13 But they soon forgot(A) what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.(B)
14 In the desert(C) they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness(D) they put God to the test.(E)
15 So he gave them(F) what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease(G) among them.

16 In the camp they grew envious(H) of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
17 The earth opened(I) up and swallowed Dathan;(J)
    it buried the company of Abiram.(K)
18 Fire blazed(L) among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf(M)
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God(N)
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God(O) who saved them,
    who had done great things(P) in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham(Q)
    and awesome deeds(R) by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy(S) them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach(T) before him
    to keep his wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they despised(U) the pleasant land;(V)
    they did not believe(W) his promise.
25 They grumbled(X) in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
26 So he swore(Y) to them with uplifted hand
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,(Z)
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
    and scatter(AA) them throughout the lands.

28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor(AB)
    and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the Lord’s anger(AC) by their wicked deeds,(AD)
    and a plague(AE) broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas(AF) stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was checked.(AG)
31 This was credited to him(AH) as righteousness
    for endless generations(AI) to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah(AJ) they angered the Lord,
    and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled(AK) against the Spirit(AL) of God,
    and rash words came from Moses’ lips.[a](AM)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:33 Or against his spirit, / and rash words came from his lips

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