Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
43 1 He prayeth to be delivered from them that conspire against him, that he might joyfully praise God in his holy congregation.
1 Judge [a]me, O God, and defend my cause against the unmerciful [b]people: deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why hast thou put me away? why go I so mourning, when the enemy oppressed me?
3 Send thy [c]light and thy truth: let them lead me: let them bring me unto thine holy Mountain, and to thy Tabernacles.
4 Then [d]will I go unto the altar of God, even unto the God of my joy and gladness: and upon the harp will I give thanks unto thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me: [e]wait on God: for I will yet give him thanks, he is my present help and my God.
6 A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master. If then I be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear, saith the Lord of hosts unto you, [a]O Priests that despise my Name? and ye say, [b]Wherein have we despised thy Name?
7 Ye offer [c]unclean bread upon mine altar: and you say, Wherein have we polluted thee? in that ye say, The table of the Lord is not [d]to be regarded.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is [e]not evil: and if ye offer the lame and sick, it is not evil: offer it now unto thy princes: will he be content with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lord of hosts?
9 And now I pray you, [f]pray before God that he may have mercy upon us: this hath been by your means: will he regard [g]your persons, saith the Lord of hosts?
10 Who is there even among you [h]that would shut the doors, and kindle not fire on mine altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, my Name is [i]great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name is great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 But ye have polluted it, in that ye say, [j]The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof even his meat is not to be regarded.
13 Ye said also, Behold, it is a [k]weariness, and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts, and ye offered that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick: thus ye offered an offering: should I accept this of your hand, saith the Lord?
14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock [l]a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, and my Name is terrible among the heathen.
2 1 Threatenings against the Priests, being seducers of the people.
1 And now, O ye [m]Priests, this commandment is for you.
2 If ye will not hear it, nor consider it in your heart, to give glory [n]unto my Name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and will curse your [o]blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not consider it in your heart.
3 Behold, I will corrupt [p]your seed, and cast dung upon your faces, even the [q]dung of your solemn feasts, and you shall be like unto it.
4 And ye shall know, that I have [r]sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant, which I made with Levi, might stand, saith the Lord of hosts.
5 My [s]covenant was with him of life and peace, and I [t]gave him fear, and he feared me, and was afraid before [u]my Name.
6 The Law of [v]truth was in his mouth, and there was no iniquity found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
7 For the Priest’s [w]lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth: for he is the [x]messenger of the Lord of hosts.
8 But ye are gone out of the way: ye have caused many to fall by the Law: ye have broken the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
9 Therefore have I also made you to be despised, and vile before all the people, because ye kept not my ways, but have been partial in the Law.
13 ¶ [a]Woe therefore be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, [b]hypocrites, because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven before men: for ye yourselves go not in, neither suffer ye them that would [c]enter, to come in.
14 (A)[d]Woe be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye devour widows’ houses, even [e]under a color of long prayers: wherefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye compass sea and [f]land to make one of your profession: and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell, than you yourselves.
16 Woe be unto you blind guides, which say, Whosoever sweareth by the Temple, it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the gold of the Temple, he [g]offendeth.
17 Ye fools and blind, Whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that [h]sanctifieth the gold?
18 And whosoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that is upon it, offendeth.
19 Ye fools and blind, whether is greater, the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering?
20 Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 (B)And whosoever sweareth by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 (C)And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the [i]throne of God, and by him that sitteth theron.
23 ¶ (D)[j]Woe be to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and leave the weightier matters of the law, as judgment, and mercy and [k]fidelity. These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 ¶ [l]Woe be to you, (E)Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye make clean the utter side of the cup, and of the platter: but within they are full of bribery and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe be to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye are like unto whited tombs, which appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and all filthiness.
28 So are ye also: for outward ye appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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