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¹ And it came to passe in the seuenth yeere, in the fift moneth, the tenth day of the moneth, that certaine of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the Lord, and sate before me. ² Then came the word of the Lord vnto me, saying, ³ Sonne of man, speake vnto the elders of Israel, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Are yee come to enquire of me? As I liue, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you. ⁴ Wilt thou iudge them, sonne of man, wilt thou iudge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

⁵ And say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted vp mine hand vnto the seed of the house of Iacob, and made my selfe knowen vnto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted vp mine hand vnto them, saying, I am the Lord your God, ⁶ In the day that I lifted vp mine hand vnto them to bring them foorth of the land of Egypt, into a lande that I had espied for them, flowing with milke and hony, which is the glory of all lands: ⁷ Then said I vnto them, Cast ye away euery man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not your selues with the idoles of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. ⁸ But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken vnto mee: they did not euery man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idoles of Egypt: then I said, I will powre out my furie vpon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the middest of the land of Egypt. ⁹ But I wrought for my names sake that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made my selfe knowen vnto them, in bringing them foorth out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ Wherefore I caused them to goe foorth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wildernesse. ¹¹ And I gaue them my statutes, and shewed them my iudgements, which if a man doe, he shall euen liue in them. ¹² Moreouer also, I gaue them my Sabbaths, to be a signe betweene mee and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them. ¹³ But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wildernesse: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my iudgements, which if a man doe, hee shall euen liue in them, and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said I would powre out my furie vpon them in the wildernesse, to consume them: ¹⁴ But I wrought for my names sake, that it should not bee polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. ¹⁵ Yet also I lifted vp my hand vnto them in the wildernesse, that I would not bring them into the land which I had giuen them, flowing with milke and hony, which is the glory of all lands, ¹⁶ Because they despised my iudgements, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idoles. ¹⁷ Neuerthelesse, mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of the in the wildernes. ¹⁸ But I said vnto their children in the wildernesse; Walke ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither obserue their iudgements, nor defile your selues with their idoles. ¹⁹ I am the Lord your God: walke in my statutes, and keepe my iudgements and doe them: ²⁰ And hallow my Sabbaths, and they shall be a signe betweene mee and you, that yee 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 iudgements to doe them, which if a man doe, hee shall euen liue in them; they polluted my Sabbaths: then I said I would powre out my furie vpon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wildernesse. ²² Neuerthelesse I withdrew mine hand and wrought for my names sake, that it should not be polluted in the fight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them foorth. ²³ I lifted vp mine hand vnto them also in the wildernesse, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countreys; ²⁴ Because they had not executed my iudgements, but had despised my Statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers idoles. ²⁵ Wherefore I gaue them also statutes that were not good, and iudgements whereby they should not liue. ²⁶ And I polluted them in their owne gifts, in that they caused to passe through the fire all that openeth the wombe, that I might make them desolate, to the end, that they might know that I am the Lord.

²⁷ Therefore sonne of man, speake vnto the house of Israel, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Yet in this your fathers haue blasphemed me, in that they haue committed a trespasse against me. ²⁸ For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hand to giue it to them, then they saw euery high hill, and all the thicke trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the prouocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet sauour, and powred out there their drinke offerings. ²⁹ Then I said vnto them, What is the high place whereunto ye goe? and the name thereof is called Bamah vnto this day. ³⁰ Wherefore say vnto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye polluted after the maner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredome after their abominations? ³¹ For when yee offer your gifts, when yee make your sonnes to passe through the fire, ye pollute your selues with all your idoles euen vnto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I liue, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. ³² And that which cometh into your minde, shall not be at all, that ye say, We wil be as the heathen, as the families of the countreys, to serue wood and stone.

³³ As I liue, sayeth the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arme, and with furie powred out, will I rule ouer you. ³⁴ And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countreys wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, & with a stretched out arme, and with fury powred out. ³⁵ And I wil bring you into the wildernes of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. ³⁶ Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernes of the land of Egypt, so wil I plead with you, saith the Lord God. ³⁷ And I will cause you to passe vnder the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the Couenant. ³⁸ And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgresse against mee: I will bring them foorth out of the countrey where they soiourne, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel, and yee shall know that I am the Lord. ³⁹ 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. ⁴⁰ For in mine holy mountaine, in the mountaine of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land serue me: there will I accept them, and there wil I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. ⁴¹ I will accept you with your sweet sauour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countreys wherein yee haue bene scattered, and I wil 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 countrey for the which I lifted vp mine hand, to giue it to your fathers. ⁴³ And there shall yee remember your wayes, & all your doings, wherein ye haue bene defiled, and ye shal lothe your selues in your owne sight, for all your euils that ye haue committed. ⁴⁴ And ye shal know that I am the Lord, when I haue wrought with you for my Names sake, not according to your wicked wayes, nor according to your corrupt doings, O yee house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

⁴⁵ Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, ⁴⁶ Sonne of man, set thy face toward the South, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophesie against the forrest of the South field. ⁴⁷ And say to the forest of ye South, Heare the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall deuoure euery greene tree in thee, and euery dry tree: the flaming flame shal not be quenched, and all faces from the South to the North shalbe burnt therein. ⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I the Lord haue kindled it: it shall not be quenched. ⁴⁹ Then said I, Ah Lord God, they say of me, Doeth he not speake parables?