Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Tell the Coming Generation
A Maskil[a] of (A)Asaph.
78 (B)Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 (C)I will open my mouth (D)in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
that our (E)fathers have told us.
4 We will not (F)hide them from their children,
but (G)tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and (H)the wonders that he has done.
5 He established (I)a testimony in (J)Jacob
and appointed a law in (K)Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
6 that (L)the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget (M)the works of God,
but (N)keep his commandments;
8 and that they should not be (O)like their fathers,
(P)a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation (Q)whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
17 Yet they sinned still more against him,
(A)rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They (B)tested God in their heart
by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, saying,
(C)“Can God (D)spread a table in the wilderness?
20 (E)He struck the rock so that water gushed out
and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
or provide meat for his people?”
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;
(F)a fire was kindled against Jacob;
his anger rose against Israel,
22 because they (G)did not believe in God
and did not trust his saving power.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above
and (H)opened the doors of heaven,
24 and he (I)rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them (J)the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate of the bread of (K)the angels;
he sent them food (L)in abundance.
26 He (M)caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
27 he rained meat on them like (N)dust,
winged birds like (O)the sand of the seas;
28 he (P)let them fall in the midst of their camp,
all round their dwellings.
29 And they (Q)ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they (R)craved.
Offerings of Firstfruits and Tithes
26 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2 (A)you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall (B)go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3 And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land (C)that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.
5 “And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A (D)wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, (E)few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And (F)the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labour. 7 Then (G)we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And (H)the Lord brought us out of Egypt (I)with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror,[a] with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, (J)a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11 And (K)you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.
12 “When you have finished paying all (L)the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is (M)the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, (N)nor have I forgotten them. 14 (O)I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it (P)to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. 15 (Q)Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’
37 Now when (A)they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, (B)what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, (C)“Repent and (D)be baptized every one of you (E)in the name of Jesus Christ (F)for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive (G)the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For (H)the promise is for you and (I)for your children and for all (J)who are far off, everyone (K)whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, (L)“Save yourselves from this (M)crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and (N)there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 And (O)they devoted themselves to the apostles' (P)teaching and the (Q)fellowship, to (R)the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[a] came upon every soul, and (S)many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and (T)had all things in common. 45 And (U)they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, (V)attending the temple (W)together and (X)breaking bread in their homes, they received their food (Y)with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and (Z)having favour with all the people. And the Lord (AA)added to their number (AB)day by day those who (AC)were being saved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.