33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(A)

Read full chapter

33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Read full chapter

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,(A)
    and acknowledgment(B) of God rather than burnt offerings.(C)

Read full chapter

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Read full chapter

With what shall I come before(A) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?(B)
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(C)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(D)
Shall I offer my firstborn(E) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(F)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(G) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a](H) with your God.(I)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:8 Or prudently

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Read full chapter

22 But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,(A)
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Read full chapter

22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Read full chapter

If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a](A) you would not have condemned the innocent.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Read full chapter

13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a](A) For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(B)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 9:13 Hosea 6:6

13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Read full chapter

13 If I speak in the tongues[a](A) of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy(B) and can fathom all mysteries(C) and all knowledge,(D) and if I have a faith(E) that can move mountains,(F) but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor(G) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b](H) but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Read full chapter

21 “I hate,(A) I despise your religious festivals;(B)
    your assemblies(C) are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings(D) and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.(E)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.(F)
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.(G)
24 But let justice(H) roll on like a river,
    righteousness(I) like a never-failing stream!(J)

Read full chapter

21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Read full chapter

11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(A)
I have no pleasure(B)
    in the blood of bulls(C) and lambs and goats.(D)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,(E)
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(F)
    Your incense(G) is detestable(H) to me.
New Moons,(I) Sabbaths and convocations(J)
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(K) feasts and your appointed festivals(L)
    I hate with all my being.(M)
They have become a burden to me;(N)
    I am weary(O) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(P) in prayer,
    I hide(Q) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.(R)

Your hands(S) are full of blood!(T)

16 Wash(U) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(V)
    stop doing wrong.(W)
17 Learn to do right;(X) seek justice.(Y)
    Defend the oppressed.[a](Z)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(AA)
    plead the case of the widow.(AB)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor

11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Read full chapter

I bring no charges(A) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(B) which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull(C) from your stall
    or of goats(D) from your pens,(E)
10 for every animal of the forest(F) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.(G)
11 I know every bird(H) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields(I) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world(J) is mine, and all that is in it.(K)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(L) to God,
    fulfill your vows(M) to the Most High,(N)
15 and call(O) on me in the day of trouble;(P)
    I will deliver(Q) you, and you will honor(R) me.”

Read full chapter

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Read full chapter

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”(A)—though they were offered in accordance with the law.

Read full chapter

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

Read full chapter

21 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices(A) and eat(B) the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands(C) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,(D) 23 but I gave them this command:(E) Obey(F) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(G) Walk in obedience to all(H) I command you, that it may go well(I) with you.

Read full chapter

21 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.

22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

Read full chapter

Is this the kind of fast(A) I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble(B) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed(C)
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?(D)
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

“Is not this the kind of fasting(E) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(F)
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(G) free
    and break every yoke?(H)
Is it not to share your food with the hungry(I)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(J)
when you see the naked, to clothe(K) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(L)

Read full chapter

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Read full chapter