I caredfor you in the wilderness,In the landof drought.
"[Thus] I was: by daythe heatconsumedme and the frostby night,and my sleepfledfrom my eyes.
For the LORDknowsthe wayof the righteous,But the wayof the wickedwill perish.
When my spiritwas overwhelmedwithinme, You knewmy path.In the waywhereI walkThey have hiddena trapfor me.
I will rejoiceand be gladin Your lovingkindness,BecauseYou have seenmy affliction;You have knownthe troublesof my soul,
O God,You are my God;I shall seekYou earnestly;My soulthirstsfor You, my fleshyearnsfor You, In a dryand wearylandwhere there is nowater.
Godsawthe sonsof Israel,and Godtooknotice[of them].
"Goand proclaimin the earsof Jerusalem,saying,'Thussaysthe LORD,"I rememberconcerning you the devotionof your youth,The loveof your betrothals,Your followingafterMe in the wilderness,Through a landnot sown.
"They did not say,'Whereis the LORDWho broughtus up out of the landof Egypt,Who ledus through the wilderness,Through a landof desertsand of pits,Through a landof droughtand of deepdarkness,Through a landthat noonecrossedAnd wherenomandwelt?'
I knowEphraim,and Israelis not hiddenfrom Me; For now,O Ephraim,you have playedthe harlot,Israelhas defileditself.
I foundIsraellike grapesin the wilderness;I sawyour forefathersas the earliestfruiton the figtreein its first[season]. [But] they cameto Baal-peorand devotedthemselves to shame,And they becameas detestableas that whichthey loved.
The LORDis good,A strongholdin the dayof trouble,And He knowsthose who takerefugein Him.
but ifanyonelovesGod,he is knownby Him.
But nowthat you have come to knowGod,orratherto be knownby God,howis it that you turn backagainto the weakand worthlesselemental things,to whichyou desireto be enslavedall overagain?
"For the LORDyour Godhas blessedyou in allthat you have done;He has knownyour wanderingsthrough thisgreatwilderness.Thesefortyyearsthe LORDyour Godhas been with you; you have not lackeda thing."'
"He foundhim in a desertland,And in the howlingwasteof a wilderness;He encircledhim, He caredfor him, He guardedhim as the pupilof His eye.
"He ledyou through the greatand terriblewilderness,[with its] fieryserpentsand scorpionsand thirstygroundwheretherewas nowater;He broughtwaterfor you out of the rockof flint.
