King James Version

Ezekiel 20:18

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:

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Hebrew

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וָאֹמַ֤רvaomarand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).בְּנֵיהֶם֙beneyhemsonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […בַּמִּדְבָּ֔רbamidbarin desertמִדְבָּרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in desert”, the ordinary formH4057a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)desert, south, speech, wilderness.בְּחוּקֵּ֤יbechuqein appointedחֹקpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “in appointed”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2706an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decree(-d), due, law, measure, [idiom] necessary, ordinance(-nary), portion, set time, statute, task.אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙avoteykhemfatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “father”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תֵּלֵ֔כוּtelekhvcarryיָלַךְverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “carry”, a wish or indirect commandH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…וְאֶתveetand object markerאֵתconjunction, particle, direct object marker — “and object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).מִשְׁפְּטֵיהֶ֖םmishpeteyhemlawמִשְׁפָּטnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “law”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4941properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style[phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right,…אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּtishmorvbewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “beward”, a wish or indirect commandH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).וּבְגִלּוּלֵיהֶ֖םuvegiluleyhemand in idolגִּלּוּלconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and in idol”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1544properly, a log (as round); by implication, an idolidol.אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תִּטַּמָּֽאוּtitamavbe uncleanטָמֵאverb, hithpael, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “be unclean”, a wish or indirect commandH2930to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated)defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, [idiom] utterly.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

And I say to their sons in the wilderness: In the statutes of your fathers ye walk not, And their judgments ye do not observe, And with their idols ye are not defiled.

World English Bible

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.

Darby Translation

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.

Douay-Rheims

And I said to their children in the wilderness: Walk not in the statutes of your fathers, and observe not their judgments, nor be ye defiled with their idols:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And I said to their children in the wilderness, Walk not ye in the customs of your fathers, and keep not their ordinances, and have no fellowship with their practices, nor defile yourselves with them .

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπα πρὸς τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐν τοῖς νομίμοις τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν μὴ πορεύεσθε, καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτῶν μὴ φυλάσσεσθε, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτῶν μὴ συναναμίσγεσθε, καὶ μὴ μιαίνεσθε.