Psalm 26

Of David.

Amos and Amaziah

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

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

¹⁴ Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet^(L) nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.^{(M) 15} But the Lord took me from tending the flock^(N) and said to me, ‘Go,^(O) prophesy^(P) to my people Israel.’^{(Q) 16} Now then, hear^(R) the word of the Lord. You say,

¹⁷ “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

John’s Vision of Christ

⁹ I, John,^(A) your brother and companion in the suffering^(B) and kingdom^(C) and patient endurance^(D) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God^(E) and the testimony of Jesus.^{(F) 10} On the Lord’s Day^(G) I was in the Spirit,^(H) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,^{(I) 11} which said: “Write on a scroll what you see^(J) and send it to the seven churches:^(K) to Ephesus,^(L) Smyrna,^(M) Pergamum,^(N) Thyatira,^(O) Sardis,^(P) Philadelphia^(Q) and Laodicea.”^(R)

¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,^{(S) 13} and among the lampstands^(T) was someone like a son of man,^[a](U) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet^(V) and with a golden sash around his chest.^{(W) 14} The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.^{(X) 15} His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,^(Y) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.^{(Z) 16} In his right hand he held seven stars,^(AA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.^(AB) His face was like the sun^(AC) shining in all its brilliance.

The Greatest Commandment^(A)

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,^(B) the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law,^(C) tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a](D) 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b](E) 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”^(F)

Whose Son Is the Messiah?^(G)

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,”^(H) they replied.

⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

⁴⁵ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.^(J)