Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suf, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. ² It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. ³ In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that Yahweh^[a] had given him in commandment to them, ⁴ after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei. ⁵ Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law, saying, ⁶ “Yahweh our God^[b] spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain. ⁷ Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the places near there: in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the South, by the seashore, in the land of the Canaanites, and in Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. ⁸ Behold,^[c] I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give to them and to their offspring^[d] after them.’”

⁹ I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you myself alone. ¹⁰ Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude. ¹¹ May Yahweh, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you! ¹² How can I myself alone bear your problems, your burdens, and your strife? ¹³ Take wise men of understanding who are respected among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.”

¹⁴ You answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good to do.” ¹⁵ So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and respected men, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes. ¹⁶ I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him. ¹⁷ You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.” ¹⁸ I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

²⁰ Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. ²¹ On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them. ²² The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” ²³ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory. Then he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴ But the word of God grew and multiplied. ²⁵ Barnabas and Saul returned to^[a] Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John who was called Mark.