1“And now, O Israel, listen to the precepts and judgments which I am teaching to you, so that, by doing these, you may live, and you may enter and possess the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, will give to you. 2You shall not add to the word which I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it. Preserve the commandments of the Lord your God which I am teaching to you. 3Your eyes have seen all that the Lord has done against Baal-peor, in what manner he has crushed all of his worshippers from among you. 4But you who adhere to the Lord your God are all still alive, to the present day. 5You know that I have taught you precepts as well as justices, just as the Lord my God has commanded me. And so shall you do in the land that you will possess. 6And you shall observe and fulfill these in practice. For this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, so that, upon hearing all these precepts, they may say: ‘Lo, a wise and understanding people, a great nation.’ 7Neither is there any other nation so great, which has its gods so near to them, as our God is present to all our petitions. 8For what other nation is there so renowned as to have ceremonies, and just judgments, and the entire law that I will set forth today before your eyes?
2He who walks without blemish and who works justice. 3He who speaks the truth in his heart, who has not acted deceitfully with his tongue, and has not done evil to his neighbor, and has not taken up a reproach against his neighbors. 4In his sight, the malicious one has been reduced to nothing, but he glorifies those who fear the Lord. He who swears to his neighbor and does not deceive. 5He who has not given his money in usury, nor accepted bribes against the innocent. He who does these things will be undisturbed for eternity.
17Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration. 18For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures. 19You know this, my most beloved brothers. So let every man be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger. 20For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God. 21Because of this, having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice, receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word, which is able to save your souls. 22So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a listener of the Word, but not also a doer, he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with; 24and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen. 25But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty, and who remains in it, is not a forgetful hearer, but instead a doer of the work. He shall be blessed in what he does. 26But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a one’s religion is vanity. 27This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.
1And the Pharisees and some of the scribes, arriving from Jerusalem, gathered together before him. 2And when they had seen certain ones from his disciples eating bread with common hands, that is, with unwashed hands, they disparaged them. 3For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat without repeatedly washing their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4And when returning from the market, unless they wash, they do not eat. And there are many other things which have been handed down to them to observe: the washings of cups, and pitchers, and bronze containers, and beds. 5And so the Pharisees and the scribes questioned him: “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but they eat bread with common hands?” 6But in response, he said to them: “So well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, just as it has been written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7And in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and precepts of men.’ 8For abandoning the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men, to the washing of pitchers and cups. And you do many other things similar to these.” 9And he said to them: “You effectively nullify the precept of God, so that you may observe your own tradition. 10For Moses said: ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever will have cursed father or mother, let him die a death.’ 11But you say, ‘If a man will have said to his father or mother: Korban, (which is a gift) whatever is from me will be to your benefit,’ 12then you do not release him to do anything for his father or mother, 13rescinding the word of God through your tradition, which you have handed down. And you do many other similar things in this way.” 14And again, calling the crowd to him, he said to them: “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside a man which, by entering into him, is able to defile him. But the things which proceed from a man, these are what pollute a man. 16Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” 17And when he had entered into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. 18And he said to them: “So, are you also without prudence? Do you not understand that everything entering to a man from outside is not able to pollute him? 19For it does not enter into his heart, but into the gut, and it exits into the sewer, purging all foods.” 20“But,” he said “the things which go out from a man, these pollute a man. 21For from within, from the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22thefts, avarice, wickedness, deceitfulness, homosexuality, an evil eye, blasphemy, self-exaltation, foolishness. 23All these evils proceed from within and pollute a man.”