¹⁶ And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,^(A) and these people will soon prostitute^(B) themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake^(C) me and break the covenant I made with them.

²¹ “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,^(A) of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger^(B) against them in the wilderness.^{(C) 22} But I withheld^(D) my hand, and for the sake of my name^(E) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³ Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter^(F) them through the countries, ²⁴ because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^(G) and desecrated my Sabbaths,^(H) and their eyes lusted after^(I) their parents’ idols.^{(J) 25} So I gave^(K) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;^{(L) 26} I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice^(M) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.^(N)’

²⁷ “Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors^(O) blasphemed^(P) me by being unfaithful to me:^{(Q) 28} When I brought them into the land^(R) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.^{(S) 29} Then I said to them: What is this high place^(T) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah^[a] to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

³⁰ “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves^(U) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?^(V)