Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁶ But our ancestors acted arrogantly;
they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.
¹⁷ They refused to listen
and did not remember Your wonders
You performed among them.^(A)
They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader
to return to their slavery in Egypt.^[a](B)
But You are a forgiving God,
gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love,^(C)
and You did not abandon them.
¹⁸ Even after they had cast an image of a calf
for themselves and said,
“This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,”^(D)
and they had committed terrible blasphemies,
¹⁹ You did not abandon them in the wilderness
because of Your great compassion.
During the day the pillar of cloud
never turned away from them,
guiding them on their journey.
And during the night the pillar of fire
illuminated the way they should go.^(E)
20 You sent Your good Spirit^(F) to instruct them.
You did not withhold Your manna^(G) from their mouths,
and You gave them water for their thirst.^(H)
21 You provided for them in the wilderness 40 years^(I)
and they lacked nothing.
Their clothes did not wear out,
and their feet did not swell.^(J)

²² You gave them kingdoms and peoples
and assigned them to be a boundary.
They took possession
of the land of Sihon^[b] king of Heshbon
and of the land of Og king of Bashan.^(K)
23 You multiplied their descendants
like the stars of heaven^(L)
and brought them to the land
You told their ancestors to go in and take possession of it.
²⁴ So their descendants went in and possessed the land:
You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them
and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them,^(M)
to do as they pleased with them.
²⁵ They captured fortified cities and fertile land
and took possession of well-supplied houses,
cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards,
olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.^(N)
They ate, were filled,
became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness.

²⁶ But they were disobedient and rebelled against You.
They flung Your law behind their backs^(O)
and killed Your prophets^(P)
who warned them
in order to turn them back to You.
They committed terrible blasphemies.
²⁷ So You handed them over to their enemies,
who oppressed them.
In their time of distress, they cried out to You,
and You heard from heaven.
In Your abundant compassion
You gave them deliverers, who rescued them
from the power of their enemies.
²⁸ But as soon as they had relief,
they again did what was evil in Your sight.
So You abandoned them to the power of their enemies,
who dominated them.
When they cried out to You again,
You heard from heaven and rescued them
many times in Your compassion.^(Q)
29 You warned them to turn back to Your law,
but they acted arrogantly
and would not obey Your commands.
They sinned against Your ordinances,
which a person will live by if he does them.^(R)
They stubbornly resisted,^[c]
stiffened their necks, and would not obey.
³⁰ You were patient with them for many years,
and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets,^(S)
but they would not listen.
Therefore, You handed them over to the surrounding peoples.^(T)
31 However, in Your abundant compassion,
You did not destroy them or abandon them,^(U)
for You are a gracious and compassionate God.^(V)