Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
4 And now, thou Israel, hear the behests and dooms which I teach thee, that thou do those, and live, and that thou enter and wield the land which the Lord God of your fathers shall give to you. (And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and laws, or judgements, which I shall teach thee, so that thou do them, and live, and so that thou can enter and take the land which the Lord God of your fathers shall give to you.)
2 Ye shall not add to the word which I speak to you, neither ye shall take away from it; keep ye the commandments of your Lord God (obey the commandments of the Lord your God), which I command to you.
6 and ye shall keep, and fulfill them in work. For this is your wisdom and understanding before [the] peoples, that all men hear these behests, and say, Lo! a wise people and an understanding (one)! a great folk! (and ye shall obey them, and fulfill them in work. For this shall show your wisdom and understanding to the other peoples, and when the other peoples hear of these statutes, they shall say, Lo! a wise people, a people of understanding! yea, a great nation!)
7 None other nation is so great, that hath Gods nighing to itself, as our God is ready to all our beseechings. (No other nation, no matter how great, hath gods so near to it, as our God is to us.)
8 For what other folk is so noble, that it hath ceremonies, and just dooms, and all the law, which I shall set forth today before your eyes? (For what other nation is so noble, that it hath statutes, and judgements, and all the law/s, which I shall set forth today before your eyes?)
9 Therefore keep thyself, and thy soul busily; forget thou not the words which thine eyes have seen, and fall they not down from thine heart, in all the days of thy life. Thou shalt teach those (to) thy sons, and thy sons’ sons. (And so guard thyself, and thy soul; forget thou not the things which thine eyes have seen, and fall they not down from thy heart, all the days of thy life. Thou shalt teach them to thy sons and thy daughters, and to thy children’s children.)
15 The psalm of David. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle; either who shall rest in thine holy hill? (The song of David. Lord, who shall rest in thy Temple? who shall live on thy holy hill?)
2 He that entereth without wem; and worketh rightfulness. He that speaketh truth in his heart; (He who goeth on the way without blemish, or without fault; and doeth what is right. He who speaketh the truth from his heart;)
3 which did not guile in his tongue. Nor did evil to his neighbour; and took not reproof against his neighbours. (and did not deceive with his tongue. Yea, he who did no evil to his neighbours; nor took up any reproach, or spreadeth any rumour, against them.)
4 A wicked man is brought to nought in his sight; but he glorifieth them that dread the Lord. He that sweareth to his neighbour, and deceiveth him not; (He who regardeth the wicked as worthless; but he honoureth those who fear the Lord/those who revere the Lord. He who sweareth an oath, or who promiseth, to his neighbour, and deceiveth him not;)
5 which gave not his money to usury; and took not gifts upon the innocent. He, that doeth these things, shall not be moved [into] without end. (who did not put out his money to usury; and who took no gifts, or bribes, to be against the innocent. He, who doeth these things, shall never be moved, or shaken, from his secure place in the Lord.)
17 Each good gift, and each perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is none other changing, nor overshadowing of reward.[a]
18 For willfully he begat us by the word of truth [Forsooth willfully he gendered us with the word of truth], that we be a beginning of his creature.
19 Know ye, my brethren most loved, be each man swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man worketh not the rightwiseness of God.
21 For which thing cast ye away all uncleanness, and plenty of malice, and in mildness receive ye the word that is planted[b], that may save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if any man is an hearer of the word, and not a doer, this shall be likened to a man that beholdeth the face of his birth in a mirror [this shall be comparisoned, or likened, to a man beholding the cheer of his birth in a mirror];
24 for he beheld himself, and went away, and at once he forgot which he was. [for he beheld himself, and went away, and anon he forgot what manner man he was.]
25 But he that beholdeth into the law of perfect freedom, and dwelleth in it, and is not made a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work, this shall be blessed in his deed.
26 And if any man guesseth himself to be religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiveth his heart, the religion of him is vain.
27 A clean religion, and unwemmed with God and the Father, is this, to visit fatherless and motherless children, and widows in their tribulation, and to keep himself undefouled from this world [and to keep himself undefouled from the world].
7 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes came from Jerusalem together to him. [And the Pharisees and some of the scribes coming from Jerusalem, came together to him.]
2 And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with unwashen hands, they blamed [them].
3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not, but they wash oft their hands, holding the traditions of elder men.
4 And when they turn again from [the] market, they eat not, but they be washed; and many other things there be, that be taken to them to keep, as washing of cups, and of water vessels [washings of cups and cruets], and of vessels of brass, and of beds.
5 And Pharisees and scribes asked him, and said [saying], Why go not thy disciples after the tradition of elder men, but with unwashen hands they eat bread?
6 And he answered, and said to them, Esaias prophesied well of you, hypocrites, as it is written, This people worshippeth me with lips [This people honoureth me with lips], but their heart is far from me;
7 and in vain they worship me, teaching the doctrines and the behests of men. [in vain truly they worship me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men.]
8 For ye leave the commandment of God, and hold the traditions of men, as [the] washing of water vessels, and of cups; and many other things like these ye do. [Forsooth ye forsaking the commandment of God, hold the traditions of men, washings of cruets, and cups; and many other things like to these ye do.]
14 And he again called the people, and said to them, Ye all hear me, and understand.
15 Nothing that is without a man, that entereth into him, may defoul him [Nothing without man is entering into him, that may defoul him]; but those things that come forth of a man, those it be that defoul a man.
21 For from within, of the heart of men come forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, manslayings,
22 thefts, avarices [covetousness, or over-hard keeping of goods], wickednesses, guile, unchastity, [an] evil eye, blasphemies [blasphemy], pride, folly.
23 All these evils come forth from within, and defoul a man,
2001 by Terence P. Noble