Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 43^[a]

²⁷ A man of God came to Eli and said to him,^(A) “This is what the Lord says: ‘Didn’t I reveal Myself to your ancestral house when it was in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace?^{(B) 28} Out of all the tribes of Israel, I selected your house^[a] to be priests, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence.^(C) I also gave your house all the Israelite fire offerings. ²⁹ Why, then, do all of you despise My sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship?^(D) You have honored your sons more than Me,^(E) by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of My people Israel.’

³⁰ “Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel:

³¹ “‘Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your ancestral family, so that none in your family will reach old age.^{(I) 32} You will see distress in the place of worship,^(J) in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.^{(K) 33} Any man from your family I do not cut off from My altar will bring grief^[b] and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently.^{[c][d] 34} This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas:^(L) both of them will die on the same day.^(M)

³⁵ “‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest^(N) for Myself. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him,^(O) and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.^{(P) 36} Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’”

Jewish Violation of the Law

¹⁷ Now if^[a] you call yourself a Jew, and rest in the law,^(A) boast in God, ¹⁸ know His will, and approve the things that are superior,^(B) being instructed from the law, ¹⁹ and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression^[b] of knowledge and truth^(C) in the law— ²¹ you then, who teach another,^(D) don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²² You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?^{(E) 23} You who boast in the law,^(F) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.^(G)[c]

Circumcision of the Heart

²⁵ For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.^{(H) 26} Therefore if an uncircumcised^(I) man keeps the law’s requirements,^(J) will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? ²⁷ A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you^(K) who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. ²⁸ For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly,^(L) and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. ²⁹ On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,^(M) and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.^[d](N) That man’s praise^[e] is not from men but from God.^(O)