Ezekiel 20:39

Bishop's Bible

As for you O house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God, Go you and serue euery man his idols, seyng that ye obey not me: and pollute no more my holy name with your giftes and your idols.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Now, family of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: "Whoever wants to worship their filthy idols, let them go and worship them. But later, don't think you will get any advice from me. You will not ruin my name anymore—not when you continue to give your gifts to your filthy idols!"

New Living Translation
"As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.

New American Standard Bible
"As for you, house of Israel," this is what the Lord GOD says: "Go, serve, everyone of you his idols; but later you will certainly listen to Me, and My holy name you will no longer defile with your gifts and your idols.

New Century Version
"‘This is what the Lord God says: People of Israel, go serve your idols for now. But later you will listen to me; you will not continue to dishonor my holy name with your gifts and gods.

New English Translation
"‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols, if you will not listen to me. But my holy name will not be profaned again by your sacrifices and your idols.

Update Bible Version
As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Go, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall profane no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 to me: but profane ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

Amplified Bible
"As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the Lord GOD, "Go, let everyone serve his idols; but later you shall most certainly listen to Me, and you shall no longer profane My holy name with your gifts and with your idols.

English Standard Version
"As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God : Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

World English Bible
As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Go you, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name shall you no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And ye, the hous of Israel, the Lord God seith these thingis, Go ye ech man aftir youre idols, and serue ye tho. That and if ye heren not me in this, and defoulen more myn hooli name in youre yiftis,

English Revised Version
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD: Go ye, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but my holy name shall ye no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Contemporary English Version
Go 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!

American Standard Version
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Go ye, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me; but my holy name shall ye no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

Bible in Basic English
As for you, O children of Israel, the Lord has said: Let every man completely put away his images and give ear to me: and let my holy name no longer be shamed by your offerings and your images.

Complete Jewish Bible
"As for you, house of Isra'el, here is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘Go on serving your idols, every one of you! But afterwards, [I swear that] you will listen to me, and you will no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols.

Darby Translation
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Go ye, serve every one his idols henceforth also, if none of you will hearken unto me; but profane my holy name no more with your gifts and with your idols.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD: Go ye, serve every one his idols, even because ye will not hearken unto Me; but My holy name shall ye no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

King James Version (1611)
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, Goe yee, serue ye euery one his idoles, and hereafter also, if ye wil not hearken vnto me: but pollute ye my holy Name no more with your gifts, and with your idoles.

New Life Bible
As for you, O people of Israel," the Lord God says, "Go and serve your false gods, every one of you, now and later if you will not listen to Me. Do not ever again bring shame to My holy name with your gifts and your false gods.

New Revised Standard
As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God : Go serve your idols, every one of you now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

Geneva Bible (1587)
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God, Goe you, and serue euery one his idole, seeing that ye will not obey me, and pollute mine holy Name no more with your giftes and with your idoles.

George Lamsa Translation
As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the LORD God: If you will not hearken to me, go then and serve every one his own idols, but pollute not my holy name any more with your gift offerings and with your idols.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But as for you, O house of Israel Thus, saith my Lord. Yahweh, Go. serve every man his own manufactured gods, Yet afterwards, surely Ye shall be ready to hearken unto me, - And my holy name, shall ye profane no more, With your gifts, and With your manufactured gods.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as for you, O house of Israel: thus saith the Lord God: Walk ye every one after your idols, and serve them. But if in this also you hear me not, but defile my holy name any more with your gifts, and with your idols;

Revised Standard Version
"As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And as to you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord, even the Lord; Put away each one his evil practices, and hereafter if ye hearken to me, then shall ye no more profane my holy name by your gifts and by devices.

Good News Translation
The Sovereign Lord says, "And now, all you Israelites, suit yourselves! Go on and serve your idols! But I warn you that after this you will have to obey me and stop dishonoring my holy name by offering gifts to your idols.

Christian Standard Bible®
“‘As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to me, and you will no longer defile my holy name with your gifts and idols.

