Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
5 The Lord says this about the prophets who ·teach his people the wrong way of living [mislead/lead astray my people]:
“If these prophets are given food to eat,
they shout, ‘Peace!’
But if someone doesn’t ·give them what they ask for [L place food in their mouths],
they ·call for a holy war [declare war] against that person.
6 So it will become like night for them, without visions [C revelation from God will cease].
It will become dark for them, without ·any way to tell the future [divination].
The sun is about to set for the prophets;
their day will become dark.
7 The seers [C another name for prophets] will be ashamed;
the ·people who see the future [diviners] will be ·embarrassed [disgraced; humiliated].
Yes, all of them will cover their ·mouths [or lips; or faces],
because there will be no answer from God.”
Micah Is an Honest Prophet of God
8 But I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and ·strength [might],
to ·tell the people of Jacob [L declare to Jacob] ·how they have turned against God [L his transgression],
and ·the people of Israel [L Israel] how they have sinned.
9 Leaders of [L the house of] Jacob and rulers of [L the house of] Israel,
listen to me,
you who hate ·fairness [justice]
and ·twist [pervert; distort] what is ·right [straight].
10 You build ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] ·by murdering people [L with bloodshed];
you build it with ·evil [wickedness; iniquity].
11 Its ·judges take money
to decide who wins in court [L rulers judge for a bribe].
Its priests only teach for ·pay [a price],
and its prophets ·only look into the future when they get paid [tell fortunes/practice divination for money].
But they lean on the Lord and say,
“The Lord is here with us,
so ·nothing bad [no harm] will ·happen to [overtake; come upon] us.”
12 [L Therefore] Because of you,
Jerusalem will be plowed like a field.
·The city [L Zion; v. 10] will become a ·pile of rocks [heap of rubble/ruins],
and the ·hill [mountain] ·on which the Temple stands [L of the house] will be ·covered with bushes [an overgrown hill; wooded heights].
A Prayer for Protection
43 God, defend me.
·Argue my case [L Vindicate me, O God, and contend for/defend me] against ·those who don’t follow you [L a godless nation].
·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me from ·liars [deceivers] and those who ·do evil [are unjust].
2 God, you are my ·strength [L refuge].
Why have you rejected me?
Why am I ·sad [L going around in mourning]
and ·troubled [oppressed] by my enemies?
3 Send me your light and ·truth [faithfulness]
to ·guide [lead] me.
Let them ·lead [bring] me to your holy mountain [C Zion, the location of the Temple],
to ·where you live [your dwelling].
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God who is my joy and happiness.
I will praise you with a ·harp [lyre],
God, my God.
5 Why ·am I so sad [L are you downcast, my soul]?
Why ·am I so upset [are you groaning/in an uproar]?
I ·should [or will] ·put my hope in [wait for] God
and ·keep praising [or will again praise] him,
my ·Savior [Victor] and my God.
9 Brothers and sisters, ·I know [surely] you remember our hard work and ·difficulties [hardship; labor]. We worked night and day so we would not burden any of you while we preached God’s ·Good News [Gospel] to you.
10 When we were with you, we lived in a holy and ·honest [righteous; just] way, ·without fault [blameless; innocent]. You ·know this is true, and so does [L are witnesses, and so is] God. 11 You know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We ·encouraged [exhorted; urged] you, we ·urged [encouraged; comforted] you, and we ·insisted [appealed/bore witness to you] that you ·live good lives for [L walk worthy of] God, who calls you to his ·glorious kingdom [L kingdom and glory].
13 ·Also [L For this reason], we always thank God because when you ·heard his message [received the message you heard] from us, you accepted it not as ·merely human words [a human message], but for what it truly is—·the word of [a message from] God, which ·works in [transforms] you who believe.
Jesus Accuses Some Leaders(A)
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his ·followers [disciples], 2 “The ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees ·have the authority to interpret what the law of Moses says [L sit in Moses’ seat/chair]. 3 So you should ·obey [do; practice] and ·follow [keep; observe] whatever they tell you, but ·their lives are not good examples for you to follow [L do not follow their actions]. ·They tell you to do things, but they themselves don’t do them [L For they say but do not do]. 4 They ·make strict rules [L tie up heavy loads/burdens that are hard to carry] and ·try to force people to obey them [L put them on people’s shoulders], but they are unwilling to ·help those who struggle under the weight of their rules [lift a finger to move them; L move them with their finger].
5 “They do good things so that other people will see them. They enlarge ·the little boxes holding Scriptures that they wear [L their phylacteries; C leather cases worn on the left arm and forehead to literally fulfill Deut. 6:8; 11:18], and they ·make their special prayer clothes very long [L lengthen their tassels; C Jewish males were to wear tassels on the four corners of their garment; Num. 15:38; Deut. 22:12]. 6 Those Pharisees and teachers of the law love to have the ·most important seats [places of greatest honor] at ·feasts [banquets] and [L the best seats] in the synagogues. 7 They love people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ·‘Teacher [L Rabbi].’
8 “But you must not be called ‘·Teacher [Rabbi],’ because you have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters together. 9 And don’t call any person on earth ‘Father,’ because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 And you should not be called ‘·Master [Leader; Teacher; Instructor]’ because you have only one ·Master [Leader; Teacher; Instructor], the ·Christ [Messiah]. 11 ·Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you [L The greatest among you will be your servant]. 12 Whoever ·makes himself great [lifts up/exalts himself] will be made humble. Whoever makes himself humble will be ·made great [exalted; lifted up].
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