Mass readings in Scots: Feast of the Holy Family (Year A)

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 3: 2-6, 12-14

For God haes made the faither honourable tae the bairns:
an seekan the judgment o the mithers, haes confirmit it upon the bairns.
He at luves God, sal be forgien his sins bi prayer,
an sal refrain hissel frae thaim, an sal be haird i the prayer o days.
An he at honours his mither is as ane at gaithers a treisur.
He at honours his faither sal hae joy i his ain bairns,
an i the day o his prayer he sal be haird.
He at honours his faither sal enjoy a lang life:
an he at obeys the faither, sal be a comfort tae his mither.
Son, uphaud the auld age o thy faither,
an dinna fash him i his life;
an gin his wuts fails, hae patience wi him,
an dinna despise him whan thou is i thy strenth:
for the relievin o the faither salna be forgotten.
For guid sal be repaid tae thee for the sin o thy mither.

[Own translation, level 2 (20/12/18) methodology here]


Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 127: 1-5

Blissit ar thay that sit in Goddis dreid,
And leif in his commandement alway:
Of thy hand laubour thow sail eit, be not feird,
And fair weill thow sal euerie day.

Thy wyfe salbe as ane frutefulle wyne,
And sail weill ay incres thy hous;
Thy bairnis all sail to vertew inclyne,
As fair Oliue treis that be plenteous.

Quhen euer thow sittis at thy tabill,
Thy bairnis sall stand round about thé;
Sa will the Lord make thé abill,
And fill thy hous with honestie:

Sa sall God him euer blis,
That dreidis him ay in his leifing,
Always sall he be sicker of this,
That is neidful to want na thing.

Fra Syone sall the Lord blis thé ,
That thow may sé to thy greit weill,
How prosperous Jerusalem sall be,
And thow ressauit to eternall heill.

Ane profitabill lyfe sail be geuin thé
And God alway sall be thy freind:
Thy Childeris Childring thou sall se,
And peace in Israell sall thow find.

[Complete Psalm 127, from The Gude and Godlie Ballatis [1567] John Wedderburn et al., Alexander Ferrier (ed.) (1897), p.130 here]

Second reading
Colossians 3: 12-21

Pit ye on, than, as chosen anes o’ God, holie and weel-lo’ed, the tender-affections o’ compassion, graciousness, humbleness o’ mind, canniness, patience: tholin ane-anither, in tenderness forgiean ane-anither, gin aiblins ony ane has a compleent again ony; e’en as the Lord oot o’ love forgae you, sae do ye. But ower and aboon a’ thir things, hae ye love, whilk wull bind thegither a’ things in perfeteness. And lat the peace o’ Christ be Regent in yere hearts; till whilk ye war bidden, as ae body; and be ye thankfu’.

Be the word o’ Christ dwallin in ye richly; in a’ wyss teachin and admonishin o’ yersels, in psalms, in hymns, and godly sangs: liltin i’ yere hearts to God in yere gratitude. And in a’ things, whatsae’er ye be doin, in word or in wark, do a’ in the name o’ the Lord Jesus, giean thanks to yere God and Faither throwe him. Wives, submit yersels to yere husbands, as is fittin in the Lord. Husbands, lo’e yere wives, and be-na set again them. Bairns, be ye biddable to yere parents in a’ things, for this is weel-pleasin i’ the Lord. Faithers, wauken-na up ang’er in yere bairns, least they be disheartened.

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


Gospel reading
Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23

An’ whan [the wise men] were gane awa, behald, the angel o’ the Lord kytheth til Joseph in a dream, sayin’, "Rise up, an’ tak’ the young bairn an’ his mither, an’ flee intil Egypt, an’ be thou there till I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young bairn to tak’ his life." Syne he rase up, an’ teuk the young bairn an’ his mither by nicht, an’ gaed awa intil Egypt. An’ was there till the death o’ Herod, that it micht be fulfillet whilk was spoken o’ the Lord by the prophet, sayin’,

Out o’ Egypt hae I ca’d my son.

But whan Herod was dead, behald, an angel o’ the Lord kytheth in a dream til Joseph in Egypt, sayin’, "Rise up, an’ tak’ the young bairn an’ his mither, an’ gang intil the lan’ o’ Israel: for they are dead wha soucht the young bairn’s life." An’ he rase up, an’ teuk the young bairn an’ his mither, an’ cam’ intil the lan’ o’ Israel. But whan he hear’t that Archelaus rang in Judea in the room o’ his father Herod, he was afear’t to gang thither, but, bein’ warnet o’ God in a dream, he turnet aside intil the parts o’ Galilee. An’ he cam’ an’ dwalt in a city ca’d Nazareth; that it micht be fulfillet whilk was spoken by the prophets,

He sall be ca’d a Nazarene.

[From The Gospel of St. Matthew, Translated Into Lowland Scotch, by George Henderson (1862) here]