23. But he commanded the skies to open;he opened the doors of heaven.
24. He rained down manna for them to eat;he gave them bread from heaven.
25. They ate the food of angels!God gave them all they could hold.
26. He released the east wind in the heavensand guided the south wind by his mighty power.
27. He rained down meat as thick as dust—birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
28. He caused the birds to fall within their campand all around their tents.
29. The people ate their fill.He gave them what they craved.
30. But before they satisfied their craving,while the meat was yet in their mouths,
31. the anger of God rose against them,and he killed their strongest men.He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.
32. But in spite of this, the people kept sinning.Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
33. So he ended their lives in failure,their years in terror.
34. When God began killing them,they finally sought him.They repented and took God seriously.
35. Then they remembered that God was their rock,that God Most High was their redeemer.
36. But all they gave him was lip service;they lied to him with their tongues.
37. Their hearts were not loyal to him.They did not keep his covenant.
38. Yet he was merciful and forgave their sinsand did not destroy them all.Many times he held back his angerand did not unleash his fury!
39. For he remembered that they were merely mortal,gone like a breath of wind that never returns.