1. On August 14, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply.
2. Then this message came to me from the lord:
3. “Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign lord says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign lord, I will tell you nothing!’
4. “Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.
5. Give them this message from the Sovereign lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the lord, would be their God.
6. I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere.
7. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the lord your God.’
8. “But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt.
9. But I didn’t do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.
10. So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness.
11. There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.
12. And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the lord, who had set them apart to be holy.
13. “But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness.
14. But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt.
15. But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful place on earth.