27. “Speak to the nation of Israel, son of man. Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: Your ancestors insulted me again because they were unfaithful to me.
28. I brought them to the land that I promised to give them. When they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, they made sacrifices and brought offerings there to make me angry. There they offered their sacrifices and poured out their wine offerings.
29. Then I asked them, “What is this worship site you’re going to?”’ (So it is still called ‘worship site’ today.)
30. “Tell the nation of Israel, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: Will you dishonor yourselves the way your ancestors did? Will you chase their detestable idols like a prostitute?
31. You offer your children as sacrifices by burning them alive. You dishonor yourselves with all your disgusting idols to this day. Should you be allowed to ask me for help, nation of Israel?“‘As I live, declares the Almighty Lord, you won’t be allowed to ask me for help.
32. What you have in mind will never happen. You think that you want to be like other nations, like the different people in other countries. You want to serve wood and stone.
33. “‘As I live, declares the Almighty Lord, I will rule you with a mighty hand and a powerful arm, and I will pour out my fury.
34. I will bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where I have scattered you with my mighty hand and powerful arm. I will pour out my fury.
35. I will bring you into the desert of the nations. There I will put you on trial face to face.
36. I will put you on trial as I put your ancestors on trial in the desert of Egypt, declares the Almighty Lord.
37. Then I will make you suffer punishment and make you keep the terms of the promise.
38. I will get rid of rebels and those who do wrong against me. I will bring you out of the land where you are living. You will never enter Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39. “‘Nation of Israel, this is what the Almighty Lord says: Serve your disgusting idols. But afterwards, you will listen to me. You will no longer dishonor my holy name with your gifts and your disgusting idols.
40. “‘The entire nation of Israel, everyone in the land, will worship me on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Almighty Lord. There I will accept you. There I will look for your offerings, your best gifts, and all your holy gifts.
41. When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, I will accept you as if you were a pleasing sacrifice. Through you I will reveal myself as holy to the nations that are watching.
42. Then you will know that I am the Lord, because I will bring you to the land of Israel, the land that I promised to give your ancestors.
43. There you will remember the way you lived and everything you did to dishonor yourselves. You will be disgusted by every wrong thing that you did.
44. Then you will know that I am the Lord, because I will deal with you for the sake of my name. I will not deal with you based on the evil and corrupt things that you have done, nation of Israel, declares the Almighty Lord.’”