Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁵ Thus says the Lord: Concerning the false prophets who make My people err, when they have anything good to bite with their teeth they cry, Peace; and whoever gives them nothing to chew, against him they declare a sanctified war.

⁶ Therefore it shall be night to you, so that you shall have no vision; yes, it shall be dark to you without divination. And the sun shall go down over the false prophets, and the day shall be black over them.

⁷ And the seers shall be put to shame and the diviners shall blush and be confounded; yes, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God.

⁸ But truly I [Micah] am full of power, of the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.

⁹ Hear this, I pray you, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor and reject justice and pervert all equity,

¹⁰ Who build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.

¹¹ Its heads judge for reward and a bribe and its priests teach for hire and its prophets divine for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, Is not the Lord among us? No evil can come upon us.^(A)

¹² Therefore shall Zion on your account be ^[a]plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps [of ruins], and the mountain of the house [of the Lord] like a densely wooded height.^(B)

Psalm 43

¹ Judge and vindicate me, O God; plead and defend my cause against an ungodly nation. O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

² For You are the God of my strength [my Stronghold—in Whom I take refuge]; why have You cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

³ O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling.

⁴ Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy; yes, with the lyre will I praise You, O God, my God!

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.

⁹ For you recall our hard toil and struggles, brethren. We worked night and day [and plied our trade] in order not to be a burden to any of you [for our support] while we proclaimed the glad tidings (the Gospel) of God to you.

¹⁰ You are witnesses, [yes] and God [also], how unworldly and upright and blameless was our behavior toward you believers [who adhered to and trusted in and relied on our Lord Jesus Christ].

¹¹ For you know how, as a father [dealing with] his children, we used to exhort each of you personally, stimulating and encouraging and charging you

¹² To live lives worthy of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and the glorious blessedness [^[a]into which true believers will enter after Christ’s return].

¹³ And we also [especially] thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God [which you heard] from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [^[b]exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

23 Then Jesus said to the multitudes and to His disciples,

² The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat [of authority].

³ So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice.

⁴ They tie up heavy loads, hard to bear, and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them.

⁵ They do all their works to be seen of men; for they make wide their phylacteries (^[a]small cases enclosing certain Scripture passages, worn during prayer on the left arm and forehead) and make long their fringes [worn by all male Israelites, according to the command].^(A)

⁶ And they ^[b]take pleasure in and [thus] love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

⁷ And to be greeted with honor in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi.

⁸ But you are not to be called rabbi (teacher), for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.

⁹ And do not call anyone [in the church] on earth father, for you have one Father, Who is in heaven.

¹⁰ And you must not be called masters (leaders), for you have one Master (Leader), the Christ.

¹¹ He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

¹² Whoever exalts himself [^[c]with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself [whoever has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly] shall be ^[d]raised to honor.