Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

4 ¶ Now, therefore, hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rights which I teach you, for in doing them ye shall live and go in and inherit the land which the LORD God of your fathers gives you.

² Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish anything from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

⁶ Keep them, therefore, and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who shall hear all these statutes and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

⁷ For what nation is there so great who has God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

⁸ And what nation is there so great that has statutes and rights so just as all this law, which I set before you this day?

⁹ Therefore, take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life, but teach them to thy sons and thy sons’ sons.

A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in the mountain of thy holiness?

² He that walks in integrity and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.

³ He that does not backbite with his tongue nor does evil to his neighbour nor takes up a reproach against his neighbour.

⁴ In whose eyes the vile person is not esteemed; but he honours those that fear the LORD. He that swears to his own hurt and does not change.

⁵ He that does not put out his money to usury nor takes a bribe against the innocent. He that does these things shall never be moved.

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning.

¹⁸ He, of his own will, has begotten us with the word of truth, that we should be the firstfruits of his creatures.

¹⁹ ¶ Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

²⁰ for the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.

²¹ So then, leave all uncleanness and remains of malice and receive with meekness the word ingested within you, which is able to cause your souls to be saved.

²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if anyone hears the word and does not put it into practice, this same is like unto the man beholding his natural face in a mirror:

²⁴ For he considered himself and went his way and in one hour forgot what he was like.

²⁵ But whosoever has looked attentively into the perfect law of liberty and has persevered in it, not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, the same shall be blessed in their deed.

²⁶ If anyone among you thinks to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, his religion is vain.

²⁷ The pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep thyself unspotted from this world.

7 ¶ Then came together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem,

² who upon seeing some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they condemned them.

³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands often, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

⁴ And when they come from the market, unless they wash, they eat not. And there are many other things which they took upon themselves to hold such as the washing of cups and pots, brasen vessels and of tables.)

⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat bread with unwashed hands?

⁶ He answered and said unto them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷ Howbeit in vain do they honor me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things ye do.

¹⁴ And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you and understand;

¹⁵ there is nothing from outside the man that entering into him can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are what defile the man.

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

²² the thefts, the covetousness, the wickedness, the deceit, the lasciviousness, the evil eye, the slander, the pride, the unwiseness:

²³ all these evil things come out from within and defile the man.