Ezekiel 20:39

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.”

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of Ezekiel 20:39 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.”

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

“As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.”

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

“As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Go ye, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me; but my holy name shall ye no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.”

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“And ye, O house of Israel, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Each his idols--go--serve ye, And, afterwards, if ye are not hearkening to me, And My holy name ye do not pollute any more by your gifts, and by your idols.”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
Open the full comparison
Cross references

Other passages that echo Ezekiel 20:39 — 19 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. Joshua 24:15But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
  2. Judges 10:14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”
  3. 2 Kings 3:13Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!” “No,” replied the king of Israel, “for it is the LORD who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
  4. Psalms 81:12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
  5. Proverbs 21:27The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable— how much more so when brought with ill intent!
  6. Isaiah 1:13Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me— your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations. I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly.
  7. Isaiah 66:3Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.
  8. Jeremiah 7:9Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known,
  9. Jeremiah 44:25This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words: ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows!
  10. Ezekiel 20:25I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.
  11. Ezekiel 23:37For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.
  12. Ezekiel 43:7and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile My holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and by the funeral offerings for their kings at their deaths.
  13. Hosea 4:17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!
  14. Amos 4:4“Go to Bethel and transgress; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days.
  15. Zephaniah 1:4“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—
  16. Matthew 6:24No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
  17. Romans 1:24Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.
  18. 2 Thessalonians 2:11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,
  19. Revelation 3:15I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other!

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Keep exploring