Psalm 78:1-8

New International Version

Psalm 78

A maskil^[a] of Asaph.

¹My people, hear my teaching;^(A)
    listen to the words of my mouth.
²I will open my mouth with a parable;^(B)
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
³things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.^(C)
⁴We will not hide them from their descendants;^(D)
    we will tell the next generation^(E)
the praiseworthy deeds^(F) of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders^(G) he has done.
⁵He decreed statutes^(H) for Jacob^(I)
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
⁶so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,^(J)
    and they in turn would tell their children.
⁷Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget^(K) his deeds
    but would keep his commands.^(L)
⁸They would not be like their ancestors^(M)—
    a stubborn^(N) and rebellious^(O) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
    whose spirits were not faithful to him.

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Footnotes

Psalm 78:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term

Psalm 78:17-29

New International Version

¹⁷But they continued to sin^(A) against him,
    rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
¹⁸They willfully put God to the test^(B)
    by demanding the food they craved.^(C)
¹⁹They spoke against God;^(D)
    they said, “Can God really
    spread a table in the wilderness?
²⁰True, he struck the rock,
    and water gushed out,^(E)
    streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
    Can he supply meat^(F) for his people?”
²¹When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
    his fire broke out^(G) against Jacob,
    and his wrath rose against Israel,
²²for they did not believe in God
    or trust^(H) in his deliverance.
²³Yet he gave a command to the skies above
    and opened the doors of the heavens;^(I)
²⁴he rained down manna^(J) for the people to eat,
    he gave them the grain of heaven.
²⁵Human beings ate the bread of angels;
    he sent them all the food they could eat.
²⁶He let loose the east wind^(K) from the heavens
    and by his power made the south wind blow.
²⁷He rained meat down on them like dust,
    birds^(L) like sand on the seashore.
²⁸He made them come down inside their camp,
    all around their tents.
²⁹They ate till they were gorged—^(M)
    he had given them what they craved.

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Deuteronomy 26:1-15

New International Version

Firstfruits and Tithes

26 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, ²take some of the firstfruits^(A) of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name^(B) ³and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” ⁴The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. ⁵Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering^(C) Aramean,^(D) and he went down into Egypt with a few people^(E) and lived there and became a great nation,^(F) powerful and numerous. ⁶But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer,^(G) subjecting us to harsh labor.^(H) ⁷Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice^(I) and saw^(J) our misery,^(K) toil and oppression.^(L) ⁸So the Lord brought us out of Egypt^(M) with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,^(N) with great terror and with signs and wonders.^(O) ⁹He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;^(P) ¹⁰and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.^(Q)” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. ¹¹Then you and the Levites^(R) and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice^(S) in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

¹²When you have finished setting aside a tenth^(T) of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe,^(U) you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. ¹³Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.^(V) ¹⁴I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean,^(W) nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. ¹⁵Look down from heaven,^(X) your holy dwelling place, and bless^(Y) your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

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Acts 2:37-47

New International Version

³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(A)

³⁸Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(B) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(C) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^(D) ³⁹The promise is for you and your children^(E) and for all who are far off^(F)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^(G) ⁴¹Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(H) that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^(I) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^(J) and to prayer.^(K) ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.^(L) ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common.^(M) ⁴⁵They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.^(N) ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.^(O) They broke bread^(P) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.^(Q) And the Lord added to their number^(R) daily those who were being saved.