Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁶ “But they—our ancestors—became arrogant and stubborn,
    refusing to listen^[a] to your commands.
¹⁷ They would not listen,^[b]
    and did not remember the miracles you did among them.
Instead, they became stubborn
    and appointed a leader
        to return them to their slavery.

“But you are a God of forgiveness,
    gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger,
    and rich in gracious love;
        therefore you did not abandon them.

¹⁸ Moreover, after they had cast a golden calf for themselves, they said,
    “This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!”
        and committed terrible^[c] blasphemies.
¹⁹ You, in your great compassion,
    did not abandon them in the wilderness.
The pillar of cloud did not leave them in daylight,
    in order to provide light for them on the path they took.
Nor did the pillar of fire abandon them^[d] at night,
    in order to provide light for them
        and lead them on the path they took.

²⁰ “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them,
    not withholding manna from them,^[e]
        and providing water to quench^[f] their thirst.
²¹ You sustained them in the wilderness for 40 years.
    They lacked nothing.
Their clothes did not wear out,
    and their feet did not swell.
²² You gave them kingdoms and nations,
    apportioning them as frontier boundaries.
They took possession of the land of Sihon,
    the land of the king of Heshbon,
        and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

²³ “You multiplied their descendants like the stars in heaven
    and brought them to the land
about which you told their ancestors
    to enter and possess.
²⁴ So their descendants entered
    and took possession of the land.
Before their eyes you subdued those living in the land—the Canaanites—
    putting them under their control,
along with their kings and the peoples of the land,
    so they could do with them as they pleased.
²⁵ They conquered fortified cities and fertile ground,
    possessing houses filled with all kinds of good things,
wells already dug, with vineyards,
    olive orchards, and fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate, were satiated, and were well nourished,
    delighting themselves in your great goodness.

²⁶ “Then they disobeyed, rebelled against you,
    and threw your Law behind their backs.
They murdered your prophets
    who had admonished the people^[g] to return to you,
        committing terrible blasphemies.
²⁷ So you delivered them into the control of their enemies,
    who oppressed them.
But when they were oppressed,
    they cried out to you,
        and you heard from heaven.
In your great compassion
    you gave them deliverers who rescued them
        from the control of their enemies.

²⁸ “But after they had gained relief,
    they returned to doing evil before you.
Therefore you abandoned them to the control of their enemies,
    who continued to oppress them.
But when they came back and cried out to you,
    you listened from heaven
        and delivered them in your compassion on many occasions.
²⁹ You admonished them to return to your Law,
    but they acted arrogantly,
        and would not listen^[h] to your commands.
They sinned against your regulations,
    which if anyone obeys,
        he will live by them.
They turned away,
    being stubborn and stiff-necked,
        and they did not listen.^[i]
30 You were patient with them for many years,
    warning them by your Spirit
        through^[j] your prophets.
But they would not listen,
    so you turned them over
        to the control of people in other^[k] lands.
³¹ Nevertheless, in your great compassion
    you did not completely destroy them
        or abandon them,
because you are a God of grace
    and you are merciful.