Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

4 And now, Israel, hearken to the statutes and to the ordinances which I teach you, to do [them], that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah the God of your fathers giveth you.

² Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall ye take from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.

⁶ And ye shall keep and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples that shall hear all these statutes, and say, Verily this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

⁷ For what great nation is there that hath God near to them as Jehovah our God is in everything we call upon him for?

⁸ And what great nation is there that hath righteous statutes and ordinances, as all this law which I set before you this day?

⁹ Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things that thine eyes have seen (and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but thou shalt make them known to thy sons and to thy sons' sons),

A Psalm of David.

15 Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tent? who shall dwell in the hill of thy holiness?

² He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth from his heart.

³ [He that] slandereth not with his tongue, doeth not evil to his companion, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour;

⁴ In whose eyes the depraved person is contemned, and who honoureth them that fear Jehovah; who, if he have sworn to his own hurt, changeth it not;

⁵ [He that] putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these [things] shall never be moved.

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.

¹⁸ According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a certain first-fruits of *his* creatures.

¹⁹ So that, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

²⁰ for man's wrath does not work God's righteousness.

²¹ Wherefore, laying aside all filthiness and abounding of wickedness, accept with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

²² But be ye doers of [the] word and not hearers only, beguiling yourselves.

²³ For if any man be a hearer of [the] word and not a doer, *he* is like to a man considering his natural face in a mirror:

²⁴ for he has considered himself and is gone away, and straightway he has forgotten what he was like.

²⁵ But *he* that fixes his view on [the] perfect law, that of liberty, and abides in [it], being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of [the] work, *he* shall be blessed in his doing.

²⁶ If any one think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is vain.

²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

7 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem, are gathered together to him,

² and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands,

³ (for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands diligently, do not eat, holding what has been delivered by the ancients;

⁴ and [on coming] from the market-place, unless they are washed, they do not eat; and there are many other things which they have received to hold, the washing of cups and vessels, and brazen utensils, and couches),

⁵ then the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why do thy disciples not walk according to what has been delivered by the ancients, but eat the bread with defiled hands?

⁶ But he answering said to them, Well did Esaias prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.

⁷ But in vain do they worship me, teaching [as their] teachings commandments of men.

⁸ [For], leaving the commandment of God, ye hold what is delivered by men [to keep]—washings of vessels and cups, and many other such like things ye do.

¹⁴ And having called again the crowd, he said to them, Hear me, all [of you], and understand:

¹⁵ There is nothing from outside a man entering into him which can defile him; but the things which go out from him, those it is which defile the man.

²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, go forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

²² thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, deceit, licentiousness, a wicked eye, injurious language, haughtiness, folly;

²³ all these wicked things go forth from within and defile the man.