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

First reading
Isaiah 58: 7-10

[The Lord God sais thir thingis:]
Brek thi brede to ane hungri man,
and bring into thin hous mystirfull men and herbriles:
quhen thou seis a nakitman, keuir thou him,
and despise nocht thi flesch (that is bruthir or sistir).
Than thi licht sal brek oat as the mornyng,
and thi hele sal rijse full sone,
and thi richtuisnes sal ga befoire thi face,
and the glorie of the Lord sal gader thee.
Than thou sal call to help, and the Lord sal here;
thou sal cry, and he sal say, Lo! I am present;
for I am merciful, thi Lord God.
[...] Gif thou takis away a chenye fra the myddis of thee,
and ceessis to hald furth the fingir, and to speke that that proffittis nocht.
Quhen thou scheddis out thi saule to ane hungriman,
and fillis a saule tormentit,
thi licht sal rijse in mirknessis,
and thi mirknessis salbe as mydday.

[From The New Testament in Scots Murdoch Nisbet [c.1520] (1905) vol 3 here]


Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 111: 4-9

For the upricht the'r a licht sheenin in the mirk;
he is fou o grace an peety.
Aw's weel for the man that's couthie an gies freely tae ithers;
he will make guid his cause whan he is deemed.

He winna iver be sweyed;
the myndin o the upricht will be tae the fore for aye.
He will hae nae fear o ill newins;
his hert is stieve, for his howp is in the Laird.

His hert rests sauf, he will hae nae fear, till he sees tribble come upo his ill-willers.
He haes gien wi an appen luif tae the puir;
his richtousness is for aye;
his horn will be liftit up wi honour.


[From Psalm 112 in The Old Testament in Scots, vol. 3, The Books of Wisdom, [Job, Psaums, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Sang o Sangs] trans. Gavin Falconer and Ross G. Arthur (2014) (translation into Plain Scots under the auspices of the Ullans Academy) ISBN 978-1-78324-006-7. Amazon US here. Amazon UK here.


Second reading
1 Corinthians 2: 1-5

Whan I cam tae Corinth, brether, an proclaimed God's saicret purpose tae ye, aathing wis hame-owre wi me, baith wurds an wit. I had sattelt wi mysel no tae ken ocht, whan I wis wi ye, binna Jesus Christ, mairfortaiken the Jesus Christ o the Cross. I can tell ye I wis fu o douts an dreid, an terrible nervish, whan I cam tae ye. In my speaks an sermons I yuisedna the langage at professors an siclike yuises tae win owre their hearers tae their ain weys o thinkin: it wis God's Spírit an pouer at brocht hame my wurds tae your hairts, for it wis een his will at your faith suid be biggit on his pouer, an no on men's wisdom.

[From The New Testament in Scots (2012), translated by W. L. Lorimer, Canongate Classics, ISBN 978 0 85786 285 3, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]



Gospel reading
Matthew 5: 13-16

[Jesus said till his disciples:]

"Ye're e saut o the earth, bit gin e saut his tint its sizzonin, foo will ye mak it sautty again? It's gweed for naethin bit tae be cassen oot an trumpit aneth yer fit. Ye're e licht o e warl. Ye canna hide a toon att's on e heid o a hill. Fan ye licht a cannel, ye dinna pit it aneth e bushel i the barn, bit on e lampstan, far it'll gie licht tae aa att are i the hoose. Sae mak seer yer licht sheens oot afore ither fowk sae they aa mith see yer gweed wark an they'll praise yer Fadder in hivven."

[From The Doric New Testament (2012), rendered in Doric by Gordon M. Hay, published by G. M. Hay, Longside, ISBN 978-0-9573515-0-9, author's website http://www.doricbible.com/, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]

Mass readings in Scots: The Presentation of the Lord

First reading
Malachi 3: 1-4

The Laird God says this: See, A am sendin ma gillie, an he wul mak reddie the road afore me; an the Laird ye ir seekin wul cum in a hurry til his Temple; an the angel o the covenant ye hae delicht i, see, he is cumin, says the Laird o Armies. But wha can face the day o his cumin? An wha can bide whan he cums? For he is as the assayar's fire an the fullar's saip. He wul tak his seat, testin an cleanin the sons o Levi, burnin awa the evil frae thaim as frae gowd an siller; sae thai can mak offerans ti the Laird i  richteousness. Than the offeran o Judah an Jerusalem wul be pleasin ti the Laird, as lang aback, as lang syne.

[Own translation level 2 29/01/20. Methodology here]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 23: 7-10

Heigh wi' yer heads, O ye yetts;
ye warld-wide thro'-letts, heize!
that the King o' Gudeliheid may win ben.

Bot wha o' Gudeliheid is King?
The Lord himlane, stark an' mighty ;
the Lord intil tuilzie strang!

Heigh wi' yer heads, O ye yetts ;
ye warld-wide thro'-letts, heize !
that the King o' Gudeliheid may win ben.

Bot wha o' Gudeliheid is this same King?
The Lord o' mony-might is he;
himlane is that king right namelie! Selah.

[From Psalm 24, The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]


Second reading
Hebrews 2: 14-18

Jist as e 'bairnies' are flesh an bleed, he teuk on flesh an bleed sae att throw his daith he mith destroy him fa his pooer o daith, att's tae say, e deil himsel; an sae he mith set lowss them fa aa their lives were bun in chines wi bein feert o daith. It's true tae say att he didna turn oot tae be an angel, bit a human bein: een o e bairns o Abraham. He hid tae be made e same as his brithers in ilka appearance sae he mith be a mercifu an faithfu Heich Priest in aa things relatin tae God, an at e same time tae bring aboot att God wid forgie aa fowk's ill-deeins. Cause bi wye o his ain sufferin unner timptation, he can help aa them fa are timptit.

