Ezequiel 20

1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me.

2 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 3 "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live," says the Lord Yahweh, "I will not be inquired of by you."’

4 "Will you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers. 5 Tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, ‘I am Yahweh your God;’ 6 in that day I swore to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. 7 I said to them, ‘Each of you throw away the abominations of his eyes. Don’t defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’

8 "‘"But they rebelled against me and wouldn’t listen to me. They didn’t all throw away the abominations of their eyes. They also didn’t forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the middle of the land of Egypt. 9 But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I caused them to go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he will live in them. 12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.

13 "‘"But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn’t walk in my statutes and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall live in them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14 But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands, 16 because they rejected my ordinances, and didn’t walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn’t destroy them. I didn’t make a full end of them in the wilderness. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Don’t walk in the statutes of your fathers. Don’t observe their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am Yahweh your God. Walk in my statutes, keep my ordinances, and do them. 20 Make my Sabbaths holy. They shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.’

21 "‘"But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and didn’t keep my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he shall live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew my hand and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. 23 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, 24 because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. 25 Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they couldn’t live. 26 I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused all that opens the womb to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Yahweh."’

27 "Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "Moreover, 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 which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There they also made their pleasant aroma, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, ‘What does the high place where you go mean?’ So its name is called Bamah*20:29 "Bamah" means "High Place". to this day."’

30 "Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: "Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? Do you play the prostitute after their abominations? 31 When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? Should I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you!

32 "‘"That which comes into your mind will not be at all, in that you say, ‘We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.’ 33 As I live," says the Lord Yahweh, "surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you," says the Lord Yahweh. 37 "I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who disobey me. I will bring them out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh."

39 "‘As for you, house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says: "Go, everyone serve his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but you shall no more profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols. 40 For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel," says the Lord Yahweh, "there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you as a pleasant aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered. I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. 42 You will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers. 43 There you will remember your ways, and all your deeds in which you have polluted yourselves. Then you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed. 44 You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel," says the Lord Yahweh.’"

45 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 46 "Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the south. 47 Tell the forest of the south, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word: The Lord Yahweh says, "Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree. The burning flame will not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north will be burned by it. 48 All flesh will see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it. It will not be quenched."’"

49 Then I said, "Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’"

Te Whakakeke Tonu a Īharaira

1 Nā, i te whitu o ngā tau, i te rima o ngā marama, i te tekau o ngā rā o te marama, ka haere mai ētahi o ngā kaumātua o Īharaira ki te rapu tikanga i a Ihowā, ā, noho ana i tōku aroaro.

2 Nā, ka puta mai te kupu a Ihowā ki ahau, i mea: 3 "E te tama a te tangata, kōrero ki ngā kaumātua o Īharaira; mea atu ki a rātou: Ko te kupu tēnei a te Ariki, a Ihowā: I haere mai rānei koutou ki te rapu tikanga i ahau? E ora ana ahau, e kore ahau e pai kia rapua e koutou he tikanga i ahau, e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā.

4 "E whakawā rānei koe i a rātou, e te tama a te tangata, e whakawā rānei koe? Meinga kia mōhio rātou ki ngā mea whakarihariha a ō rātou mātua, 5 mea atu hoki ki a rātou: Ko te kupu tēnei a te Ariki, a Ihowā: I te rā i whiriwhiria ai e ahau a Īharaira, i tōku ringa i ara rā ki ngā uri o te whare o Hākopa – i mōhiotia ai ahau e rātou i te whenua o Īhipa – i tōku ringa i ara atu rā ki a rātou, i ahau i mea rā, ‘Ko Ihowā ahau, ko tō koutou Atua.’ 6 I taua rā anō i ara ai tōku ringa ki a rātou ki te tango mai i a rātou i te whenua o Īhipa ki te whenua i tirohia e ahau mō rātou, e rerengia ana e te waiū, e te honi, ki te wāhi ātaahua rawa o ngā whenua katoa. 7 I mea ahau ki a rātou, ‘Makā e tērā, e tērā, ngā mea whakarihariha o ōna kanohi; kaua hoki koutou e whakapokea ki ngā whakapakoko o Īhipa; ko Ihowā ahau, ko tō koutou Atua.’

