Ezekiel 11:20
New International Version
Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

New Living Translation
so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.

English Standard Version
that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Berean Standard Bible
so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

King James Bible
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

New King James Version
that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

New American Standard Bible
so that they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

NASB 1995
that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

NASB 1977
that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Legacy Standard Bible
that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Amplified Bible
that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Christian Standard Bible
so that they will follow my statutes, keep my ordinances, and practice them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
so they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

American Standard Version
that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Contemporary English Version
and all my laws and teachings. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

English Revised Version
that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then they will live by my laws and obey my rules. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Good News Translation
Then they will keep my laws and faithfully obey all my commands. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

International Standard Version
When they live by my statutes and keep my ordinances by observing them, then they'll be my people and I will be their God.

Majority Standard Bible
so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

NET Bible
so that they may follow my statutes and observe my regulations and carry them out. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.

New Heart English Bible
that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Webster's Bible Translation
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

World English Bible
that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
So that they walk in My statutes, "" And keep My judgments, and have done them, "" And they have been to Me for a people, "" And I am to them for God.

Young's Literal Translation
So that in My statutes they walk, And My judgments they keep, and have done them, And they have been to me for a people, And I am to them for God.

Smith's Literal Translation
That they shall walk in my laws, and they shall watch my judgments and do them, and they were to me for a people and I shall be to them for God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
That they may walk in my commandments, and keep my judgments, and do them: and that they may be my people, and I may be their God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
So may they may walk in my precepts, and observe my judgments, and accomplish them. And so may they be my people, and I will be their God.

New American Bible
so that they walk according to my statutes, taking care to keep my ordinances. Thus they will be my people, and I will be their God.

New Revised Standard Version
so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
That they may walk in my commandments and keep my ordinances and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they shall walk in my commandments, and they shall keep my judgments and they shall do them, and they shall be to me a people, and I shall be God to them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
that they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
that they may walk in my commandments, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Promise of Restoration
19And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, 20so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”…

Cross References
Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Hebrews 10:16
“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”

Jeremiah 32:39-40
I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them. / I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me.

Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

Romans 8:4
so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:3
It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Ezekiel 36:26-27
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

Psalm 119:1-3
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD. / Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart. / They do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.

Romans 7:6
But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Galatians 5:16
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:25
Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit.


Treasury of Scripture

That they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

they may

Ezekiel 11:12
And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

Psalm 105:45
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 119:4,5,32
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently…

and they

Ezekiel 14:11
That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 36:28
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Ezekiel 37:27
My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

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Careful Decrees Follow Guided Judgments Laws Obey Orders Ordinances Rules Statutes Walk
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Careful Decrees Follow Guided Judgments Laws Obey Orders Ordinances Rules Statutes Walk
Ezekiel 11
1. The presumption of the princes
4. Their sin and judgment
13. Ezekiel complaining, God shows him his purpose in saving a remnant
22. The glory of God leaves the city
24. Ezekiel is returned to the captivity














so that they may follow My statutes
This phrase emphasizes the purpose of God's transformative work in the hearts of His people. The Hebrew word for "statutes" is "חֻקּוֹתַי" (chuqqotai), which refers to decrees or laws that are established by God. These are not mere suggestions but divine ordinances meant to guide the moral and spiritual conduct of His people. Historically, the statutes were given to Israel as part of the covenant relationship, a binding agreement that required obedience and faithfulness. In the context of Ezekiel, God is promising a renewal of this covenant, where His people will be empowered to live according to His divine will. This reflects the New Covenant promise found in Jeremiah 31:33, where God writes His law on the hearts of His people, indicating an internal transformation that leads to genuine obedience.

and keep My ordinances
The word "ordinances" in Hebrew is "מִשְׁפָּטַי" (mishpatay), which can be translated as judgments or decisions. These are the specific applications of God's statutes in various situations, reflecting His justice and righteousness. To "keep" these ordinances implies a diligent and faithful adherence to God's righteous standards. In the historical context of Ezekiel, the Israelites had often failed to keep God's ordinances, leading to their exile. However, this promise indicates a future restoration where God's people will be enabled to live in accordance with His righteous judgments. This is a call to holiness and justice, reflecting God's character in the lives of His people.

and practice them
The phrase "practice them" suggests an active, ongoing engagement with God's laws. The Hebrew verb "עָשׂוּ" (asu) means to do or to make, indicating that obedience to God's commands is not passive but requires intentional action. This is a call to live out one's faith in tangible ways, demonstrating the reality of God's transformative work in the believer's life. In the broader biblical narrative, this aligns with the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized that true discipleship involves not just hearing His words but putting them into practice (Matthew 7:24-27). It is a reminder that faith is evidenced by works, as James 2:17 states, "faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead."

Then they will be My people
This phrase signifies a restored relationship between God and His people. The covenant language here echoes the promises made to the patriarchs, where God declared that He would be their God and they would be His people (Genesis 17:7). In the context of Ezekiel, this is a promise of hope and restoration for a people who had experienced the consequences of breaking the covenant. It points to a future where God's people are identified by their obedience and faithfulness to Him. This relationship is not just a matter of identity but of belonging and purpose, as God's people are called to reflect His glory to the nations.

and I will be their God
The declaration "I will be their God" is the culmination of the covenant relationship. It signifies God's commitment to His people, His presence among them, and His role as their protector and provider. In the historical context, this was a radical promise, especially for a people in exile who felt abandoned by God. It reassures them of His unchanging faithfulness and His desire to dwell among them. This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament, where through Christ, believers are brought into a new covenant relationship with God, sealed by the Holy Spirit. It is a reminder of the intimate and personal relationship that God desires with His people, one that is marked by love, faithfulness, and mutual commitment.

Verse 20. - That they may walk in my statutes, etc. Out of the new spirit there was to grow the new life - a life of righteousness and obedience, as in worship, so also in the acts of man's daily life and his dealings with his neighbours. So, and not otherwise, could the actual relation of Jehovah correspond to the ideal, as it had been declared of old (Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12; 1 Samuel 12:22; 2 Samuel 7:23). This, for Ezekiel, was the crowning blessedness of all, as it had been that of earlier and contemporary prophets (Hosea 2:23; Jeremiah 24:7). To that thought he returns again and again, as to the anchor of his hope (Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 27:14; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:23, 27).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
so that
לְמַ֙עַן֙ (lə·ma·‘an)
Preposition
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

they may follow
יֵלֵ֔כוּ (yê·lê·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

My statutes,
בְּחֻקֹּתַ֣י (bə·ḥuq·qō·ṯay)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2708: Something prescribed, an enactment, statute

keep
יִשְׁמְר֖וּ (yiš·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

My ordinances,
מִשְׁפָּטַ֥י (miš·pā·ṭay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

and practice them.
וְעָשׂ֣וּ (wə·‘ā·śū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

Then they will be
וְהָיוּ־ (wə·hā·yū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

My people,
לְעָ֔ם (lə·‘ām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and I
וַאֲנִ֕י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

will be
אֶהְיֶ֥ה (’eh·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

their God.
לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 11:20 That they may walk in my statutes (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
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