6We, like our fathers, have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly. 7When our fathers were in Egypt, they did not appreciate Your wonders; nor remembered Your many acts of mercy; but, instead, provoked Him even at the Red Sea. 8And yet He saved them for His name's sake, to make His mighty power known. 9He commanded the Red Sea, and it was dried up; and so He led them through its depths, as through the wilderness. 10And He saved them from the hand of him their enemies, and rescued them from their foes. 11And the waters swept over their enemies; not one of them survived. 12Then they believed His promises; and they sang His praise. 13But they soon forgot what He had done for them; they did not seek His counsel, 14And in the wilderness, they lusted exceedingly and tested God in the desert. 15So He gave them what they craved, but sent a plague along with it. 16In the camp, they became jealous of Moses and also of Aaron, the saint of the LORD. 17For this, the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and buried Abiram and the company of rebels. 18And a fire was kindled in their company; its flame burned up the wicked. 19At Horeb, they made a calf idol and worshipped that molten image. 20Thus they exchanged their glorious God for a mere image of an ox that eats grass. 21They forgot God, their Savior, Who had done all those great things in Egypt, 22Miracles He did for them in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 23Therefore, He declared that He would destroy them; and if Moses, His chosen, had not stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath, He would have destroyed them. 24And then, they despised the pleasant land, not believing His word that would or could protect them there. 25Instead, they grumbled in their tents, and disdained the word of the LORD. 26Therefore, He swore that they would not live to enter His land; but would remain and perish in the wilderness, 27And their offspring would also be scattered among the nations in the lands. 28They also joined in the worship of the Baal of Peor, and ate the sacrifices offered to the dead. 29Thus they provoked Him to anger with their wicked behavior, so the plague broke out among them. 30But then Phinehas (the priest) stood up, and executed judgment; and so the plague was stopped. 31And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore. 32Then they again angered Him at the waters of Meribah (strife - Num.27:14), causing Moses much trouble for their sakes, 33Because they rebelled against His Spirit of God, so that Moses was provoked and spoke rashly. 34They also did not destroy the nations, as the LORD commanded them, 35But mingled and cohabitated among the nations, and adopted their customs. 36And they worshipped their idols, which became a snare unto them. 37Yea, they even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, 38And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their own sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. 39Thus they defiled themselves by their own deeds, and their love of idols was seen as adultery in the LORD’s eyes. 40Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people, to the point that He abhorred His Own inheritance. 41And He gave them into the hands of the nations, and they were ruled by those who hated them. 42Their enemies gained control of them and oppressed them. 43Many times He rescued them; but they were bent on rejecting His counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. 44Nevertheless, He took note of their affliction, when He heard their cry; 45And He remembered, for their sake, His covenant; and out of His great love, He relented. 46He also made those who held them captive to show them compassion.

47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks unto Your holy name, and to glory in Your praise.

48Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, “Amen. Praise the LORD.”

On the return from the captivity