4. Will you judge them, human one, will you judge them? Then expose to them the detestable practices of their ancestors.
5. Say to them, The Lord God proclaims: On the day I chose Israel, I swore a solemn pledge to the descendants of Jacob’s household. When I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I swore a solemn pledge: I am the Lord your God.
6. On that day I swore that I would lead them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I would show them, a land full of milk and honey, the most splendid of all lands.
7. And I said to them, Every one of you must cast away your disgusting things. Don’t let yourselves be defiled by Egypt’s idols. I am the Lord your God.
8. But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. No one cast off their disgusting things or abandoned their Egyptian idols. So I declared that I would pour out my wrath on them and satisfy my anger against them in the land of Egypt.
9. But I acted for my name’s sake, so that it wouldn’t be degraded in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, and in whose sight I made it known that I would lead them out of the land of Egypt.
10. So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert.
11. I gave them my regulations and made known to them my case laws, which bring life to all who observe them.
12. I also gave them my sabbaths as a sign between us that I, the Lord, have set them apart for my purpose.
13. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn’t follow my regulations and rejected my case laws, which bring life to all who observe them. They completely degraded my sabbaths. So I declared that I would pour out my anger against them and destroy them in the desert.
14. But instead, I acted for the sake of my name so that it wouldn’t be degraded in the sight of the nations who saw me lead them out of Egypt.
15. So in the desert I swore another solemn pledge, that I wouldn’t bring them to the land that I had given to them, a land full of milk and honey, a land more splendid than any other,
16. because they rejected my case laws, didn’t follow my regulations, and degraded my sabbaths. They had their hearts set on their idols.
17. But I had too much compassion to destroy them, so I didn’t put an end to them in the desert.
18. In the desert, I said to their children, Don’t follow your parents’ regulations or observe their case laws or become defiled by their idols.
19. I am the Lord your God! Follow my regulations! Observe my case laws and do them!
20. Make my sabbaths holy, and let them be a sign between us that I am the Lord your God.
21. But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t follow my regulations or observe my case laws, which bring life to all who observe them. They also degraded my sabbaths. So I declared that I would pour out my wrath on them and satisfy my anger against them in the desert.