Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Vav.

¹⁶ “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and judgments (precepts). Therefore, you shall be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul (your entire being). ¹⁷ Today you have [openly] declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk [that is, live each and every day] in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments (precepts), and listen to His voice. ¹⁸ Today the Lord has declared that you are His people, His treasured possession, just as He promised you, and that you are to keep all His commandments; ¹⁹ and that He will set you high above all the nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor: and that you shall be a holy people [set apart and consecrated] to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.”

The Altar at Mount Ebal

27 Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep (remember, obey) all the commandments which I am commanding you today. ² So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to [enter] the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with plaster (lime, whitewash). ³ You shall write on the stones all the words of this law when you cross over, so that you may go into the land which the Lord your God gives you, a land [of plenty] ^[a]flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers has promised you. ⁴ Now when you cross the Jordan you shall set up these stones on Mount Ebal, just as I am commanding you today and coat them with plaster. ⁵ There you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not use an iron tool on them. ⁶ You shall build the altar of the Lord your God with whole [uncut] stones, and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God; ⁷ and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and shall rejoice before the Lord your God.

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶ And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what [essentially] good thing shall I do to obtain eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?”^{(A) 17} Jesus answered, “Why are you asking Me about what is [essentially] good? There is only One who is [essentially] good; but if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.”^{(B) 18} He said to Jesus, “Which commandments?” And Jesus answered, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony;^{(C) 19} Honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself” [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].^{(D) 20} The young man said to Him, “I have kept all these things [from my youth]; what do I still lack?”^{(E) 21} Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” ²² But when the young man heard this, he left grieving and distressed, for he owned much property and had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].