Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Teth
65 You have dealt well with your servant,
O Yahweh, according to your word.
66 Teach me good discernment and knowledge,
for I believe your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted, I was going astray,
but now I heed your word.
68 You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes.
69 The arrogant smear me with lies;[a]
I keep your precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is insensitive like fat;[b]
As for me, I take delight in your law.
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted,
so that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver coins.
2 If there is found in one of your towns[a] that Yahweh your God is giving to you a man or a woman that does evil in the eyes of Yahweh your God to transgress his covenant 3 and by going and serving other gods and so he bows down to them and to the sun or to the moon or to any of the host of heaven which I have forbidden,[b] 4 and it is reported to you or you hear about it and you enquire about it thoroughly and, indeed,[c] the trustworthiness of the deed[d] has been established, it has occurred,[e] this detestable thing, in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has[f] done this evil thing to your gates; that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them with stones to death.[g] 6 On the evidence of[h] two or three witnesses the person shall be put to death.[i] The person[j] shall not be put to death by the mouth of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against the person[k] to kill the person,[l] and afterward the hands[m] of all the people, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.
8 “If a matter is too difficult for you,[n] for example disputes between blood and blood,[o] between legal claim and legal claim[p] and between assault and assault[q] and between matters of discernment in your towns,[r] then you shall get up and you shall go to the place that Yahweh your God will choose; 9 then you shall go to the priests and the Levites and to the judge who will be in office in those days, and you shall enquire, and they shall announce to you the verdict.[s]
10 “And you shall carry out exactly the decision[t] that they announced to you from that place that Yahweh will choose, and you shall diligently observe[u] according to all that they instruct you. 11 And so according to the instruction of the law[v] that they teach you and according to the decisions that they say to you, you shall do; you shall not turn from the word that they tell you to the right or to the left. 12 And the man who treats with contempt[w] so as not to listen to the priest who is standing to minister on behalf of Yahweh your God or to the judge, that man shall die; so you shall purge the evil from Israel. 13 And all the people will hear and will be afraid, and they will not behave presumptuously again.
Obedience to the Governing Authorities
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God. 2 So then, the one who resists authority resists the ordinance which is from God, and those who resist will receive condemnation on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of terror for a good deed, but for bad conduct. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it, 4 for it is God’s servant to you for what is good. But if you do what is bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose. For it is God’s servant, the one who avenges for punishment on the one who does what is bad. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities[a] are servants of God, busily engaged in this very thing. 7 Pay to everyone what is owed: pay taxes to whom taxes are due; pay customs duties to whom customs duties are due; pay respect to whom respect is due; pay honor to whom honor is due.[b]
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