Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
33 Lord, teach me ·your demands [L the way of your demands/statutes/ordinances/requirements],
and I will ·keep [observe] them until the end.
34 Help me understand, so I can ·keep [protect] your ·teachings [instructions; laws],
·obeying [guarding] them with all my heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commands,
because ·that makes me happy [L I take pleasure in them].
36 Make me want to keep your ·rules [decrees; testimonies]
·instead of wishing for riches [L not to gain/profit].
37 ·Keep me [L Turn my eyes] from looking at ·worthless [false; vain] things.
Let me live ·by your word [L in your path].
38 ·Keep your promise [Confirm your word] to me, your servant,
so you will be ·respected [feared; Prov. 1:7].
39 Take away ·the shame [my scorn/humiliation] I fear,
because your ·laws [judgments] are good.
40 How I ·want to follow [long for] your ·orders [precepts].
Give me life because of your ·goodness [righteousness].
The Man Who Cursed God
10 Now there was a son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian father who ·was walking [L came out] among the Israelites. A fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman began cursing and ·speaking against the Lord [L blaspheming the name], so the people took him to Moses. (The mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri from the family of Dan.) 12 The people ·held him as a prisoner [put him in custody] while they waited for the Lord’s ·command [decision; will] to be made clear to them.
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, 14 “Take the one who ·spoke against [L cursed; blasphemed] me outside the camp. Then all the people who heard him must put their hands on his head, and all the ·people [community; assembly; congregation] must ·throw stones at him and kill [stone] him. 15 Tell the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel this: ‘If anyone curses his God, he is guilty of sin [Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11]. 16 Anyone who ·speaks against [L curses/blasphemes the name of] the Lord must be put to death; all the ·people [community; assembly; congregation] must ·kill him by throwing stones at [stone] him. ·Foreigners [Sojourners; Wanderers; Resident aliens] must be punished just like ·the people born in Israel [natives]; if they ·speak against the Lord [L curse/blaspheme the name], they must be put to death.
17 “‘Whoever ·kills [L strikes] another person must be put to death. 18 Whoever ·kills [L strikes] an animal that belongs to another person must give that person another animal to take its place. 19 And whoever causes an injury to a ·neighbor [countryman] must receive the same kind of injury in return: 20 Broken bone for broken bone, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Anyone who injures another person must be injured in the same way in return [Ex. 21:24]. 21 Whoever ·kills [L strikes] another person’s animal must give that person another animal to take its place. But whoever ·kills [strikes] another person must be put to death.
22 “‘The ·law [regulation; standard] will be the same for the ·foreigner [sojouner; wanderer; resident alien] as for ·those from your own country [the native]. I am the Lord your God.’”
23 Then Moses spoke to the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel, and they took the person who had cursed outside the camp and ·killed him by throwing stones at [stoned] him. So the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Be Careful About Judging Others(A)
7 “Don’t judge others, ·or you will [so that you will not] be judged. 2 You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and ·the amount you give to others will be given to you [or the standard you use for others will be the standard used for you; L with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you].
3 “Why do you notice the ·little piece of dust [speck; tiny splinter] in your ·friend’s [L brother’s (or sister’s)] eye, but you don’t ·notice [consider] the ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your ·friend [L brother], ‘Let me take that ·little piece of dust [speck; splinter] out of your eye’? ·Look at yourself [T Behold]! You still have that ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye. 5 You hypocrite! First, take the ·wood [log; plank; beam] out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the ·dust [speck; splinter] out of your ·friend’s [L brother’s] eye.
6 “Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls ·before [to] ·pigs [T swine]. ·Pigs will only trample on them, and dogs will turn to attack you [L They will trample them and turn to attack you; C pigs were ritually unclean and dogs were considered scavengers].
Ask God for What You Need(B)
7 “·Ask [Keep asking], and ·God will give [L it will be given; C the passive verb implies God as subject] to you. ·Search [Seek; Keep seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep knocking], and the door will open for you. 8 ·Yes, [L For; Because] everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.
9 “If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? 10 Or [L which of you] if your ·children ask [or son asks] for a fish, would you give them a snake? 11 ·Even though you are bad, you [If you, being evil,] know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!
The Most Important Rule(C)
12 “[So always; So in everything] ·Do to others what [Treat others as] you want them to ·do to [treat] you. This ·is [sums up; is the essence of] the ·meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets [L Law and the Prophets; C referring to the OT].
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