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A Vision of Locusts

The Sovereign Lord showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king’s share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up. In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel[a] is so small.”

So the Lord relented from this plan. “I will not do it,” he said.

A Vision of Fire

Then the Sovereign Lord showed me another vision. I saw him preparing to punish his people with a great fire. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea and was devouring the entire land. Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, please stop or we will not survive, for Israel is so small.”

Then the Lord relented from this plan, too. “I will not do that either,” said the Sovereign Lord.

A Vision of a Plumb Line

Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”

I answered, “A plumb line.”

And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. The pagan shrines of your ancestors[b] will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.”

Amos and Amaziah

10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: “Amos is hatching a plot against you right here on your very doorstep! What he is saying is intolerable. 11 He is saying, ‘Jeroboam will soon be killed, and the people of Israel will be sent away into exile.’”

12 Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: “Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! 13 Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!”

14 But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one.[c] I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’ 16 Now then, listen to this message from the Lord:

“You say,
‘Don’t prophesy against Israel.
    Stop preaching against my people.[d]
17 But this is what the Lord says:
‘Your wife will become a prostitute in this city,
    and your sons and daughters will be killed.
Your land will be divided up,
    and you yourself will die in a foreign land.
And the people of Israel will certainly become captives in exile,
    far from their homeland.’”

A Vision of Ripe Fruit

Then the Sovereign Lord showed me another vision. In it I saw a basket filled with ripe fruit. “What do you see, Amos?” he asked.

I replied, “A basket full of ripe fruit.”

Then the Lord said, “Like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment! I will not delay their punishment again. In that day the singing in the temple will turn to wailing. Dead bodies will be scattered everywhere. They will be carried out of the city in silence. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Listen to this, you who rob the poor
    and trample down the needy!
You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over
    and the religious festivals to end
    so you can get back to cheating the helpless.
You measure out grain with dishonest measures
    and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales.[e]
And you mix the grain you sell
    with chaff swept from the floor.
Then you enslave poor people
    for one piece of silver or a pair of sandals.

Now the Lord has sworn this oath
    by his own name, the Pride of Israel[f]:
“I will never forget
    the wicked things you have done!
The earth will tremble for your deeds,
    and everyone will mourn.
The ground will rise like the Nile River at floodtime;
    it will heave up, then sink again.

“In that day,” says the Sovereign Lord,
“I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth while it is still day.
10 I will turn your celebrations into times of mourning
    and your singing into weeping.
You will wear funeral clothes
    and shave your heads to show your sorrow—
as if your only son had died.
    How very bitter that day will be!

11 “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord,
    “when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread or water
    but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
    and wander from border to border[g]
searching for the word of the Lord,
    but they will not find it.
13 Beautiful girls and strong young men
    will grow faint in that day,
    thirsting for the Lord’s word.
14 And those who swear by the shameful idols of Samaria—
    who take oaths in the name of the god of Dan
    and make vows in the name of the god of Beersheba[h]
they will all fall down,
    never to rise again.”

A Vision of God at the Altar

Then I saw a vision of the Lord standing beside the altar. He said,

“Strike the tops of the Temple columns,
    so that the foundation will shake.
Bring down the roof
    on the heads of the people below.
I will kill with the sword those who survive.
    No one will escape!

“Even if they dig down to the place of the dead,[i]
    I will reach down and pull them up.
Even if they climb up into the heavens,
    I will bring them down.
Even if they hide at the very top of Mount Carmel,
    I will search them out and capture them.
Even if they hide at the bottom of the ocean,
    I will send the sea serpent after them to bite them.
Even if their enemies drive them into exile,
    I will command the sword to kill them there.
I am determined to bring disaster upon them
    and not to help them.”

The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    touches the land and it melts,
    and all its people mourn.
The ground rises like the Nile River at floodtime,
    and then it sinks again.
The Lord’s home reaches up to the heavens,
    while its foundation is on the earth.
He draws up water from the oceans
    and pours it down as rain on the land.
    The Lord is his name!

“Are you Israelites more important to me
    than the Ethiopians?[j]” asks the Lord.
“I brought Israel out of Egypt,
    but I also brought the Philistines from Crete[k]
    and led the Arameans out of Kir.

“I, the Sovereign Lord,
    am watching this sinful nation of Israel.
I will destroy it
    from the face of the earth.
But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel,[l]
    says the Lord.
“For I will give the command
    and will shake Israel along with the other nations
as grain is shaken in a sieve,
    yet not one true kernel will be lost.
10 But all the sinners will die by the sword—
    all those who say, ‘Nothing bad will happen to us.’

