Deuteronomy 32:19-21

The Voice

Earlier Moses has described the Eternal One as Israel’s “Father” (verse 6). Now he uses the image of a mother going into labor and giving birth to describe the Eternal One’s tender affection and sacrificial love for the nation.

¹⁹Moses: The Eternal saw this and rejected them
because His sons and daughters had made Him so angry.

²⁰Eternal One: I won’t look at them when they pray;
        I’ll just watch and see what happens to them
    Because they’re a perverse generation,
        children who are unfaithful.
²¹    They’ve made Me jealous by worshiping something that isn’t God,
        and they’ve angered Me with their idols!
    So I’ll make them jealous by favoring those who aren’t a people;
        I’ll infuriate them with a godless nation.^[a]