⁵ He established ^(I)a testimony in ^(J)Jacob
    and appointed a law in ^(K)Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
    to teach to their children,
⁶ that ^(L)the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
⁷     so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget ^(M)the works of God,
    but ^(N)keep his commandments;
⁸ and that they should not be ^(O)like their fathers,
    ^(P)a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation ^(Q)whose heart was not steadfast,
    whose spirit was not faithful to God.

⁹ The Ephraimites, armed with^[b] the bow,
    ^(R)turned back on the day of battle.
¹⁰ They ^(S)did not keep God's covenant,
    but refused to walk according to his law.
¹¹ They ^(T)forgot his works
    and ^(U)the wonders that he had shown them.
¹² In the sight of their fathers ^(V)he performed wonders
    in the land of Egypt, in ^(W)the fields of Zoan.
¹³ He ^(X)divided the sea and let them pass through it,
    and made the waters ^(Y)stand like a heap.
^14 (Z)In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
    and all the night with a fiery light.
¹⁵ He ^(AA)split rocks in the wilderness
    and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
¹⁶ He made streams come out of ^(AB)the rock
    and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

¹⁷ Yet they sinned still more against him,
    ^(AC)rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
¹⁸ They ^(AD)tested God in their heart
    by demanding the food they craved.
¹⁹ They spoke against God, saying,
    ^(AE)“Can God ^(AF)spread a table in the wilderness?
^20 (AG)He struck the rock so that water gushed out
    and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
    or provide meat for his people?”

²¹ Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;
    ^(AH)a fire was kindled against Jacob;
    his anger rose against Israel,
²² because they ^(AI)did not believe in God
    and did not trust his saving power.
²³ Yet he commanded the skies above
    and ^(AJ)opened the doors of heaven,
²⁴ and he ^(AK)rained down on them manna to eat
    and gave them ^(AL)the grain of heaven.
²⁵ Man ate of the bread of ^(AM)the angels;
    he sent them food ^(AN)in abundance.
²⁶ He ^(AO)caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
    and by his power he led out the south wind;
²⁷ he rained meat on them like ^(AP)dust,
    winged birds like ^(AQ)the sand of the seas;
²⁸ he ^(AR)let them fall in the midst of their camp,
    all around their dwellings.
²⁹ And they ^(AS)ate and were well filled,
    for he gave them what they ^(AT)craved.
³⁰ But before they had satisfied their craving,
    ^(AU)while the food was still in their mouths,
³¹ the anger of God rose against them,
    and he killed ^(AV)the strongest of them
    and laid low ^(AW)the young men of Israel.

³² In spite of all this, they ^(AX)still sinned;
    ^(AY)despite his wonders, they did not believe.
³³ So he made ^(AZ)their days ^(BA)vanish like^[c] a breath,^[d]
    and their years in terror.
³⁴ When he killed them, they ^(BB)sought him;
    they repented and sought God earnestly.
³⁵ They remembered that God was their ^(BC)rock,
    the Most High God their ^(BD)redeemer.
³⁶ But they ^(BE)flattered him with their mouths;
    they ^(BF)lied to him with their tongues.
³⁷ Their ^(BG)heart was not ^(BH)steadfast toward him;
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
³⁸ Yet he, being ^(BI)compassionate,
    ^(BJ)atoned for their iniquity
    and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
    and did not stir up all his wrath.
³⁹ He ^(BK)remembered that they were but ^(BL)flesh,
    ^(BM)a wind that passes and comes not again.

What was your mother? ^(B)A lioness!
    Among lions she crouched;
in the midst of young lions
    she reared her cubs.
³ And she brought up one of her cubs;
    ^(C)he became a young lion,
^(D)and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men.
⁴ The nations heard about him;
    ^(E)he was caught in their pit,
^(F)and they brought him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.
⁵ When she saw that she waited in vain,
    that her hope was lost,
^(G)she took another of her cubs
    and made him a young lion.
⁶ He prowled among the lions;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men,
⁷ and seized^[a] their widows.
    He laid waste their cities,
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
    at the sound of his roaring.
^8 (H)Then the nations set against him
    from provinces on every side;
^(I)they spread their net over him;
    ^(J)he was taken in their pit.
⁹ With hooks ^(K)they put him in a cage^[b]
    and ^(L)brought him to the king of Babylon;
    they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
    on ^(M)the mountains of Israel.

¹⁰ Your mother was ^(N)like a vine in a vineyard^[c]
    planted by the water,
^(O)fruitful and full of branches
    ^(P)by reason of abundant water.
¹¹ Its strong stems became
    rulers' scepters;
it towered aloft
    among the thick boughs;^[d]
it was seen in its height
    with the mass of its branches.
¹² But the vine was plucked up in fury,
    cast down to the ground;
^(Q)the east wind dried up its fruit;
    they were stripped off and withered.
As for its strong stem,
    fire consumed it.
^13 (R)Now it is planted in the wilderness,
    in a dry and thirsty land.
^14 (S)And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,
    has consumed its fruit,
^(T)so that there remains in it no strong stem,
    no scepter for ruling.