1-3. Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God.
16-19. But they, our ancestors, were arrogant;bullheaded, they wouldn’t obey your commands.They turned a deaf ear, they refusedto remember the miracles you had done for them;They turned stubborn, got it into their headsto return to their Egyptian slavery.And you, a forgiving God,gracious and compassionate,Incredibly patient, with tons of love—you didn’t dump them.Yes, even when they cast a sculpted calfand said, “This is your godWho brought you out of Egypt,”and continued from bad to worse,You in your amazing compassiondidn’t walk off and leave them in the desert.The Pillar of Cloud didn’t leave them;daily it continued to show them their route;The Pillar of Fire did the same by night,showed them the right way to go.