Psalms 106:7-28

Our fathers who were delivered from Egypt didn’t fully understand your wonders, and they took you for granted. Over and over you showed them such tender love and mercy! Yet they were barely beyond the Red Sea when they rebelled against you. Nonetheless, you saved them more than once so they would know how powerful you are, showing them the honor of your name. You roared over the waters of the Red Sea, making a dry path for your people to cross through. You freed them from the strong power of those who oppressed them and rescued them from bondage. Then the waters rushed over their enemies and drowned them all— not one survived. Seeing this, the people believed your words, and they all broke out with songs of praise! Yet how quickly they forgot your miracles of power. They wouldn’t wait for you to act when they were hungry, but demanded you satisfy their cravings and give them food! They tested you to the breaking point. So you gave them what they wanted to eat, but their souls starved away to nothing. They became envious of Moses and Aaron, your holy ones. You split open the earth, and it swallowed up Dathan and Abiram along with their followers. Fire fell from heaven and burnt up all the band of rebels, turning them to ashes. They made an idol of a calf at Sinai and bowed to worship their man-made statue. They preferred the image of a grass-eating ox to the presence of the glory-filled God. They totally forgot it was you who saved them by the wonders and awesome miracles you worked in Egypt. So you decided to destroy them. But Moses, your chosen leader, stood in the gap between you and the people and made intercession on their behalf to turn away your wrath from killing them all. Yet they still didn’t believe your words and they despised the land of delight you gave to them. They grumbled and found fault with everything and closed their hearts to your voice. So you solemnly swore to them that they would all die in the desert. And you scattered their children to distant lands to die as exiles. Then our fathers joined the worshipers of the false god named “Lord of the Pit.” They even ate the sacrifices offered to the dead!