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.

³² “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty^(A) and awesome,^(B) who keeps his covenant of love,^(C) do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship^(D) that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.