Ezekiel 20:8–24

⁸But they rebelled against Me and would not ¹obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will ^mpour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ ⁹ⁿBut I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself ^oknown to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰“Therefore I ^pmade them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ^11qAnd I gave them My statutes and ²showed them My judgments, ^r‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ ¹²Moreover I also gave them My ^sSabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. ¹³Yet the house of Israel ^trebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they ^udespised My judgments, ^v‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly ^wdefiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the ^xwilderness, to consume them. ^14yBut I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵So ^zI also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, ^a‘flowing with milk and honey,’ ^bthe glory of all lands, ^16cbecause they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for ^dtheir heart went after their idols. ^17eNevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸“But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹I am the Lord your God: ^fWalk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; ^20ghallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

²¹“Notwithstanding, ^hthe children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ⁱ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. ²²Nevertheless I ³withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that ^jI would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, ^24kbecause they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and ^ltheir eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.