12. I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy.
13. But even in the desert they defied me. They broke my laws and rejected my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They completely profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and destroy them.
14. But I did not, since that would have brought dishonour to my name among the nations which had seen me lead Israel out of Egypt.
15. So I made a promise in the desert that I would not take them to the land I had given them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all.
16. I made the promise because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, and profaned the Sabbath — they preferred to worship their idols.
17. “But then I took pity on them. I decided not to kill them there in the desert.
18. Instead, I warned the young people among them: do not keep the laws your ancestors made; do not follow their customs or defile yourselves with their idols.
19. I am the Lord your God. Obey my laws and my commands.
20. Make the Sabbath a holy day, so that it will be a sign of the covenant we made, and will remind you that I am the Lord your God.
21. “But that generation also defied me. They broke my laws and did not keep my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and kill them all.
22. But I did not, since that would have brought dishonour to my name among the nations which had seen me bring Israel out of Egypt.
23. So I made another promise in the desert. I vowed that I would scatter them all over the world.