Ezekiel 20:39-44

20:39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols, ¹  if you will not listen to me. ²  But my holy name will not be profaned ³  again by your sacrifices ⁴  and your idols. 20:40 For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them ⁵  in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things. 20:41 When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, I will accept you along with your soothing aroma. I will display my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 20:42 Then you will know that I am the Lord when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I swore ⁶  to give to your fathers. 20:43 And there you will remember your conduct ⁷  and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves. You will despise yourselves ⁸  because of all the evil deeds you have done. 20:44 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my reputation and not according to your wicked conduct and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

[20:39]  ¹ sn Compare the irony here to Amos 4:4 and Jer 44:25.

[20:39]  ² tn Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.

[20:39]  ³ sn A similar concept may be found in Lev 18:21; 20:3.

[20:39]  ⁴ tn Or “gifts.”

[20:40]  ⁵ tn Heb “all of it.”

[20:42]  ⁹ tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”

[20:43]  ¹³ tn Heb “ways.”

[20:43]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “loathe yourselves in your faces.”