20:1 第七年五月初十日，有以色列的幾個長老來求問耶和華，坐在我面前。
20:2 耶和華的話臨到我說：
20:3 「人子啊，你要告訴以色列的長老說，主耶和華如此說：你們來是求問我嗎？主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，我必不被你們求問。
20:4 人子啊，你要審問審問他們嗎？你當使他們知道他們列祖那些可憎的事，
20:5 對他們說，主耶和華如此說：當日我揀選以色列，向雅各家的後裔起誓，在埃及地將自己向他們顯現，說：我是耶和華─你們的上帝。
20:6 那日我向他們起誓，必領他們出埃及地，到我為他們察看的流奶與蜜之地；那地在萬國中是有榮耀的。
20:7 我對他們說，你們各人要拋棄眼所喜愛那可憎之物，不可因埃及的偶像玷污自己。我是耶和華─你們的上帝。
20:8 他們卻悖逆我，不肯聽從我，不拋棄他們眼所喜愛那可憎之物，不離棄埃及的偶像。「我就說，我要將我的忿怒傾在他們身上，在埃及地向他們成就我怒中所定的。
20:9 我卻為我名的緣故沒有這樣行，免得我名在他們所住的列國人眼前被褻瀆；我領他們出埃及地，在這列國人的眼前將自己向他們顯現。
20:10 這樣，我就使他們出埃及地，領他們到曠野，
20:11 將我的律例賜給他們，將我的典章指示他們；人若遵行就必因此活著。
20:12 又將我的安息日賜給他們，好在我與他們中間為證據，使他們知道我─耶和華是叫他們成為聖的。
20:13 以色列家卻在曠野悖逆我，不順從我的律例，厭棄我的典章（人若遵行就必因此活著），大大干犯我的安息日。「我就說，要在曠野將我的忿怒傾在他們身上，滅絕他們。
20:14 我卻為我名的緣故，沒有這樣行，免得我的名在我領他們出埃及的列國人眼前被褻瀆。
20:15 並且我在曠野向他們起誓，必不領他們進入我所賜給他們流奶與蜜之地（那地在萬國中是有榮耀的）；
20:16 因為他們厭棄我的典章，不順從我的律例，干犯我的安息日，他們的心隨從自己的偶像。
20:17 雖然如此，我眼仍顧惜他們，不毀滅他們，不在曠野將他們滅絕淨盡。
1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month,
on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire
of the Lord, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me:3
"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the
Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord
God, I will not be inquired of by you. 4 Will you judge them, son of man, will
you judge them? Let them know the abominations of their fathers, 5 and say to
them, Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the
offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of
Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. 6 On that day I swore
to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had
searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of
all lands. 7 And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes
feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of
Egypt; I am the Lord your God. 8 But they rebelled against me and were not
willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their
eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.
"Then I said I would pour out my wrath
upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9
But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the
sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known
to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I led them out of the
land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes
and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall
live. 12 Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that
they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 But the house of
Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes
but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my
Sabbaths they greatly profaned.
"Then I said I would pour out my wrath
upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. 14 But I acted for the
sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in
whose sight I had brought them out. 15 Moreover, I swore to them in the
wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a
land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, 16 because
they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my
Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless, my eye
spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the
wilderness.
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這一段並沒有說明長老們到底要來求問什麼。不過西元前592年法老森美忒庫二世訪問巴勒斯坦時可能與西底家訂立了條約。此時被擄的以色列人一定認為猶大很有機會可以在埃及的幫助下脫離巴比倫的轄制，他們就可以回國了。因此他們來求問未來局勢的發展如何？如果是這樣上帝的回答就是：「背逆的以色列人目前只能被懲罰，不可能有其他的機會，但未來以色列人還是會歸回本地」。
上帝揀選以色列人出埃及，最重要的要求就是他們應該改變信仰，離開偶像歸向真神。無奈以色列人似乎無法達成這個目標。而上帝為了自己的名，還是把他們領出埃及，並進一步彰顯自己給以色列人看。
先知在此重申《利未記》18章5節：「所以，你們要守我的律例典章；人若遵行，就必因此活著。我是耶和華」。這裏的「活著」不單單是一種「處罰威脅的反面」，而是一個人之所以能夠「驕傲有尊嚴的存在於天地之間」，的那種「算是一個存活的萬物之靈」的「真正活著」。
這正說明，人要歸向上帝才會活出人真正的意義，而這樣有尊嚴的活，就是來自耶穌基督代贖與拯救，使人透過聖靈重生，才能真正離棄偶像來歸向上帝，成為上帝的兒女！
