Amos 5:18-27

English Standard Version

Let Justice Roll Down

¹⁸Woe to you who desire ^(A)the day of the Lord!
    Why would you have the day of the Lord?
^(B)It is darkness, and not light,
¹⁹    ^(C)as if a man fled from a lion,
    and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
    and a serpent bit him.
²⁰^(D)Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
    and gloom with no brightness in it?

²¹^(E)“I hate, I despise your feasts,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
²²^(F)Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
    I will not look upon them.
²³Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to ^(G)the melody of your harps I will not listen.
²⁴But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

²⁵^(H)“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ²⁶^(I)You ^(J)shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, ²⁷^(K)and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is ^(L)the God of hosts.

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Psalm 85:1-2

English Standard Version

Revive Us Again

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.

85 Lord, you were ^(B)favorable to your land;
you ^(C)restored the fortunes of Jacob.
²You ^(D)forgave the iniquity of your people;
you ^(E)covered all their sin. Selah

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Psalm 85:8-13

English Standard Version

⁸^(A)Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will ^(B)speak peace to his people, to his ^(C)saints;
    but let them not ^(D)turn back to ^(E)folly.
⁹Surely his ^(F)salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that ^(G)glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰^(H)Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    ^(I)righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
¹²Yes, ^(J)the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land ^(K)will yield its increase.
¹³^(L)Righteousness will go before him
    and make his footsteps a way.

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Jude 17-25

English Standard Version

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷But you must ^(A)remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸They^[a] said to you, ^(B)“In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” ¹⁹It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, ^(C)devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰But you, beloved, ^(D)building yourselves up in your most holy faith and ^(E)praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹^(F)keep yourselves in the love of God, ^(G)waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²²And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³save others by ^(H)snatching them out of ^(I)the fire; to others show mercy ^(J)with fear, hating even ^(K)the garment^[b] stained by the flesh.

Doxology

²⁴^(L)Now to him who is able ^(M)to keep you from stumbling and ^(N)to present you ^(O)blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵to ^(P)the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, ^(Q)be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time^[c] and now and forever. Amen.

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Footnotes

Jude 1:18 Or Christ, because they
Jude 1:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
Jude 1:25 Or before any age

Matthew 22:15-22

English Standard Version

Paying Taxes to Caesar

¹⁵^(A)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how ^(B)to entangle him in his words. ¹⁶And they sent ^(C)their disciples to him, along with ^(D)the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, ^(E)we know that you are true and teach ^(F)the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for ^(G)you are not swayed by appearances.^[a] ¹⁷Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay ^(H)taxes to ^(I)Caesar, or not?” ¹⁸But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why ^(J)put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.^[b] ²⁰And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, ^(K)“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” ²²When they heard it, they marveled. And they ^(L)left him and went away.