Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Is Good to His People
78 O my people, hear my teaching. Listen to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in picture-stories. I will tell things which have been kept secret from long ago, 3 which we have heard and known because our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children. But we will tell the children-to-come the praises of the Lord, and of His power and the great things He has done.
52 But He brought His people out like sheep. And He led them like a flock in the desert. 53 He led them and kept them safe, so they were not afraid. But the sea covered those who hated them.
54 He brought them to His holy land, to the hill country His right hand had taken. 55 He drove out the nations before them. He gave them parts of the land for a gift. And He made the families of Israel live in their tents.
56 But they tempted and went against the Most High God. They did not keep His Law. 57 They turned away and acted without faith like their fathers. They were like a bow that cannot be trusted. 58 They made Him angry with their sinful places of worship. And they made Him jealous with their false gods. 59 God was very angry when He heard them, and He hated Israel. 60 He left the holy tent at Shiloh, the tent He had set up among men. 61 And He let His strength be taken. He put His greatness into the hands of those who hated Israel. 62 He allowed His people to be killed with the sword. And He was very angry with those who belong to Him. 63 Fire burned up their young men. And their young women had no wedding songs. 64 Their religious leaders fell by the sword. And the women who lost their husbands could not cry.
65 Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, like a strong man wild with wine. 66 He beat back those who hated Him. And He put them to shame forever. 67 He turned away from the tent of Joseph. He did not choose the family of Ephraim, 68 but chose the family of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. 69 He built His holy place like the high mountains, like the earth He has built forever. 70 He chose David, His servant and took him from the flocks of sheep. 71 He brought him from caring for the sheep and their lambs to being the shepherd of Jacob His people, and Israel who belongs to Him. 72 So David was their shepherd with a heart that was right, and led them with good hands and wisdom.
27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather it. But they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How much longer will you go against My Word and My Laws? 29 See, the Lord has given you the Day of Rest. This is why He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Every man should stay home and not leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The people of Israel called it bread from heaven. It was like coriander seed, white, and tasted like bread made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Let a jar of it be kept for your children and grandchildren to come, so they may see the bread that I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar full of the bread from heaven. And put it before the Lord, to be kept for all your children to come.” 34 As the Lord told Moses, Aaron put it in front of the special box of the agreement to be kept. 35 The people of Israel ate the bread from heaven forty years, until they came to a land where other people lived. They ate the bread from heaven until they came to the land of Canaan. 36 (It took about ten jars to fill a large basket.)
A Meeting of Church Leaders in Jerusalem
15 Some men came down from the country of Judea and started to teach the Christians. They said, “Unless you go through the religious act of becoming a Jew as Moses taught, you cannot be saved from the punishment of sin.” 2 Paul and Barnabas argued with them. Then Paul and Barnabas and some other men were chosen to go up to Jerusalem. They were to talk to the missionaries and church leaders about this teaching. 3 The church sent them on their way. They went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria and told how those who were not Jews were turning to God. This made the Christians very happy.
4 When they got to Jerusalem, the church and the missionaries and the church leaders were glad to see them. Paul and Barnabas told them what God had done through them.
5 Some of the Christians there had been proud religious law-keepers. They got up and said, “Doing the religious act of becoming a Jew and keeping the Law of Moses are two things that must be done.”
22 Then the missionaries and the church leaders and the whole church chose some men from among them. They were to be sent to the city of Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas. These men were leaders among the Christians.
23 They sent them with this letter: “The missionaries and church leaders and Christians greet the brothers who are not Jews in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. 24 We have heard that some from our group have troubled you and have put doubt in your minds. They said that you must go through the religious act of becoming a Jew and you must keep the Law of Moses. We did not tell them to say these things. 25 All of us have wanted to send men to you with our much-loved Paul and Barnabas. 26 Their lives have been in danger for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 So now we send Judas and Silas to you. They will tell you the same things. 28 It pleased the Holy Spirit and us to ask you to do nothing more than these things that have to be done. 29 You are to keep away from everything that is given to gods. Do not eat blood or meat from animals that have been killed in ways against the Law. Keep away from sex sins. If you keep yourselves free from these things you will do well. Good-by.”
The Missionaries Go Back to Antioch
30 When the meeting was finished, they went to Antioch. As soon as they gathered the people together, they gave them the letter. 31 When they read it, they were glad for the comfort and strength it brought them. 32 Judas and Silas were preachers also. They preached to the Christians and helped them to become stronger in the faith.
33 They were there for some time. Then they were sent back in peace to the missionaries who had sent them. 34 But Silas thought he should stay there. 35 Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. With the help of many others, they preached and taught the Word of God.
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