God refuseth to be consulted by the elders of Israel.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² in the seventhº year,º in the fifthº [month], the tenthº [day] of the month,º [that] certain¹² of the eldersº² of Israelº cameºª to enquireºª² of the LORD,º and satºª beforeº me. 2 Then came² the wordº of the LORDº unto² me, saying,ºª 3 Sonº of man,º speakºª² unto the eldersº of Israel,º and sayºª unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Are ye² comeºª to enquireºª of me? [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º I will not² be enquiredºª of by you. 4 Wilt thou judgeºª them, sonº of man,º wilt thou judgeºª [them]? cause them to knowºª² the abominationsº of their fathers:º

He sheweth the story of their rebellions in Egypt,

5 ¶ And sayºª unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º In the dayº when I choseºª Israel,º and lifted upºª mine handº unto the seedº of the houseº of Jacob,º and made myself knownºª unto them in the landº of Egypt,º when I lifted¹ª up² mine handº unto them, saying,ºª I² [am] the LORDº your God;º 6 In the dayº [that] I lifted upºª mine handº unto them, to bring them forthºª of the landº² of Egyptº into² a landº that² I had espiedºª for them, flowingºª with milkº and honey,º which² [is] the gloryº of all² lands:º 7 Then saidºª I unto² them, Cast ye awayºª every manº the abominationsº of his eyes,º and defile¹ª not yourselves²² with the idolsº of Egypt:º I² [am] the LORDº your God.º 8 But they rebelledºª against me, and wouldºª not² hearkenºª unto² me: they did not² every manº cast awayºª² the abominationsº of their eyes,º neither² did they forsakeºª the idolsº of Egypt:º then I said,ºª I will pour outºª my furyº upon² them, to accomplishºª my angerº against them in the midstº of the landº of Egypt.º 9 But I wroughtºª for my name's¹ sake,²² that it should not² be pollutedºª beforeº the heathen,º amongº whom² they² [were], in whose² sightº I made myself knownºª unto² them, in bringing them forthºª out of the landº² of Egypt.º

in the wilderness,

10 ¶ Wherefore I caused them to go² forth¹ª out of the landº² of Egypt,º and broughtºª them into² the wilderness.º 11 And I gaveºª them² my statutes,º and shewedºª them my judgments,º which² [if] a manº do,ºª² he shall even live¹ª² in them. 12 Moreover also² I gaveºª them² my sabbaths,º to be² a signº between² me and them, that they might knowºª that² I² [am] the LORDº that sanctifyºª them. 13 But the houseº of Israelº rebelledºª against me in the wilderness:º they walkedºª not² in my statutes,º and they despisedºª my judgments,º which² [if] a manº do,ºª² he shall even live¹ª² in them; and my sabbathsº they greatlyº polluted:ºª then I said,ºª I would pour outºª my furyº upon² them in the wilderness,º to consumeºª them. 14 But I wroughtºª for my name's¹ sake,²² that it should not² be pollutedºª beforeº the heathen,º in whose² sightº I brought them out.ºª 15 Yet also² I² lifted upºª my handº unto them in the wilderness,º that I would not² bringºª them into² the landº which² I had givenºª [them], flowingºª with milkº and honey,º which² [is] the gloryº of all² lands;º 16 Because² they despisedºª my judgments,º and walkedºª not² in my statutes,º but pollutedºª my sabbaths:º for² their heartº wentºª afterº their idols.º 17 Nevertheless mine eyeº sparedºª² them from destroyingºª² them, neither² did I makeºª an endº of them in the wilderness.º 18 But I saidºª unto² their childrenº in the wilderness,º Walk¹ª² ye not² in the statutesº of your fathers,º neither² observeºª their judgments,º nor² defile¹ª yourselves² with their idols:º 19 I² [am] the LORDº your God;º walk¹ª² in my statutes,º and keepºª my judgments,º and doºª them; 20 And hallowºª my sabbaths;º and they shall be² a signº between² me and you, that ye may knowºª that² I² [am] the LORDº your God.º 21 Notwithstanding the childrenº rebelledºª against me: they walkedºª not² in my statutes,º neither² keptºª my judgmentsº to doºª them, which² [if] a manº do,ºª² he shall even live¹ª² in them; they pollutedºª² my sabbaths:º then I said,ºª I would pour outºª my furyº upon² them, to accomplishºª my angerº against them in the wilderness.º 22 Nevertheless I withdrewºª² mine hand,º and wroughtºª for my name's¹ sake,²² that it should not² be pollutedºª in the sightº of the heathen,º in whose² sightº I brought them forth.ºª² 23 I² lifted upºª² mine handº unto them also² in the wilderness,º that I would scatterºª them among the heathen,º and disperseºª them through the countries;º 24 Because² they had not² executedºª my judgments,º but had despisedºª my statutes,º and had pollutedºª my sabbaths,º and their eyesº were² afterº their fathers'º idols.º 25 Wherefore I² gaveºª them also² statutesº [that were] not² good,º and judgmentsº whereby they should not² live;ºª 26 And I pollutedºª them in their own gifts,º in that they caused to pass throughºª [the fire] all² that openethº the womb,º that² I might make them desolate,ºª to the end² that² they might knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD.º

and in the land.

