1 Almost seven years afterKing Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been captured and taken to Babylonia, on the tenth day of the fifth monthof that year, some Israeli elders came to me to askif I had a message for them from Yahweh.

2 Then Yahweh gave me a message. He said, 3 “You human, speak to the Israeli elders and say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Yousay that you have come to ask if there is any message from me [RHQ], but as surely as I am alive, I will notanswer you if you ask meto tell you anything.’

4 If you are [RHQ] willing to warn them, remind them of the detestable things that their ancestors did. 5 Then say to them, ‘On the day that I chose you Israeli peopleto belong to me, with my hand lifted up, I made a solemn promise to your ancestorswhile they were still in Egypt. I said to them, “I am Yahweh, your God. 6 I will bring you out of Egypt and lead you to a land that I have chosen for you. It is a very fertile [IDM] and ◄very beautiful/more beautiful than any other► land. 7 Each of you must get rid of the disgusting idols that you loved [IDM], and do not defile yourselves byworshiping those idolsthat you saw in Egypt. I, Yahweh your God, am saying this to you.” ’

8 But they rebelled against me. They would not pay attention to me. They did not get rid of the disgusting idols they loved, and they did not reject those idolsthat they saw in Egypt. So because I was angry with them, I said that I would punish [MTY] them in Egypt. 9 But for the sake of my own reputation, I decided to do something in order that I would not be dishonored by the people of the nations who would see it when I brought my people out of Egypt. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert. 11 I gave them all my laws and decrees [DOU], in order that they would obey them, and as a result they would live for a long time. 12 Also, I established the Sabbath/rest days to be a symbol between us to show that I, Yahweh, had caused them to be set apartfrom the other nations.

13 But the Israeli people rebelled against me in the desert. They did not obey my commands [DOU]; they rejected them, even though they tell people who obey them that they will live for a long time, and they profaned the Sabbath days. So I said that I would get rid of them in the desert, and that would show that I was very angry with them. 14 But again, for the sake of my own reputation, I decided to do something else in order that I would not be dishonored/despised by the people of the nations who had seen me bring my people out of Egypt. 15 I lifted up my hand and solemnly declared to them in the desert that I would not take them into the land that Ihad promised to give them, a land that was very fertile [IDM] and ◄very beautiful/more beautiful than any other► land. 16 The reason that I promised that was because they rejected and disobeyed all my laws [DOU] and ◄desecrated/refused to rest on► the Sabbath days. They did that because they [SYN] were devoted toworshiping their idols. 17 But, I still pitied them and did not get rid of all of them in the desert. 18 I said to their children, ‘Do not do the things that your parents continually did, or defile yourselves byworshiping their idols. 19 I am Yahweh your God. Carefully obey [DOU] my laws and commands. 20 Respect my Sabbath days, in order that by doing that [PRS], it will remind you that you belong to me, Yahweh your God.’

21 But their children also rebelled against me. They did not carefully obey my laws [DOU], even though the people who obey them will live for a long time; and they profaned the Sabbath days. So again I said that by getting rid of them in the desert, I would show that I was very angry with them. 22 But I did not do that [IDM]. Again, for the sake of my own reputation, I decided to do something in order that I would not be dishonored/despised by the people of the nations who had seen it when I brought my people out of Egypt. 23 I lifted up my hand and solemnly declared to them in the desert that I would cause them to be scattered among many nations [DOU], 24 because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws [DOU] and desecrated the Sabbath days, and they had eagerly desiredto worship the idols that their parentshad worshiped. 25 I also allowed them to obey laws that were not good, and laws that would not enable them to live a long time if they obeyed them. 26 I allowed them to become unacceptable to me by their sacrificing their firstborn children in the fire. I did that in order that they would be horrified, and in order that they would know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.

27 Therefore, you human, speak to the Israeli people. Say this to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you: This is one way that your ancestors dishonored me by turning away from me. 28 After I brought them into the land that I had solemnly promised to give to them, every time that they saw a high hill or a big green tree, they offered sacrificesto idols there. They made offerings to them, and that caused me to become angry. They presented to those idols their fragrant burning incense, and poured out wine offerings to them. 29  Then I asked them, “Who [RHQ] told you to worship at a shrine like this, here on this hilltop?” So they are still called “hilltop shrines”.’

30 Therefore, say this to the Israeli people [MTY]: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: “You are going to [RHQ] defile yourselves like your ancestors did by strongly desiringto worship their disgusting statues of idols. 31 When you sacrifice your children in the fire, you are still continuing to make yourselves unacceptable to me byworshiping your many idols. You Israeli people, should I allow you to inquirewhat I want you to do? I, Yahweh the Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will not answer if you inquire.'

32 You say, ‘We want to be like the other nations, like the other people-groups in the world. We want to worshipidols made of wood and stonelike they do.’ But what you want will never happen. 33  I, Yahweh your Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will use my great power [DOU, MTY] to rule over you, and show that I am angry with you. 34 With my great power I will gather you from the places to which you have been scattered, 35 and I will bring you to a desertthat is surrounded by other nations. There, while I am looking at you, I will judge you. 36 I will punish you, like I punished your ancestors in the desert near Egypt. 37 I will count you [MTY] as you walk by, and I will force you to obey the agreement that I made with you. 38 I will get rid of those people among you who rebel [DOU] against me. Although I will bring them out ofBabylonia, where they are now living, they will not enter Israel. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.

39 As for you Israeli people [MTY], this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: 'Go and worship your idols now [IRO], each of you. But afterwards, you will surely heed me and no longer dishonor me [MTY] by taking gifts to your idols. 40  I, Yahweh your Lord, declare that there on my sacred hill, Zion, that high hill in Israel, you will bring gifts to me, and I will accept them. I will require you to bring to me gifts and offerings there, and your sacrifices that are dedicated to me. 41 When I bring you out from the other nations [DOU] to which you have been scattered, I will accept youas though you were fragrant incense. By doing that, I will show the people of other nations that I have set you apart to belong to me. 42 Then, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with my hand lifted up that I would give to your ancestors, you will know that I, Yahweh, have done it. 43 And therein Israel you will remember how you conducted your lives previously, you will remember the actions that caused you to become unacceptable to me, and you will hate/despise yourselves for all the evil things that you have done. 44 When I act toward you Israeli people to protect my reputation, and not just because of your evil deeds and corrupt behavior, you Israeli people will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.' That is what Yahweh the Lord declares.”

45 Yahweh gave me another message. He said, 46 “You human, turn toward the south. Preach about what will happen to that dry land, to the forest there. 47 Say to the forest in the southpart of Israel: 'Listen to this message that Yahweh the Lord is saying about you: “I am about to start a fire in your midst, and it will burn up all your trees, both the green trees and the withered/dry trees. Nothing will extinguish the blazing flames. And the fire will scorch the faces of everyone who lives in that area, from the south to the north. 48 Everyone will see that it is I, Yahweh, who have lit this fire, and no one will be able to put it out.” ' ”

49 Then I said, “Yahweh, my Lord, when I tell things like this to people, they do not believe me. They say about me, ‘He is only telling parables.’ ”