²⁰ We acknowledge^(A) our wickedness, Lord,
    and the guilt of our ancestors;^(B)
    we have indeed sinned^(C) against you.

²⁵ Let us lie down in our shame,^(A)
    and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned^(B) against the Lord our God,
    both we and our ancestors;^(C)
from our youth^(D) till this day
    we have not obeyed^(E) the Lord our God.”

⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.^(A)
I said, “I will confess^(B)
    my transgressions^(C) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.^(D)

¹³ Only acknowledge^(A) your guilt—
    you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods^(B)
    under every spreading tree,^(C)
    and have not obeyed^(D) me,’”
declares the Lord.

⁶ We have sinned,^(A) even as our ancestors^(B) did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.^(C)
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
    they gave no thought^(D) to your miracles;
they did not remember^(E) your many kindnesses,
    and they rebelled by the sea,^(F) the Red Sea.^[a]
8 Yet he saved them^(G) for his name’s sake,^(H)
    to make his mighty power^(I) known.
⁹ He rebuked^(J) the Red Sea, and it dried up;^(K)
    he led them through^(L) the depths as through a desert.
¹⁰ He saved them^(M) from the hand of the foe;^(N)
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.^(O)
11 The waters covered^(P) their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
¹² Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.^(Q)

¹³ But they soon forgot^(R) what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.^(S)
14 In the desert^(T) they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness^(U) they put God to the test.^(V)
15 So he gave them^(W) what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease^(X) among them.

¹⁶ In the camp they grew envious^(Y) of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
¹⁷ The earth opened^(Z) up and swallowed Dathan;^(AA)
    it buried the company of Abiram.^(AB)
18 Fire blazed^(AC) among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.
¹⁹ At Horeb they made a calf^(AD)
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
²⁰ They exchanged their glorious God^(AE)
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
²¹ They forgot the God^(AF) who saved them,
    who had done great things^(AG) in Egypt,
²² miracles in the land of Ham^(AH)
    and awesome deeds^(AI) by the Red Sea.
²³ So he said he would destroy^(AJ) them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach^(AK) before him
    to keep his wrath from destroying them.

²⁴ Then they despised^(AL) the pleasant land;^(AM)
    they did not believe^(AN) his promise.
²⁵ They grumbled^(AO) in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
²⁶ So he swore^(AP) to them with uplifted hand
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,^(AQ)
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
    and scatter^(AR) them throughout the lands.

²⁸ They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor^(AS)
    and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
²⁹ they aroused the Lord’s anger^(AT) by their wicked deeds,^(AU)
    and a plague^(AV) broke out among them.
³⁰ But Phinehas^(AW) stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was checked.^(AX)
31 This was credited to him^(AY) as righteousness
    for endless generations^(AZ) to come.
³² By the waters of Meribah^(BA) they angered the Lord,
    and trouble came to Moses because of them;
³³ for they rebelled^(BB) against the Spirit^(BC) of God,
    and rash words came from Moses’ lips.^[b](BD)

³⁴ They did not destroy^(BE) the peoples
    as the Lord had commanded^(BF) them,
³⁵ but they mingled^(BG) with the nations
    and adopted their customs.
³⁶ They worshiped their idols,^(BH)
    which became a snare^(BI) to them.
³⁷ They sacrificed their sons^(BJ)
    and their daughters to false gods.^(BK)
38 They shed innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons^(BL) and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was desecrated by their blood.
³⁹ They defiled themselves^(BM) by what they did;
    by their deeds they prostituted^(BN) themselves.

⁴⁰ Therefore the Lord was angry^(BO) with his people
    and abhorred his inheritance.^(BP)
41 He gave them into the hands^(BQ) of the nations,
    and their foes ruled over them.
⁴² Their enemies oppressed^(BR) them
    and subjected them to their power.
⁴³ Many times he delivered them,^(BS)
    but they were bent on rebellion^(BT)
    and they wasted away in their sin.
⁴⁴ Yet he took note of their distress
    when he heard their cry;^(BU)
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant^(BV)
    and out of his great love^(BW) he relented.^(BX)
46 He caused all who held them captive
    to show them mercy.^(BY)

⁴⁷ Save us,^(BZ) Lord our God,
    and gather us^(CA) from the nations,
that we may give thanks^(CB) to your holy name^(CC)
    and glory in your praise.

⁴⁸ Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.

Let all the people say, “Amen!”^(CD)

Praise the Lord.