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Israel’s Unfaithfulness

11 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshipped the Baals; ¹²and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. ¹³They abandoned the Lord, and worshipped Baal and the Astartes. ¹⁴So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. ¹⁵Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress.

16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them. ¹⁷Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example. ¹⁸Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them. ¹⁹But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshipping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

34  They did not destroy the peoples ♦︎
   as the Lord had commanded them.
35  They mingled with the nations ♦︎
   and learned to follow their ways,
36  So that they worshipped their idols, ♦︎
   which became to them a snare.
37  Their own sons and daughters ♦︎
   they sacrificed to evil spirits.
38  They shed innocent blood, ♦︎
   the blood of their sons and daughters,
39  Which they offered to the idols of Canaan, ♦︎
   and the land was defiled with blood.
40  Thus were they polluted by their actions, ♦︎
   and in their wanton deeds went whoring after other gods.
41  Therefore was the wrath of the Lord
      kindled against his people, ♦︎
   and he abhorred his inheritance.
42  He gave them over to the hand of the nations, ♦︎
   and those who hated them ruled over them.

The Rich Young Man

16 Then someone came to him and said, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ ¹⁷And he said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ ¹⁸He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; ¹⁹Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ ²⁰The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these;^* what do I still lack?’ ²¹Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money^* to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ ²²When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.