Ezekiel 20:20-38

201Sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ 21But the 2children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I 3resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. 22But I 4withdrew My hand and acted 5for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would 6scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, 24because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and 7their eyes were 8on the idols of their fathers. 25I also gave them statutes that were 9not good and ordinances by which they could not live; 26and I pronounced them 10unclean because of their gifts, in that they 11caused all 12their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might 13know that I am the Lord.”’

27“Therefore, son of man, 14speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Yet in this your fathers have 15blasphemed Me by 16acting treacherously against Me. 28When I had 17brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every 18high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called 19Bamah to this day.”’ 30Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will you defile yourselves 20after the manner of your 21fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? 3122When you offer your gifts, when you 23cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you. 32What 24comes 25into your mind will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, 26serving wood and stone.’

33“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand and with an 27outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be 28king over you. 34I will 29bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with 30wrath poured out; 35and I will bring you into the 31wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36As I 32entered into judgment with your fathers in the 33wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. 37“I will make you 34pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38and I will 35purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will 36not enter the 37land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.