Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 78[a]
A well-written song[b] by Asaph.
78 Pay attention, my people, to my instruction.
Listen to the words I speak.[c]
2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;
I will make insightful observations about the past.[d]
3 What we have heard and learned[e]—
that which our ancestors[f] have told us—
4 we will not hide from their[g] descendants.
We will tell the next generation
about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,[h]
about his strength and the amazing things he has done.
5 He established a rule[i] in Jacob;
he set up a law in Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to make his deeds known to their descendants,[j]
6 so that the next generation, children yet to be born,
might know about them.
They will grow up and tell their descendants about them.[k]
7 Then they will place their confidence in God.
They will not forget the works of God,
and they will obey[l] his commands.
8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,
who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that was not committed
and faithful to God.[m]
17 Yet they continued to sin against him,
and rebelled against the Most High[a] in the desert.
18 They willfully challenged God[b]
by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.
19 They insulted God, saying,[c]
“Is God really able to give us food[d] in the wilderness?
20 Yes,[e] he struck a rock and water flowed out;
streams gushed forth.
But can he also give us food?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
21 When[f] the Lord heard this, he was furious.
A fire broke out against Jacob,
and his anger flared up[g] against Israel,
22 because they did not have faith in God,
and did not trust his ability to deliver them.[h]
23 He gave a command to the clouds above,
and opened the doors in the sky.
24 He rained down manna for them to eat;
he gave them the grain of heaven.[i]
25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones.[j]
He sent them more than enough to eat.[k]
26 He brought the east wind through the sky,
and by his strength led forth the south wind.
27 He rained down meat on them like dust,
birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.[l]
28 He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp,
all around their homes.
29 They ate until they were beyond full;[m]
he gave them what they desired.
Presentation of the Firstfruits
26 When[a] you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it, 2 you must take the first of all the ground’s produce you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you, place it in a basket, and go to the place where he[b] chooses to locate his name.[c] 3 You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, “I declare today to the Lord your[d] God that I have come into the land that the Lord[e] promised[f] to our ancestors[g] to give us.” 4 The priest will then take the basket from you[h] and set it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you must affirm before the Lord your God, “A wandering[i] Aramean[j] was my ancestor,[k] and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number,[l] but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, forcing us to do burdensome labor. 7 So we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and he[m] heard us and saw our humiliation, toil, and oppression. 8 Therefore the Lord brought us out of Egypt with tremendous strength and power,[n] as well as with great awe-inspiring signs and wonders. 9 Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now, look! I have brought the first of the ground’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.” Then you must set it down before the Lord your God and worship before him.[o] 11 You will celebrate all the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family,[p] along with the Levites and the resident foreigners among you.
Presentation of the Third-year Tithe
12 When you finish tithing all[q] your income in the third year (the year of tithing), you must give it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows[r] so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages.[s] 13 Then you shall say before the Lord your God, “I have removed the sacred offering[t] from my house and given it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows just as you have commanded me.[u] I have not violated or forgotten your commandments. 14 I have not eaten anything when I was in mourning, or removed any of it while ceremonially unclean, or offered any of it to the dead;[v] I have obeyed you[w] and have done everything you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us, just as you promised our ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey.”
The Response to Peter’s Address
37 Now when they heard this,[a] they were acutely distressed[b] and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized[c] in the name of Jesus Christ[d] for[e] the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.[f] 39 For the promise[g] is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40 With many other words he testified[h] and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse[i] generation!” 41 So those who accepted[j] his message[k] were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people[l] were added.[m]
The Fellowship of the Early Believers
42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,[n] to the breaking of bread and to prayer.[o] 43 Reverential awe[p] came over everyone,[q] and many wonders and miraculous signs[r] came about by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and held[s] everything in common, 45 and they began selling[t] their property[u] and possessions and distributing the proceeds[v] to everyone, as anyone had need. 46 Every day[w] they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts,[x] breaking bread from[y] house to house, sharing their food with glad[z] and humble hearts,[aa] 47 praising God and having the good will[ab] of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day[ac] those who were being saved.
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