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Deuteronomy 32:28-52 (Contemporary English Version)
28People of Israel,
that's what the LORD
has said to you.
But you don't have good sense,
and you never listen
to advice.
29If you did, you could see
where you are headed.
30How could one enemy soldier
chase a thousand
of Israel's troops?
Or how could two of theirs
pursue ten thousand of ours?
It can only happen if the LORD
stops protecting Israel
and lets the enemy win.
31Even our enemies know
that only our God
is a Mighty Rock. [a]
32Our enemies are grapevines
rooted in the fields
of Sodom and Gomorrah. [b]
The grapes they produce
are full of bitter poison;
33their wine is more deadly
than cobra venom.
34But the LORD has written
a list of their sins
and locked it in his vault.
35Soon our enemies will get
what they deserve [c]
-- suddenly they will slip,
and total disaster
will quickly follow.
36When only a few
of the LORD's people remain,
when their strength is gone,
and some of them are slaves,
the LORD will feel sorry for them
and give them justice.
37But first the LORD will say,
" You ran for safety to other gods--
couldn't they help you?
38You offered them wine
and your best sacrifices.
Can't those gods help you now
or give you protection?
39Don't you understand?
I am the only God;
there are no others.
I am the one who takes life
and gives it again.
I punished you with suffering.
But now I will heal you,
and nothing can stop me!
40" I make this solemn promise:
Just as I live forever,
41I will take revenge
on my hateful enemies.
I will sharpen my sword
and let it flash
like lightning.
42My arrows will get drunk
on enemy blood;
my sword will taste the flesh
and the blood
of the enemy.
It will kill prisoners,
and cut off the heads
of their leaders." [d]
43Tell the heavens to celebrate
and all gods to bow down
to the LORD, [e]
because he will take revenge
on those hateful enemies
who killed his people.
He will forgive the sins of Israel
and purify their land. [f]
44-45Moses spoke the words of the song so that all the Israelites could hear, and Joshua [g] helped him. When Moses had finished, 46he said, " Always remember this song I have taught you today. And let it be a warning that you must teach your children to obey everything written in The Book of God's Law. 47The Law isn't empty words. It can give you a long life in the land that you are going to take."
Moses Will See the Land
48Later that day the LORD said to Moses:
49Go up into the Abarim Mountain range here in Moab across the Jordan River valley from Jericho. And when you reach the top of Mount Nebo, you will be able to see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Israel. 50Then you will die and be buried on the mountaintop, just as your brother Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor. 51Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert. [h] I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect I deserve. 52So I will give the land to the people of Israel, but you will only get to see it from a distance.
Footnotes:
Deuteronomy 32:31 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
Deuteronomy 32:32 Sodom and Gomorrah: Two cities that the LORD destroyed because their people were so evil (see Genesis 18.16--19.28).
Deuteronomy 32:35 our enemies. . . deserve: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text " I will pay them back."
Deuteronomy 32:42 leaders: Or " long-haired warriors," who let their hair grow to show that they had made sacred promises to their gods.
Deuteronomy 32:43 Tell. . . LORD: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text " Let the nations, his people, celebrate."
Deuteronomy 32:43 because he will. . . land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Deuteronomy 32:44 Joshua: The Hebrew text has " Hoshea," another form of Joshua's name.
Deuteronomy 32:51 Both of you were unfaithful. . . the Zin Desert: See Numbers 20.1-13.
Luke 12:35-59 (Contemporary English Version)
Faithful and Unfaithful Servants
(Matthew 24.45-51)
35Be ready and keep your lamps burning 36just like those servants who wait up for their master to return from a wedding feast. As soon as he comes and knocks, they open the door for him. 37Servants are fortunate if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you that he will get ready and have his servants sit down so he can serve them. 38Those servants are really fortunate if their master finds them ready, even though he comes late at night or early in the morning. 39You would surely not let a thief break into your home, if you knew when the thief was coming. 40So always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.
41Peter asked Jesus, "Did you say this just for us or for everyone?"
42The Lord answered:
Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? 43Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. 44A servant who is always faithful will surely be put in charge of everything the master owns.
45But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won't return until late. Suppose that servant starts beating all the other servants and eats and drinks and gets drunk. 46If that happens, the master will come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the servants who cannot be trusted.
47If servants are not ready or willing to do what their master wants them to do, they will be beaten hard. 48But servants who don't know what their master wants them to do will not be beaten so hard for doing wrong. If God has been generous with you, he will expect you to serve him well. But if he has been more than generous, he will expect you to serve him even better.
Not Peace, but Trouble
(Matthew 10.34-36)
49I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire! 50I am going to be put to a hard test. And I will have to suffer a lot of pain until it is over. 51Do you think that I came to bring peace to earth? No indeed! I came to make people choose sides. 52A family of five will be divided, with two of them against the other three. 53Fathers and sons will turn against one another, and mothers and daughters will do the same. Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law will also turn against each other.
Knowing What To Do
(Matthew 16.2,3; 5.25,26)
54Jesus said to all the people:
As soon as you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say, "It's going to rain," and it does. 55When the south wind blows, you say, "It's going to get hot," and it does. 56Are you trying to fool someone? You can predict the weather by looking at the earth and sky, but you don't really know what's going on right now. 57Why don't you understand the right thing to do? 58When someone accuses you of something, try to settle things before you are taken to court. If you don't, you will be dragged before the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the jailer, and you will be locked up. 59You won't get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.
Psalm 78:56-64 (Contemporary English Version)
56But the people tested
God Most High,
and they refused
to obey his laws.
57They were as unfaithful
as their ancestors,
and they were as crooked
as a twisted arrow.
58God demanded all their love,
but they made him angry
by worshiping idols.
59So God became furious
and completely rejected
the people of Israel.
60Then he deserted his home
at Shiloh,
where he lived
here on earth.
61He let enemies capture
the sacred chest [a]
and let them dishonor him.
62God took out his anger
on his chosen ones
and let them be killed
by enemy swords.
63Fire destroyed the young men,
and the young women were left
with no one to marry.
64Priests died violent deaths,
but their widows
were not allowed to mourn.
Footnotes:
Psalm 78:61 sacred chest: The Hebrew text has " his power," which refers to the sacred chest. In Psalm 132.8 it is called " powerful."
Proverbs 12:24 (Contemporary English Version)
24Work hard, and you
will be a leader;
be lazy, and you
will end up a slave.
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