27 ¶ Therefore,² sonº of man,º speakºª unto² the houseº of Israel,º and sayºª unto² them, Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Yet² in this² your fathersº have blasphemedºª me, in that they have committedºª a trespassº against me. 28 [For] when I had broughtºª them into² the land,º [for] the which² I lifted upºª² mine handº to giveºª it to them, then they sawºª every² highºª hill,º and all² the thickº trees,º and they offeredºª there²² their sacrifices,º and there² they presentedºª the provocationº of their offering:º there² also they madeºª their sweetº savour,º and poured outºª there²² their drink offerings.º 29 Then I saidºª unto² them, What² [is] the high placeº whereunto²² ye² go?ºª And the nameº thereof is calledºª Bamahº unto² this² day.º 30 Wherefore² sayºª unto² the houseº of Israel,º Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Are ye² pollutedºª after the mannerº of your fathers?º and commit ye whoredomºª² afterº their abominations?º 31 For when ye offerºª your gifts,º when ye make your sonsº to pass² through¹ª the fire,º ye² pollute¹ª yourselves² with all² your idols,º even unto² this day:º and shall I² be enquired¹ª of² by you, O houseº of Israel?º [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º I will not² be enquired¹ª of² by you. 32 And that which comethºª into² your mindº shall not² be at all,º that² ye² say,ºª We will beºª as the heathen,º as the familiesº of the countries,º to serveºª woodº and stone.º

He promiseth to gather them by the Gospel.

33 ¶ [As] I² live,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º surely²² with a mightyº hand,º and with a stretched outºª arm,º and with furyº poured out,ºª will I ruleºª over² you: 34 And I will bring you outºª² from² the people,º and will gatherºª you out of² the countriesº wherein² ye are scattered,ºª with a mightyº hand,º and with a stretched outºª arm,º and with furyº poured out.ºª 35 And I will bringºª you into² the wildernessº of the people,º and there² will I pleadºª with² you faceº to² face.º 36 Like as² I pleadedºª with² your fathersº in the wildernessº of the landº of Egypt,º so² will I pleadºª with² you, saithºª the Lordº GOD.º 37 And I will cause you to passºª under² the rod,º and I will bringºª you into the bondº of the covenant:º 38 And I will purge outºª from² among you the rebels,ºª and them that transgressºª against me: I will bring them forthºª² out of the countryº² where they sojourn,º and they shall not² enterºª into² the landº of Israel:º and ye shall knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD.º 39 As for you,² O houseº of Israel,º thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Go¹ª² ye, serveºª ye every oneº his idols,º and hereafterº [also], if² ye will not² hearkenºª unto² me: but polluteºª ye my holyº nameº no² more² with your gifts,º and with your idols.º 40 For² in mine holyº mountain,º in the mountainº of the heightº of Israel,º saithºª the Lordº GOD,º there² shall all² the houseº of Israel,º all² of them in the land,º serveºª me: there² will I acceptºª them, and there² will I requireºª² your offerings,º and the firstfruitsº of your oblations,º with all² your holy things.º 41 I will acceptºª you with your sweetº savour,º when I bring you outºª² from² the people,º and gatherºª you out of² the countriesº wherein² ye have been scattered;ºª and I will be sanctifiedºª in you beforeº the heathen.º 42 And ye shall knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD,º when I shall bringºª you into² the landº of Israel,º into² the countryº [for] the which² I lifted upºª² mine handº to giveºª it to your fathers.º 43 And there² shall ye rememberºª² your ways,º and all² your doings,º wherein² ye have been defiled;ºª and ye shall lothe¹ª yourselves² in your own sightº for all² your evilsº that² ye have committed.ºª 44 And ye shall knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD,º when I have wroughtºª with² you for my name's¹ sake,²² not² according to your wickedº ways,º nor according to your corruptºª doings,º O ye houseº of Israel,º saithºª the Lordº GOD.º

Under the name of a forest he sheweth the destruction of Jerusalem.

45 ¶ Moreover the wordº of the LORDº came² unto² me, saying,ºª 46 Sonº of man,º setºª thy faceº towardº the south,º and dropºª [thy word] toward² the south,º and prophesyºª against² the forestº of the southº field;º 47 And sayºª to the forestº of the south,º Hearºª the wordº of the LORD;º Thus² saithºª the Lordº GOD;º Behold,² I will kindleºª a fireº in thee, and it shall devourºª every² greenº treeº in thee, and every² dryº tree:º the flamingº flameº shall not² be quenched,ºª and all² facesº from the southº² to the northº shall be burnedºª therein. 48 And all² fleshº shall seeºª that² I² the LORDº have kindledºª it: it shall not² be quenched.ºª 49 Then saidºª I, Ahº Lordº GOD!º they² sayºª of me, Doth he² not² speakºª parables?º