Hebrew Names Version
As for you, house of Yisra'el, thus says the Lord GOD: Go you, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name shall you no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Let each one go serve his idols now and after, if you are not listening to me, but my holy name you will not profane any longer with your gifts and with your idols.

Literal Translation
And you, O house of Israel, so says the Lord Jehovah: Every man go, serve his idols, even hereafter, if you will not listen to Me. But you will not still profane My holy name with your gifts and with your idols.

Young's Literal Translation
And ye, O house of Israel, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Each his idols -- go -- serve ye, And, afterwards, if ye are not hearkening to me, And My holy name ye do not pollute any more by your gifts, and by your idols.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Go now then (saieth the LORDE God) ye house of Israel, cast awaye, and destroye euery man his Idols: then shal ye heare me, and nomore blaspheme my holy name with youre offrynges and Idols.

THE MESSAGE
"‘But you, people of Israel, this is the Message of God , the Master, to you: Go ahead, serve your no-god idols! But later, you'll think better of it and quit throwing filth and mud on me with your pagan offerings and no-god idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, I, God , the Master, tell you that the entire people of Israel will worship me. I'll receive them there with open arms. I'll demand your best gifts and offerings, all your holy sacrifices. What's more, I'll receive you as the best kind of offerings when I bring you back from all the lands and countries in which you've been scattered. I'll demonstrate in the eyes of the world that I am The Holy. When I return you to the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with upraised arm to give to your parents, you'll realize that I am God . Then and there you'll remember all that you've done, the way you've lived that has made you so filthy—and you'll loathe yourselves.

New King James Version
"As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the Lord GOD: "Go, serve every one of you his idols--and hereafter--if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the Lord GOD, "Go, serve everyone his idols; but later you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols.

Legacy Standard Bible
"As for you, O house of Israel," thus says Lord Yahweh, "Go, serve everyone his idols; but after this you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols.

Contextual Overview

³³ As truely as I lyue saith the Lorde God, I my selfe wyll rule you with a mightie hande, with a stretched out arme, and with indignation powred out ouer you. ³⁴ And I wyll bryng you from the people, and gather you out of the countreis wherin ye are scattered, with a mightie hande, with a stretched out arme, and with indignation powred out. ³⁵ And I wyll bryng you into the wildernesse of the people, & there I wyll be iudged with you face to face. ³⁶ Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernesse of Egypt: so wyll I pleade with you also, saith the Lorde God. ³⁷ I wyll cause you to passe vnder the rodde, and I wyll bryng you into the bonde of the couenaunt. ³⁸ And I wyll purge out of you the rebelles, & them that transgresse against me, and bryng them out of the lande of their habitation: as for the lande of Israel they shall not come in it, that you may knowe howe that I am the Lord. ³⁹ As for you O house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God, Go you and serue euery man his idols, seyng that ye obey not me: and pollute no more my holy name with your giftes and your idols. ⁴⁰ For vpon my holy hyll, euen vpon the hye hyll of Israel saith the Lord God, shall all the house of Israel, and all that is in the lande worship me: and in the same place wyll I fauour them, & there wyll I require your heaue offerynges, and the firstlinges of your oblations, with all your holy thinges. ⁴¹ I wyll accept your sweete sauour, when I bryng you from the nations, & gather you together out of the landes wherin ye haue ben scattered, that I may be halowed in you before the heathen. ⁴² And ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde, when I shall bring you into the lande of Israel, into the lande for the which I lift vp my hande to geue it vnto your fathers.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Go ye: Ezekiel 20:25, Ezekiel 20:26, Judges 10:14, 2 Kings 3:13, Psalms 81:12, Hosea 4:17, Amos 4:4, Amos 4:5, Romans 1:24-28, 2 Thessalonians 2:11

but: Ezekiel 23:37-39, Proverbs 21:27, Isaiah 1:13-15, Isaiah 66:3, Jeremiah 7:9-11, Zephaniah 1:4, Zephaniah 1:5, Matthew 6:24, Revelation 3:15, Revelation 3:16

