Thus they changed their glory

For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.

They forgat God their saviour,

Which had done great things in Egypt;

Wondrous works in the land of Ham,

And terrible things by the Red Sea.

Therefore he said that he would destroy them,

Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

3

Yea, they despised the pleasant land,

They believed not his word;

But murmured in their tents,

And hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.
Therefore he lifted up his hand unto them,

That he would overthrow them in the wilderness :
And that he would overthrow their seed among the
nations,

And scatter them in the lands.

They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor,

And ate the sacrifices of the dead.

Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings;
And the plague brake in upon them.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgement:
And so the plague was stayed.

And that was counted unto him for righteousness,
Unto all generations for evermore.

4

They angered him also at the waters of Meribah,
So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
Because they were rebellious against his spirit,
And he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
They did not destroy the peoples,

As the LORD commanded them;

But mingled themselves with the nations,
And learned their works:

And they served their idols;

Which became a snare unto them:

Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons
and of their daughters,

Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood.

Thus were they defiled with their works,

And went a whoring in their doings.

Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people,

And he abhorred his inheritance.

And he gave them into the hand of the nations;

And they that hated them ruled over them.

Their enemies also oppressed them,

And they were brought into subjection under their hand. Many times did he deliver them;

But they were rebellious in their counsel,

And were brought low in their iniquity.
Nevertheless he regarded their distress,
When he heard their cry:

And he remembered for them his covenant,

And repented according to the multitude of his mercies. He made them also to be pitied

Of all those that carried them captives.

Save us, O LORD our God,

And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks unto thy holy name,
And to triumph in thy praise.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, Amen.

Hallelujah.

BOOK V