Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.
A Psalm of David, [a]when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
63 God, (A)You are my God; I shall be watching for You;
My soul (B)thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a (C)dry and exhausted land where there is no water.
2 So have I (D)seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and glory.
3 Because Your [b](E)favor is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4 So I will bless You (F)as long as I live;
I will (G)lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul is (H)satisfied as with fat and fatness,
And my mouth offers (I)praises with joyful lips.
17 When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into (A)the [a]Negev; then go up into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. 19 And how is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are the people in open camps or in fortifications? 20 And (B)how is the land, is it [b]productive or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not? And (C)show yourselves courageous and get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.
21 So they went up and spied out the land from (D)the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, [c](E)at Lebo-hamath. 22 When they had gone up into (F)the Negev, [d]they came to Hebron where (G)Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the [e]descendants of (H)Anak were. (Hebron was built seven years before (I)Zoan in Egypt.)
23 Then they came to the [f]Valley of [g](J)Eshcol, and from there they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of [h]Eshcol, because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut off from there.
The Spies’ Reports
25 When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, 26 they went on and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, [i]in the wilderness of Paran at (K)Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 So they reported to him and said, “We came into the land where you sent us, and (L)it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and (M)this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless, (N)the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And indeed, we saw (O)the [j]descendants of Anak there! 29 Amalek is living in the land of (P)the Negev, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and (Q)the Amorites are living in the hill country, and (R)the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb quieted the people [k]before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly prevail over it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “(S)We are not able to go up against the people, because they are too strong for us.” 32 So they brought (T)a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we have gone to spy out is (U)a land that devours its inhabitants; and (V)all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature. 33 We also saw the [l](W)Nephilim there (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and (X)we were like [m]grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
The People Rebel
14 Then all the congregation [n]raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept [o]that night. 2 And all the sons of Israel (Y)grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “(Z)If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness! 3 So why is the Lord bringing us into this land (AA)to fall by the sword? (AB)Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “(AC)Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”
5 (AD)Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “(AE)The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 (AF)If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—(AG)a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only (AH)do not rebel against the Lord; and do not (AI)fear the people of the land, for they will be our [p]prey. Their [q]protection is gone from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
22 (A)And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be [a]handed over to men; 23 and (B)they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.
The Temple Tax
24 Now when they came to Capernaum, those who collected (C)the [b]two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay (D)the [c]two-drachma tax?” 25 He *said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect (E)customs or [d](F)poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” 26 When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are [e]exempt. 27 However, so that we do not (G)offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a [f]stater. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”
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