Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Saved Israel from Egypt
A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
78 My people, ·listen [give ear] to my ·teaching [instruction; law];
·listen [L incline your ear] to ·what I say [L the words of my mouth].
2 I will ·speak [L open my mouth] ·using stories [L with a proverb/parable];
I will ·tell [expound] ·secret things [L riddles] from long ago [C the past contains lessons for the present generation].
3 We have heard them and known them
by what our ·ancestors [fathers] have ·told [recounted to] us.
4 We will not ·keep [hide] them from our children;
we will ·tell [recount them to] ·those who come later [a later generation]
about the praises of the Lord.
We will tell about his power
and the ·miracles [wonderful acts] he has done.
5 The Lord ·made an agreement [established a decree/testimony] with Jacob
and gave the ·teachings [instructions; laws] to Israel [Ex. 19–24],
which he commanded our ·ancestors [fathers]
to ·teach [make known] to their children [Deut. 6:6–9, 20–22].
6 Then ·their children [L the later generation] would know them,
even their children not yet born.
And they would ·tell [L rise up and recount them to] their children.
7 So they would ·all trust [L place their trust/confidence in] God
and would not forget what he had done
but would ·obey [protect] his commands.
8 They would not be like their ·ancestors [fathers]
who were ·stubborn and disobedient [L a stubborn and rebellious generation].
Their hearts were not ·loyal [steadfast; L set] to God,
and they were not ·true [faithful] to him [Deut. 9:6–7, 13, 24; 31:27; 32:5; Acts 2:40].
17 But the people continued to sin against him;
in the ·desert [wasteland; wilderness] they ·turned [rebelled] against God Most High.
18 They ·decided to test God [L tested God in their hearts]
by asking for the food ·they wanted [L for their appetite].
19 Then they spoke against God,
saying, “Can God prepare ·food [L a table] in the ·desert [wilderness]?
20 When he ·hit [L struck] the rock, water ·poured out [gushed]
and rivers flowed down.
But can he give us bread also?
Will he provide his people with meat [Ex. 16]?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was very angry.
·His anger was like fire to the people of [L A fire was ignited against] Jacob;
his anger ·grew against the people of [L rose up against] Israel [Num. 11].
22 They had not ·believed [trusted; been faithful to] God
and had not ·trusted [put confidence in] him to ·save them [give them victory].
23 But he gave a command to the clouds above
and opened the doors of heaven.
24 He rained manna down on them to eat;
he gave them grain from heaven.
25 So they ate the bread of ·angels [L strong ones].
He sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He sent the east wind from heaven
and ·led [guided] the south wind by his power.
27 He rained meat on them like dust.
The birds were as many as the sand of the sea.
28 He made the birds fall inside the camp,
all around the ·tents [L residences].
29 So the people ate and became very ·full [satisfied; satiated].
God had given them what they ·wanted [desired].
The First Harvest
26 When you go into the land the Lord your God is giving you as your ·own [L inheritance], to ·take it over [possess it] and live in it, 2 you must take some of the first harvest of crops that grow from the land the Lord your God is giving you. Put the food in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell; C Zion; 12:4–6]. 3 Go and say to the priest ·on duty at that time [in office in those days], “Today I declare before the Lord your God that I have come into the land the Lord promised our ·ancestors [fathers] that he would give us [Gen. 12:1–3].” 4 The priest will take your basket and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall announce before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean [C likely a reference to Jacob/Israel’s stay in Paddan-Aram; Gen. 28–31]. He went down to Egypt and lived as a ·foreigner [resident alien] with only a few people, but they became a great, powerful, and large nation there [Gen. 12:1–3]. 6 But the Egyptians were ·cruel [mean] to us, ·making us suffer [afflicting/humiliating us] and ·work very hard [giving us onerous work]. 7 So we ·prayed [cried out] to the Lord, the God of our ·ancestors [fathers], and he heard us. When he saw our ·trouble [affliction; humiliation], hard work, and ·suffering [oppression; Ex. 2:23–25; 3:7, 9], 8 the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his ·great power [L strong hand] and ·strength [L outstretched arm], using great terrors, signs, and ·miracles [wonders]. 9 Then he brought us to this place and gave us this ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8]. 10 Now I bring part of the first harvest from this land that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and ·foreigners [resident aliens] among you should rejoice, because the Lord your God has given good things to you and your ·family [L house].
12 ·Bring [Finish paying] a ·tenth [T tithe] of all your harvest the third year [14:28–29] (the year to give a ·tenth [T tithe] of your harvest). Give it to the Levites, ·foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows so that they may eat in your ·towns [L gates] and be full. 13 Then say to the Lord your God, “I have taken out of my house ·the part of my harvest that belongs to God [L what is holy/consecrated/sacred], and I have given it to the Levites, ·foreigners [resident aliens], orphans, and widows. I have done everything you commanded me; I have not broken your commands, and I have not forgotten any of them. 14 I have not eaten any of the holy part while I was in ·sorrow [mourning]. I have not removed any of it while I was unclean [C in a ritual sense], and I have not offered it ·for [or to] dead people. I have obeyed you, the Lord my God, and have done everything you commanded me. 15 So look down from heaven, your holy home. Bless your people Israel and bless the land you have given us, which you ·promised [swore] to our ·ancestors [fathers]—a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8].”
37 When the people heard this, they ·felt guilty [were deeply distressed; L were cut/pierced to the heart] and asked Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do, ·brothers [L men, brothers]?”
38 Peter said to them, “·Change your hearts and lives [Repent] and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 [L For] This promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away [C both in space and time; may refer to Gentiles and/or Jews scattered outside the land of Israel]. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself [Joel 2:32].”
40 Peter ·warned [testified to] them with many other ·words [arguments]. He ·begged [pleaded with; exhorted; urged] them, “Save yourselves from ·the evil of today’s people [L this corrupt/crooked/perverse generation]!” 41 Then those people who accepted what Peter said were baptized. About three thousand ·people [souls] were added to the number of believers that day. 42 They ·spent [devoted] their time learning the apostles’ teaching, ·sharing [fellowship], breaking bread [C this may refer to a meal as in v. 46, or to the Lord’s Supper; Luke 22:14–20], and praying together.
The Believers Share
43 The apostles were doing many miracles and signs, and ·everyone [every soul] felt great ·respect [fear; awe; Prov. 1:7] for God. 44 All the believers were ·together [in one place; or in close fellowship] and ·shared everything [L had/held all things in common]. 45 They would sell their land and the things they owned and then divide ·the money [the proceeds; L them] and give it to anyone who needed it. 46 The believers met together in the Temple [C not the Temple building where only priests went, but the outer courts] every day. They ate together ·in their homes [or from home to home], sharing their food with joyful and ·sincere [or generous; or humble; or simple] hearts. 47 They praised God and were ·liked by [looked upon favorably by] all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers.
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