Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

TETH.

⁶⁵ ¶ Thou hast dealt well with thy slave, O LORD, according unto thy word,

⁶⁶ which teaches me discernment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commandments.

⁶⁷ ¶ Before I was humbled, I went into error, but now I keep thy spoken word.

⁶⁸ ¶ Thou art good and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

⁶⁹ ¶ The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

⁷⁰ Their heart became fat like grease, but I delight in thy law.

⁷¹ ¶ It was good for me that I have been humbled, that I might learn thy statutes.

⁷² ¶ The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

² If there is found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God gives thee, man or woman that has wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God in transgressing his covenant

³ and has gone and served other gods and worshipped them or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded,

⁴ and it is told unto thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently, and, behold, it is true, and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel,

⁵ then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman who has committed that wicked thing unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones until they die.

⁶ At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

⁷ The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

⁸ ¶ If a matter arises that is too difficult for thee in judgment between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates, then thou shalt arise and go up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose,

⁹ and thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days and enquire, and they shall show thee the word of judgment.

¹⁰ And thou shalt do according to the word which those of that place which the LORD shall choose shall show thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall show thee.

¹¹ According to the word of the law which they shall show thee and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not decline from the word which they shall show thee, to the right hand nor to the left.

¹² And the man that will act presumptuously and will not hearken unto the priest that stands to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

¹³ And all the people shall hear and fear and no longer act presumptuously.

13 ¶ Let every soul submit itself to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God.

² Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God, and those that resist shall receive condemnation to themselves.

³ For the magistrates are not a terror unto those who do good, but to the doer of evil. Is thy desire therefore to not fear the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same;

⁴ for he is a minister of God for thy good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.

⁵ Therefore it is necessary that ye be subject, not only for punishment, but also for conscience sake.

⁶ For this cause ye also pay them tribute, for they are God’s ministers, attending continually to this very thing.

⁷ ¶ Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.