Ezekiel 20:8–24

⁸But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; not one of them cast away the detestable things on which their eyes feasted, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

Then I thought 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 showed them my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live.^{* 12}Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them.^{* 13}But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not observe my statutes but rejected my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live, and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make an end of them.^{* 14}But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵Moreover, 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 ordinances and did not observe 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 an end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents, nor observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹I the Lord am your God; follow my statutes, be careful to observe my ordinances,^{* 20}and hallow my Sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you, so that you may know that I the Lord am your God.” ²¹But the children rebelled against me; they did not follow my statutes and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.^{* 22}But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.^{* 23}Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,^{* 24}because they had not executed my ordinances but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their ancestors’ idols.