Ritual and Moral Holiness

19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

² “Speak to all the congregation of the Israelites and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.^{(A) 3} You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.^{(B) 4} Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the Lord your God.^(C)

⁵ “When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable on your behalf. ⁶ It shall be eaten on the same day you offer it or on the next day, and anything left over until the third day shall be consumed in fire. ⁷ If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable. ⁸ All who eat it shall be subject to punishment, because they have profaned what is holy to the Lord, and any such person shall be cut off from the people.

⁹ “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.^{(D) 10} You shall not strip your vineyard bare or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.

¹¹ “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another.^{(E) 12} And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.^(F)

¹³ “You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning.^{(G) 14} You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.^(H)

¹⁵ “You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor.^{(I) 16} You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand idly by when the blood^[a] of your neighbor is at stake: I am the Lord.^(J)

¹⁷ “You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself.^{(K) 18} You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.^(L)

Final Exhortations, Greetings, and Benediction

¹² But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you;^{(A) 13} esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.^{(B) 15} See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.^{(C) 16} Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast to what is good;^{(D) 22} abstain from every form of evil.

²³ May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound^[a] and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(E) 24} The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.^(F)

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us.^(G)

²⁶ Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters.^(H)

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^[b]

Concerning Treasures

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust^[a] consume and where thieves break in and steal,^{(A) 20} but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust^[b] consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.^{(B) 21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Eye

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,^{(C) 23} but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Serving Two Masters

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.^[c](D)