Deuteronomy 29, Psalm 119:49~72, Isaiah 56, Matthew 4

Deuteronomy 29,

1 These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
 
2 Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land.
 
3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders.
 
4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.
 
5 During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.
 
6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.
 
7 When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them.
 
8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
 
9 Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.
 
10 All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God-your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel,
 
11 together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water.
 
12 You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath,
 
13 to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
 
14 I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you
 
15 who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God but also with those who are not here today.
 
16 You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here.
 
17 You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold.
 
18 Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
 
19 When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way." This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.
 
20 The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.
 
21 The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
 
22 Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it.
 
23 The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur-nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger.
 
24 All the nations will ask: "Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?"
 
25 And the answer will be: "It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt.
 
26 They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them.
 
27 Therefore the LORD's anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book.
 
28 In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now."
 
29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

Psalm 119:49~72,

49 Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.
 
50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
 
51 The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law.
 
52 I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them.
 
53 Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law.
 
54 Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.
 
55 In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law.
 
56 This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.
 
57 You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words.
 
58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.
 
59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.
 
60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.
 
61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.
 
62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.
 
63 I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.
 
64 The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
 
65 Do good to your servant according to your word, O LORD.
 
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.
 
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
 
68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.
 
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.
 
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.
 
71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
 
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Isaiah 56,

1 This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
 
2 Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."
 
3 Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree."
 
4 For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant-
 
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
 
6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-
 
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
 
8 The Sovereign LORD declares-he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered."
 
9 Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
 
10 Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.
 
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.
 
12 "Come," each one cries, "let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better."

Matthew 4

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
 
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
 
3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
 
4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
 
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
 
6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "
 
7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
 
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
 
9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
 
10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' "
 
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
 
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee.
 
13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-
 
14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
 
15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-
 
16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
 
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
 
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
 
19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
 
20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
 
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
 
22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
 
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
 
24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
 
25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.