Ezekiel 20:8–24

⁸“ ‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;^d they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.^e So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.^{f 9}But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.^g I did it to keep my name from being profaned^h in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. ¹⁰Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.^{i 11}I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.^{j 12}Also I gave them my Sabbaths^k as a sign^l between us,^m so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.ⁿ

¹³“ ‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled^o against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws^p—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.^q So I said I would pour out my wrath^r on them and destroy^s them in the wilderness.^{t 14}But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned^u in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.^{v 15}Also with uplifted hand I swore^w to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands^x—¹⁶because they rejected my laws^y and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts^z were devoted to their idols.^{a 17}Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy^b them or put an end to them in the wilderness. ¹⁸I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents^c or keep their laws or defile yourselves^d with their idols. ¹⁹I am the Lord your God;^e follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^{f 20}Keep my Sabbaths^g holy, that they may be a sign^h between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.ⁱ”

²¹“ ‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,^j of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger^k against them in the wilderness.^{l 22}But I withheld^m my hand, and for the sake of my nameⁿ I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter^o them through the countries, ²⁴because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^p and desecrated my Sabbaths,^q and their eyes lusted after^r their parents’ idols.^s