Mass readings in Scots: Eighteenth Sunday of the Year (Year B)

First reading

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15

An aw the bairns o Israel goldert oot agin Moses an Aaron in the wilderness: an the bairns o Israel said tae thaim, "It wad hae been better for the Laird tae hae pit us tae deith in the laund o Egypt, whaur we war seatit by the flesh-pats an haen breid eneuch for oor wants; for ye hae taen us oot tae this waste o saund tae pit aw thir fowk tae deith throu want o meat."

An the Laird said tae Moses, "The dirdum o the bairns o Israel haes come tae ma lugs: say tae thaim nou, 'At dayligaun ye will hae flesh for yer meat, an in the forenuin breid in fou meisur; an ye will see that A am the Laird yer God.' "

An it come aboot that in the forenicht wee birds come up, an the steid wis happit wi thaim: an in the forenuin the war weet aw roond aboot the tents. An whan the weet wis gaen, on the face o the yird wis a smaw roond thing, like smaw draps o frost on the yird. An whan the bairns o Israel seen't, thay said tae ither, "Whit is it?" For thay haedna a notion whit it wis. An Moses said tae thaim, "It is the breid that the Laird haes gien ye for yer meat."

[From The Old Testament in Scots, vol. 1, The Pentateuch, [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Nummers, Deuteronomy] trans. Gavin Falconer and Ross G. Arthur (2014) (translation into Plain Scots under the auspices of the Ullans Academy) ISBN 978-1-78324-005-0. Amazon US here. Amazon UK here.]

Gospel reading
John 6: 24-35

The folk tharfor, seein that naither Jesus nor his disciples war thar-aboots, took boat, and cam till
Capernaum seekin for Jesus. And whan they had fund him on the ither side o’ the sea, quo’ they
to him, “Rabbi, whan cam ye here?” Jesus answer’t them, and quo’ he,

“Truly, truly say I t’ye,
ye seek me, no sae muckle
that ye saw wunner-warks,
but that ye did eat o’the bannocks, and filled yersels.

Seek-na for perishin meat,
but for that meat that bides until Eternal Life,
whilk the Son o’ Man sal gie ye:
for him has the Faither, e’en God, sealed.”

Quo’ they to him, “And what maun we do, to work the warks o’ God?”  Jesus answer’t them and said, “This is God’s wark, that ye lippen on him God has sent.”  Syne they said to him, “What ferlie div ye schaw, that we could see and lippen? What div ye? Oor forbears did eat manna i’ the waste; as it is putten doon, ‘He gied them breid oot o’ Heeven to eat.’” Than said Jesus to them,

"Truly, truly say I t’ye,
it wasna Moses gied ye the breid oot o' Heeven;
but my Faither he gies ye the raal Breid frae Heeven!
For God’s Breid
is he wha comes doon oot o’ Heeven,
and gies life to the warld.”

Than said they to him, "Lord! -aye gie us sic breid!” Quo’ Jesus to them,

"I am the Breid o’ Life!
wha come to me sal hung’er nae mair:
and wha lippens on me sal be drouthie nevir!"


[From The New Testament in Braid Scots William Wye Smith (1904) here]