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.