Ezekiel 20:12-24

English Standard Version

¹²Moreover, I gave them ^(A)my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, ^(B)that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. ¹³^(C)But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. ^(D)They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; ^(E)and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.

^(F)“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. ¹⁴But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, ^(G)in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵Moreover, ^(H)I swore to them in the wilderness ^(I)that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land ^(J)flowing with milk and honey, ^(K)the most glorious of all lands, ¹⁶because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; ^(L)for their heart went after their idols. ¹⁷Nevertheless, ^(M)my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or ^(N)make a full end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸“And I said to ^(O)their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk ^(P)in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, ^(Q)nor defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹^(R)I am the Lord your God; ^(S)walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, ²⁰and ^(T)keep my Sabbaths holy that ^(U)they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ ²¹^(V)But the children ^(W)rebelled against me. ^(X)They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

^(Y)“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. ²²^(Z)But I withheld my hand ^(AA)and acted for the sake of my name, ^(AB)that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³^(AC)Moreover, ^(AD)I swore to them in the wilderness ^(AE)that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, ²⁴because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, ^(AF)and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols.