Amos 3-4
English Standard Version
Israel's Guilt and Punishment
3 (A)Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
2 (B)“You only have I known
of all the families of the earth;
(C)therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.
3 “Do two walk together,
unless they have agreed to meet?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest,
when he has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from his den,
if he has taken nothing?
5 Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth,
when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground,
when it has taken nothing?
6 (D)Is a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
(E)Does disaster come to a city,
unless the Lord has done it?
7 “For the Lord God does nothing
(F)without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared;
who will not fear?
(G)The Lord God has spoken;
who can but prophesy?”
9 Proclaim to the strongholds in (H)Ashdod
and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,
and say, “Assemble yourselves on (I)the mountains of Samaria,
and see the great tumults within her,
and (J)the oppressed in her midst.”
10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord,
(K)“those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
(L)“An adversary shall surround the land
and bring down[a] your defenses from you,
and (M)your strongholds shall be plundered.”
12 Thus says the Lord: (N)“As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, (O)so shall the people of Israel (P)who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part[b] of a bed.
13 “Hear, (Q)and testify against the house of Jacob,”
declares the Lord God, (R)the God of hosts,
14 “that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions,
(S)I will punish the altars of Bethel,
and (T)the horns of the altar shall be cut off
and fall to the ground.
15 (U)I will strike (V)the winter house along with (W)the summer house,
and (X)the houses of ivory shall perish,
and the great houses[c] shall come to an end,”
declares the Lord.
4 “Hear this word, (Y)you cows of Bashan,
who are (Z)on the mountain of Samaria,
(AA)who oppress the poor, (AB)who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
2 (AC)The Lord God has sworn by his holiness
that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
(AD)when they shall take you away with hooks,
(AE)even the last of you with fishhooks.
3 (AF)And you shall go out through the breaches,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”
declares the Lord.
4 (AG)“Come to Bethel, and transgress;
to (AH)Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
(AI)bring your (AJ)sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of (AK)that which is leavened,
and proclaim (AL)freewill offerings, publish them;
(AM)for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”
declares the Lord God.
Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord
6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and (AN)lack of bread in all your places,
(AO)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
7 “I also (AP)withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
(AQ)I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
8 so two or three cities (AR)would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
(AS)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
9 (AT)“I struck you with blight and mildew;
your many gardens and your vineyards,
your fig trees and your olive trees (AU)the locust devoured;
(AV)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
10 “I sent among you a pestilence (AW)after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
and (AX)carried away your horses,[d]
and (AY)I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
(AZ)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
11 “I overthrew some of you,
(BA)as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were (BB)as a brand[e] plucked out of the burning;
(BC)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
Psalm 119:161-168
English Standard Version
Sin and Shin
161 (A)Princes persecute me (B)without cause,
but my heart (C)stands in awe of your words.
162 I (D)rejoice at your word
like one who (E)finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love (F)your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your (G)righteous rules.
165 Great (H)peace have those who love your law;
(I)nothing can make them stumble.
166 I (J)hope for your salvation, O Lord,
and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
I (K)love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
(L)for all my ways are before you.
2 Timothy 3-4
English Standard Version
Godlessness in the Last Days
3 But understand this, that (A)in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be (B)lovers of self, (C)lovers of money, (D)proud, (E)arrogant, abusive, (F)disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 (G)heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, (H)not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, (I)swollen with conceit, (J)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but (K)denying its power. (L)Avoid such people. 6 For among them are (M)those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to (N)arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as (O)Jannes and Jambres (P)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, (Q)men corrupted in mind and (R)disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, (S)as was that of those two men.
All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God
10 (T)You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me (U)at Antioch, (V)at Iconium, and (W)at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet (X)from them all (Y)the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to (Z)live a godly life in Christ Jesus (AA)will be persecuted, 13 while (AB)evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and (AC)being deceived. 14 But as for you, (AD)continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you learned it 15 and how (AE)from childhood you have been acquainted with (AF)the sacred writings, (AG)which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 (AH)All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that (AI)the man of God[b] may be complete, (AJ)equipped (AK)for every good work.
Preach the Word
4 (AL)I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, (AM)who is to judge the living and the dead, and by (AN)his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; (AO)reprove, rebuke, and (AP)exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 (AQ)For the time is coming when people will not endure (AR)sound[c] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and (AS)will turn away from listening to the truth and (AT)wander off into myths. 5 As for you, (AU)always be sober-minded, (AV)endure suffering, do the work of (AW)an evangelist, (AX)fulfill your ministry.
6 For (AY)I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my (AZ)departure has come. 7 (BA)I have fought the good fight, (BB)I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is (BC)laid up for me (BD)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, (BE)the righteous judge, will award to me on (BF)that day, and not only to me but also to all (BG)who have loved his appearing.
Personal Instructions
9 (BH)Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For (BI)Demas, (BJ)in love with (BK)this present world, (BL)has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,[d] (BM)Titus to Dalmatia. 11 (BN)Luke alone is with me. Get (BO)Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 (BP)Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 (BQ)Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; (BR)the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. (BS)May it not be charged against them! 17 But (BT)the Lord stood by me and (BU)strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and (BV)all the Gentiles might hear it. So (BW)I was rescued (BX)from the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. (BY)To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
19 Greet (BZ)Prisca and Aquila, and (CA)the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left (CB)Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 (CC)Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.[e]
22 The Lord be (CD)with your spirit. (CE)Grace be with you.[f]
Footnotes
- 2 Timothy 3:14 The Greek for whom is plural
- 2 Timothy 3:17 That is, a messenger of God (the phrase echoes a common Old Testament expression)
- 2 Timothy 4:3 Or healthy
- 2 Timothy 4:10 Some manuscripts Gaul
- 2 Timothy 4:21 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
- 2 Timothy 4:22 The Greek for you is plural
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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