"Surelyallthe menwho have seenMy gloryand My signswhichI performedin Egyptand in the wilderness,yet have putMe to the testthesetentimesand have not listenedto My voice,
"ThesetwentyyearsI have been in your house;I servedyou fourteenyearsfor your twodaughtersand sixyearsfor your flock,and you changedmy wagestentimes.
"Yet your fatherhas cheatedme and changedmy wagestentimes;however, Goddid not allowhim to hurtme.
"Thesetentimesyou have insultedme; You are not ashamedto wrongme.
But cravedintenselyin the wilderness,And temptedGodin the desert.
Therefore He sworeto them That He would castthem downin the wilderness,
Againand again they temptedGod,And painedthe HolyOneof Israel.
Then they saidto Moses,"Is it becausetherewere nogravesin Egyptthat you have takenus away to diein the wilderness?Whyhave you dealtwith us in thisway,bringingus out of Egypt?
So the peoplegrumbledat Moses,saying,"Whatshall we drink?"
The wholecongregationof the sonsof IsraelgrumbledagainstMosesand Aaronin the wilderness.
Therefore the peoplequarreledwith Mosesand said,"Giveus waterthat we may drink."And Mosessaidto them, "Whydo you quarrelwith me? Whydo you testthe LORD?"
But the peoplethirstedtherefor water;and they grumbledagainstMosesand said,"Why,now,have you broughtus up from Egypt,to killus and our childrenand our livestockwith thirst?"
He namedthe placeMassahand Meribahbecauseof the quarrelof the sonsof Israel,and becausethey testedthe LORD,saying,"Is the LORDamongus, ornot?"
Now when the peoplesawthat Mosesdelayedto comedownfrom the mountain,the peopleassembledaboutAaronand saidto him, "Come,makeus a godwhowill gobeforeus; as for thisMoses,the manwhobroughtus up from the landof Egypt,we do not knowwhathas becomeof him."
They saidto them, "May the LORDlookupon you and judge[you], for you have madeus odiousin Pharaoh'ssightand in the sightof his servants,to puta swordin their handto killus."
You have seenmanythings,but you do not observe[them]; [Your] earsare open,but nonehears.
As for everymatterof wisdomand understandingabout whichthe kingconsultedthem, he foundthem tentimesbetterthanallthe magicians[and] conjurerswho[were] in allhis realm.
So nowwe callthe arrogantblessed;not onlyare the doersof wickednessbuiltup but they alsotestGodand escape.'"
Now the peoplebecamelike those who complainof adversityin the hearingof the LORD;and when the LORDheard[it], His angerwas kindled,and the fireof the LORDburnedamong them and consumed[some] of the outskirtsof the camp.
The rabblewhowere amongthem hadgreedydesires;and alsothe sonsof Israelweptagainand said,"Whowill give us meatto eat?
Then Miriamand Aaronspokeagainst Mosesbecauseof the Cushitewomanwhomhe had married(for he had marrieda Cushitewoman);
The LORDsaidto Moses,"Howlongwill thispeoplespurnMe? And howlongwill they not believein Me, despite allthe signswhichI have performedin their midst?
Allthe sonsof IsraelgrumbledagainstMosesand Aaron;and the wholecongregationsaidto them, "Wouldthat we had diedin the landof Egypt!Orwouldthat we had diedin thiswilderness!
exceptCalebthe sonof Jephunnehthe Kenizziteand Joshuathe sonof Nun,for they have followedthe LORDfully.'
Jesussaidto him, "On the other hand,it is written,YOU SHALL NOT PUTTHE LORDYOUR GODTO THE TEST.'"
Nevertheless,with mostof them Godwas not well-pleased;for they were laid lowin the wilderness.
Norlet us trythe Lord,as someof them did,and were destroyedby the serpents.
"Remember,do not forgethowyou provokedthe LORDyour Godto wrathin the wilderness;from the daythat you leftthe landof Egyptuntilyou arrivedat thisplace,you have beenrebelliousagainstthe LORD.
WHEREYOUR FATHERSTRIED[Me] BY TESTING[Me], AND SAWMY WORKSFOR FORTYYEARS.
