Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B

¹⁵ The LORD your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him. ¹⁶ This is according to all that you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the LORD my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.” ¹⁷ The LORD said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken. ¹⁸ I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. ¹⁹ It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. ²⁰ But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”

¹ Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation. ² The LORD’s works are great, pondered by all those who delight in them. ³ His work is honor and majesty. His righteousness endures forever. ⁴ He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. The LORD is gracious and merciful. ⁵ He has given food to those who fear him. He always remembers his covenant. ⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. ⁷ The works of his hands are truth and justice. All his precepts are sure. ⁸ They are established forever and ever. They are done in truth and uprightness. ⁹ He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awesome! ¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

¹ Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ² But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him. ⁴ Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one. ⁵ For though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many “gods” and many “lords”; ⁶ yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him. ⁷ However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. ⁹ But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol’s temple, won’t his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died. ¹² Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble.