Ezekiel 20:18

16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.

17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;

20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.
KJV
But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
WEB
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.
ASV
And I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
DARBY
And I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk not in the statutes of your fathers, neither keep their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
BLB
And I said to their sons in the wilderness, ‘In the statutes of your⁺ fathers you⁺ shall not walk, and their ordinances you⁺ shall not keep, and with their idols you⁺ shall not defile yourselves.
ÅB
Og jeg sa til deres barn i ørkenen: Følg ikke deres fedres bud og hold ikke deres lover og gjør dere ikke urene med deres motbydelige avguder!
OTB
Jeg sa til deres barn i ørkenen: "Følg ikke deres foreldres lover eller hold deres forordninger eller gjør dere urene med deres avguder.
B1930
Og jeg sa til deres barn i ørkenen: Følg ikke eders fedres bud og hold ikke deres lover og gjør eder ikke urene med deres motbydelige avguder!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Deuteronomy 4:3–6

    Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

    Read in context
  • Acts 7:51

    Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 78:6–8

    That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

    Read in context
  • Zechariah 1:2–4

    The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

    Read in context
  • Ezekiel 20:7

    Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

    Read in context
  • 1 Peter 1:18

    Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 3:9

    And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 2:7

    And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

    Read in context