The Babylonian Exile

because they had rejected my rulings, did not live by my laws and profaned my shabbats; since their hearts went after their idols.

However, I spared them from complete destruction; I did not completely finish them off in the desert.

"'I said to their children in the desert, "Don't live by the laws of your fathers, observe their rulings or defile yourselves with their idols.

I am ADONAI your God; live by my laws, observe my rulings, and obey them,

and keep my shabbats holy; and they will be a sign between me and you, so that you will know that I am ADONAI your God."

"'But the children too rebelled against me. They did not live by my laws or observe my rulings, to obey them, which, if a person does, he will have life by them; and they profaned my shabbats. Then I said I would pour out my fury on them and spend my anger on them in the desert.

Nevertheless, I withdrew my hand and allowed concern for my own reputation to keep me from letting it be profaned in the sight of the nations who had seen when I brought them out.

"'I also raised my hand and swore to them in the desert that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries;

because they hadn't obeyed my rulings but had rejected my laws and profaned my shabbats, and their eyes had turned toward their fathers' idols.

I also gave them laws which did them no good and rulings by which they did not live;

and I let them become defiled by their own gifts, in that they offered up their firstborn sons, so that I could fill them with revulsion, so that they would [finally] realize that I am ADONAI.'

"Therefore, human being, speak to the house of Isra'el; tell them that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Moreover, your ancestors blasphemed me by breaking faith with me in still another way:

for after I had brought them into the land, which I had raised my hand in pledge to give them, they noted all its high hills and leafy trees and offered there their sacrifices; there they made offerings that provoked my anger, there they set out their sweet aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings.

When I asked them, "This high place where you go, what is the meaning of it?" they gave it the name Bamah which it retains to this day.'

"So tell the house of Isra'el that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'You are defiling yourselves in the same way as your ancestors, following their abominations and fornicating with them;

and when offering your gifts, you make your children pass through the fire and defile yourselves with all your idols - to this day. So, am I supposed to allow you to consult me, house of Isra'el? As I live,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'I swear that I won't have you consult me,

and that what you have in mind when you say, "We will be like the Goyim, like the families of the other countries, serving wood and stone," will certainly not happen.

As I live,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'I swear that surely with a mighty hand, with a stretched-out arm and with poured-out fury I myself will be king over you.

I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you were scattered, with a mighty hand, with a stretched-out arm and with poured-out fury;

then I will bring you into the desert of the peoples and judge you face to face.

Just as I judged your ancestors in the desert of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

'I will make you pass under the crook and bring you into the obligations of the covenant.

I will rid you of the rebels who are in revolt against me - I will bring them out from the land where they are living, but they will not enter the land of Isra'el; then you will know that I am ADONAI.'

"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.

For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Isra'el,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'the whole house of Isra'el, all of them, will serve me in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will require your contributions, your best gifts and all your consecrated things.