¹⁹ They made a calf in Horeb
    and worshiped a molten image.
²⁰ They exchanged the glory of God
    for the image of an ox that eats grass.
²¹ They forgot God, their Savior,
    who had done great things in Egypt,
²² wondrous works in the land of Ham,
    and terrible things by the Red Sea.
²³ Therefore he said he would destroy them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
    to turn away his wrath from destroying them.

²⁴ Then they despised the pleasant land,
    having no faith in his promise.
²⁵ They murmured in their tents,
    and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
²⁶ Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
²⁷ and would disperse^[a] their descendants among the nations,
    scattering them over the lands.

²⁸ Then they attached themselves to the Ba′al of Pe′or,
    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
²⁹ they provoked the Lord to anger with their doings,
    and a plague broke out among them.
³⁰ Then Phin′ehas stood up and interposed,
    and the plague was stayed.
³¹ And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness
    from generation to generation for ever.

³² They angered him at the waters of Mer′ibah,
    and it went ill with Moses on their account;
³³ for they made his spirit bitter,
    and he spoke words that were rash.

³⁴ They did not destroy the peoples,
    as the Lord commanded them,
³⁵ but they mingled with the nations
    and learned to do as they did.
³⁶ They served their idols,
    which became a snare to them.
³⁷ They sacrificed their sons
    and their daughters to the demons;
³⁸ they poured out innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
    and the land was polluted with blood.
³⁹ Thus they became unclean by their acts,
    and played the harlot in their doings.

⁴⁰ Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
    and he abhorred his heritage;
⁴¹ he gave them into the hand of the nations,
    so that those who hated them ruled over them.
⁴² Their enemies oppressed them,
    and they were brought into subjection under their power.
⁴³ Many times he delivered them,
    but they were rebellious in their purposes,
    and were brought low through their iniquity.
⁴⁴ Nevertheless he regarded their distress,
    when he heard their cry.
⁴⁵ He remembered for their sake his covenant,
    and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
⁴⁶ He caused them to be pitied
    by all those who held them captive.

⁴⁷ Save us, O Lord our God,
    and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to thy holy name
    and glory in thy praise.

⁴⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
    Praise the Lord!