^18 (A)O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see ^(B)our desolations, and ^(C)the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. ^(D)Delay not, ^(E)for your own sake, O my God, because ^(F)your city and ^(G)your people are called by your name.”

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

⁸ O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and ^(A)cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

Moses Intercedes for the People

¹³ But ^(A)Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, ¹⁴ and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. ^(B)They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and ^(C)your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵ Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, ¹⁶ ‘It is because the Lord ^(D)was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷ And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, ^18 (E)‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, ^(F)visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ ¹⁹ Please ^(G)pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just ^(H)as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.”