Psalm 78

God’s Goodness and Israel’s Ingratitude

A Maskil of Asaph.

Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers

45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.^{(A) 2} And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.^{(B) 3} Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.^(C)

¹² But when you thus sin against brothers and sisters and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never again eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.^(A)

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

6 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ² On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!^{(A) 3} Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary^[a] and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense^[b] at him.^{(B) 4} Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown and among their own kin and in their own house.”^{(C) 5} And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.^{(D) 6} And he was amazed at their unbelief.

The Mission of the Twelve

Then he went about among the villages teaching.^{(E) 7} He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.^{(F) 8} He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, ⁹ but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰ He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹ If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.^{(G) 13} They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.^(H)