Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

78 A psalm for Asaph. O God, the heathens are come into thy inheritance, they have defiled thy holy temple: they have made Jerusalem as a place to keep fruit.

² They have given the dead bodies of thy servants to be meat for the fowls of the air: the flesh of thy saints for the beasts of the earth.

³ They have poured out their blood as water, round about Jerusalem and there was none to bury them.

⁴ We are become a reproach to our neighbours: a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

⁵ How long, O Lord, wilt thou be angry for ever: shall thy zeal be kindled like a fire?

⁶ Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that have not known thee: and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

⁷ Because they have devoured Jacob; and have laid waste his place.

⁸ Remember not our former iniquities: let thy mercies speedily prevent us, for we are become exceeding poor.

26 And when thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess, and hast conquered it, and dwellest in it:

² Thou shalt take the first of all thy fruits, and put then? in a basket, and shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, that his name may be invocated there:

³ And thou shalt go to the priest that shall be in those days, and say to him: I profess this day before the Lord thy God, that I am come into the land, for which he swore to our fathers, that he would give it us.

⁴ And the priest taking the basket at thy hand, shall set it before the altar of the Lord thy God:

⁵ And thou shalt speak thus in the sight of the Lord thy God: The Syrian pursued my father, who went down into Egypt, and sojourned there in a very small number, and grew into a nation great and strong and of an infinite multitude.

⁶ And the Egyptians afflicted us, and persecuted us, laying on us most grievous burdens:

⁷ And we cried to the Lord God of our fathers: who heard us, and looked down upon our affliction, and labour, and distress:

⁸ And brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand, and a stretched out arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders:

⁹ And brought us into this place, and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.

¹⁰ And therefore now I offer the firstfruits of the land which the Lord hath given me. And thou shalt leave them in the sight of the Lord thy God, adoring the Lord thy God.

¹¹ And thou shalt feast in all the good things which the Lord thy God hath given thee, and thy house, thou and the Levite, and the stranger that is with thee.

¹² When thou hast made an end of tithing all thy fruits, in the third year of tithes thou shalt give it to the Levite, and to the stranger, and to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled:

¹³ And thou shalt speak thus in the sight of the Lord thy God: I have taken that which was sanctified out of my house, and I have given it to the Levite, and to the stranger, and to the fatherless, and to the widow, as thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments nor forgotten thy precepts.

¹⁴ I have not eaten of them is my mourning, nor separated them for any uncleanness, nor spent any thing of them in funerals. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done all things as thou hast commanded me.

¹⁵ Look from thy sanctuary, and thy high habitation of heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou didst swear to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

³⁷ Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart, and said to Peter, and to the rest of the apostles: What shall we do, men and brethren?

³⁸ But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

³⁹ For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are far off, whomsoever the Lord our God shall call.

⁴⁰ And with very many other words did he testify and exhort them, saying: Save yourselves from this perverse generation.

⁴¹ They therefore that received his word, were baptized; and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

⁴³ And fear came upon every soul: many wonders also and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem, and there was great fear in all.

⁴⁴ And all they that believed, were together, and had all things common.

⁴⁵ Their possessions and goods they sold, and divided them to all, according as every one had need.

⁴⁶ And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart;

⁴⁷ Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved.