The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday April 4, 2023 (NIV)

Giving the Firstfruits

26 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance,^(A) and you take possession of it and live in it, ² take some of the first of all the land’s produce that you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you and put it in a basket. Then go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to have his name dwell.^{(B) 3} When you come before the priest who is serving at that time, say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your^[a] God that I have entered the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’

⁴ “Then the priest will take the basket from you and place it before the altar of the Lord your God. ⁵ You are to respond by saying in the presence of the Lord your God:

My father was a wandering Aramean.^(C) He went down to Egypt with a few people and resided there as an alien.^(D) There he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. ⁶ But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, and forced us to do hard labor. ⁷ So we called out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our cry and saw our misery, hardship, and oppression.^{(E) 8} Then the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with terrifying power, and with signs and wonders. ⁹ He led us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.^{(F) 10} I have now brought the first of the land’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.

You will then place the container before the Lord your God and bow down to him. ¹¹ You, the Levites, and the resident aliens among you will rejoice^(G) in all the good things the Lord your God has given you and your household.

The Tenth in the Third Year

¹² “When you have finished paying all the tenth of your produce in the third year,^(H) the year of the tenth, you are to give it to the Levites, resident aliens, fatherless children, and widows, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. ¹³ Then you will say in the presence of the Lord your God:

I have taken the consecrated portion out of my house; I have also given it to the Levites, resident aliens, fatherless children, and widows, according to all the commands you gave me. I have not violated or forgotten your commands. ¹⁴ I have not eaten any of it while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead.^(I) I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done all you commanded me. ¹⁵ Look down from your holy dwelling, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you swore to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Covenant Summary

¹⁶ “The Lord your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. Follow them carefully with all your heart and all your soul. ¹⁷ Today you have affirmed that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commands, and ordinances, and obey him. ¹⁸ And today the Lord has affirmed that you are his own possession as he promised you, that you are to keep all his commands, ¹⁹ that he will elevate you to praise, fame, and glory above all the nations he has made, and that you will be a holy people^(J) to the Lord your God as he promised.”

The Law Written on Stones

27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, “Keep every command I am giving you today. ² When you cross the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster.^{(K) 3} Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(L) as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. ⁴ When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster. ⁵ Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God—do not use any iron tool on them.^{(M) 6} Use uncut stones to build the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings to the Lord your God on it. ⁷ There you are to sacrifice fellowship offerings, eat, and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God. ⁸ Write clearly all the words of this law on the plastered stones.”

The Covenant Curses

⁹ Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! This day you have become the people of the Lord your God. ¹⁰ Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and statutes I am giving you today.”

¹¹ On that day Moses commanded the people, ¹² “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ¹³ And these tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.^{(N) 14} The Levites will proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:

Martha and Mary

³⁸ While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha^(A) welcomed him into her home.^{[a] 39} She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s^[b] feet^(B) and was listening to what he said.^{[c] 40} But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care^(C) that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”^[d](D)

⁴¹ The Lord^[e] answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,^{(E) 42} but one thing is necessary.^[f](F) Mary has made the right choice,^[g] and it will not be taken away from her.”

The Lord’s Prayer

11 He was praying^(G) in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”^(H)

² He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say,^(I)

Ask, Search, Knock

⁵ He also said to them, “Suppose one of you^[m] has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁶ because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ ⁷ Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness,^[n] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.^(R)

⁹ “So^(S) I say to you, ask,^(T) and it will be given to you. Seek,^(U) and you will find. Knock,^(V) and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ What father among you, if his son^[o] asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil,^(W) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father^(X) give the Holy Spirit^(Y) to those who ask him?”

Psalm 76

God, the Powerful Judge

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph.^(A) A song.