This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue. That information is provided beneath the specific reading the words are contained in.
Excerpts collected in yellow at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Excerpts collected in green at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do.
Excerpts collected in red at the end of this post tell us about something God does not want us to do.
Reading I
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8
Moses said to the people:
“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.
***
Observethem carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, ‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?”
hear = שָׁמַע= šāmaʿ
Blue Letter Bible
listen to, obey; perceive by ear;to hear with attention or interest, listen to; give heed; to consent, agree; yield to;to obey, be obedient; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; to hear and answer;
observe = עָשָׂה=ʿāśâ
Blue Letter Bible
to do, fashion, accomplish, make; work, make, produce; to deal (with); to act, act with effect, effect;to attend to, put in order; to observe, celebrate;accomplish, advance; follow, fulfill;be industrious, labor; yield; produce by labor
observance,observe= שָׁמַר= šāmar
Blue Letter Bible
to keep, guard, observe, give heed; retain, treasure up (in memory); preserve; attend to
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5
R. Theone who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things shall never be disturbed.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
justice = צֶדֶק= ṣeḏeq
Blue Letter Bible
rightness, righteousness; justness; justness (of weights and measures); righteousness (in government);
Reading II
James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
Dearest brothers and sisters:
All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
***
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.
Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
***
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Humbly= πραΰτης = prautēs
Blue Letter Bible
Meekness; mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit;
R. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament
an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God (Matt. 11:29; Jam. 1:21). It is that temper of spirit in which we accept his dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting; This meekness, however, being first of all a meekness before God, is also such in the face of men, even of evil men, out of a sense that these, with the insults and injuries which they may inflict, are remitted and employed by Him for the chastening and purifying of his elect.
welcome = δέχομαι = dechomai
Blue Letter Bible
to receive by deliberate and ready reception; taking with the hand, taking hold, taking hold of, taking up;to receive favourably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve; to take upon one's self, sustain, bear, endure; to learn; to receive, grant access to; not to refuse contact or friendship
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
take, accept, receive; take, accept without complaint; accept graciously; approve; give ear to, hear; take or regard as,understand in a certain sense; take upon oneself; accept or admit as an ally;accept as security, entertain; expect, wait; occupy, engage one; receive, hold
doer = ποιητής = poiētēs
Blue Letter Bible
a maker; a doer, performer; one who obeys or fulfils
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
Maker; workman
Alleluia
James 1:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands—For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
***
He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.
***
“From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”
hear = ἀκούω = akouō
Blue Letter Bible
Harkin to; to attend to, consider what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said; to give ear to a teaching or a teacher; to comprehend; to perceive anyone's voice; to yield to, hear and obey; have regard to; to perceive the distinct words of a voice; to yield obedience to the voice; to perceive in the soul
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
hearken, give ear; listen to; obey; hear and understand
understand= συνίημι = syniēmi
Blue Letter Bible
to bring or set together, is used metaphorically of perceiving, understanding, uniting; to set or join together in the mind;to comprehend; consider, understand, be wise
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
bring or set together, come together, come to an agreement; perceive, hear;to be aware of, take notice of, observe
defile = κοινόω = koinoō
Blue Letter Bible
To make common; little, ordinary, or casual; to render unholy, unclean; render unhallowed, defile, profane; pollute
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
communicate, impart information; make common, share; defile;undertake together, make common cause in; take counsel with, consult; communicate
What these readings tell us about God/His ways:
Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence
For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?
All good giving and every perfect gift is from above
the Father of lights
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the
All these evils come from within and they defile
What these readings tell us to do:
hear
observe
observance of the commandments
Observe them carefully
does justice
walks blamelessly
does justice
thinks the truth in his heart
does justice
harms not his fellow man
honors those who fear the LORD.
does justice
who does justice
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
Be doers of the word and not hearers only
care for orphans and widows in their affliction
keep oneself unstained by the world.
Hear me
understand
What these readings tell us not to do:
you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it
slanders
takes up a reproach against his neighbor
usury
bribe
disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition
evil thoughts
unchastity
theft
murder
adultery
greed
malice
deceit
licentiousness
envy
blasphemy
arrogance
folly
