Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
5 This is what the Lord says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,(A)
they proclaim ‘peace’(B)
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.
6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.(C)
The sun will set for the prophets,(D)
and the day will go dark for them.(E)
7 The seers will be ashamed(F)
and the diviners disgraced.(G)
They will all cover(H) their faces(I)
because there is no answer from God.(J)”
8 But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.(K)
9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;(L)
10 who build(M) Zion with bloodshed,(N)
and Jerusalem with wickedness.(O)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(P)
her priests teach for a price,(Q)
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(R)
Yet they look(S) for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”(T)
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(U)
the temple(V) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(W)
Psalm 43[a]
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause(A)
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(B) from those who are
deceitful and wicked.(C)
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected(D) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(E)
oppressed by the enemy?(F)
3 Send me your light(G) and your faithful care,(H)
let them lead me;(I)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(J)
to the place where you dwell.(K)
4 Then I will go(L) to the altar(M) of God,
to God, my joy(N) and my delight.(O)
I will praise you with the lyre,(P)
O God, my God.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(Q)
9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked(A) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone(B) while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses,(C) and so is God,(D) of how holy,(E) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,(F) 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy(G) of God, who calls(H) you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually(I) because, when you received the word of God,(J) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
A Warning Against Hypocrisy(A)(B)
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law(C) and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.(D)
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see:(E) They make their phylacteries[a](F) wide and the tassels on their garments(G) long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;(H) 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.(I)
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,(J) and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(K) 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.(L)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.