1-3. Hallelujah!Thank God! And why?Because he’s good, because his love lasts.But who on earth can do it—declaim God’s mighty acts, broadcast all his praises?You’re one happy man when you do what’s right,one happy woman when you form the habit of justice.
13-18. But it wasn’t long before they forgot the whole thing,wouldn’t wait to be told what to do.They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert,provoked God with their insistent demands.He gave them exactly what they asked for—but along with it they got an empty heart.One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses,also of Aaron, holy priest of God.The ground opened and swallowed Dathan,then buried Abiram’s gang.Fire flared against that rebel crewand torched them to a cinder.
19-22. They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeband worshiped the statue they’d made.They traded the Gloryfor a cheap piece of sculpture—a grass-chewing bull!They forgot God, their very own Savior,who turned things around in Egypt,Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham,who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea.
23-27. Fed up, God decided to get rid of them—and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have.But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God’s anger,prevented it from destroying them utterly.They went on to reject the Blessed Land,didn’t believe a word of what God promised.They found fault with the life they hadand turned a deaf ear to God’s voice.Exasperated, God sworethat he’d lay them low in the desert,Scattering their children hither and yon,strewing them all over the earth.
28-31. Then they linked up with Baal Peor,attending funeral banquets and eating idol food.That made God so angrythat a plague spread through their ranks;Phinehas stood up and pled their caseand the plague was stopped.This was counted to his credit;his descendants will never forget it.