Psalm 41^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The Cost of Following Jesus^(A)

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road,^(B) a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^(C) has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”^(D)

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”^(E)

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”^(F)

⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two^(A)(B)(C)

10 After this the Lord^(D) appointed seventy-two^[a] others^(E) and sent them two by two^(F) ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.^{(G) 2} He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.^{(H) 3} Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.^{(I) 4} Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.^(J) Do not move around from house to house.

⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.^{(K) 9} Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God^(L) has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you.^(M) Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’^{(N) 12} I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom^(O) than for that town.^(P)

¹³ “Woe to you,^(Q) Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth^(R) and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum,^(S) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[b]

¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”^(T)

¹⁷ The seventy-two^(U) returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”^(V)

¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan^(W) fall like lightning from heaven.^{(X) 19} I have given you authority to trample on snakes^(Y) and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”^(Z)

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.^(AA) Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²² “All things have been committed to me by my Father.^(AB) No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”^(AC)

²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”^(AD)

The Command to Leave Horeb

1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan^(A)—that is, in the Arabah^(B)—opposite Suph, between Paran^(C) and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. ² (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb^(D) to Kadesh Barnea^(E) by the Mount Seir^(F) road.)^(G)

³ In the fortieth year,^(H) on the first day of the eleventh month,^(I) Moses proclaimed^(J) to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. ⁴ This was after he had defeated Sihon^(K) king of the Amorites,^(L) who reigned in Heshbon,^(M) and at Edrei had defeated Og^(N) king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.^(O)

⁵ East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab,^(P) Moses began to expound this law, saying:

⁶ The Lord our God said to us^(Q) at Horeb,^(R) “You have stayed long enough^(S) at this mountain. ⁷ Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites;^(T) go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah,^(U) in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev^(V) and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites^(W) and to Lebanon,^(X) as far as the great river, the Euphrates.^{(Y) 8} See, I have given you this land^(Z).^(AA) Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore^(AB) he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

The Appointment of Leaders

⁹ At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden^(AC) for me to carry alone.^{(AD) 10} The Lord your God has increased^(AE) your numbers^(AF) so that today you are as numerous^(AG) as the stars in the sky.^{(AH) 11} May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase^(AI) you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!^{(AJ) 12} But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?^{(AK) 13} Choose some wise, understanding and respected men^(AL) from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

¹⁴ You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

¹⁵ So I took^(AM) the leading men of your tribes,^(AN) wise and respected men,^(AO) and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders^(AP) of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.^{(AQ) 16} And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge^(AR) fairly,^(AS) whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.^{(AT) 17} Do not show partiality^(AU) in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone,^(AV) for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”^{(AW) 18} And at that time I told you everything you were to do.^(AX)

Spies Sent Out

¹⁹ Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites^(AY) through all that vast and dreadful wilderness^(AZ) that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.^{(BA) 20} Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. ²¹ See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession^(BB) of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid;^(BC) do not be discouraged.”^(BD)

²² Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy^(BE) out the land^(BF) for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”

²³ The idea seemed good to me; so I selected^(BG) twelve of you, one man from each tribe. ²⁴ They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol^(BH) and explored it. ²⁵ Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported,^(BI) “It is a good land^(BJ) that the Lord our God is giving us.”^(BK)

Rebellion Against the Lord

²⁶ But you were unwilling to go up;^(BL) you rebelled^(BM) against the command of the Lord your God. ²⁷ You grumbled^(BN) in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. ²⁸ Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller^(BO) than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites^(BP) there.’”

²⁹ Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid^(BQ) of them.^{(BR) 30} The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight^(BS) for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, ³¹ and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried^(BT) you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”^(BU)

³² In spite of this,^(BV) you did not trust^(BW) in the Lord your God, ³³ who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day,^(BX) to search^(BY) out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

³⁴ When the Lord heard^(BZ) what you said, he was angry^(CA) and solemnly swore:^{(CB) 35} “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land^(CC) I swore to give your ancestors, ³⁶ except Caleb^(CD) son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.^(CE)”

³⁷ Because of you the Lord became angry^(CF) with me also and said, “You shall not enter^(CG) it, either. ³⁸ But your assistant, Joshua^(CH) son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage^(CI) him, because he will lead^(CJ) Israel to inherit^(CK) it. ³⁹ And the little ones that you said would be taken captive,^(CL) your children who do not yet know^(CM) good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. ⁴⁰ But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.^[a](CN)”

⁴¹ Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

⁴² But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”^(CO)

⁴³ So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. ⁴⁴ The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees^(CP) and beat you down from Seir^(CQ) all the way to Hormah.^{(CR) 45} You came back and wept before the Lord,^(CS) but he paid no attention^(CT) to your weeping and turned a deaf ear^(CU) to you. ⁴⁶ And so you stayed in Kadesh^(CV) many days—all the time you spent there.

Wanderings in the Wilderness

2 Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea,^[a](A) as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.^(B)

² Then the Lord said to me, ³ “You have made your way around this hill country long enough;^(C) now turn north. ⁴ Give the people these orders:^(D) ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau,^(E) who live in Seir.^(F) They will be afraid^(G) of you, but be very careful. ⁵ Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own.^{(H) 6} You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”

⁷ The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched^(I) over your journey through this vast wilderness.^(J) These forty years^(K) the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.^(L)

⁸ So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from^(M) the Arabah^(N) road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber,^(O) and traveled along the desert road of Moab.^(P)

⁹ Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar^(Q) to the descendants of Lot^(R) as a possession.”

¹⁰ (The Emites^(S) used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.^{(T) 11} Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites,^(U) but the Moabites called them Emites. ¹² Horites^(V) used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did^(W) in the land the Lord gave them as their possession.)

¹³ And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.^(X)” So we crossed the valley.

¹⁴ Thirty-eight years^(Y) passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea^(Z) until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation^(AA) of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.^{(AB) 15} The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated^(AC) them from the camp.

¹⁶ Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, ¹⁷ the Lord said to me, ¹⁸ “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar.^{(AD) 19} When you come to the Ammonites,^(AE) do not harass them or provoke them to war,^(AF) for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.^(AG)”

²⁰ (That too was considered a land of the Rephaites,^(AH) who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. ²¹ They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.^(AI) The Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. ²² The Lord had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir,^(AJ) when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day. ²³ And as for the Avvites^(AK) who lived in villages as far as Gaza,^(AL) the Caphtorites^(AM) coming out from Caphtor^[b](AN) destroyed them and settled in their place.)