Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Vav

¹⁰ “^(A)I, moreover, stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights like the first time, and Yahweh listened to me that time also; Yahweh was not willing to destroy you. ¹¹ Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Arise, go on your journey ahead of the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’

Circumcise Your Heart

¹² “^(B)So now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God ask from you, but to ^[a]fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all His ways and ^(C)love Him, and to serve Yahweh your God with ^(D)all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to keep the commandments of Yahweh and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? ¹⁴ Behold, ^(E)to Yahweh your God belong heaven and the ^[b]highest heavens, ^(F)the earth and all that is in it. ^15 (G)Yet on your fathers did Yahweh set His affection to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day. ^16 (H)So circumcise ^[c]your heart, and ^(I)stiffen your neck no longer. ^17 (J)For Yahweh your God is the God of gods and the ^(K)Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the fearsome God ^(L)who does not show partiality nor ^(M)take a bribe. ¹⁸ He executes justice for ^(N)the orphan and the widow, and shows love for the sojourner by giving him food and clothing. ^19 (O)So show love for the sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ Yahweh your God you shall fear; Him you shall serve, and to Him you shall ^(P)cling, and by His name ^(Q)you shall swear. ²¹ He is ^(R)your praise, and He is your God, who has done these great and fearsome things for you which your eyes have seen. ^22 (S)Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, ^(T)and now Yahweh your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Faith and Works

^14 (A)What use is it, ^(B)my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can ^[a]that faith save him? ^15 (C)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “^(D)Go in peace, ^[b]be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ Even so ^(E)faith, if it has no works, is ^[c]dead by itself.

^18 (F)But someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your ^(G)faith without the works, and I will ^(H)show you my faith ^(I)by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that ^[d](J)God is one. ^(K)You do well; ^(L)the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to recognize, ^(M)you foolish fellow, that ^(N)faith without works is useless? ^21 (O)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that ^(P)faith was working with his works, and ^[e]as a result of the ^(Q)works, faith was ^[f]perfected. ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “^(R)And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called ^(S)the friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And in the same way, was not ^(T)Rahab the harlot also justified by works ^(U)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also ^(V)faith without works is dead.