20 Set apart certain holy days to worship me. This will be a sign between me and you so that you will know that I am the Lord your God.”
21 “‘But they rebelled against me. They didn’t live by my laws, and they didn’t obey my rules and follow them. If people obey them, they will live. They dishonored the days to worship me. So I was going to pour out my fury on them and unleash my anger on them in the desert.
22 But I didn’t use my power so that my name would not be dishonored among the nations who had watched me bring the Israelites out ⌊of Egypt⌋.
23 I raised my hand and swore an oath to them in the desert. I promised to scatter them among the nations and force them into other countries.
24 They didn’t follow my rules, and they rejected my laws. They dishonored the days to worship me, and they looked to their ancestors’ disgusting idols for help.
25 I also allowed them to follow laws that were no good and rules by which they could not live.
26 I let them dishonor themselves when they sacrificed all their firstborn sons as gifts ⌊to their false gods⌋. I terrified them so that they would know that I am the Lord.’