Ezekiel 20:20-38

20and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the Lord your God.’

21“But their children, too, rebelled against me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness.

22Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt.

23But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations

24because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors.

25I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.

26I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.

27“Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me,

28for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them.

29I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.)

30“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshiping vile images?

31For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices, you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing.

32“You say, ‘We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen.

33As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power.

34And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back from the lands where you are scattered.

35I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.

36I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign Lord.

37I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant.

38I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.