2. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
3. Son of man, speak to the ancients of Israel, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Are you come to inquire of me? As I live, I will not answer you, saith the Lord God.
4. If thou judgest them, if thou judgest, son of man, declare to them the abominations of their fathers.
5. And say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up my hand for the race of the house of Jacob: and appeared to them in the land of Egypt, and lifted up my hand for them, saying: I am the Lord your God:
6. In that day I lifted up my hand for them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, into a land which I had provided for them, flowing with milk and honey, which excelleth amongst all lands.
7. And I said to them: Let every man cast away the scandals of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
8. But they provoked me, and would not hearken to me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of his eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: and I said I would pour out my indignation upon them, and accomplish my wrath against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9. But I did otherwise for my name's sake, that it might not be violated before the nations, in the midst of whom they were, and among whom I made myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
10. Therefore I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the desert.
11. And I gave them my statutes, and I shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them.
12. Moreover I gave them also my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them: and that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
13. But the house of Israel provoked me in the desert: they walked not in my statutes, and they cast away my judgments, which if a man do he shall live in them: and they grievously violated my sabbaths. I said therefore that I would pour out my indignation upon them in the desert, and would consume them.
14. But I spared them for the sake of my name, lest it should be profaned before the nations, from which I brought them out, in their sight.
15. So I lifted up my hand over them in the desert, not to bring them into the land which I had given them flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands.
16. Because they cast off my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, and violated my sabbaths: for their heart went after idols.
17. Yet my eye spared them, so that I destroyed them not: neither did I consume them in the desert.
18. And I said to their children in the wilderness: Walk not in the statutes of your fathers, and observe not their judgments, nor be ye defiled with their idols:
19. I am the Lord your God: walk ye in my statutes, and observe my judgments, and do them.
20. And sanctify my sabbaths, that they may be a sign between me and you: and that you may know that I am the Lord your God.
21. But their children provoked me, they walked not in my commandments, nor observed my judgments to do them: which if a man do, he shell live in them: and they violated my sabbaths: and I threatened to pour out my indignation upon them, and to accomplish my wrath in them in the desert.