Ezekiel 20:18-26

18“‘But I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

19I am the Lord your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out.

20Treat my Sabbaths as holy and they will be a reminder of our relationship, and then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

21“‘But the children rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out (the one who obeys them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness.

22But I refrained from doing so, and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

23I also swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.

24I did this because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

25I also gave them decrees which were not good and regulations by which they could not live.

26I declared them to be defiled because of their sacrifices – they caused all their first born to pass through the fire – so that I would devastate them, so that they will know that I am the Lord.’