Psalm 78:27–42

27 He rained meat down on them like dust,

birdsv like sand on the seashore.

28 He made them come down inside their camp,

all around their tents.

29 They ate till they were gorged—w

he had given them what they craved.

30 But before they turned from what they craved,

even while the food was still in their mouths,x

31 God’s anger rose against them;

he put to death the sturdiesty among them,

cutting down the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;z

in spite of his wonders,a they did not believe.b

33 So he ended their days in futilityc

and their years in terror.

34 Whenever God slew them, they would seekd him;

they eagerly turned to him again.

35 They remembered that God was their Rock,e

that God Most High was their Redeemer.f

36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,g

lying to him with their tongues;

37 their hearts were not loyalh to him,

they were not faithful to his covenant.

38 Yet he was merciful;i

he forgavej their iniquitiesk

and did not destroy them.

Time after time he restrained his angerl

and did not stir up his full wrath.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh,m

a passing breezen that does not return.

40 How often they rebelledo against him in the wildernessp

and grieved himq in the wasteland!

41 Again and again they put God to the test;r

they vexed the Holy One of Israel.s

42 They did not remembert his power—

the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,u