Psalm 78:17-41

New International Version

¹⁷ But they continued to sin^(A) against him,
    rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
¹⁸ They willfully put God to the test^(B)
    by demanding the food they craved.^(C)
19 They spoke against God;^(D)
    they said, “Can God really
    spread a table in the wilderness?
²⁰ True, he struck the rock,
    and water gushed out,^(E)
    streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
    Can he supply meat^(F) for his people?”
²¹ When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
    his fire broke out^(G) against Jacob,
    and his wrath rose against Israel,
²² for they did not believe in God
    or trust^(H) in his deliverance.
²³ Yet he gave a command to the skies above
    and opened the doors of the heavens;^(I)
24 he rained down manna^(J) for the people to eat,
    he gave them the grain of heaven.
²⁵ Human beings ate the bread of angels;
    he sent them all the food they could eat.
²⁶ He let loose the east wind^(K) from the heavens
    and by his power made the south wind blow.
²⁷ He rained meat down on them like dust,
    birds^(L) 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—^(M)
    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,^(N)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
    he put to death the sturdiest^(O) among them,
    cutting down the young men of Israel.

³² In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;^(P)
    in spite of his wonders,^(Q) they did not believe.^(R)
33 So he ended their days in futility^(S)
    and their years in terror.
³⁴ Whenever God slew them, they would seek^(T) him;
    they eagerly turned to him again.
³⁵ They remembered that God was their Rock,^(U)
    that God Most High was their Redeemer.^(V)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,^(W)
    lying to him with their tongues;
³⁷ their hearts were not loyal^(X) to him,
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
³⁸ Yet he was merciful;^(Y)
    he forgave^(Z) their iniquities^(AA)
    and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger^(AB)
    and did not stir up his full wrath.
³⁹ He remembered that they were but flesh,^(AC)
    a passing breeze^(AD) that does not return.

⁴⁰ How often they rebelled^(AE) against him in the wilderness^(AF)
    and grieved him^(AG) in the wasteland!
⁴¹ Again and again they put God to the test;^(AH)
    they vexed the Holy One of Israel.^(AI)