Psalm 78:14–40

¹⁴He led them with a cloud by day

and with a fiery light throughout the night. ^b

¹⁵He split rocks in the wilderness

and gave them drink as abundant as the depths. ^c

¹⁶He brought streams out of the stone

and made water flow down like rivers. ^d

¹⁷But they continued to sin against Him,

rebelling in the desert against the Most High. ^e

¹⁸They deliberately ^ftested God,

demanding the food they craved. ^g

¹⁹They spoke against God, saying,

“Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?

²⁰Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out;

torrents overflowed. ^h

But can He also provide bread

or furnish meat for His people?” ⁱ

²¹Therefore, the Lord heard and became furious;

then fire broke out against Jacob,

and anger flared up against Israel ^j

²²because they did not believe God

or rely on His salvation. ^k

²³He gave a command to the clouds above

and opened the doors of heaven. ^l

²⁴He rained manna for them to eat;

He gave them grain from heaven. ^m

²⁵People ⁿate the bread of angels. ^o

He sent them an abundant supply of food. ^p

²⁶He made the east wind blow in the skies

and drove the south wind by His might. ^q

²⁷He rained meat on them like dust,

and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

²⁸He made them fall in His camp,

all around His tent. ^rst

²⁹They ate and were completely satisfied,

for He gave them what they craved. ^u

³⁰Before they had satisfied their desire,

while the food was still in their mouths,

³¹God’s anger flared up against them,

and He killed some of their best men.

He struck down Israel’s choice young men. ^v

³²Despite all this, they kept sinning

and did not believe His wonderful works. ^w

³³He made their days end in futility,

their years in sudden disaster. ^x

³⁴When He killed some of them,

the rest began to seek Him;

they repented and searched for God. ^y

³⁵They remembered that God was their rock,

the Most High God, their Redeemer. ^z

³⁶But they deceived Him with their mouths,

they lied to Him with their tongues, ^a

³⁷their hearts were insincere toward Him,

and they were unfaithful to His covenant. ^b

³⁸Yet He was compassionate;

He atoned for ^ctheir guilt

and did not destroy them.

He often turned His anger aside

and did not unleash ^dall His wrath. ^e

³⁹He remembered that they were only flesh,

a wind that passes and does not return. ^f

⁴⁰How often they rebelled against Him

in the wilderness

and grieved Him in the desert.