A Promise of Restoration

11 “In that day I will restore the fallen house[m] of David.
    I will repair its damaged walls.
From the ruins I will rebuild it
    and restore its former glory.
12 And Israel will possess what is left of Edom
    and all the nations I have called to be mine.[n]
The Lord has spoken,
    and he will do these things.

13 “The time will come,” says the Lord,
“when the grain and grapes will grow faster
    than they can be harvested.
Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel
    will drip with sweet wine!
14 I will bring my exiled people of Israel
    back from distant lands,
and they will rebuild their ruined cities
    and live in them again.
They will plant vineyards and gardens;
    they will eat their crops and drink their wine.
15 I will firmly plant them there
    in their own land.
They will never again be uprooted
    from the land I have given them,”
    says the Lord your God.

Footnotes

  1. 7:2 Hebrew Jacob; also in 7:5. See note on 3:13.
  2. 7:9 Hebrew of Isaac.
  3. 7:14 Or I’m not a prophet nor the son of a prophet.
  4. 7:16 Hebrew against the house of Isaac.
  5. 8:5 Hebrew You make the ephah [a unit for measuring grain] small and the shekel [a unit of weight] great, and you deal falsely by using deceitful balances.
  6. 8:7 Hebrew the pride of Jacob. See note on 3:13.
  7. 8:12 Hebrew from north to east.
  8. 8:14 Hebrew the way of Beersheba.
  9. 9:2 Hebrew to Sheol.
  10. 9:7a Hebrew the Cushites?
  11. 9:7b Hebrew Caphtor.
  12. 9:8 Hebrew the house of Jacob. See note on 3:13.
  13. 9:11a Or kingdom; Hebrew reads tent.
  14. 9:11b-12 Greek version reads and restore its former glory, / so that the rest of humanity, including the Gentiles— / all those I have called to be mine—might seek me. Compare Acts 15:16-17.

Warning through Visions

This is what the Lord [a]God showed me, and behold, He was forming a (A)swarm of locusts [b]when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing. And it came about, [c]when it had (B)finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said,

(C)Lord God, please pardon!
How can Jacob stand?
For he is (D)small.”
The Lord (E)relented of this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.

So the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by (F)fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the [d]farmland. Then I said,

(G)Lord God, please stop!
(H)How can Jacob stand?
For he is small.”
The Lord (I)relented of this.
“This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.

So He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing [e]by a [f]vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, “(J)What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

“Behold I am about to put a (K)plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel.
I will not [g](L)spare them any longer.
The (M)high places of Isaac will become deserted,
And the (N)sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins.
Then I will (O)rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Amos Accused; Gives an Answer

10 Then Amaziah, the (P)priest of Bethel, sent word to (Q)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has (R)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11 For this is what Amos says: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “(S)Go, you seer, flee to the land of Judah; and eat bread there and do your prophesying there! 13 But (T)do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a (U)sanctuary of the king and a royal [h]residence.”

14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the (V)son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a [i]grower of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from [j]following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go (W)prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 So now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You (X)shall not prophesy against Israel (Y)nor shall you [k]prophesy against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Your (Z)wife will become a prostitute in the city, your (AA)sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die [l]upon (AB)unclean soil. Furthermore Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”

Basket of Fruit and Israel’s Captivity

This is what the Lord [m]God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. And He said, “What do you see, Amos?” And (AC)I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The (AD)end has come for My people Israel. I will not [n](AE)spare them any longer. [o]The (AF)songs of the palace will turn to (AG)wailing on that day,” declares the Lord God. “The (AH)corpses will be many; in every place [p]they will throw them out. [q]Hush!”

Hear this, you who [r](AI)trample the needy, to put an end to the humble of the land, saying,

“When will the (AJ)new moon [s]be over,
So that we may sell grain;
And the (AK)Sabbath, so that we may open the wheat market,
To make the [t]ephah smaller and the [u]shekel bigger,
And to (AL)cheat with dishonest scales,
So as to (AM)buy the helpless for [v]money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals,
And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”

The Lord has (AN)sworn by the (AO)pride of Jacob,
“Indeed, I will (AP)never forget any of their deeds.
Because of this will the land not (AQ)quake,
And everyone who lives in it (AR)mourn?
Indeed, all of it will (AS)rise up like the Nile,
And it will be tossed about
And subside like the Nile of Egypt.
And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord God,
“That I will make the (AT)sun go down at noon,
And (AU)make the earth dark in [w]broad daylight.
10 Then I will (AV)turn your festivals into mourning,
And all your songs into songs of mourning;
And I will put (AW)sackcloth around everyone’s waist,
And [x]baldness on every head.
And I will make it (AX)like a time of mourning for an only son,
And the end of it will be like a bitter day.

