The Daily Audio Bible
Renewing the Covenant
29 These are the words of the covenant(A) that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.(B) 2 Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “You have seen with your own eyes(C) everything the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his entire land. 3 You saw with your own eyes the great trials and those great signs and wonders.(D) 4 Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.(E) 5 I led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes and the sandals on your feet did not wear out;(F) 6 you did not eat food or drink wine or beer—so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.(G) 7 When you reached this place, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them.(H) 8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.(I) 9 Therefore, observe the words of this covenant(J) and follow them, so that you will succeed in everything you do.(K)
10 “All of you are standing today before the Lord your God—your leaders, tribes, elders, officials, all the men of Israel, 11 your dependents, your wives, and the resident aliens in your camps who cut your wood and draw your water— 12 so that you may enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, which he is making with you today, so that you may enter into his oath 13 and so that he may establish you today as his people and he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.(L) 14 I am making this covenant and this oath not only with you, 15 but also with those who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God and with those who are not here today.
Abandoning the Covenant
16 “Indeed, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and passed through the nations where you traveled. 17 You saw their abhorrent images and idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which were among them.(M) 18 Be sure there is no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.(N) 19 When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt,[a] thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.’ This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land. 20 The Lord will not be willing to forgive him. Instead, his anger and jealousy will burn against that person, and every curse written in this scroll will descend on him. The Lord will blot out his name under heaven,(O) 21 and single him out for harm from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law.
22 “Future generations of your children who follow you and the foreigner who comes from a distant country will see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses the Lord has inflicted on it. 23 All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown, producing nothing, with no plant growing on it, just like the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord demolished in his fierce anger.(P) 24 All the nations will ask, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this intense outburst of anger?’ 25 Then people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, which he had made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. 26 They began to serve other gods, bowing in worship to gods they had not known(Q)—gods that the Lord had not permitted them to worship.(R) 27 Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against this land, and he brought every curse written in this book on it. 28 The Lord uprooted them from their land in his anger, rage, and intense wrath, and threw them into another land where they are today.’ 29 The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.
Returning to the Lord
30 “When all these things happen to you—the blessings and curses I have set before you—and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you,(S) 2 and you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and all your soul(T) by doing[b] everything I am commanding you today, 3 then he will restore your fortunes,[c](U) have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.(V) 4 Even if your exiles are at the farthest horizon, he will gather you and bring you back from there.(W) 5 The Lord your God will bring you into the land your ancestors possessed, and you will take possession of it.(X) He will cause you to prosper and multiply you more than he did your ancestors.(Y) 6 The Lord your God will circumcise your heart(Z) and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.(AA) 7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 8 Then you will again obey him and follow all his commands I am commanding you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you prosper abundantly in all the work of your hands,(AB) your offspring,[d] the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. Indeed, the Lord will again delight in your prosperity, as he delighted in that of your ancestors, 10 when you obey the Lord your God by keeping his commands and statutes that are written in this book of the law and return to him with all your heart and all your soul.
Choose Life
11 “This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. 12 It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ 13 And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ 14 But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.(AC) 15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity.(AD) 16 For[e] I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live[f] and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow in worship to other gods and serve them, 18 I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not prolong your days in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life(AE) so that you and your descendants may live, 20 love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful[g] to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors(AF) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Religious Hypocrisy Denounced
37 As he was speaking, a Pharisee(A) asked him to dine with him. So he went in and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first perform the ritual washing[a](B) before dinner.(C) 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed(D) and evil.(E) 40 Fools!(F) Didn’t he who made the outside make the inside too? 41 But give from what is within to the poor,[b](G) and then everything is clean(H) for you.
42 “But woe(I) to you Pharisees! You give a tenth[c](J) of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass[d] justice(K) and love for God.[e](L) These things you should have done without neglecting the others.
43 “Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat(M) in the synagogues(N) and greetings in the marketplaces.
44 “Woe to you![f] You are like unmarked graves; (O) the people who walk over them don’t know it.”
45 One of the experts in the law(P) answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.”
46 Then he said, “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens(Q) that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.(R)
47 “Woe to you! You build tombs[g] for the prophets,(S) and your fathers killed(T) them. 48 Therefore, you are witnesses(U) that you approve[h](V) the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.[i] 49 Because of this, the wisdom of God(W) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles,(X) and some of them they will kill and persecute,’(Y) 50 so that this generation(Z) may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world[j](AA) — 51 from the blood of Abel(AB) to the blood of Zechariah,(AC) who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.
“Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.[k]
52 “Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge.(AD) You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered(AE) those who were trying to go in.”
53 When he left there,[l] the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose(AF) him fiercely and to cross-examine him about many things; 54 they were lying in wait(AG) for him to trap him in something he said.[m](AH)
Beware of Religious Hypocrisy
12 Meanwhile, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling(AI) on one another. He began to say to his disciples first,(AJ) “Be on your guard(AK) against the leaven[n](AL) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.(AM) 2 There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered,(AN) nothing hidden that won’t be made known.(AO) 3 Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms(AP) will be proclaimed on the housetops.(AQ)
Fear God
4 “I say to you, my friends,(AR) don’t fear(AS) those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear(AT) him who has authority to throw people into hell(AU) after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear! 6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies?[o] Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.(AV) 7 Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Psalm 78
Lessons from Israel’s Past
A Maskil of Asaph.(A)
1 My people, hear my instruction;
listen to the words from my mouth.(B)
2 I will declare wise sayings;
I will speak mysteries from the past(C)—
3 things we have heard and known
and that our ancestors have passed down to us.(D)
4 We will not hide them from their children,
but will tell a future generation
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
his might, and the wondrous works
he has performed.(E)
5 He established a testimony in Jacob
and set up a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach to their children(F)
6 so that a future generation—
children yet to be born—might know.
They were to rise and tell their children(G)
7 so that they might put their confidence in God
and not forget God’s works,
but keep his commands.(H)
8 Then they would not be like their ancestors,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not loyal
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.(I)
9 The Ephraimite archers turned back
on the day of battle.(J)
10 They did not keep God’s covenant
and refused to live by his law.(K)
11 They forgot what he had done,
the wondrous works he had shown them.(L)
12 He worked wonders in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt, the territory of Zoan.(M)
13 He split the sea and brought them across;
the water stood firm like a wall.(N)
14 He led them with a cloud by day
and with a fiery light throughout the night.(O)
15 He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink as abundant as the depths.(P)
16 He brought streams out of the stone
and made water flow down like rivers.(Q)
17 But they continued to sin against him,
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.(R)
18 They deliberately[a] tested God,
demanding the food they craved.(S)
19 They spoke against God, saying,
“Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?
20 Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out;
torrents overflowed.(T)
But can he also provide bread
or furnish meat for his people?” (U)
21 Therefore, the Lord heard and became furious;
then fire broke out against Jacob,
and anger flared up against Israel(V)
22 because they did not believe God
or rely on his salvation.(W)
23 He gave a command to the clouds above
and opened the doors of heaven.(X)
24 He rained manna for them to eat;
he gave them grain from heaven.(Y)
25 People[b] ate the bread of angels.[c]
He sent them an abundant supply of food.(Z)
26 He made the east wind blow in the skies
and drove the south wind by his might.(AA)
27 He rained meat on them like dust,
and winged birds like the sand of the seas.
28 He made them fall in the camp,
all around the tents.(AB)
29 The people ate and were completely satisfied,
for he gave them what they craved.(AC)
30 Before they had turned from what they craved,
while the food was still in their mouths,
31 God’s anger flared up against them,
and he killed some of their best men.
He struck down Israel’s fit young men.(AD)
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