Dual Panel1ON the tenth day of the fifth month in the seventh year, some of the elders of Israel came to consult the LORD and were sitting with me.
2Then this word of the LORD came to me:
3“O man, say to the elders of Israel: The Lord GOD says: Do you come to consult me? As I live, I refuse to be consulted by you. This is the word of the Lord GOD.
4“Bring a charge against them, O man! Tell them of the abominations of their forefathers
5and say to them: The Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, with uplifted hand I bound myself by oath to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt, declaring: I am the LORD your God.
6That day I swore with hand uplifted that I would bring them out of Egypt into the land I had sought out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands.
7I told every one of them to cast away the loathsome things to which they looked up, and not to defile themselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God, I said.
8“But in rebellion against me they refused to listen, and not one of them cast away the loathsome things to which he looked up or forsook the idols of Egypt. I resolved to pour out my wrath and exhaust my anger on them in Egypt.
9But then I acted for the honour of my name, that it might not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom Israel was living: I revealed myself to them by bringing Israel out of Egypt.
10“I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.
11There I gave my statutes to them and taught them my laws; it is by keeping them that mortals have life.
12Further, I gave them my sabbaths to serve as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctified them.
13But the Israelites rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not conform to my statutes, they rejected my laws, though it is by keeping them that mortals have life, and they totally desecrated my sabbaths. I resolved to pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness to destroy them.
14But then I acted for the honour of my name, that it might not be profaned in the sight of the nations who had seen me bring them out.
15“However, in the wilderness I swore to them with uplifted hand that I would not bring them into the land I had given them, that land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands.
16They loved to follow idols of their own, so they rejected my laws, they would not conform to my statutes, and they desecrated my sabbaths.
17Yet I pitied them too much to destroy them and did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
18I warned their children in the wilderness not to conform to the rules and usages of their fathers, nor to defile themselves with their idols.
19I am the LORD your God, I said; you must conform to my statutes, you must observe my laws and act according to them.
20You must keep my sabbaths holy, and they will become a sign between us; so you will know that I am the LORD your God.
21“But those children rebelled against me; they did not conform to my statutes or observe my laws, though obedience to them would have given life. Moreover they desecrated my sabbaths. Again I resolved to pour out my wrath and vent my anger on them in the wilderness.
22But I stayed my hand. I acted for the honour of my name, so that it might not be profaned in the sight of the nations who had seen me bring them out of Egypt.
23However, in the wilderness I swore to them with uplifted hand that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them over the earth,
24because they had disobeyed my laws, rejected my statutes, desecrated my sabbaths, and had regard only for the idols of their forefathers.
25I even imposed on them statutes that were malign and laws which would not lead to life.
26I let them defile themselves with gifts to idols; I made them surrender their eldest sons to them so that I might fill them with revulsion. Thus they would know that I am the LORD.
27“Speak therefore, O man, to the Israelites; say to them: The Lord GOD says: Once again your forefathers reviled me and broke faith with me:
28when I brought them into the land which I had sworn with uplifted hand to give them, they noted every hilltop and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices, there they presented the gifts which roused my anger, there they set out their offerings of soothing odour and poured out their drink-offerings.
29I asked them: What is this bamah to which you go? And “bamah” has been the name for a shrine ever since.
30“So tell the Israelites: The Lord GOD says: Are you defiling yourselves as your forefathers did, and lusting after their loathsome gods?
31You are defiling yourselves to this very day with all your idols when you bring your gifts and pass your children through the fire. How then can I let you consult me, men of Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I refuse to be consulted by you.
32When you say to yourselves, ‘Let us become like the nations and tribes of other lands and worship wood and stone,’ you are thinking of something that can never be.
33As I live, says the Lord GOD, I shall reign over you with a strong hand, with arm outstretched and wrath outpoured.
34By my strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you have been dispersed.
35I shall bring you into the Wilderness of the Peoples; there I shall confront you and bring you to judgement.
36Even as I did in the wilderness of Egypt against your forefathers, so against you I shall state my case. This is the word of the Lord GOD.
37“I shall make you pass under the rod, counting you as you enter.
38I shall purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. I shall take them out of the land where they now live, but they will not set foot on the soil of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.
39“Now, you Israelites, the Lord GOD says: Go, each one of you, and serve your idols! But in days to come I shall punish you for your disobedience to me, and no more will you desecrate my holy name with your gifts and your idolatries.
40But on my holy mountain, the lofty mountain of Israel, says the Lord GOD, there in the land all the Israelites will serve me. There I shall accept them; there I shall require your gifts and your choicest offerings, with all else that you consecrate to me.
41I shall accept you when you make offerings with their soothing odour, after I have brought you out from the peoples and gathered you from the lands where you have been dispersed. I alone shall have your worship, and the nations will witness it.
42“You will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you home to the soil of Israel, to the land which I swore with uplifted hand to give your forefathers.
43There you will remember your past conduct and all the acts by which you defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the wickedness you have committed.
44You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you Israelites, not as your wicked ways and your vicious deeds deserve, but as the honour of my name demands. This is the word of the Lord GOD.”
45This word of the LORD came to me:
46“O man, turn and face towards the south and utter your words towards it; prophesy to the scrubland of the Negeb.
47Say to it: Listen to the word of the LORD. The Lord GOD says: I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume all the wood, green and dry alike. Its fiery flame will not be put out, but from the Negeb northwards everyone will be scorched by it.
48Everyone will see that it is I, the LORD, who have set it ablaze; it will not be put out.”
49“Ah Lord GOD,” I cried; “they are always saying of me, ‘He deals only in figures of speech.’”