11 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
But rather (AY)for hearing the words of the Lord.
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
And from the north even to the east;
They will roam about to (AZ)seek the word of the Lord,
But they will not find it.
13 On that day the beautiful (BA)virgins
And the young men will (BB)faint from thirst.
14 As for those who swear by the [y](BC)guilt of Samaria,
And say, ‘As your god lives, (BD)Dan,’
And, ‘As the way of (BE)Beersheba lives,’
They will fall and (BF)not rise again.”

God’s Judgment Unavoidable

I saw the Lord standing beside the (BG)altar, and He said,

“Strike the pillar capitals so that the (BH)thresholds will shake,
And (BI)break them on the heads of them all!
Then I will (BJ)put to death the rest of them with the sword;
They will (BK)not have a fugitive who will flee,
Nor a survivor who will escape.
Though they dig into (BL)Sheol,
From there My hand will take them;
And though they (BM)ascend to heaven,
From there I will bring them down.
And though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
I will (BN)track them down and take them from there;
And though they (BO)hide themselves from My sight on the bottom of the sea,
I will command the (BP)serpent from there, and it will bite them.
And though they go into (BQ)captivity before their enemies,
From there I will command the sword and it will kill them,
And I will (BR)set My eyes against them for harm and not for good.”

The Lord [z]God of armies,
The One who (BS)touches the land so that it quakes,
And (BT)all those who live in it mourn,
And all of it rises up like the Nile
And subsides like the Nile of Egypt;
The One who builds His (BU)upper chambers in the heavens
And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth,
He who (BV)calls for the waters of the sea
And (BW)pours them out on the face of the earth,
(BX)The Lord is His name.

“Are you not as the sons of (BY)Ethiopia to Me,
You sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
“Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt,
And the (BZ)Philistines from Caphtor and the (CA)Arameans from (CB)Kir?
Behold, the (CC)eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I will (CD)eliminate it from the face of the earth;
Nevertheless, I will (CE)not totally eliminate the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord.
“For behold, I am commanding,
And I will (CF)shake the house of Israel among all nations
As grain is shaken in a sieve,
But not a pebble will fall to the ground.
10 All the (CG)sinners of My people will die by the sword,
Those who say, ‘(CH)The catastrophe will not overtake or confront us.’

The Restoration of Israel

11 “On that day I will (CI)raise up the fallen [aa](CJ)shelter of David,
And wall up its (CK)gaps;
I will also raise up its ruins
And rebuild it as in the (CL)days of old;
12 (CM)So that they may [ab]possess the remnant of (CN)Edom
And all the [ac]nations who are (CO)called by My name,”
Declares the Lord who does this.

13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When the (CP)plowman will overtake the reaper,
And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed;
When the (CQ)mountains will drip grape juice,
And all the hills will come apart.
14 I will also (CR)restore the fortunes of My people Israel,
And they will (CS)rebuild the desolated cities and live in them;
They will also (CT)plant vineyards and drink their wine,
And make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will also plant them on their land,
And (CU)they will not be uprooted again from their land
Which I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Amos 7:1 Lit at the beginning of the coming up of
  3. Amos 7:2 Lit if
  4. Amos 7:4 Lit plot of land
  5. Amos 7:7 Or on
  6. Amos 7:7 Lit wall of a plumb line
  7. Amos 7:8 Lit pass him by
  8. Amos 7:13 Lit house
  9. Amos 7:14 Or picker
  10. Amos 7:15 Lit behind
  11. Amos 7:16 Lit drivel
  12. Amos 7:17 Or in an unclean land
  13. Amos 8:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  14. Amos 8:2 Lit pass him by
  15. Amos 8:3 Lit They will howl the palace songs
  16. Amos 8:3 Lit he has thrown
  17. Amos 8:3 An order for sacred silence
  18. Amos 8:4 Or snap at
  19. Amos 8:5 Lit pass by
  20. Amos 8:5 About 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters
  21. Amos 8:5 About 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  22. Amos 8:6 Lit silver
  23. Amos 8:9 Lit a day of light
  24. Amos 8:10 I.e., shaved as a sign of mourning
  25. Amos 8:14 Or Ashimah
  26. Amos 9:5 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  27. Amos 9:11 Heb sukkah; i.e., hut or dwelling
  28. Amos 9:12 Or take possession of
  29. Amos 9:12 Or Gentiles

Psalm 104

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

O Lord my God, how great you are!
    You are robed with honor and majesty.
    You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
    you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
    you ride upon the wings of the wind.
The winds are your messengers;
    flames of fire are your servants.[a]

You placed the world on its foundation
    so it would never be moved.
You clothed the earth with floods of water,
    water that covered even the mountains.
At your command, the water fled;
    at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
Mountains rose and valleys sank
    to the levels you decreed.
Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
    so they would never again cover the earth.

