Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

Israel Invoked to Praise the Lord.

⁸ If you see ^(A)oppression of the poor and ^(B)denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^(C)shocked at the ^[a]sight; for one ^[b]official watches over another ^[c]official, and there are higher ^[d]officials over them. ⁹ After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.

The Foolishness of Riches

^10 (D)One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility. ^11 (E)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to ^[e]look at them? ¹² The sleep of the laborer is ^(F)sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the ^[f]full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.

¹³ There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ^(G)wealth being ^[g]hoarded by its owner to his detriment. ¹⁴ When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing ^[h]to support him. ^15 (H)As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will ^(I)take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. ¹⁶ This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person ^[i]is born, so will he ^[j]die. ^(J)What then is the advantage for him who ^(K)labors for the wind? ¹⁷ All his life ^(L)he also eats in darkness with ^(M)great irritation, sickness, and anger.

¹⁸ Here is what I have seen to be ^(N)good and ^[k]fitting: to eat, to drink, and ^[l]enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few ^[m]years of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^[n](O)reward. ¹⁹ Furthermore, as for every person to whom ^(P)God has given riches and wealth, He has also ^(Q)given him the opportunity to ^[o]enjoy them and to receive his ^[p]reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the ^(R)gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not often call to mind the ^[q]years of his life, because ^(S)God keeps ^[r]him busy with the joy of his heart.

²³ But before faith came, ^[a]we were kept in custody under the Law, ^(A)being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the Law has become our ^[b](B)guardian to lead us to Christ, so that ^(C)we may be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a ^[c](D)guardian. ²⁶ For you are all ^(E)sons and daughters of God through faith in ^(F)Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were ^(G)baptized into Christ have ^(H)clothed yourselves with Christ. ^28 (I)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is ^[d]neither male nor female; for ^(J)you are all one in ^(K)Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if ^(L)you ^[e]belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s ^[f]descendants, heirs according to ^(M)promise.

Sonship in Christ

4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a ^[g]child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is ^[h]owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and ^[i]managers until the ^[j]date set by the father. ³ So we too, when we were children, were held ^(N)in bondage under the ^[k](O)elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when ^(P)the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, ^(Q)born of a woman, born ^(R)under ^[l]the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under ^[m]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as ^(S)sons and daughters. ⁶ Because you are sons, ^(T)God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “^(U)Abba! ^[n]Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and ^(V)if a son, then an heir ^[o]through God.

⁸ However at that time, ^(W)when you did not know God, you were ^(X)slaves to ^(Y)those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be ^(Z)known by God, ^(AA)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^[p](AB)elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ You ^(AC)meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored ^[q]over you in vain.

Tradition and Commandment

15 ^(A)Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus ^(B)from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they ^(C)do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” ³ And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘^(D)Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘^(E)The one who speaks evil of father or mother is to ^[a]be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been ^[b]given to God,” ⁶ he is not to ^[c]honor his father or mother.’ And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, by saying:

¹⁰ After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! ^11 (H)It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

¹² Then the disciples came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were ^[d]offended when they heard this statement?” ¹³ But He answered and said, “^(I)Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them alone; ^(J)they are blind guides ^[e]of blind people. And ^(K)if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

¹⁵ Peter ^[f]said to Him, “^(L)Explain the parable to us.” ^16 [g]Jesus said, “Are you also still lacking in understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is ^[h]eliminated? ¹⁸ But ^(M)the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. ^19 (N)For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and ^[i]slanderous statements. ²⁰ These are the things that defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person.”