Ezekiel 20:13-18

20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out ¹  my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them. ²  20:14 I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 20:15 I also swore ³  to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them – a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 20:16 I did this ⁴  because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols. ⁵  20:17 Yet I had pity on ⁶  them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

20:18 “‘But I said to their children ⁷  in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, ⁸  nor defile yourselves with their idols.

Zechariah 1:3-4

1:3 Therefore say to the people: ⁹  The Lord who rules over all ¹⁰  says, “Turn ¹¹  to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will turn to you,” says the Lord who rules over all. 1:4 “Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “Turn now from your evil wickedness,”’ but they would by no means obey me,” says the Lord.

¹ tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”

² tn Heb “to bring them to an end.”

³ tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”

⁴ tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 15-16 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.

⁵ tn Heb “for after their idols their heart was going.” The use of the active participle (“was going”) in the Hebrew text draws attention to the ongoing nature of their idolatrous behavior.

⁶ tn Heb “my eye pitied.”

⁷ tn Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.

⁸ tn Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27.

⁹ tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ sn The epithet Lord who rules over all occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Zechariah (53 times total). This name (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, yÿhvah tsÿva’ot), traditionally translated “Lord of hosts” (so KJV, NAB, NASB; cf. NIV, NLT “Lord Almighty”; NCV, CEV “Lord All-Powerful”), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept in the postexilic world of great human empires and rulers. For a thorough study of the divine title, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 123-57.

¹¹ tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv) is common in covenant contexts. To turn from the Lord is to break the covenant and to turn to him (i.e., to repent) is to renew the covenant relationship (cf. 2 Kgs 17:13).