Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

43 Judge me, O God, and defend my cause against the unmerciful people. Deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.

² For You are the God of my strength. Why have You put me away? Why do I go so mourning when the enemy oppressed me?

³ Send Your light and Your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your Holy Mountain, and to Your Tabernacles.

⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, even to the God of my joy and gladness. And upon the harp will I give thanks to You, O God, my God.

⁵ Why are You cast down, my soul? And why are You disquieted within me? Wait on God; for I will still give Him thanks, my present help and my God. To him who excels: A Psalm to give instruction, committed to the sons of Korah.

⁶ ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then, I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My fear?’ says the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests, who despise My Name. And you say, ‘How have we despised Your Name?’

⁷ “You offer unclean bread upon My Altar. And you say, ‘How have we polluted You?’ By doing that, you say, ‘The Table of the LORD is not to be regarded.’

⁸ “And if you offer the blind for Sacrifice, it is not evil. And if you offer the lame and sick, it is not evil. Offer it now to your princes! Will he be content with you or accept your person?” says the LORD of Hosts.

⁹ “And now, please pray before God that He may have mercy upon us, since this has been done by your hand. Will He regard your means favorably?” says the LORD of Hosts.

¹⁰ “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors and not kindle fire upon My Altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hand.

¹¹ “For from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same, My Name is great among the Gentiles. And in every place, incense shall be offered to My Name, and a pure Offering. For My Name is great among the heathen,” says the LORD of Hosts.

¹² “But you have polluted it, in that you say, ‘The Table of the LORD is polluted, and its fruit. His food is not to be regarded.’

¹³ “You also said, ‘Behold, it is a weariness!’ And you have sneered at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “And you offered that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick. Thus you offered an Offering. Should I accept this from your hand?” says the LORD.

¹⁴ “But cursed is the deceiver who has a male in his flock and vows and sacrifices a corrupt thing to the LORD! For I am a great King!” says the LORD of Hosts, “And My Name is terrible among the heathen.”

2 “And now, O you priests, this Commandment is for you.

² “If you will not hear it, or consider it in your heart, to give glory to My Name,” says the LORD of Hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and will curse your blessings. Yea, I have cursed them already, because you do not consider it in your heart.

³ “Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and cast dung upon your faces, the dung of your solemn Feasts. And you shall be like it.

⁴ “And you shall know that I have sent this Commandment to you, so that My Covenant which I made with Levi might stand,” says the LORD of Hosts.

⁵ “My Covenant was with him, one of life and peace. And I gave him fear. And he feared Me and was afraid before My Name.

⁶ “The Law of Truth was in his mouth and there was no iniquity found in his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity.

⁷ “For the priest’s lips should preserve knowledge. And they should seek the Law from his mouth. For he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.

⁸ “But you have gone out of the way. You have caused many to fall by the Law. You have broken the Covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Hosts.

⁹ “Therefore, I have also made you despised and vile before all the people, because you did not keep My ways, but have been partial in the Law.”

¹³ “Therefore, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before man. For you yourselves do not go in, nor do you allow those who wish entrance to come in.

¹⁴ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, even under a pretense of long prayers. Therefore, you shall receive the greater damnation.

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! For you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte. And when he is made, you make him twofold more a child of Hell than you yourselves!

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the Temple, it is nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the Temple, he sins.’

¹⁷ “You fools, and blind! Which is greater, the gold or the Temple that sanctifies the gold?

¹⁸ “And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever swears by the offering upon it, sins.’

¹⁹ “You fools, and blind! Which is greater, the offering or the altar which sanctifies the offering?

²⁰ “Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things thereupon.

²¹ “And whoever swears by the Temple, swears by it and by Him Who dwells therein.

²² “And the one who swears by Heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him Who sits thereupon.

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! For you tithe mint and anise and cumin, and leave the weightier matters of the law, judgment, and mercy and fidelity. These you ought to have done, and not to have left the other.

²⁴ You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! For you make clean the outside of the cup and the platter. But inside they are full of bribery and excess.

²⁶ “You blind Pharisee! First, cleanse the inside of the cup and platter, so that the outside of them may be clean also.

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs which appear beautiful outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all filthiness.

²⁸ “So are you also. For outward you appear righteous to man, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.