in order that by doing that, it will remind you that you belong to me. BSB BSB: Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’
21 UDB But their children also rebelled against me. They did not take care to obey my laws, even though anyone who obeys them will live for a long time; and they also treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So again I said that I would kill them all in the wilderness, and in this way I would stop being angry. BSB BSB: But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.
22 UDB But I did not do that. I decided once more to do something so that the other peoples, those that had seen me bring your people out of Egypt, would not laugh and say that I had lost my power. BSB BSB: But I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
23 UDB So I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among many peoples, BSB BSB: However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.
24 UDB because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day—and because they were eager to worship the idols that their parents had worshiped. BSB BSB: For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.
25 UDB So I also allowed them to obey laws that were not good, laws that would not help them live a long time. BSB BSB: I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.
26 UDB I allowed them to do things that made it impossible for me to accept them: I allowed them to sacrifice their firstborn children in fire. I allowed them to do that in order that they would be horrified at themselves, and in order that they would know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. BSB BSB: And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.
Israel’s Rebellion in the Land 27 UDB Therefore, son of man, speak to the Israelite people. Say this to them, 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you: This is one way that your ancestors dishonored me by turning away from me.' BSB BSB: Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by their unfaithfulness against Me.
28 UDB After I brought them into the land that I had sworn to give them, every time that they saw a high hill or a big green tree, they offered sacrifices to idols there. They made offerings to them, and that caused me to become angry. They presented to those idols their fragrant incense, and they poured out wine offerings to them. BSB BSB: When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.
29 UDB Then I asked them, 'What is this hilltop place where you go to worship idols?' So they are still called Bamah, which means 'hilltop.' BSB BSB: So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ (And to this day it is called Bamah.)
30 UDB Therefore, say this to the Israelite people: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Why do you imitate your ancestors in acting in ways that make me unable to accept you? You act like prostitutes, leaving their husbands for other men. In the same way, you have left me to worship disgusting idols. BSB BSB: Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations?
31 UDB When you sacrifice your children in the fire, you make me unable to accept you. It is the same as when you bow down to your idols. You Israelite people, should I allow you to ask me to direct you in any matter? I, Yahweh the Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will not answer if you ask me.' BSB BSB: When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!
32 UDB You say, 'We want to be like the other peoples in the world. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone like they do.' But what you want will never happen.' BSB BSB: When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.
Judgment and Restoration 33 UDB I, Yahweh your Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will use my great power to rule over you, and to show that I am angry with you. BSB BSB: As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.
34 UDB With my great power I will gather you from the places to which I scattered you. BSB BSB: With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered.
35 UDB I will bring you to a wilderness that is surrounded by other nations. There, while I am looking at you, I will judge you. BSB BSB: And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
36 UDB I will punish you, as I punished your ancestors in the wilderness near Egypt. BSB BSB: Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.
37 UDB I will make you submit to me; I will force you to obey the covenant that I made with you. BSB BSB: I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
38 UDB I will destroy the people among you who rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of Babylonia, where they are now living, they will not enter Israel. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who have the power to do what I say that I will do. BSB BSB: And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
39 UDB As for you Israelite people, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Go and worship your idols now, each of you. But afterwards, you will surely pay attention to me and no longer dishonor me by taking gifts to your idols. BSB BSB: And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.
40 UDB I, Yahweh your Lord, declare that there on my sacred hill, Zion, that high hill in Israel, you will bring gifts to me, and I will accept them. I will require you to bring to me gifts and offerings there, and your sacrifices that you will set apart for me. BSB BSB: For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your offerings and choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.
41 UDB When I bring you out from the other nations to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as though you were fragrant incense. I will show the people of other nations that I have set myself apart as holy, that I might be honored. BSB BSB: When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will show My holiness through you in the sight of the nations.
42 UDB Then, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give to your ancestors, you will know that I, Yahweh, have done it. BSB BSB: Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give your fathers.
43 UDB And there in Israel you will remember how you conducted your lives previously, the actions that caused you to become unacceptable to me, and you will hate yourselves for all the evil things that you have done. BSB BSB: There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done.
44 UDB When I act toward you Israelite people to protect my reputation, and not because of your evil deeds and corrupt behavior, you Israelite people will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. That is what Yahweh the Lord declares." BSB BSB: Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.”
A Prophecy against the South 45 UDB Yahweh gave me another message. He said, BSB BSB: Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
46 UDB "Son of man, turn toward the south. Preach about what will happen to that dry land, to the forest there. BSB BSB: “Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.
47 UDB Say to the forest in the southern wilderness of Israel: Listen to this message that Yahweh the Lord is saying about you: I am about to start a fire in your midst, and it will burn up all your trees, both the green trees and the withered trees. Nothing will extinguish the blazing flames. And the fire will scorch the faces of everyone who lives in that area, from the south to the north. BSB BSB: Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched.
48 UDB Everyone will see that it is I, Yahweh, who have lit this fire, and no one will be able to put it out." BSB BSB: Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”
49 UDB Then I said, "Yahweh, my Lord, when I tell things like this to people, they do not believe me. They say about me, 'He is only telling parables.'" BSB BSB: Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.