[From The Doric New Testament (2012), rendered in Doric by Gordon M. Hay, published by G. M. Hay, Longside, ISBN 978-0-9573515-0-9, author's website http://www.doricbible.com/, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]


Gospel reading
Luke 2: 22-40

And whan the days o’ purification by the law o’ Moses war fulfilled, they took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord; e’en as it is putten-doon i’ the law o’ the Lord, “Ilka male that opes a womb sal be ca’d holie to the Lord.” And to offer an offeran, as it is putten-doon i’ the law o' the Lord, “A pair o’ cushats, or twa young doos.” And mark! thar was a man i’ Jerusalem, whase name was Simeon; and this man was holie and devout, lookin’ for Isra’l’s consolation. And the Holie Spirit was on him. And the Holie Spirit had made kent to him that he soudna see death till he had seen the Anointit o’ the Lord. And he cam i’ the Spirit, intil the Temple; and whan the parents brocht in the bairn Jesus, to do for him what was the custom o’ the Law, he took him in his airms, and praised God, and said,

“Noo, wull thou dismiss thy servant, O Lord!
conform to thy word, in peace!
For my een hae seen thy salvation,
whilk thou hast brocht forrit afore the face o’ a’ folk.
A licht for unveilin to the Gentiles,
and a glorie for thy folk o’ Isra’l!”

And Joseph and his mither ferlied at a’ the things that war said anent him. And Simeon bless’t them, and said to Mary his mither, “Lo! this Ane is set for the fa’in and staunin again o’ mony in Isra’l: and for a sign to be misca’d. And a sword sal thring throwe yere ain heart as weel, that the thochts o’n mony hearts may be schawn.”

And thar was ane Anna, a prophetess, Phanuel’s dochter, o’ the tribe o’ Asher; she was o’ an unco age, and had leev’d wi’ a husband seeven year frae her maidenhood: and she bade a weedow for four-score and four year, wha left-na the Temple; and ser’t wi’ fastins and prayers nicht and day: and she too comin in at that time gied thanks to God; and spak o’ him to a’ wha war waitin for the deliverin o’ Jerusalem.

And whan they had dune a’ things conform to the law o’ the Lord, they gaed awa intil Galilee, to
their ain citie Nazareth. And the bairn grew, and wax’t strang; fu' o’ wisdom; and God’s tender favor was wi’ him.

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

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

First reading
Zephaniah 2: 3, 3:12-13

Mak search for the Laird,
aw ye quiet yins o the yird,
that hae duin as is richt i his een;
mak search for richteousness
an a quiet hert:
ye micht be safely coverit
i the day o the Laird's wrath.
But A wul aye hae amang ye
a quiet an puir fowk,
an thai wul pit thair faith i the name o the Laird.
The lave o Israel winna dae ill
an winna say false wurds;
the tung o deceit winna
be seen i thair mou:
for thai wul tak thair meat an thair rest,
an naebodie wul be a cause o fear ti thaim.

[Own translation: Level 1 26/01/20; for details of methodology see here]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145: 7-10

[It's the Lord himsel] wha bides by the trewth evir mair:
Wha rights amang sair-tholin folk;
wha ay ettles bread for the hungry,
the Lord lats the thirl-bun' gang.

The Lord, he can lighten the blin';
the Lord, he can straught the twa-fauld;
the Lord loes the rightous weel :
The Lord keeps haud o' the frem;
the orph'lin an' widow, he stoops;

bot the gate o' ill-doers, he dings.
The Lord sal be King for ay!
That God o' yer ain, O Zioun, is frae ae folk's time till anither:
Laud till the Lord gie ye!

[From Psalm 146, The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]

Second reading
1 Corinthians 1: 26-31

For look at yere bidden, brethren; that no mony wyse accordin to the flesh, no mony o’ pooer, no mony heigh anes war chosen; on the contrar, God chose the witless things o’ the warld, that he soud shame thae that are wyss; and the weak things o’ the warld God waled, to shame the things that are michty; and the laigh things o’ the warld, and the geck’t-at things God waled  -things no existin-  that existin things micht be brocht to nocht. Sae as nae flesh soud boast in God’s presence. But o' him are ye in Christ Jesus, wha has made wisdom frae God to us, and richtousness, and santification, and redemption: sae, as it is putten-doon, “He that boasts, lat him boast i’ the Lord.”

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


Gospel reading
Matthew 5: 1-12

An’ seein’ the multituds [Jesus] gaed up intill ane mountan, an’ whan he had sat doun, his discipels cam’ untill him. An’ he openet his mooth an’ taucht them.sayin’:

"Blisset ar the puir in speerit:
for theirs is the kingdoom o’ heæven.
Blisset ar they that murn:
for they sall be comfortet.
Blisset ar the meik:
for they sall inherit the yirth.
Blisset ar they that do hunger an’ thirst efter richtiousniss:
for they sall be fillet.
Blisset ar the mercifu’:
for they sall obteen mercie.
Blisset аr the pure in hairt;
for they sall see God.
Blisset ar the peace-makers:
for they sall be ca’t the childer o’ God.
Blisset аr they whilk аr persecutet forrichtiousniss’ sak’:
for theirs is the kingdoom o’ heæven.
Blisset ar ye whan men sall misca’ yow, an’ persecute yow, an’ sall say a’ kinkind o’ ill agayne yow fauselie, for my sak’. Rejoice an’ be excessiv glad: for grit is your rewaird in heæven: for sae persecutet they the prophets whilk wer afore yow."

[From The Gospel of St. Matthew in Lowland Scotch, from the English Authorised Version. By H. S. Riddell (1856) here]