Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

^7-8 God’s laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light. ⁹ God’s laws are pure, eternal, just.^{[a] 10} They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. ¹¹ For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them.

¹² But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. ¹³ And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them. Only then can I be free of guilt and innocent of some great crime.

¹⁴ May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.

1 ^1-5 This book records Moses’ address to the people of Israel when they were camped in the valley of the Arabah in the wilderness of Moab, east of the Jordan River. (Cities in the area included Suph, Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.) The speech was given on February 15,^[a] forty years after the people of Israel left Mount Horeb—though it takes only eleven days to travel by foot from Mount Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir! At the time of this address, King Sihon of the Amorites had already been defeated at Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan had been defeated at Ashtaroth, near Edrei. Here, then, is Moses’ address to Israel, stating all the laws God had commanded him to pass on to them:

⁶ “It was forty years ago, at Mount Horeb, that Jehovah our God told us, ‘You have stayed here long enough. ⁷ Now go and occupy the hill country of the Amorites, the valley of the Arabah, and the Negeb, and all the land of Canaan and Lebanon—the entire area from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. ⁸ I am giving all of it to you! Go in and possess it, for it is the land the Lord promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all of their descendants.’

⁹ “At that time I told the people, ‘I need help! You are a great burden for me to carry all by myself, ¹⁰ for the Lord has multiplied you to become as many as the stars! ¹¹ And may he multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised, ¹² but what can one man do to settle all your quarrels and problems? ¹³ So choose some men from each tribe who are wise, experienced, and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

¹⁴ “They agreed to this; ¹⁵ I took the men they selected, some from every tribe, and appointed them as administrative assistants in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens to decide their quarrels and assist them in every way. ¹⁶ I instructed them to be perfectly fair at all times, even to foreigners. ¹⁷ ‘When giving your decisions,’ I told them, ‘never favor a man because he is rich; be fair to great and small alike. Don’t fear their displeasure, for you are judging in the place of God. Bring me any cases too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’ ¹⁸ And I gave them other instructions at that time also.

²⁰ While he was in Caesarea, a delegation from Tyre and Sidon arrived to see him. He was highly displeased with the people of those two cities, but the delegates made friends with Blastus, the royal secretary, and asked for peace, for their cities were economically dependent upon trade with Herod’s country. ²¹ An appointment with Herod was granted, and when the day arrived he put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. ²² At its conclusion the people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It is the voice of a god and not of a man!”

²³ Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness so that he was filled with maggots and died—because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God.

²⁴ God’s Good News was spreading rapidly and there were many new believers.

²⁵ Barnabas and Paul now visited Jerusalem and as soon as they had finished their business, returned to Antioch,^[a] taking John Mark with them.