8 "Otiia, kei te whakakeke rātou ki ahau, kīhai hoki i pai ki te whakarongo ki ahau, kīhai i makā atu e rātou ngā mea whakarihariha o ngā kanohi o tērā, o tērā, kīhai i whakarērea e rātou ngā whakapakoko o Īhipa. Kātahi ahau ka mea, Ka ringihia e ahau tōku weriweri ki a rātou, ka whakapaua e ahau tōku riri ki a rātou i waenganui o te whenua o Īhipa. 9 Otiia, mahi ana ahau mō tōku ingoa kei poke i te tirohanga a ngā iwi i noho tahi rātou, i meinga nei e ahau kia mōhio ki ahau, i ā rātou rā i kite i tō rātou whakaputanga mai i te whenua o Īhipa. 10 Heoi, whakaputaina ana rātou e ahau i te whenua o Īhipa, kawea ana ki te koraha. 11 I hoatu anō e ahau āku tikanga ki a rātou, i whakakitea atu anō ki a rātou āku whakaritenga e ora ai te tangata ki te mahia e ia. 12 I hoatu anō e ahau āku hāpati ki a rātou hei tohu ki ahau, ki a rātou, kia mōhio ai rātou ko Ihowā ahau, ko tō rātou kaiwhakatapu.

13 "Otiia, i whakakeke te whare o Īharaira ki ahau i te koraha; kīhai rātou i haere i runga i āku tikanga, paopao ana rātou ki āku whakaritenga e ora ai te tangata ki te mahia e ia; whakapokea rawatia ana e rātou āku hāpati. Kātahi ahau ka mea kia ringihia tōku weriweri ki a rātou i te koraha, kia mōtī rā anō rātou. 14 Otiia mahi ana ahau mō tōku ingoa, kei poke i te tirohanga a ngā iwi i kite nei i tāku tangohanga mai i a rātou. 15 I ara anō hoki tōku ringa ki a rātou i te koraha kia kaua rātou e kawea ki te whenua e rerengia ana e te waiū, e te honi, ki tāku i hoatu ai, he wāhi ātaahua rawa i ngā whenua katoa; 16 mō rātou i paopao ki āku whakaritenga, ā, kīhai i haere i runga i āku tikanga; ko āku hāpati hoki whakapokea iho e rātou. He whai nō ō rātou ngākau i ā rātou whakapakoko. 17 Heoi, i tohungia rātou e tōku kanohi, kīhai i whakangaromia, kīhai anō ahau i whakamōtī i a rātou i te koraha. 18 Ā, i mea ahau ki ā rātou tamariki i te koraha, Kaua e haere i runga i ngā tikanga a ō koutou mātua, kaua anō e puritia ā rātou whakaritenga, kei poke hoki koutou i ā rātou whakapakoko. 19 Ko Ihowā ahau, ko tō koutou Atua; haere i runga i āku tikanga, puritia āku whakaritenga, mahia; 20 whakatapua hoki āku hāpati; ā, ka waiho ērā hei tohu ki ahau, ki a koutou, kia mōhio ai koutou ko Ihowā ahau, ko tō koutou Atua.

21 "Otiia kei te whakakeke ngā tamariki ki ahau: Kīhai i haere i runga i āku tikanga, kīhai hoki i pupuri i āku whakaritenga hei mahi mā rātou; ki te mahia hoki ēnā e te tangata, ka ai hei oranga mōna; ko āku hāpati hoki, whakapokea iho e rātou. Nā, ko tāku kīanga ake, kia ringihia tōku weriweri ki a rātou, kia whakapaua tōku riri ki a rātou i te koraha. 22 Engari, ia i whakahokia iho e ahau tōku ringa, ā, mahi ana mō tōku ingoa, kei poke i te tirohanga mai a ngā iwi i kite nei i tāku whakaputanga i a rātou. 23 I ara anō tōku ringa ki a rātou i te koraha, mō rātou kia whakamararatia ki roto ki ngā tauiwi, kia tītaria atu ki ngā whenua; 24 mō rātou kīhai i mahi i āku whakaritenga; mō rātou anō i paopao ki āku tikanga, nā, whakapokea iho e rātou āku hāpati, anga tonu ana ō rātou kanohi ki ngā whakapakoko a ō rātou mātua. 25 Nā, hoatu ana e ahau ki a rātou he tikanga kāhore i pai, he whakaritenga e kore ai rātou e ora. 26 I whakapokea anō rātou e ahau ki ā rātou mea hōmai noa, mō tā rātou meatanga i ngā tamariki katoa e oroko puta mai ana i te kōpū kia tika i roto i te ahi, he mea e meinga ai rātou e ahau kia noho kau noa iho, kia mōhio ai rātou ko Ihowā ahau.

27 "Mō reira kōrero ki te whare o Īharaira, e te tama a te tangata, mea atu ki a rātou: Ko te kupu tēnei a te Ariki, a Ihowā: Tēnei anō tētahi kohukohu a ō koutou mātua ki ahau, i a rātou i mahi nei i te hē ki ahau. 28 Ka oti rātou te kawe e ahau ki te whenua i ara ai tōku ringa kia hoatu a reira ki a rātou, nā, ka kite rātou i tēnā pukepuke tiketike, i tēnā, i tēnā rākau pūruru, i tēnā, nā, patua ana e rātou ki reira ā rātou patunga tapu, tāpaea ana e rātou ki reira te mea whakapātaritari, tā rātou whakahere. Mahia ana e rātou tā rātou whakakakara reka ki reira, ringihia ana e rātou ki reira ā rātou ringihanga. 29 Kātahi ahau ka mea ki a rātou: He aha te pukepuke tiketike e hāereere atu nā koutou?" (Heoi, huaina ana te ingoa o reira ko Pāma ā mohoa noa nei.)

