Nehemiah 9:17-19

The Voice

^16-17     But our ancestors resisted following You.
        They were arrogant. They were proud.
    They refused to obey Your commands, plugging their ears.
        Knowing what You had done for them in the past,
    They willfully forgot it in the present. Stubborn. Rebellious.
        Instead of following You,
    They appointed their own leader
        to take them back to the land of their oppression—to Egypt!
    But You are not like us, God.
        You are filled with love, compassion, and forgiveness.
    You endure much with your anger and display Your loyal love;
        You did not abandon them,
¹⁸     Even when they molded a cow out of gold for themselves, saying,
        “This is the god who rescued us from Egypt.”
    They committed horrible atrocities.
¹⁹     In Your incomprehensible compassion,
        You did not abandon them in the wilderness.
    The pillar of cloud didn’t evaporate;
        day by day it guided them.
    The pillar of fire was not extinguished;
        night by night it led them along the right paths.