they wandered from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another.

They executed his miraculous signs among them, and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.

He made it dark; they did not disobey his orders.

They ate all the vegetation in their land, and devoured the crops of their fields.

Egypt was happy when they left, for they were afraid of them.

They asked for food, and he sent quails; he satisfied them with food from the sky.

When he led his people out, they rejoiced; his chosen ones shouted with joy.

He handed the territory of nations over to them, and they took possession of what other peoples had produced,

so that they might keep his commands and obey his laws. Praise the Lord!

Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds, they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love, and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.

They believed his promises; they sang praises to him.

They quickly forgot what he had done; they did not wait for his instructions.

In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving for meat; they challenged God in the desert.

In the camp they resented Moses, and Aaron, the Lord's holy priest.

They made an image of a calf at Horeb, and worshiped a metal idol.

They traded their majestic God for the image of an ox that eats grass.

They rejected the God who delivered them, the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,

They rejected the fruitful land; they did not believe his promise.

They grumbled in their tents; they did not obey the Lord.

They worshiped Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.

They made the Lord angry by their actions, and a plague broke out among them.

They made him angry by the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered because of them,

for they aroused his temper, and he spoke rashly.

They did not destroy the nations, as the Lord had commanded them to do.

They mixed in with the nations and learned their ways.

They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.

They shed innocent blood -- the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted by bloodshed.

They were defiled by their deeds, and unfaithful in their actions.

Their enemies oppressed them; they were subject to their authority.

Many times he delivered them, but they had a rebellious attitude, and degraded themselves by their sin.

They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road; they found no city in which to live.

They were hungry and thirsty; they fainted from exhaustion.

They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.

He led them on a level road, that they might find a city in which to live.

They sat in utter darkness, bound in painful iron chains,

because they had rebelled against God's commands, and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king.

So he used suffering to humble them; they stumbled and no one helped them up.

They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.

They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, and suffered because of their sins.

They lost their appetite for all food, and they drew near the gates of death.

They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.

He sent them an assuring word and healed them; he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped.

They witnessed the acts of the Lord, his amazing feats on the deep water.

They reached up to the sky, then dropped into the depths. The sailors' strength left them because the danger was so great.

They swayed and staggered like a drunk, and all their skill proved ineffective.

They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.

The sailors rejoiced because the waves grew quiet, and he led them to the harbor they desired.

He allowed the hungry to settle there, and they established a city in which to live.

They cultivated fields, and planted vineyards, which yielded a harvest of fruit.

He blessed them so that they became very numerous. He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number.

As for their enemies, they decreased in number and were beaten down, because of painful distress and suffering.

When the godly see this, they rejoice, and every sinner shuts his mouth.

For they say cruel and deceptive things to me; they lie to me.

They surround me and say hateful things; they attack me for no reason.

They repay my love with accusations, but I continue to pray.

They repay me evil for good, and hate for love.

May his children roam around begging, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home!

I am disdained by them. When they see me, they shake their heads.

Then they will realize this is your work, and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.

They curse, but you will bless. When they attack, they will be humiliated, but your servant will rejoice.

They are forever firm, and should be faithfully and properly carried out.

When the wicked see this, they will worry; they will grind their teeth in frustration and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.

Their idols are made of silver and gold -- they are man-made.

They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,

hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats.

They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

They surrounded me like bees. But they disappeared as quickly as a fire among thorns. Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly. The Lord's right hand conquers,

I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules as if they were riches of all kinds.

Yes, I find delight in your rules; they give me guidance.

Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me, for I find hope in your word.

May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me! But I meditate on your precepts.

They have almost destroyed me here on the earth, but I do not reject your precepts.

(Lamed) O Lord, your instructions endure; they stand secure in heaven.

Today they stand firm by your decrees, for all things are your servants.

I claim your rules as my permanent possession, for they give me joy.

You despise all who stray from your statutes, for they are deceptive and unreliable.

It is time for the Lord to act -- they break your law!

Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. They give insight to the untrained.

Those who are eager to do wrong draw near; they are far from your law.

The wicked have no chance for deliverance, for they do not seek your statutes.

I take note of the treacherous and despise them, because they do not keep your instructions.

I am committed to peace, but when I speak, they want to make war.

A song of ascents, by David. I was glad because they said to me, "We will go to the Lord's temple."

they would have swallowed us alive, when their anger raged against us.

Those who shed tears as they plant will shout for joy when they reap the harvest.

It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep.

How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! They will not be put to shame when they confront enemies at the city gate.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the inner rooms of your house; your children will be like olive branches, as they sit all around your table.

A song of ascents. "Since my youth they have often attacked me," let Israel say.

"Since my youth they have often attacked me, but they have not defeated me.

The plowers plowed my back; they made their furrows long.

May they be like the grass on the rooftops which withers before one can even pull it up,

I will abundantly supply what she needs; I will give her poor all the food they need.

The nations' idols are made of silver and gold, they are man-made.

They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,

and ears, but cannot hear. Indeed, they cannot breathe.

Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. They said, "Tear it down, tear it down, right to its very foundation!"

Let all the kings of the earth give thanks to you, O Lord, when they hear the words you speak.