30 "Mō reira mea atu ki te whare o Īharaira: Ko te kupu tēnei a te Ariki, a Ihowā: Ka whakapoke rānei koutou i a koutou, ka pērā me ō koutou mātua? Ka whai rānei koutou i ā rātou mea whakarihariha moepuku ai? 31 I te mea hoki ka tāpaea e koutou ā koutou mea hoatu noa, ā, ka meinga ā koutou tamariki kia tika nā roto i te ahi, e whakapoke ana rānei koutou i a koutou anō ki ā koutou whakapakoko katoa ā mohoa noa nei? Ā, me rapu tikanga mai rānei i ahau mā koutou, e te whare o Īharaira? E ora ana ahau, e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā, e kore ahau e pai kia uia e koutou."

Ka Whakahokia e Ihowā a Īharaira

32 "Nā, ko te mea i puta ake ki ō koutou wairua e kore rawa e taea, tā koutou e kī rā, ‘Ka rite tātou ki ngā tauiwi, ki ngā hapū o ngā whenua, ka mahi ki te rākau, ki te kōhatu.’ 33 E ora ana ahau, e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā, inā, he ringa kaha tōku, he tākakau mārō, he weriweri kua oti te riringi atu, i ahau ka kāwana nei i a koutou. 34 Ka tangohia mai anō koutou e ahau i roto i ngā iwi, ka huihuia i ngā whenua i whakamararatia atu ai koutou, he meatanga nā te ringa kaha, nā te tākakau mārō, nā te weriweri kua oti te riringi atu. 35 Ā, ka kawea koutou e ahau ki te koraha o ngā iwi, ā, ki reira ahau whakawā ai i a koutou, he kanohi ki te kanohi. 36 Ka rite ki tāku whakawā i ō koutou mātua i te koraha o te whenua o Īhipa; ka pēnā anō tāku whakawā i a koutou, e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā. 37 Ka meinga anō koutou e ahau kia tika i raro i te tokotoko, kia uru ki roto ki te here o te kawenata. 38 Ka tahia atu hoki e ahau i roto i a koutou te hunga whakakeke, te hunga hoki e tutū ana ki ahau. Ka tangohia mai rātou e ahau i te whenua e noho nei rātou, engari, e kore rātou e tae ki te oneone o Īharaira; ā, ka mōhio koutou ko Ihowā ahau.

39 "Nā, ko koutou, e te whare o Īharaira, ko te kupu tēnei a te Ariki, a Ihowā: Haere, e mahi ki tāna whakapakoko, ki tāna whakapakoko, i ngā wā e takoto ake nei, ki te kore koutou e rongo ki ahau; kaua ia tōku ingoa tapu e whakapokea i muri ki ā koutou mea hōmai noa, ki ā koutou whakapakoko.

40 "Hei tōku maunga tapu hoki, hei te maunga o te tairangatanga o Īharaira, e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā, hei reira te whare katoa o Īharaira, rātou katoa i te whenua, mahi ai ki ahau. Ko te wāhi tērā e manako ai ahau ki a rātou, ko te wāhi anō tērā e mea ake ai ahau ki ā koutou whakahere māku, ki ngā mātāmua o ā koutou mea e tāpae mai ai, ki ā koutou mea tapu katoa. 41 Ka manako ahau ki a koutou, ānō he whakakakara reka, ina tangohia mai koutou e ahau i roto i ngā iwi, ina huihuia mai i ngā whenua i whakamararatia atu ai koutou; ā, ka ai koutou hei whakatapu mōku i te tirohanga a ngā iwi. 42 Nā, ka mōhio koutou ko Ihowā ahau, ina kawea koutou e ahau ki te oneone o Īharaira, ki te whenua i ara ai tōku ringa kia hoatu a reira ki ō koutou mātua. 43 Ka mahara anō koutou i reira ki ō koutou ara, ki ā koutou mahi katoa i poke ai koutou; ā, ka whakarihariha koutou ki a koutou, ki tā koutou ake titiro, mō ngā mea kikino katoa i mahia e koutou. 44 Ā, ka mōhio koutou ko Ihowā ahau, ina ngana ahau ki a koutou, he mea mō tōku ingoa, kāhore anō ia e rite ki ō koutou ara kino, ki ā koutou mahi hē rānei, e te whare o Īharaira, e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā."