¹⁶ “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked,^(A) and they did not obey your commands.^{(B) 17} They refused to listen and failed to remember^(C) the miracles^(D) you performed among them. They became stiff-necked^(E) and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.^(F) But you are a forgiving God,^(G) gracious and compassionate,^(H) slow to anger^(I) and abounding in love.^(J) Therefore you did not desert them,^{(K) 18} even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf^(L) and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.^(M)

¹⁹ “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon^(N) them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud^(O) did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. ²⁰ You gave your good Spirit^(P) to instruct^(Q) them. You did not withhold your manna^(R) from their mouths, and you gave them water^(S) for their thirst. ²¹ For forty years^(T) you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,^(U) their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.^(V)