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The ceremony upon entering the land
26 Once you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and are settled there, 2 take some of the early produce of the fertile ground that you have harvested from the land the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket. Then go to the location the Lord your God selects for his name to reside. 3 Go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him: “I am declaring right now before the Lord my[a] God that I have indeed arrived in the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.”
4 The priest will then take the basket from you and place it before the Lord your God’s altar. 5 Then you should solemnly state before the Lord your God:
“My father was a starving Aramean. He went down to Egypt, living as an immigrant there with few family members, but that is where he became a great nation, mighty and numerous. 6 The Egyptians treated us terribly, oppressing us and forcing hard labor on us. 7 So we cried out for help to the Lord, our ancestors’ God. The Lord heard our call. God saw our misery, our trouble, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with awesome power, and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land—a land full of milk and honey. 10 So now I am bringing the early produce of the fertile ground that you, Lord, have given me.”
Set the produce before the Lord your God, bowing down before the Lord your God. 11 Then celebrate all the good things the Lord your God has done for you and your family—each one of you along with the Levites and the immigrants who are among you.
12 When you have finished paying the entire tenth part of your produce on the third year—that is the year for paying the tenth-part—you will give it to the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows so they can eat in your cities until they are full. 13 Then announce before the Lord your God: “I have removed the holy portion from my[b] house, and I have given it to the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows—in full compliance with your entire commandment that you commanded me. I haven’t broken your commandments. I haven’t forgotten one! 14 I haven’t eaten from the holy portion while mourning, nor did I remove it while I was polluted, nor have I dedicated any of it to the dead. I’ve obeyed the Lord my God’s voice. I’ve done everything just as you commanded me. 15 Please look down from your holy home, from heaven itself, and bless your people Israel and the fertile land that you have given us—a land full of milk and honey—just like you promised our ancestors.”
Conclusion to the regulations and case laws
16 This very moment the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these regulations and case laws. So keep them and do them with all your mind and with your entire being! 17 Today you have affirmed that the Lord will be your God and that you will walk in his ways and follow his regulations, his commandments, and his case laws, and that you will obey his voice. 18 Today the Lord has gotten your agreement[c] that you will be his treasured people, just like he promised—by keeping his commandments— 19 in order to set you high above all the other nations that he made in praise, fame, and honor; and so that you are a people holy to the Lord your God, just as he said you would be.
Stones of the Instruction
27 Then Moses and Israel’s elders commanded the people:
Keep all of the commandment that I am giving you right now. 2 The same day you cross the Jordan River to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 Once you have crossed over, write on the stones all the words of this Instruction because you will have entered[d] the land the Lord your God is giving to you—a land full of milk and honey—exactly as the Lord, your ancestors’ God, promised you. 4 Once you have crossed over the Jordan River, set up these stones that I’m telling you about right now on Mount Ebal. Cover them with plaster 5 and build an altar there for the Lord your God—an altar of stones that haven’t been cut with iron tools. 6 (You must build the Lord your God’s altar with uncut stones.) Then offer up on that altar entirely burned sacrifices to the Lord your God. 7 Offer up well-being sacrifices and eat them there, celebrating in the Lord your God’s presence. 8 Make sure to write all the words of this Instruction on the stones plainly and clearly. 9 Then Moses and the levitical priests said to all Israel: Quiet down and listen, Israel! This very moment you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 So obey the Lord your God’s voice. Do his commandments and his regulations that I’m giving you right now.
Ceremony on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal
11 That same day Moses commanded the people: 12 Once you have crossed over the Jordan River, the following tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these are the tribes that will stand on Mount Ebal for the cursing: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 The Levites will address every individual Israelite with a loud voice:
15 “Cursed is anyone who makes an idol or an image—things detestable to the Lord, made by artisans—and sets it up secretly.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”[e]
16 “Cursed is anyone who belittles their father or mother.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
17 “Cursed is anyone who tampers with their neighbor’s property lines.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
18 “Cursed is anyone who misleads a blind person on a road.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
19 “Cursed is anyone who obstructs the legal rights of immigrants, orphans, or widows.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
20 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with his father’s wife, because that exposes his father’s private matters.”[f]
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
21 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with any kind of animal.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
22 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
23 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with his mother-in-law.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
24 “Cursed is anyone who kills his neighbor in secret.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
25 “Cursed is anyone who accepts money to kill an innocent person.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
26 “Cursed is anyone who doesn’t support the words of this Instruction by carrying them out.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
Jesus visits Martha and Mary
38 While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. 40 By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.”
41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. 42 One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”
Teaching the disciples to pray
11 Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 Jesus told them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father, uphold the holiness of your name.
Bring in your kingdom.
3 Give us the bread we need for today.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who has wronged us.
And don’t lead us into temptation.’”
5 He also said to them, “Imagine that one of you has a friend and you go to that friend in the middle of the night. Imagine saying, ‘Friend, loan me three loaves of bread 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has arrived and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 Imagine further that he answers from within the house, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ 8 I assure you, even if he wouldn’t get up and help because of his friendship, he will get up and give his friend whatever he needs because of his friend’s brashness. 9 And I tell you: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 Everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. To everyone who knocks, the door is opened.
11 “Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? 12 If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? 13 If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Psalm 76
For the music leader. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
76 God is known in Judah;
his name is great in Israel.
2 His dwelling place became Salem;
his habitation was Zion.
3 It was there that he broke the fiery shafts of the bow,
the shield, the sword—even the battle itself! Selah
4 You are ablaze with light,
mightier than the mountains that give food.
5 The bravehearted lie plundered.
They sank into deep lethargy.
All the strong troops
couldn’t even lift their hands!
6 At your rebuke, Jacob’s God,
both chariot and horse were stopped dead-still.
7 You! You are awesome!
Who can stand before you when you are angry?
8 You have announced judgment from heaven.
The earth grew afraid and fell silent
9 when God rose up to establish justice,
when God rose up to save all of the earth’s poor. Selah
10 Even human rage will turn to your praise
when you dress yourself
with whatever remains of your wrath.[a]
11 Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them!
Let all around him bring gifts to the awesome one.
12 He breaks the spirit of princes.
He is terrifying to all the kings of the earth.
15 Fools see their own way as right,
but the wise listen to advice.
16 Fools reveal their anger right away,
but the shrewd hide their contempt.
17 Those who state the truth speak justly,
but a false witness deceives.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible