2. Just then, the Lord God said:
3. Ezekiel, son of man, these leaders have come to find out what I want them to do. As surely as I live, I will not give them an answer of any kind.
4. Are you willing to warn them, Ezekiel? Then remind them of the disgusting sins of their ancestors.
5. Tell them that long ago I, the Lord God, chose Israel to be my own. I appeared to their ancestors in Egypt and made a solemn promise that I would be their God and the God of their descendants.
6. I swore that I would rescue them from Egypt and lead them to a land I had already chosen. This land was rich with milk and honey and was the most splendid land of all.
7. I told them to get rid of their disgusting idols and not to sin by worshipping the gods of Egypt. I reminded them that I was the Lord their God,
8. but they still rebelled against me. They refused to listen and kept on worshipping their idols and foreign gods.In my anger, I decided to punish the Israelites in Egypt.
9. But that would have made me look like a liar, because I had already promised in front of everyone that I would lead them out of Egypt.
10. So I brought them out and led them into the desert.
11. I gave them my laws and teachings, so they would know how to live right.
12. And I commanded them to respect the Sabbath as a way of showing that they were holy and belonged to me.
13. But the Israelites rebelled against me in the desert. They refused to obey my laws and teachings, and they treated the Sabbath like any other day.Then in my anger, I decided to destroy the Israelites in the desert once and for all.
14. But that would have disgraced me, because many other nations had seen me bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
15. Instead, I told them in the desert that I would not lead them into the beautiful, fertile land I had promised.
16. I said this because they had not only ignored my laws and teachings, but had disgraced my Sabbath and worshipped idols.
17. Yet, I felt sorry for them and could not let them die in the desert.