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¹⁹ They made a calf at Horeb
   and worshipped a cast image.
²⁰ They exchanged the glory of God^*
   for the image of an ox that eats grass.
²¹ They forgot God, their Saviour,
   who had done great things in Egypt,
²² wondrous works in the land of Ham,
   and awesome deeds 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 grumbled 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^* their descendants among the nations,
   scattering them over the lands.

²⁸ Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor,
   and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
²⁹ they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
   and a plague broke out among them.
³⁰ Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,
   and the plague was stopped.
³¹ And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness
   from generation to generation for ever.

³² They angered the Lord ^* at the waters of Meribah,
   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 prostituted themselves 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 For their sake he remembered his covenant,
   and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
⁴⁶ He caused them to be pitied
   by all who held them captive.

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

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