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:23 - General Leviticus 20:3 - profane Deuteronomy 4:28 - ye shall Deuteronomy 28:36 - there shalt thou Joshua 24:15 - choose 1 Kings 18:27 - Elijah Isaiah 48:11 - for how Isaiah 50:11 - walk Isaiah 57:6 - Should Jeremiah 6:20 - To what Jeremiah 7:10 - come Jeremiah 34:16 - polluted Jeremiah 44:26 - that my name Ezekiel 13:19 - pollute Ezekiel 39:7 - and I will Ezekiel 43:7 - no more Hosea 4:15 - nor Amos 6:10 - for Mark 14:41 - Sleep Acts 7:42 - and gave

Gill's Notes on the Bible

As for you, O house of Israel,.... The then present house of Israel, and the elders of it, who were upon the spot with the prophet:

go ye, serve ye everyone his idols; or dunghill gods; since they liked not to serve the true God: this is not giving them leave to serve idols, or approving their idolatrous practices; but is said "ironically", as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, who compare it with Ecclesiastes 11:9:

and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me; not only serve them now, but for the future; seeing ye choose not to hearken to my voice, to obey my laws, and to worship me, and me only; for it suggests, that it was better to attend to the service of the one, or of the other, and not halt between two opinions; but either, if the God of Israel was the true God, then serve him, and him only; but if Baal, or any other Heathen deity, was so, then serve them, and keep serving them:

but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts and with your idols; to worship him along with them, and them along with him; to pretend they worshipped him in them, and offered their gifts and sacrifices to him through them; and so made use of his name as a cover to their idolatrous practices: this was a polluting his name, and was abominable to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

God’s future dealings with His people:

(1) in judgment Ezekiel 20:32-38;

(2) in mercy Ezekiel 20:39-44.

Ezekiel 20:32

The inquirers had thought that if Jerusalem were taken, and the whole people became sojourners in a foreign land, they would cease to be a separate nation. In their love for idolatry some may have even desired this. But more probably they thought that this very consequence precluded the possibility of such a catastrophe. God answers that He will not allow them to become as the pagan, but this will only subject them to severer trial and stricter rule.

Ezekiel 20:33

The expressions “a mighty hand, stretched out arm” carry back the thoughts to Egyptian bondage Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 5:15; but then it was for deliverance, now for judgment “with fury poured out.”

Ezekiel 20:35

The wilderness of the people - A time of probation will follow, as before in the wilderness of Sin, so in the “wilderness of the nations” among whom they will sojourn (not the Babylonians) “after” that captivity. This period of their probation is not over. The dispersion of the Jews did not cease with the return under Zerubbabel; but in our Saviour’s time they were living as a distinct people in all the principal places in the civilized world; and so they live now. God is yet pleading with them “face to face,” calling them personally to embrace those offers which as a nation they disregarded.

Ezekiel 20:37

To pass under the rod - i. e., to be gathered into the flock Micah 7:14.

The bond - The shepherd collects the flock, and separates the sheep from the goats, which are rejected. Compare Romans 11:7-11.

Ezekiel 20:39

Strong irony. Some prefer another rendering: “Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, yet hereafter ye shall surely hearken unto me, and shall no more pollute My Holy Name etc.” In this way, this verse is introductory to what follows.

Ezekiel 20:40

This points to the consummation indicated by the vision of the temple.

In the mountain of the height - Or, Upon a very high mountain Ezekiel 40:2. Compare Isaiah 2:2-3.

The house of Israel, all of them - All the separation between Israel and Judah shall cease. This points to times yet future, when in Messiah’s kingdom Jews and Gentiles alike shall be gathered into one kingdom - the kingdom of Christ. Jerusalem is the Church of Christ Galatians 4:26, into which the children of Israel shall at last be gathered, and so the prophecy shall be fulfilled Revelation 21:2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 20:39. Go ye, serve ye every one his idols — Thus, God gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they could not live, by thus permitting them to take their own way, serve their gods, and follow the maxims and rites of that abominable worship.