1Seven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, some of Israel's leaders came to me on the tenth day of the fifth month. They sat down and asked for a message from the Lord.
2Just then, the Lord God said:
3Ezekiel, son of man, these leaders have come to find out what I want them to do. As surely as I live, I will not give them an answer of any kind.
4Are you willing to warn them, Ezekiel? Then remind them of the disgusting sins of their ancestors.
5 And those places of worship are still called shrines.
30Then ask the Israelites why they are following the example of their wicked ancestors
31by worshiping idols and by sacrificing their own children as offerings. They commit these sins and still think they can ask me for a message. As surely as I am the living Lord God, I will give them no answer.
32They may think they can be like other nations and get away with worshiping idols made of wood and stone. But that will never happen!
The Lord Promises To Restore IsraelThe Lord said to the people of Israel:33As surely as I am the living Lord God, I will rule over you with my powerful arm. You will feel my fierce anger
34and my power, when I gather you from the places where you are scattered
35and lead you into a desert surrounded by nations. I will meet you there face to face. Then I will pass judgment on you
36and punish you, just as I punished your ancestors in the desert near Egypt.
37I will force each of you to obey the regulations of our solemn agreement.
38I will separate the sinful rebels from the rest of you, and even though I will bring them from the nations where they live in exile, they won't be allowed to return to Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39Go ahead and worship your idols for now, you Israelites, because soon I will no longer let you dishonor me by offering gifts to them. You will have no choice but to obey me!
40When that day comes, everyone in Israel will worship me on Mount Zion, my holy mountain in Jerusalem. I will once again call you my own, and I will accept your sacred offerings and sacrifices.
41When I bring you home from the places where you are now scattered, I will be pleased with you, just as I am pleased with the smell of the smoke from your sacrifices. Every nation on earth will see that I am holy,
42and you will know that I, the Lord, am the one who brought you back to Israel, the land I promised your ancestors.
43Then you will remember your wicked sins, and you will hate yourselves for doing such horrible things. They have made you unacceptable to me,
44so you deserve to be punished. But I will treat you in a way that will bring honor to my name, and you will know that I am the Lord God.
Fire from the South45The Lord said,
46“Ezekiel, son of man, turn toward the south and warn the forests
47that I, the Lord God, will start a fire that will burn up every tree, whether green or dry. Nothing will be able to put out the blaze of that fire as it spreads to the north and burns everything in its path.
48Everyone will know that I started it, and that it cannot be stopped.”
49But I complained, “Lord God, I don't want to do that! People already say I confuse them with my messages.”
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