Firstfruits and Tithes

26 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits(A) of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name(B) and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering(C) Aramean,(D) and he went down into Egypt with a few people(E) and lived there and became a great nation,(F) powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer,(G) subjecting us to harsh labor.(H) Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice(I) and saw(J) our misery,(K) toil and oppression.(L) So the Lord brought us out of Egypt(M) with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,(N) with great terror and with signs and wonders.(O) He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;(P) 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.(Q)” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites(R) and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice(S) in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth(T) of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe,(U) you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13 Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.(V) 14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean,(W) nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. 15 Look down from heaven,(X) your holy dwelling place, and bless(Y) your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Follow the Lord’s Commands

16 The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.(Z) 17 You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him.(AA) 18 And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession(AB) as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise,(AC) fame and honor high above all the nations(AD) he has made and that you will be a people holy(AE) to the Lord your God, as he promised.

Everlasting Salvation for Zion

51 “Listen(A) to me, you who pursue righteousness(B)
    and who seek(C) the Lord:
Look to the rock(D) from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham,(E) your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many.(F)
The Lord will surely comfort(G) Zion(H)
    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;(I)
he will make her deserts like Eden,(J)
    her wastelands(K) like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness(L) will be found in her,
    thanksgiving(M) and the sound of singing.

“Listen to me, my people;(N)
    hear me,(O) my nation:
Instruction(P) will go out from me;
    my justice(Q) will become a light to the nations.(R)
My righteousness draws near speedily,
    my salvation(S) is on the way,(T)
    and my arm(U) will bring justice to the nations.
The islands(V) will look to me
    and wait in hope(W) for my arm.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
    look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,(X)
    the earth will wear out like a garment(Y)
    and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation(Z) will last forever,(AA)
    my righteousness will never fail.(AB)

“Hear me, you who know what is right,(AC)
    you people who have taken my instruction to heart:(AD)
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
    or be terrified by their insults.(AE)
For the moth will eat them up like a garment;(AF)
    the worm(AG) will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,(AH)
    my salvation through all generations.”

Awake, awake,(AI) arm(AJ) of the Lord,
    clothe yourself with strength!(AK)
Awake, as in days gone by,
    as in generations of old.(AL)
Was it not you who cut Rahab(AM) to pieces,
    who pierced that monster(AN) through?
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,(AO)
    the waters of the great deep,(AP)
who made a road in the depths of the sea(AQ)
    so that the redeemed(AR) might cross over?
11 Those the Lord has rescued(AS) will return.
    They will enter Zion with singing;(AT)
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy(AU) will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(AV)

12 “I, even I, am he who comforts(AW) you.
    Who are you that you fear(AX) mere mortals,(AY)
    human beings who are but grass,(AZ)
13 that you forget(BA) the Lord your Maker,(BB)
    who stretches out the heavens(BC)
    and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror(BD) every day
    because of the wrath of the oppressor,
    who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?(BE)
14     The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;(BF)
they will not die in their dungeon,
    nor will they lack bread.(BG)
15 For I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea(BH) so that its waves roar(BI)
    the Lord Almighty(BJ) is his name.
16 I have put my words in your mouth(BK)
    and covered you with the shadow of my hand(BL)
I who set the heavens in place,
    who laid the foundations of the earth,(BM)
    and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.(BN)’”

The Cup of the Lord’s Wrath

17 Awake, awake!(BO)
    Rise up, Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord
    the cup(BP) of his wrath,(BQ)
you who have drained to its dregs(BR)
    the goblet that makes people stagger.(BS)
18 Among all the children(BT) she bore
    there was none to guide her;(BU)
among all the children she reared
    there was none to take her by the hand.(BV)
19 These double calamities(BW) have come upon you—
    who can comfort you?(BX)
ruin and destruction,(BY) famine(BZ) and sword(CA)
    who can[a] console you?
20 Your children have fainted;
    they lie at every street corner,(CB)
    like antelope caught in a net.(CC)
They are filled with the wrath(CD) of the Lord,
    with the rebuke(CE) of your God.

21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted(CF) one,
    made drunk,(CG) but not with wine.
22 This is what your Sovereign Lord says,
    your God, who defends(CH) his people:
“See, I have taken out of your hand
    the cup(CI) that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
    you will never drink again.
23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,(CJ)
    who said to you,
    ‘Fall prostrate(CK) that we may walk(CL) on you.’
And you made your back like the ground,
    like a street to be walked on.”(CM)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 51:19 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text / how can I

22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there.(A) So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests(B) were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.

25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people(C) would stone them.

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin(D) to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,”(E) he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”(F)

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!(G) 30 The God of our ancestors(H) raised Jesus from the dead(I)—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.(J) 31 God exalted him to his own right hand(K) as Prince and Savior(L) that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.(M) 32 We are witnesses of these things,(N) and so is the Holy Spirit,(O) whom God has given to those who obey him.”

33 When they heard this, they were furious(P) and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel,(Q) a teacher of the law,(R) who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census(S) and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.(T) 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”(U)

40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged.(V) Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing(W) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.(X) 42 Day after day, in the temple courts(Y) and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news(Z) that Jesus is the Messiah.(AA)

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Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(D)
Praise him, sun(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(F)
    and you waters above the skies.(G)

Let them praise the name(H) of the Lord,
    for at his command(I) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree(J) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(L) and all ocean depths,(M)
lightning and hail,(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(O)
you mountains and all hills,(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
    old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(T) is above the earth and the heavens.(U)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[b](V)
    the praise(W) of all his faithful servants,(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(Y)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  2. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
    four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
    who retreats before nothing;
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
    and a king secure against revolt.[a]

32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
    or if you plan evil,
    clap your hand over your mouth!(A)
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
    and as twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

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