¹² If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.^{(A) 13} He will love you and bless you^(B) and increase your numbers.^(C) He will bless the fruit of your womb,^(D) the crops of your land—your grain, new wine^(E) and olive oil^(F)—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.^{(G) 14} You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.^{(H) 15} The Lord will keep you free from every disease.^(I) He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt,^(J) but he will inflict them on all who hate you.^{(K) 16} You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you.^(L) Do not look on them with pity^(M) and do not serve their gods,^(N) for that will be a snare^(O) to you.

¹⁷ You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?^(P)” ¹⁸ But do not be afraid^(Q) of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.^{(R) 19} You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand^(S) and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.^{(T) 20} Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet^(U) among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. ²¹ Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you,^(V) is a great and awesome God.^{(W) 22} The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.^(X) You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. ²³ But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed.^{(Y) 24} He will give their kings^(Z) into your hand,^(AA) and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you;^(AB) you will destroy them.^{(AC) 25} The images of their gods you are to burn^(AD) in the fire. Do not covet^(AE) the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared^(AF) by it, for it is detestable^(AG) to the Lord your God. ²⁶ Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction.^(AH) Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Jehoiakim King of Judah^(A)

⁵ Jehoiakim^(B) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. ⁶ Nebuchadnezzar^(C) king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^{(D) 7} Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple^[a] there.^(E)

⁸ The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(F)

⁹ Jehoiachin^(G) was eighteen^[b] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁰ In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon,^(H) together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,^[c] Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah King of Judah^(I)

¹¹ Zedekiah^(J) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. ¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord^(K) his God and did not humble^(L) himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath^(M) in God’s name. He became stiff-necked^(N) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(O) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(P)(Q)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(R) again and again,^(S) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(T) at his prophets until the wrath^(U) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^{(V) 17} He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[d](W) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(X) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(Y) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(Z) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(AA) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire^(AB) to God’s temple^(AC) and broke down the wall^(AD) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(AE) everything of value there.^(AF)

²⁰ He carried into exile^(AG) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants^(AH) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;^(AI) all the time of its desolation it rested,^(AJ) until the seventy years^(AK) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

²² In the first year of Cyrus^(AL) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²³ “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line

7 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:^(A) He was preparing swarms of locusts^(B) after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. ² When they had stripped the land clean,^(C) I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive?^(D) He is so small!^(E)”

³ So the Lord relented.^(F)

“This will not happen,” the Lord said.^(G)

⁴ This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire;^(H) it dried up the great deep and devoured^(I) the land. ⁵ Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!^(J)”

⁶ So the Lord relented.^(K)

“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.^(L)

⁷ This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb,^[a] with a plumb line^[b] in his hand. ⁸ And the Lord asked me, “What do you see,^(M) Amos?^(N)”

“A plumb line,^(O)” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.^(P)

Amos and Amaziah

¹⁰ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel^(T) sent a message to Jeroboam^(U) king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy^(V) against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.^{(W) 11} For this is what Amos is saying:

¹² Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer!^(Z) Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.^{(AA) 13} Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel,^(AB) because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple^(AC) of the kingdom.^(AD)”

¹⁴ Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet^(AE) nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.^{(AF) 15} But the Lord took me from tending the flock^(AG) and said to me, ‘Go,^(AH) prophesy^(AI) to my people Israel.’^{(AJ) 16} Now then, hear^(AK) the word of the Lord. You say,

¹⁷ “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

Saying 7

Saying 8

Saying 9

Saying 10

Saying 11

Saying 12

Saying 13

²³ That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”^(A)

²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,”^(B) they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”^(C)

²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered, “I have told you already^(D) and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!^{(E) 29} We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”^(F)

³⁰ The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.^{(G) 32} Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God,^(H) he could do nothing.”

³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;^(I) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.^(J)

Dealing With False Teachers

¹⁴ Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words;^(A) it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.^{(B) 16} Avoid godless chatter,^(C) because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. ¹⁷ Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus^(D) and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place,^(E) and they destroy the faith of some.^{(F) 19} Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm,^(G) sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,”^(H) and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord^(I) must turn away from wickedness.”

²⁰ In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.^{(J) 21} Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.^(K)

²² Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love^(L) and peace, along with those who call on the Lord^(M) out of a pure heart.^{(N) 23} Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.^{(O) 24} And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.^{(P) 25} Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,^{(Q) 26} and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,^(R) who has taken them captive to do his will.