Wednesday in Epiphany

11Verse 11. For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return, 12Verse 12. but he will die in the place to which he was exiled; he will never see this land again.” 13Verse 13. “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages, 14Verse 14. who says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion. 15Verse 15. Does it make you a king to excel in cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He administered justice and righteousness, and so it went well with him. 16Verse 16. He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD. 17Verse 17. “But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”

37Verse 37. As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited Him to dine with him; so He went in and reclined at the table. 38Verse 38. But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. 39Verse 39. Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40Verse 40. You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well? 41Verse 41. But give as alms the things that are within you, and behold, everything will be clean for you. 42Verse 42. Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. 43Verse 43. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44Verse 44. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even noticing.” 45Verse 45. One of the experts in the law told Him, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us as well.” 46Verse 46. “Woe to you as well, experts in the law!” He replied. “For you weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load. 47Verse 47. Woe to you! For you build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them. 48Verse 48. So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49Verse 49. Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50Verse 50. As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, 51Verse 51. from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation. 52Verse 52. Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”