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²⁴Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.

²⁵They grumbled in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the Lord.

²⁶Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,

²⁷and would disperse their descendants among the nations, scattering them over the lands.

²⁸Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;

²⁹they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.

³⁰Then Phinehas stood up and interceded, and the plague was stopped.

³¹And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.

³²They angered the Lord at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account;

³³for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke words that were rash.

³⁴They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them,

³⁵but they mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did.

³⁶They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

³⁷They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;

³⁸they 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.

³⁹Thus they became unclean by their acts, and prostituted themselves in their doings.

⁴⁰Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;

⁴¹he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.

⁴²Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.

⁴³Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity.

⁴⁴Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.

⁴⁵For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

⁴⁶He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.

⁴⁷Save 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.

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