10 You make springs pour water into the ravines,
    so streams gush down from the mountains.
11 They provide water for all the animals,
    and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds nest beside the streams
    and sing among the branches of the trees.
13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
    and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
14 You cause grass to grow for the livestock
    and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
15     wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
    and bread to give them strength.
16 The trees of the Lord are well cared for—
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests,
    and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.
18 High in the mountains live the wild goats,
    and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.[b]

19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
    and the sun knows when to set.
20 You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
    when all the forest animals prowl about.
21 Then the young lions roar for their prey,
    stalking the food provided by God.
22 At dawn they slink back
    into their dens to rest.
23 Then people go off to their work,
    where they labor until evening.

24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
    In wisdom you have made them all.
    The earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
    teeming with life of every kind,
    both large and small.
26 See the ships sailing along,
    and Leviathan,[c] which you made to play in the sea.

27 They all depend on you
    to give them food as they need it.
28 When you supply it, they gather it.
    You open your hand to feed them,
    and they are richly satisfied.
29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
    When you take away their breath,
    they die and turn again to dust.
30 When you give them your breath,[d] life is created,
    and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
    The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
32 The earth trembles at his glance;
    the mountains smoke at his touch.

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
    I will praise my God to my last breath!
34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
    let the wicked disappear forever.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. 104:4 Greek version reads He sends his angels like the winds, / his servants like flames of fire. Compare Heb 1:7.
  2. 104:18 Or coneys, or rock badgers.
  3. 104:26 The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature.
  4. 104:30 Or When you send your Spirit.

The Lords Care over All His Works.

104 (A)Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord my God, You are very great;
You are (B)clothed with splendor and majesty,
Covering Yourself with (C)light as with a cloak,
(D)Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.
[a]He (E)lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
[b]He makes the (F)clouds His chariot;
[c]He walks on the (G)wings of the wind;
[d]He makes [e](H)the winds His messengers,
[f]Flaming (I)fire His ministers.

He (J)established the earth upon its foundations,
So that it will not [g]totter forever and ever.
You (K)covered it with the deep sea as with a garment;
The waters were standing above the mountains.
They fled from Your (L)rebuke,
At the (M)sound of Your thunder they hurried away.
The mountains rose; the valleys sank down
To the (N)place which You established for them.
You set a (O)boundary so that they will not pass over,
So that they will not return to cover the earth.

10 [h]He sends forth (P)springs in the valleys;
They flow between the mountains;
11 They (Q)give drink to every animal of the field;
The (R)wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky (S)dwell [i]beside them;
They [j]lift up their voices from among the branches.
13 [k]He (T)waters the mountains from His upper chambers;
(U)The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.

14 [l]He causes the (V)grass to grow for the [m]cattle,
And (W)vegetation for the labor of mankind,
So that [n]they may produce [o]food (X)from the earth,
15 And (Y)wine, which makes a human heart cheerful,
(Z)So that he makes his face gleam with oil,
And [p]food, which (AA)sustains a human heart.
16 The trees of the Lord [q]drink their fill,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the (AB)birds build their nests,
And the (AC)stork, whose home is the juniper trees.

18 The high mountains are for the (AD)wild goats;
The (AE)cliffs are a refuge for the (AF)rock hyrax.
19 He made the moon (AG)for the seasons;
The (AH)sun knows the place of its setting.
20 You (AI)appoint darkness and it becomes night,
In which all the (AJ)animals of the forest [r]prowl about.
21 The (AK)young lions roar for their prey
[s]And (AL)seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises they withdraw,
And they lie down in their (AM)dens.
23 A person goes out to (AN)his work
And to his labor until evening.

24 Lord, how (AO)many are Your works!
[t]In (AP)wisdom You have made them all;
The (AQ)earth is full of Your [u]possessions.
25 [v]There is the (AR)sea, great and [w]broad,
In which are swarms without number,
Animals both small and great.
26 The (AS)ships move along there,
And [x](AT)Leviathan, which You have formed to have fun in it.

