Psalm 78:14–40

¹⁴He led them with a cloud by day

and by the light of a fire by night.

¹⁵He split the rocks in the desert

and gave them more than enough water, as if from the deep ocean.

¹⁶He brought streams out of the rock

and caused water to flow down like rivers.

¹⁷But the people continued to sin against him;

in the desert they turned against God Most High.

¹⁸They decided to test God

by asking for the food they wanted.

¹⁹Then they spoke against God,

saying, “Can God prepare food in the desert?

²⁰When he hit the rock, water poured out

and rivers flowed down.

But can he give us bread also?

Will he provide his people with meat?”

²¹When the Lord heard them, he was very angry.

His anger was like fire to the people of Jacob;

his anger grew against the people of Israel.

²²They had not believed God

and had not trusted him to save them.

²³But he gave a command to the clouds above

and opened the doors of heaven.

²⁴He rained manna down on them to eat;

he gave them grain from heaven.

²⁵So they ate the bread of angels.

He sent them all the food they could eat.

²⁶He sent the east wind from heaven

and led the south wind by his power.

²⁷He rained meat on them like dust.

The birds were as many as the sand of the sea.

²⁸He made the birds fall inside the camp,

all around the tents.

²⁹So the people ate and became very full.

God had given them what they wanted.

³⁰While they were still eating,

and while the food was still in their mouths,

³¹God became angry with them.

He killed some of the healthiest of them;

he struck down the best young men of Israel.

³²But they kept on sinning;

they did not believe even with the miracles.

³³So he ended their days without meaning

and their years in terror.

³⁴Anytime he killed them, they would look to him for help;

they would come back to God and follow him.

³⁵They would remember that God was their Rock,

that God Most High had saved them.

³⁶But their words were false,

and their tongues lied to him.

³⁷Their hearts were not really loyal to God;

they did not keep his agreement.

³⁸Still God was merciful.

He forgave their sins

and did not destroy them.

Many times he held back his anger

and did not stir up all his anger.

³⁹He remembered that they were only human,

like a wind that blows and does not come back.

⁴⁰They turned against God so often in the desert

and grieved him there.