Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁵ Thus saith Hashem concerning the nevi’im that make Ami err, leading them astray, the nevi’im that bite with their teeth, and preach, Shalom! And whoever putteth nothing into their mouths, v’kiddeshu milchamah (they sanctify war) against him.

⁶ Therefore lailah shall be unto you, because of the chazon; and choshech shall come upon you because of the soothsaying, the divination; and the shemesh shall go down over the nevi’im, and hayom shall be dark over them.

⁷ Then shall the chozim (seers) be ashamed, and the kosemim (diviners) blush in bushah; yea, they shall all cover their safam (mustache, i.e., their lips); ki ein ma’aneh Elohim (for there is no answer of G-d).

⁸ But truly I am full of ko’ach by the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem, and of mishpat, and of gevurah (might), to preach unto Ya’akov his peysha, and to Yisroel his chattat. [Yeshayah 53:5,8,12]

⁹ Hear this, I pray you, ye Rashei Bais Ya’akov, and Ketzinim of Bais Yisroel, that abhor mishpat, and twist kol haYesharah (all the right, the straight).

¹⁰ Boneh Tziyon b’damim (they build up Tziyon with blood), and Yerushalayim with avlah (iniquity).

¹¹ Her Rashim judge for a bribe, and her kohanim play the hireling moreh (teacher), and her nevi’im are fortunetellers for kesef; yet will they lean upon Hashem? And say, Is not Hashem among us? No ra’ah will come upon us.

¹² Therefore because of you, Tziyon shall be plowed as a sadeh, and Yerushalayim shall become a rubble heap, and the Har HaBeis (HaMikdash, i.e., the Temple Mount) shall become a mound of scrubs. [T.N. fulfilled 586, B.C.E., 70 C.E.]

43 Vindicate me, O Elohim, and plead my cause against a nation lo chasid; O deliver me from the ish mirmah v’avlah (deceitful and unjust man).

² For Thou art the Elohei Ma’oz of me. Why dost Thou cast me off? Why must I go mourning because of the oppression of the oyev?

³ O send out Thy Ohr and Thy Emes; let them guide me; let them bring me unto Thy Har Kodesh, and to Thy Mishkan.

⁴ Then will I go unto the Mizbe’ach of Elohim, unto El my exceeding joy; yea, upon the kinnor will I praise Thee, O Elohim Elohai.

⁵ Why art thou cast down, O my nefesh? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in Elohim; for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the Yeshu’ot of my countenance, and Elohai.

⁹ For remember, Achim b’Moshiach, our labor and toil yomam valailah working for the purpose of not weighing down any one of you while we maggidim [for Moshiach] made the Hachrazah (Proclamation, Kerygma) to you of the Besuras HaGeulah of Hashem.

¹⁰ You were edim (witnesses) and so is Hashem, with what kedushah and tzedek and tamim manner of shomer masoret we acted toward you ma’aminim b’Moshiach,

¹¹ For you know how we treated you, as an abba treats his own yeladim,

¹² Exhorting you with divrei chizzuk and comforting you, addressing you with solemn edut (testimony) that you let your derech (way of life), your hitnahagut (conduct), be to fier zich (comport oneself) in a manner worthy of Hashem, who summons you to His own Malchut and Kavod.

¹³ And for this reason also we constantly offer hodayah to Hashem that when you received (as “Ani Maamin” authoritative teaching) the Dvar Hashem, the Word of Hachrazah (Proclamation, Kerygma) from us, you received it not as the dvar HaBnei Adam but, as it actually is, the Dvar Hashem, which also is at work in you who have emunah.

23 Then Moshiach spoke to the multitudes and to his Talmidim,

² Saying, Upon the Kisei Moshe (Chair of Moses) sit the Sofrim and the Perushim.

³ Therefore, everything whatever they may tell you, be frum and be shomer, but according to their ma’asim (works) do not be shomer, for they do not practice what they preach.

⁴ And they tie up heavy [extra-Biblical, Mt 4:4; 15:3,6-9; 22:29] loads, hard to bear, and they place them upon the shoulders of men, but they, with so much as a finger, are not willing to lift the oppressive burdens.

⁵ And all their maasim hamitzvot (works of the commandments) they do in order to be seen by Bnei Adam, for they broaden their tefillin and lengthen their tzitziyot

⁶ and they love the places of honor at the seudot (banquet dinners), and the shuls,

⁷ And the [obsequious] Birkat Shalom greetings in the market places, and to be called by Bnei Adam, Rebbe.

⁸ But you are not to have pretentious titles like Rebbe, for One is your Rebbe [Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach], and all of you are Achim b’Moshiach.

⁹ And do not refer to anyone in the Olam Hazeh as your Abba, for One is your Av shbaShomayim.

¹⁰ Neither be called Moreinu, for One is your Moreh (teacher) the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach [Moreinu].

¹¹ And the greatest among you will be your eved mesharet (servant, minister).

¹² But whoever will lift up himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be lifted up.