Tell the Coming Generation

A Maskil[a] of (A)Asaph.

78 (B)Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
(C)I will open my mouth (D)in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
    that our (E)fathers have told us.
We will not (F)hide them from their children,
    but (G)tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and (H)the wonders that he has done.

He established (I)a testimony in (J)Jacob
    and appointed a law in (K)Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
    to teach to their children,
that (L)the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
    so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget (M)the works of God,
    but (N)keep his commandments;
and that they should not be (O)like their fathers,
    (P)a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation (Q)whose heart was not steadfast,
    whose spirit was not faithful to God.

The Ephraimites, armed with[b] the bow,
    (R)turned back on the day of battle.
10 They (S)did not keep God's covenant,
    but refused to walk according to his law.
11 They (T)forgot his works
    and (U)the wonders that he had shown them.
12 In the sight of their fathers (V)he performed wonders
    in the land of Egypt, in (W)the fields of Zoan.
13 He (X)divided the sea and let them pass through it,
    and made the waters (Y)stand like a heap.
14 (Z)In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
    and all the night with a fiery light.
15 He (AA)split rocks in the wilderness
    and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
16 He made streams come out of (AB)the rock
    and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

17 Yet they sinned still more against him,
    (AC)rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They (AD)tested God in their heart
    by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, saying,
    (AE)“Can God (AF)spread a table in the wilderness?
20 (AG)He struck the rock so that water gushed out
    and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
    or provide meat for his people?”

21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;
    (AH)a fire was kindled against Jacob;
    his anger rose against Israel,
22 because they (AI)did not believe in God
    and did not trust his saving power.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above
    and (AJ)opened the doors of heaven,
24 and he (AK)rained down on them manna to eat
    and gave them (AL)the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate of the bread of (AM)the angels;
    he sent them food (AN)in abundance.
26 He (AO)caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
    and by his power he led out the south wind;
27 he rained meat on them like (AP)dust,
    winged birds like (AQ)the sand of the seas;
28 he (AR)let them fall in the midst of their camp,
    all around their dwellings.
29 And they (AS)ate and were well filled,
    for he gave them what they (AT)craved.
30 But before they had satisfied their craving,
    (AU)while the food was still in their mouths,
31 the anger of God rose against them,
    and he killed (AV)the strongest of them
    and laid low (AW)the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they (AX)still sinned;
    (AY)despite his wonders, they did not believe.
33 So he made (AZ)their days (BA)vanish like[c] a breath,[d]
    and their years in terror.
34 When he killed them, they (BB)sought him;
    they repented and sought God earnestly.
35 They remembered that God was their (BC)rock,
    the Most High God their (BD)redeemer.
36 But they (BE)flattered him with their mouths;
    they (BF)lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their (BG)heart was not (BH)steadfast toward him;
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being (BI)compassionate,
    (BJ)atoned for their iniquity
    and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
    and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He (BK)remembered that they were but (BL)flesh,
    (BM)a wind that passes and comes not again.
40 How often they (BN)rebelled against him in the wilderness
    and (BO)grieved him in (BP)the desert!
41 They (BQ)tested God again and again
    and provoked (BR)the Holy One of Israel.
42 They (BS)did not remember his power[e]
    or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
43 (BT)when he performed his (BU)signs in Egypt
    and his (BV)marvels in (BW)the fields of Zoan.
44 He (BX)turned their rivers to blood,
    so that they could not drink of their streams.
45 He sent among them swarms of (BY)flies, which devoured them,
    and (BZ)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave their crops to (CA)the destroying locust
    and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with (CB)hail
    and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their (CC)cattle to the hail
    and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He let loose on them his burning anger,
    wrath, indignation, and distress,
    a company of (CD)destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger;
    he did not spare them from death,
    but gave their lives over to the plague.
51 He struck down every (CE)firstborn in Egypt,
    the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of (CF)Ham.
52 Then he led out his people (CG)like sheep
    and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 (CH)He led them in safety, so that they (CI)were not afraid,
    but (CJ)the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his (CK)holy land,
    (CL)to the mountain which his right hand had (CM)won.
55 He (CN)drove out nations before them;
    he (CO)apportioned them for a possession
    and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56 Yet they (CP)tested and (CQ)rebelled against the Most High God
    and did not keep his testimonies,
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
    they twisted like (CR)a deceitful bow.
58 For they (CS)provoked him to anger with their (CT)high places;
    they (CU)moved him to jealousy with their (CV)idols.
59 When God heard, he was full of (CW)wrath,
    and he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He (CX)forsook his dwelling at (CY)Shiloh,
    the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his (CZ)power to captivity,
    his (DA)glory to the hand of the foe.
62 He (DB)gave his people over to the sword
    and (DC)vented his wrath on his heritage.
63 (DD)Fire devoured their young men,
    and their young women had no (DE)marriage song.
64 Their (DF)priests fell by the sword,
    and their (DG)widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord (DH)awoke as from sleep,
    like a strong man shouting because of wine.
66 And he (DI)put his adversaries to rout;
    he put them to everlasting shame.

67 He rejected the tent of (DJ)Joseph;
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
    Mount Zion, which he (DK)loves.
69 He (DL)built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
    like the earth, which he has founded forever.
70 He (DM)chose David his servant
    and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from (DN)following the nursing ewes he brought him
    to (DO)shepherd Jacob his people,
    Israel his (DP)inheritance.
72 With (DQ)upright heart he shepherded them
    and (DR)guided them with his skillful hand.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 78:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 78:9 Hebrew armed and shooting
  3. Psalm 78:33 Hebrew in
  4. Psalm 78:33 Or vapor
  5. Psalm 78:42 Hebrew hand

Repent or Perish

13 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood (A)Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, (B)“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you (C)repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in (D)Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you (E)repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

And he told this parable: “A man had (F)a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. (G)Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

A Woman with a Disabling Spirit

10 Now (H)he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had (I)a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he (J)laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she (K)glorified God. 14 But (L)the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus (M)had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, (N)“There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! (O)Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, (P)a daughter of Abraham whom (Q)Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, (R)all his adversaries were put to shame, and (S)all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

18 (T)He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like (U)a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 (V)It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in (W)three measures of flour, until it was (X)all leavened.”

The Narrow Door

22 (Y)He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and (Z)journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, (AA)will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 (AB)“Strive (AC)to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 (AD)When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, (AE)‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, (AF)‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, (AG)‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, (AH)I do not know where you come from. (AI)Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 (AJ)In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see (AK)Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but (AL)you yourselves cast out. 29 And (AM)people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and (AN)recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, (AO)some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Lament over Jerusalem

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from (AP)here, for (AQ)Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day (AR)I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, (AS)I (AT)must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that (AU)a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 (AV)O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that (AW)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! (AX)How often would I have (AY)gathered (AZ)your children together (BA)as a hen gathers her brood (BB)under her wings, and (BC)you were not willing! 35 Behold, (BD)your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, (BE)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

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