Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

³⁸ Aaron the priest obeyed the Lord and went up Mount Hor. There he died on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] left Egypt [20:22–29]. ³⁹ Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁸ This royal law [^Cbecause God the king decreed it, or because it is the supreme law] is found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself [Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:37–40].” ·If you [or If you really; or If you, however,] ·obey [fulfill; carry out] this law, you are doing ·right [well]. ⁹ But if you ·treat one person as being more important than another [show favoritism/partiality; 2:1], you are sinning. You are ·guilty of breaking God’s law [^Lconvicted by the law as lawbreakers/ transgressors]. ¹⁰ [^LFor] A person who ·follows [keeps; obeys] all of God’s law but ·fails to obey even one command [^Lstumbles/falls in one point] is guilty of breaking all the commands in that law. ¹¹ [^LFor] The same God who said, “You must not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery [Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18],” also said, “You must not murder anyone [Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17].” So if you do not ·take part in [commit] adultery but you murder someone, ·you are guilty of breaking all of God’s law [^Lyou have become a breaker/transgressor of the law; Matt. 5:18–19; Gal. 5:3]. ¹² ·In everything you say and do, remember that you [^LSo speak and so act as those who] will be judged by the law ·that makes people free [^Lof freedom/liberty]. ¹³ ·So you must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you [^LFor judgment is without mercy to the one who does not act mercifully]. ·But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment [^LBut mercy triumphs over judgment].