Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 78

A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Asaph.

¹ Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

² I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old [that hide important truth]—^(A)

³ Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

⁴ We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed.

⁵ For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make [the great facts of God’s dealings with Israel] known to their children,

⁶ That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children,

⁷ That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments

⁸ And might not be as their fathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.

¹⁷ Yet they still went on to sin against Him by provoking and rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness (in the land of drought).

¹⁸ And they tempted God in their hearts by asking for food according to their [selfish] desire and appetite.

¹⁹ Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish [the food for] a table in the wilderness?

²⁰ Behold, He did smite the rock so that waters gushed out and the streams overflowed; but can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?

²¹ Therefore, when the Lord heard, He was [full of] wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, His anger mounted up against Israel,

²² Because in God they believed not [they relied not on Him, they adhered not to Him], and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save).

²³ Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven;

²⁴ And He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven’s grain.^(A)

²⁵ Everyone ate the bread of the mighty [man ate angels’ food]; God sent them meat in abundance.

²⁶ He let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind.

²⁷ He rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds [quails] like the sand of the seas.^(B)

²⁸ And He let [the birds] fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

²⁹ So they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after.

8 All the commandments which I command you this day you shall be watchful to do, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers.

² And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

³ And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

⁴ Your clothing did not become old upon you nor did your feet swell these forty years.

⁵ Know also in your [minds and] hearts that, as a man disciplines and instructs his son, so the Lord your God disciplines and instructs you.

⁶ So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and [reverently] fear Him.^(A)

⁷ For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills;

⁸ A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey;

⁹ A land in which you shall eat food without shortage and lack nothing in it; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

¹⁰ When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for all the good land which He has given you.

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because [the report of] your faith is made known to all the world and is ^[a]commended everywhere.

⁹ For God is my witness, Whom I serve with my [whole] spirit [rendering priestly and spiritual service] in [preaching] the Gospel and [telling] the good news of His Son, how incessantly I always mention you when at my prayers.

¹⁰ I keep pleading that somehow by God’s will I may now at last prosper and come to you.

¹¹ For I am yearning to see you, that I may impart and share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen and establish you;

¹² That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

¹³ I want you to know, brethren, that many times I have planned and intended to come to you, though thus far I have been hindered and prevented, in order that I might have some fruit (some result of my labors) among you, as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.

¹⁴ Both to Greeks and to barbarians (to the cultured and to the uncultured), both to the wise and the foolish, I have an obligation to discharge and a duty to perform and a debt to pay.

¹⁵ So, for my part, I am willing and eagerly ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.