Ezekiel 20:32
30 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations?
31 When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!
When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.
33 As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.
34 With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered.
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
- When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.
- KJV
- And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
- WEB
- “‘“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.’
- ASV
- and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
- DARBY
- And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, in serving wood and stone.
- BLB
- And the [thing] coming up upon your⁺ mind, not at all shall come to pass—that you⁺ say, let us become like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, ministering [to] wood and stone!’
- ÅB
- Og aldri skal det skje det som kommer dere i sinne, når dere sier: Vi vil være som hedningene, som folkene rundt om i landene; vi vil dyrke tre og stein.
- OTB
- Og hva dere enn har i tankene vil aldri skje, når dere sier, "Vi vil være som nasjonene, som folkene i verden, tjene tre og stein."
- B1930
- Og aldri skal det skje det som kommer eder i sinne, når I sier: Vi vil være som hedningene, som folkene rundt om i landene; vi vil dyrke tre og sten.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ezekiel 11:5
And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me and told me to declare that this is what the LORD says: “That is what you are thinking, O house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your minds.
Read in contextJeremiah 44:17
Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.
Read in contextPsalms 139:2
You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.
Read in contextDaniel 5:4
As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
Read in contextRevelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
Read in contextRomans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 28:36
The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone.
Read in context