Who saidof his fatherand his mother,'I did not considerthem'; And he did not acknowledgehis brothers,Nordid he regardhis own sons,For they observedYour word,And keptYour covenant.
Leahconceivedand borea sonand namedhim Reuben,for she said,"Becausethe LORDhas seenmy affliction;surelynowmy husbandwill loveme."
"Thiswas a smallthingin Your eyes,O God;but You have spokenof Your servant'shousefor a greatwhileto come,and have regardedme according to the standardof a manof highdegree,O LORDGod.
"ThereforemenfearHim; He does not regardanywho are wiseof heart."
The LORDis my portion;I have promisedto keepYour words.
Then they said,"Comeand let us deviseplansagainstJeremiah.Surelythe lawis not going to be lostto the priest,norcounselto the sage,northe [divine] wordto the prophet!Comeon and let us strikeat him with [our] tongue,and let us givenoheedto anyof his words."
Then Mosessaidto Aaronand to his sonsEleazarand Ithamar,"Do not uncoveryour headsnortearyour clothes,so that you will not dieand that He will not becomewrathfulagainstallthe congregation.But your kinsmen,the wholehouseof Israel,shall bewailthe burningwhichthe LORDhas broughtabout.
norshall he approachanydeadperson,nordefilehimself [even] for his fatheror his mother;
"He who lovesfatherormothermorethanMe is not worthyof Me; and he who lovessonordaughtermore thanMe is not worthyof Me.
But Jesus answeredthe one who was telling Him and said,"Whois My motherand whoare My brothers?"
And they senttheir disciplesto Him, along with the Herodians,saying,"Teacher,we knowthat You are truthfuland teachthe wayof Godin truth,and deferto no one;for You are not partialto any.
"Ifanyonecomesto Me, and does not hatehis own fatherand motherand wifeand childrenand brothersand sisters,yes,and evenhis ownlife,he cannotbe My disciple.
Thereforefrom nowon we recognizeno oneaccordingto the flesh;eventhoughwe have knownChristaccordingto the flesh,yetnowwe know[Him] [in this way] no longer.
For am I nowseeking the favorof men,orof God?Oram I strivingto pleasemen?IfI were stilltrying to pleasemen,I would not be a bond-servantof Christ.
but justas we have been approvedby Godto be entrustedwith the gospel,sowe speak,not as pleasingmen,but Godwho examinesour hearts.
I solemnly chargeyou in the presenceof Godand of ChristJesusand of [His] chosenangels,to maintainthese[principles] withoutbias,doingnothingin a [spirit of] partiality.
