³⁸ But God, being compassionate,
    kept forgiving their sins,
    kept avoiding destruction;
    he took back his anger so many times,
    wouldn’t stir up all his wrath!
³⁹ God kept remembering that they were just flesh,
    just breath that passes and doesn’t come back.

⁴⁰ How often they rebelled against God in the wilderness
    and distressed him in the desert!