Daily Bible GNT March 17 Verses

¹⁶But our ancestors grew proud and stubborn

and refused to obey your commands.

¹⁷They refused to obey; they forgot all you did;

they forgot the miracles you had performed.

In their pride they chose a leader

to take them back to slavery in Egypt.

But you are a God who forgives;

you are gracious and loving, slow to be angry.

Your mercy is great; you did not forsake them.

¹⁸They made an idol in the shape of a bull-calf

and said it was the god who led them from Egypt!

How much they insulted you, LORD!

¹⁹But you did not abandon them there in the desert,

for your mercy is great.

You did not take away the cloud or the fire

that showed them the path by day and night.

²⁰In your goodness you told them what they should do;

you fed them manna and gave them water to drink.

²¹Through forty years in the desert

you provided all that they needed;

their clothing never wore out,

and their feet were not swollen with pain.

²²"You let them conquer nations and kingdoms,

lands that bordered their own.

They conquered the land of Heshbon, where Sihon ruled,

and the land of Bashan, where Og was king.

²³You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky,

and let them conquer and live in the land

that you had promised their ancestors to give them.

²⁴They conquered the land of Canaan;

you overcame the people living there.

You gave your people the power to do as they pleased

with the people and kings of Canaan.

²⁵Your people captured fortified cities,

fertile land, houses full of wealth,

cisterns already dug,

olive trees, fruit trees, and vineyards.

They ate all they wanted and grew fat;

they enjoyed all the good things you gave them.

²⁶"But your people rebelled and disobeyed you;

they turned their backs on your Law.

They killed the prophets who warned them,

who told them to turn back to you.

They insulted you time after time,

²⁷

so you let their enemies conquer and rule them.

In their trouble they called to you for help,

and you answered them from heaven.

In your great mercy you sent them leaders

who rescued them from their foes.

²⁸When peace returned, they sinned again,

and again you let their enemies conquer them.

Yet when they repented and asked you to save them,

in heaven you heard, and time after time

you rescued them in your great mercy.

²⁹You warned them to obey your teachings,

but in pride they rejected your laws,

although keeping your Law is the way to life.

Hard-headed and stubborn, they refused to obey.

³⁰Year after year you patiently warned them.

You inspired your prophets to speak,

but your people were deaf,

so you let them be conquered by other nations.

³¹And yet, because your mercy is great,

you did not forsake or destroy them.

You are a gracious and merciful God!

³²"O God, our God, how great you are!

How terrifying, how powerful!

You faithfully keep your covenant promises.

From the time when Assyrian kings oppressed us,

even till now, how much we have suffered!

Our kings, our leaders, our priests and prophets,

our ancestors, and all our people have suffered.

Remember how much we have suffered!

³³You have done right to punish us;

you have been faithful, even though we have sinned.

³⁴Our ancestors, our kings, leaders, and priests

have not kept your Law.

They did not listen to your commands and warnings.

³⁵With your blessing, kings ruled your people

when they lived in the broad, fertile land you gave them;

but they failed to turn from sin and serve you.

³⁶And now we are slaves in the land that you gave us,

this fertile land which gives us food.

³⁷What the land produces goes to the kings

that you put over us because we sinned.

They do as they please with us and our livestock,

and we are in deep distress!"

This reading is from The Holy Bible, Today's English Version, Second Edition copyright © American Bible Society, 1992;
Old Testament copyright © American Bible Society, 1976, 1992; New Testament © American Bible Society, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.

These daily Bible readings from the Good News Translation (GNT), formerly the Today's English Version (TEV), are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. All BibleCard® images are copyrighted by iCreative. All rights reserved.