Mass readings in Scots: Sixth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 15: 15-20

Gin thou wul keep the commandments an be feal for iver,
they sal preserve thee.
He haes set water an fire afore thee:
stretch oot thy haund as thou wul.
Afore man is life an daith, guid an ill,
as he sal choose sal be gien him:
for the wisdom o God is gret,
an he is strang i pouer,
seein aw men without ceasin.
The een o the Lord is on thaim as fear him,
an he kens aw the wark o man.
He commandit naebodie ti dae ill,
an he haes gien naebodie a ticket ti sin.

[Own translation level 1 3/2/20. Methodology here]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118: 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33, 34

A' straught i' the gate, do weel;
a wha gang by the law o' the Lord:
A' wairdin his will, do weel;
seekin him wi' their heart's accord.

As ye hae gien sic commaun,
till bide by yer biddens clear.
An my gate war but sikkerly set;
till haud by yer tryst 'am fain:

Gie eneugh till yer servan', Lord;
I sal live, an' haud weel by yer word:
Gar open my een, I sal see
the ferlies o' thy record.

Airt me, O Lord, the gate o' yer trysts;
an' I 'se haud it, as sikker as gear:
E'en gie me lear, an' I 'se keep yer law:
na, I 'se waird it, wi' heart heal an' fere.

[From Psalm 119, The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]


Second reading
1 Corinthians 2: 6-10

Wisdom, nane-the-less, we speak - amang experienced anes: wisdom hoobeit, no o’ this warld, nor o’ the great men o’ this warld - wha are to be a’ putten- by; but we speak God’s wisdom in a riddle, the knowledge that had been keepit hidlins, whilk God designed aforehaun, afore a’ time, for oor glorie, that no ane o’ the great anes o’ this warld has come to ken; for had they come to ken, they wadna i' that case hae crucify’t the Lord o’ Glorie! But, e’en as it is putten doon, “What-na things the ee saw-na, and the ear heard-na, and man's heart conceiv’t-na - sae mony things has God prepared for thae that lo’e him!”

To us, nane-the-less, has God reveal’t them, by the Spirit; for the spirit kens a’ things, e’en the deep things o’ God.

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


Gospel reading
Matthew 5: 17-37

[Jesus said until his disciples:] "Trowna that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I amna come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven an’ yirth pass, ae jot or ae tittle sall in naewise pass frae the law till a’ be fulfillet. Whasaever therefore sall break ane o’ the laist o’ thae commaun’ments, an’ sall teach men sae, he sall be ca’d the laist in the kingdom o’ heaven, but whasaever sall do an’ teach them, the same sall be ca’d great in the kingdom o’ heaven.

"For I say until you, that excep’ your richteousness gae ayont the richteousness o’ the Scribes an’ Pharisees, ye sall in nae case gae intil the kingdom o’ heaven.

"Ye hae hear’t that it was said by them o’ auld time: Thou salltna kill; an’ whasaever sall kill sall be in danger o’ the judgment. But I say until you, that whasaever is angry wi’ his brither withouten a cause sall be in danger o’ the judgment; an’ whasaever sall say til his brither 'Raca' sall be in danger o’ the cuncil; but whasaever sall say 'Thou fule' sall be in danger o’ hell-fire. Therefore, gif thou bring thy gif't til the altar, an’ there it come til thy mind that thy brither hath aucht agayne thee, quat there thy gift afore the altar, an’ gae thy gate; first mak’ frien’s wi’ thy brither, an’ syne come an’ offer thy gift. ’Gree wi’ thine adversary affhan’ whiles thou art in the way wi’ him; lest at ony time the adversary gie thee owre til the judge, an’ the judge gie thee owre til the officer, an’ thou be coost intil prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou sallt by nae means come out frae there till thou hast paid the uttermaist bodle.

"Ye hae hear’t that it was said by them o’ auld ‘time, Thou salltna commit adult’ry. But I say until you, that whasaever leuketh on a woman to lang after her hath committet adult’ry wi’ her a’ready in his hairt. An’ gif thy richt ee offen’ thee, pike it out, an’ cast it frae thee: for it is profitable for thee that ane o’ thy members sud perish, an’ no that thy hale body sud be coost intil hell. An’ gif thy richt han’ offen' thee, cut it aff, an’ cast it frae thee: for it is profitable for thee that ane o’ thy members sud perish, an’ no that thy hale body sud be coost intil hell.

"It hath been said, Whasaever sall pit awa his wife, let him gie her a writ o’ divorcement. But I say until you, that whasaever sall pit awa his wife saufan’ for the cause o’ furnication garreth her commit adul't’ry; an’ whasaever sall marry her that is divoreet, committeth adult’ry. Again, ye hae hear’t that it hath been said by them o’ auld time, Thou salltna mansweer thysel, but sallt mak’ guid unto the Lord thine aiths. But I say until you, Dinna sweer ava: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the yirth, for it is his fitstule; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city o’ the great King. Neither sallt thou sweer by thy head, because thou canstna mak’ ae hair white or black.  But let your converse be Ay, Ay; Na, Na; for whatsaever is mair nor thae cometh o’ evil."

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