Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 63[a]
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(A)
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.(B)
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary(C)
and beheld your power and your glory.(D)
3 Because your love is better than life,(E)
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,(F)
and in your name I will lift up my hands.(G)
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(H)
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan,(A) he said, “Go up through the Negev(B) and on into the hill country.(C) 18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.(D)” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)(E)
21 So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin(F) as far as Rehob,(G) toward Lebo Hamath.(H) 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,(I) where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai,(J) the descendants of Anak,(K) lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)(L) 23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,[a](M) they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates(N) and figs.(O) 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. 25 At the end of forty days(P) they returned from exploring the land.(Q)
Report on the Exploration
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh(R) in the Desert of Paran.(S) There they reported to them(T) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.(U) 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!(V) Here is its fruit.(W) 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.(X) We even saw descendants of Anak(Y) there.(Z) 29 The Amalekites(AA) live in the Negev; the Hittites,(AB) Jebusites(AC) and Amorites(AD) live in the hill country;(AE) and the Canaanites(AF) live near the sea and along the Jordan.(AG)”
30 Then Caleb(AH) silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”(AI) 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report(AJ) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours(AK) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.(AL) 33 We saw the Nephilim(AM) there (the descendants of Anak(AN) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers(AO) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
The People Rebel
14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.(AP) 2 All the Israelites grumbled(AQ) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!(AR) Or in this wilderness!(AS) 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?(AT) Our wives and children(AU) will be taken as plunder.(AV) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?(AW)” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.(AX)”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown(AY) in front of the whole Israelite assembly(AZ) gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun(BA) and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes(BB) 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.(BC) 8 If the Lord is pleased with us,(BD) he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey,(BE) and will give it to us.(BF) 9 Only do not rebel(BG) against the Lord. And do not be afraid(BH) of the people of the land,(BI) because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with(BJ) us.(BK) Do not be afraid of them.”(BL)
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man(A) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him,(B) and on the third day(C) he will be raised to life.”(D) And the disciples were filled with grief.
The Temple Tax
24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax(E) came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes(F)—from their own children or from others?”
26 “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense,(G) go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
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