Psalm 78:14–40

¹⁴He guided them by a cloud during the day 

and by a fiery light throughout the night. 

¹⁵He split rocks in the desert. 

He gave them plenty to drink, an ocean of water. 

¹⁶He made streams come out of a rock. 

He made the water flow like rivers. 

¹⁷They continued to sin against him, 

to rebel in the desert against the Most High. 

¹⁸They deliberately tested God by demanding the food they craved. 

¹⁹They spoke against God by saying, 

“Can God prepare a banquet in the desert? 

²⁰True, he did strike a rock, 

and water did gush out, 

and the streams did overflow. 

But can he also give us bread or provide us, his people, with meat?” 

²¹When the Lord heard this, he became furious. 

His fire burned against Jacob 

and his anger flared up at Israel 

²²because they did not believe God 

or trust him to save them. 

²³In spite of that, he commanded the clouds above 

and opened the doors of heaven. 

²⁴He rained manna down on them to eat 

and gave them grain from heaven. 

²⁵Humans ate the bread of the mighty ones, 

and God sent them plenty of food. 

²⁶He made the east wind blow in the heavens 

and guided the south wind with his might. 

²⁷He rained meat down on them like dust, 

birds like the sand on the seashore. 

²⁸He made the birds fall in the middle of his camp, 

all around his dwelling place. 

²⁹They ate more than enough. 

He gave them what they wanted, 

³⁰but they still wanted more. 

While the food was still in their mouths, 

³¹the anger of God flared up against them. 

He killed their strongest men 

and slaughtered the best young men in Israel. 

³²In spite of all this, they continued to sin, 

and they no longer believed in his miracles. 

³³He brought their days to an end like a whisper in the wind. 

He brought their years to an end in terror. 

³⁴When he killed ⸤some of⸥ them, ⸤the rest⸥ searched for him. 

They turned from their sins and eagerly looked for God. 

³⁵They remembered that God was their rock, 

that the Most High was their defender. 

³⁶They flattered him with their mouths 

and lied to him with their tongues. 

³⁷Their hearts were not loyal to him. 

They were not faithful to his promise. 

³⁸But he is compassionate. 

He forgave their sin. 

He did not destroy them. 

He restrained his anger many times. 

He did not display all of his fury. 

³⁹He remembered that they were only flesh and blood, 

a breeze that blows and does not return. 

⁴⁰How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness! 

How often they caused him grief in the desert!