18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers neither observe their judgments nor defile yourselves with their idols 19 I am the LORD your God walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and do them 20 And hallow my sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the LORD your God 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me they walked not in my statutes neither kept my judgments to do them which if a man do he shall even live in them they polluted my sabbaths then I said I would pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness 22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand and wrought for my name's sake that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen in whose sight I brought them forth 23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the heathen and disperse them through the countries 24 Because they had not executed my judgments but had despised my statutes and had polluted my sabbaths and their eyes were after their fathers' idols 25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good and judgments whereby they should not live 26 And I polluted them in their own gifts in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb that I might make them desolate to the end that they might know that I am the LORD
27 Therefore son of man speak unto the house of Israel and say unto them Thus saith the Lord GOD Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me in that they have committed a trespass against me 28 For when I had brought them into the land for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them then they saw every high hill and all the thick trees and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering there also they made their sweet savour and poured out there their drink offerings 29 Then I said unto them What is the high place whereunto ye go And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day 30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel Thus saith the Lord GOD Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers and commit ye whoredom after their abominations 31 For when ye offer your gifts when ye make your sons to pass through the fire ye pollute yourselves with all your idols even unto this day and shall I be enquired of by you O house of Israel As I live saith the Lord GOD I will not be enquired of by you 32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all that ye say We will be as the heathen as the families of the countries to serve wood and stone
33 As I live saith the Lord GOD surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you 34 And I will bring you out from the people and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people and there will I plead with you face to face 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt so will I plead with you saith the Lord GOD 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels and them that transgress against me I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn and they shall not enter into the land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the LORD
39 As for you O house of Israel thus saith the Lord GOD Go ye serve ye every one his idols and hereafter also if ye will not hearken unto me but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts and with your idols 40 For in mine holy mountain in the mountain of the height of Israel saith the Lord GOD there shall all the house of Israel all of them in the land serve me there will I accept them and there will I require your offerings and the firstfruits of your oblations with all your holy things 41 I will accept you with your sweet savour when I bring you out from the people and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen 42 And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I shall bring you into the land of Israel into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers 43 And there shall ye remember your ways and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed 44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I have wrought with you for my name's sake not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings O ye house of Israel saith the Lord GOD
45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me saying 46 Son of man set thy face toward the south and drop thy word toward the south and prophesy against the forest of the south field 47 And say to the forest of the south Hear the word of the LORD Thus saith the Lord GOD Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree the flaming flame shall not be quenched and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein 48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it it shall not be quenched 49 Then said I Ah Lord GOD they say of me Doth he not speak parables
