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16 But to the wicked God says,
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?(A)

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16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(A) on your lips?(B)

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The Jews and the Law

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God(A) 18 and know his will and determine what really matters because you are instructed in the law, 19 and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth,(B) 21 you, then, who teach others, will you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?(C) 22 You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by your transgression of the law? 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed[a] among the gentiles because of you.”(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.24 Or despised

The Jews and the Law

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;(A) 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?(B) 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?(C) 23 You who boast in the law,(D) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[a](E)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 2:24 Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezek. 36:20,22

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;(A)
let the wicked forsake their way
    and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.(B)

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Seek(A) the Lord while he may be found;(B)
    call(C) on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake(D) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.(E)
Let them turn(F) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(G) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(H)

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13 The Lord said:
Because these people draw near with their mouths
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me
and their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote,(A)

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13 The Lord says:

“These people(A) come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,(B)
    but their hearts are far from me.(C)
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:13 Hebrew; Septuagint They worship me in vain; / their teachings are merely human rules

36 But they flattered him with their mouths;
    they lied to him with their tongues.(A)
37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
    they were not true to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being compassionate,
    forgave their iniquity
    and did not destroy them;
often he restrained his anger
    and did not stir up all his wrath.(B)

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36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(A)
    lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(B) to him,
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(C)
    he forgave(D) their iniquities(E)
    and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(F)
    and did not stir up his full wrath.

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11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
    says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls
    or of lambs or of goats.(A)

12 When you come to appear before me,[a]
    who asked this from your hand?
    Trample my courts no more!(B)
13 Bringing offerings is futile;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and calling of convocation—
    I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.(C)
14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.(D)
15 When you stretch out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.12 Or see my face

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)

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not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
    on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
for they did not continue in my covenant,
    and so I had no concern for them, says the Lord.

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It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors(A)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.

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24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”(A)

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24 God is spirit,(A) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

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The legs of a lame person hang limp;
    so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(A)

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Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(A)

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14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes his covenant known to them.(A)

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14 The Lord confides(A) in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known(B) to them.

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15 They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor,[a] who loved the wages of doing wrong(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.15 Other ancient authorities read Beor

15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam(A) son of Bezer,[a] who loved the wages of wickedness.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:15 Greek Bosor

27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.(A)

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27 No, I strike a blow to my body(A) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.(B)

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13 Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”(A) 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit said to them in reply, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.

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13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits(A) tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus(B) whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

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