Psalms 78:38-64

38But God was kind to them, and he forgave them for their sins. He did not destroy them. Many times he was patient, and he did not become angry with them.

39He remembered that they were weak and human, like a wind that blows away and does not return.

40When the Israelite people were in the wilderness, they often turned against God. That caused God to be very sad.

41Many times they tested God, the Holy One of Israel, so that he was very upset.

42They forgot about his great power, and how he rescued them from their enemies.

43He did powerful miracles in Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

44He caused the Egyptians' rivers to become blood, so that they could not drink water from them.

45He sent large numbers of flies to bite them. He sent frogs that destroyed their land.

46He caused locusts to eat their crops, and everything that grew in their fields.

47He destroyed their vines with hail. He destroyed their fig trees with frost.

48He sent hail to kill their cows. He sent lightning to kill their other animals.

49He was so angry with them, that he sent terrible things to punish them. Great trouble came to them, like an army of his angels that bring death.

50Nothing could stop his anger. He did not save them from death. He let bad disease kill them.

51He killed all the firstborn sons in Egypt. The strongest men of Ham's descendants died.

52But God led his own people safely out of Egypt. But took them through the wilderness, like a shepherd leads his sheep.

53They were safe with him as their guide, and they were not afraid. But their enemies drowned in the sea.

54He brought his people to the edge of his holy land. It was land with the mountain that he had taken with his power.

55He chased away the nations that were living there. He gave to each tribe their own piece of land, so that Israel's tribes could live there.

56But the Israelites continued to test the Most High God, and they turned against him. They did not obey his commands.

57They turned away from him and they deceived him, as their ancestors had done. They were useless, like a bow that would not shoot straight!

58The places where they worshipped their idols made God very angry.

59God heard what they were doing, and he became very angry. He turned against the Israelite people.

60He went away from his home at Shiloh. That was the tent where he lived among people.

61He let Israel's enemies take away the Covenant Box, that showed his power and his glory.

62He was so angry with his own people, he let their enemies kill them in battle.

63Fire killed their young men in war. There was nobody for the young women to marry.

64Their priests died in battle. Their widows had no chance to weep.