19. I am the Lord your God. Walk in my statutes, keep my ordinances, and do them.
20. Make my Sabbaths holy. They shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’
21. “‘“But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and didn’t keep my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he shall live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22. Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
23. Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them amongst the nations, and disperse them through the countries;
24. because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.
25. Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live.
26. I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused all that opens the womb to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.”’
27. “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Moreover, in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
28. For when I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There they also made their pleasant aroma, and there they poured out their drink offerings.
29. Then I said to them, ‘What does the high place where you go mean?’ So its name is called Bamah to this day.”’
30. “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? Do you play the prostitute after their abominations?
31. When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? Should I be enquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you!
32. “‘“That which comes into your mind will not be at all, in that you say, ‘We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.’
33. As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you.
34. I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out.
35. I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgement with you face to face.
36. Just as I entered into judgement with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgement with you,” says the Lord GOD.
37. “I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.