27 They all (AU)wait for You
To (AV)give them their food in [y]due season.
28 You give to them, they gather it up;
You (AW)open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.
29 You (AX)hide Your face, they are terrified;
You (AY)take away their breath, they perish
And (AZ)return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your [z](BA)Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the ground.

31 May the (BB)glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord (BC)rejoice in His works;
32 [aa]He (BD)looks at the earth, and it (BE)trembles;
He (BF)touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 [ab]I will sing to the Lord [ac](BG)as long as I live;
[ad]I will (BH)sing praise to my God [ae]while I have my being.
34 May my (BI)praise be pleasing to Him;
As for me, I shall (BJ)rejoice in the Lord.
35 May sinners be (BK)removed from the earth
And may the (BL)wicked be no more.
(BM)Bless the Lord, my soul.
[af](BN)Praise [ag]the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:3 Lit The one who
  2. Psalm 104:3 Lit The one who
  3. Psalm 104:3 Lit The one who
  4. Psalm 104:4 Lit Who
  5. Psalm 104:4 Or His angels, spirits
  6. Psalm 104:4 Or His ministers flames of fire
  7. Psalm 104:5 Or move out of place
  8. Psalm 104:10 Lit The one who sends
  9. Psalm 104:12 Or over; or above
  10. Psalm 104:12 Lit give forth
  11. Psalm 104:13 Lit Who
  12. Psalm 104:14 Lit Who
  13. Psalm 104:14 Or animals
  14. Psalm 104:14 Or He
  15. Psalm 104:14 Lit bread
  16. Psalm 104:15 Lit bread
  17. Psalm 104:16 Lit are satisfied
  18. Psalm 104:20 Lit crawl
  19. Psalm 104:21 Lit And to seek
  20. Psalm 104:24 Or With
  21. Psalm 104:24 Or creatures
  22. Psalm 104:25 Or This
  23. Psalm 104:25 Or broad of dimensions; lit hands
  24. Psalm 104:26 Or a sea monster
  25. Psalm 104:27 Lit its appointed time
  26. Psalm 104:30 Or breath
  27. Psalm 104:32 Lit The one who
  28. Psalm 104:33 Or Let me sing
  29. Psalm 104:33 Lit in my lifetime
  30. Psalm 104:33 Or Let me sing
  31. Psalm 104:33 Lit while I still am
  32. Psalm 104:35 Or Hallelujah!
  33. Psalm 104:35 Heb Yah

Promote Right Teaching

As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.[a] Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes,[b] to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.

In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.

Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back 10 or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.

Footnotes

  1. 2:3 Greek be enslaved to much wine.
  2. 2:5 Some manuscripts read to care for their homes.

Proclaim Sound Doctrine

But as for you, proclaim the things which are fitting for (A)sound doctrine. (B)Older men are to be [a](C)temperate, dignified, self-controlled, (D)sound (E)in faith, in love, in [b]perseverance.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, (F)not malicious gossips nor (G)enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may [c]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, (H)workers at home, kind, being (I)subject to their own husbands, (J)so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Likewise urge (K)the young men to be [d]sensible; in all things show yourself to be (L)an example of good deeds, with [e]purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, (M)so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

Urge [f](N)slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not [g]argumentative, 10 not stealing, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of (O)God our Savior in every respect.

11 For the grace of God has (P)appeared, [h](Q)bringing salvation to all people, 12 [i]instructing us to deny ungodliness and (R)worldly desires and (S)to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner (T)in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the (U)appearing of the glory of [j](V)our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who (W)gave Himself for us (X)to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to (Y)purify for Himself a (Z)people for His own possession, (AA)eager for good deeds.

15 These things speak and (AB)[k]exhort, and (AC)rebuke with all authority. (AD)No one is to disregard you.

Footnotes

  1. Titus 2:2 Or level-headed
  2. Titus 2:2 Or steadfastness
  3. Titus 2:4 Or train
  4. Titus 2:6 Or sensible in all things; show
  5. Titus 2:7 Or soundness; lit uncorruptness
  6. Titus 2:9 I.e., slaves in first-century Roman culture
  7. Titus 2:9 Lit contradicting
  8. Titus 2:11 Or to all mankind, bringing
  9. Titus 2:12 Or disciplining
  10. Titus 2:13 Or the great God and our Savior
  11. Titus 2:15 Or encourage