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Amos 3:1-11
English Standard Version
Amos 3:1-11
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.”
Footnotes
- Amos 3:11 Hebrew An adversary, one who surrounds the land—he shall bring down
Amos 3:1-11
The Message
Amos 3:1-11
The Message
The Lion Has Roared
3 Listen to this, Israel. God is calling you to account—and I mean all of you, everyone connected with the family that he delivered out of Egypt. Listen!
2 “Out of all the families on earth,
I picked you.
Therefore, because of your special calling,
I’m holding you responsible for all your sins.”
3-7 Do two people walk hand in hand
if they aren’t going to the same place?
Does a lion roar in the forest
if there’s no carcass to devour?
Does a young lion growl with pleasure
if he hasn’t caught his supper?
Does a bird fall to the ground
if it hasn’t been hit with a stone?
Does a trap spring shut
if nothing trips it?
When the alarm goes off in the city,
aren’t people alarmed?
And when disaster strikes the city,
doesn’t God stand behind it?
The fact is, God, the Master, does nothing
without first telling his prophets the whole story.
8 The lion has roared—
who isn’t frightened?
God has spoken—
what prophet can keep quiet?
* * *
9-11 Announce to the forts of Assyria,
announce to the forts of Egypt—
Tell them, “Gather on the Samaritan mountains, take a good, hard look:
what a snake pit of brutality and terror!
They can’t—or won’t—do one thing right.” God said so.
“They stockpile violence and blight.
Therefore”—this is God’s Word—“an enemy will surround the country.
He’ll strip you of your power and plunder your forts.”
Amos 3:1-11
New International Version
Amos 3:1-11
New International Version
Witnesses Summoned Against Israel
3 Hear this word, people of Israel, the word the Lord has spoken against you(A)—against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt:(B)
2 “You only have I chosen(C)
of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish(D) you
for all your sins.(E)”
3 Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
4 Does a lion roar(F) in the thicket
when it has no prey?(G)
Does it growl in its den
when it has caught nothing?
5 Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
when no bait(H) is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
if it has not caught anything?
6 When a trumpet(I) sounds in a city,
do not the people tremble?
When disaster(J) comes to a city,
has not the Lord caused it?(K)
7 Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
without revealing his plan(L)
to his servants the prophets.(M)
8 The lion(N) has roared(O)—
who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
who can but prophesy?(P)
9 Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod(Q)
and to the fortresses of Egypt:
“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria;(R)
see the great unrest within her
and the oppression among her people.”
10 “They do not know how to do right,(S)” declares the Lord,
“who store up in their fortresses(T)
what they have plundered(U) and looted.”
11 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“An enemy will overrun your land,
pull down your strongholds
and plunder your fortresses.(V)”
Psalm 80:1-7
English Standard Version
Psalm 80:1-7
English Standard Version
Restore Us, O God
To the choirmaster: according to (A)Lilies. A Testimony. Of (B)Asaph, a Psalm.
80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead (C)Joseph like (D)a flock.
You who are (E)enthroned upon the cherubim, (F)shine forth.
2 Before (G)Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
(H)stir up your might
and (I)come to save us!
4 O (L)Lord God of hosts,
(M)how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5 You have fed them with (N)the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 (O)You make us an object of contention for our (P)neighbors,
and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 (Q)Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Footnotes
- Psalm 80:3 Or Turn us again; also verses 7, 19
Psalm 80:1-7
The Message
Psalm 80:1-7
The Message
80 1-2 Listen, Shepherd, Israel’s Shepherd—
get all your Joseph sheep together.
Throw beams of light
from your dazzling throne
So Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh
can see where they’re going.
Get out of bed—you’ve slept long enough!
Come on the run before it’s too late.
3 God, come back!
Smile your blessing smile:
That will be our salvation.
4-6 God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano
while your people call for fire and brimstone?
You put us on a diet of tears,
bucket after bucket of salty tears to drink.
You make us look ridiculous to our friends;
our enemies poke fun day after day.
7 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back!
Smile your blessing smile:
That will be our salvation.
Psalm 80:1-7
New International Version
Psalm 80:1-7
New International Version
Psalm 80[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.(A)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(B)
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(C)
Awaken(D) your might;
come and save us.(E)
4 How long,(I) Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder(J)
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;(K)
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(L)
6 You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.(M)
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.(N)
Footnotes
- Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
- Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
Psalm 80:16-18
English Standard Version
Psalm 80:16-18
English Standard Version
16 They have (A)burned it with fire; they have (B)cut it down;
may they perish at (C)the rebuke of your face!
17 But (D)let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
(E)give us life, and we will call upon your name!
Psalm 80:16-18
The Message
Psalm 80:16-18
The Message
8-18 Remember how you brought a young vine from Egypt,
cleared out the brambles and briers
and planted your very own vineyard?
You prepared the good earth,
you planted her roots deep;
the vineyard filled the land.
Your vine soared high and shaded the mountains,
even dwarfing the giant cedars.
Your vine ranged west to the Sea,
east to the River.
So why do you no longer protect your vine?
Trespassers pick its grapes at will;
Wild pigs crash through and crush it,
and the mice nibble away at what’s left.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies, turn our way!
Take a good look at what’s happened
and attend to this vine.
Care for what you once tenderly planted—
the vine you raised from a shoot.
And those who dared to set it on fire—
give them a look that will kill!
Then take the hand of your once-favorite child,
the child you raised to adulthood.
We will never turn our back on you;
breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!
Psalm 80:16-18
New International Version
Psalm 80:16-18
New International Version
2 Peter 1:12-21
English Standard Version
2 Peter 1:12-21
English Standard Version
12 Therefore I intend (A)always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in (B)the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this (C)body,[a] (D)to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 (E)since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, (F)as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Christ's Glory and the Prophetic Word
16 For we did not follow (G)cleverly devised (H)myths when we made known to you (I)the power and (J)coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but (K)we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, (L)“This is my beloved Son,[b] with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on (M)the holy mountain. 19 And (N)we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention (O)as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until (P)the day (Q)dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For (R)no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God (S)as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Peter 1:13 Greek tent; also verse 14
- 2 Peter 1:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
2 Peter 1:12-21
The Message
2 Peter 1:12-21
The Message
The One Light in a Dark Time
12-15 Because the stakes are so high, even though you’re up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I’m not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. This is the post to which I’ve been assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I’m sticking to it as long as I live. I know that I’m to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me. And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you’ll have it for ready reference.
16-18 We weren’t, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight.” We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears.
19-21 We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.
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2 Peter 1:12-21
New International Version
2 Peter 1:12-21
New International Version
Prophecy of Scripture
12 So I will always remind you of these things,(A) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth(B) you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory(C) as long as I live in the tent of this body,(D) 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside,(E) as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.(F) 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure(G) you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,(H) but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.(I) 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”[a](J) 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.(K)
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,(L) and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light(M) shining in a dark place, until the day dawns(N) and the morning star(O) rises in your hearts.(P) 20 Above all, you must understand(Q) that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God(R) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.(S)
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 1:17 Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35
Matthew 21:12-22
English Standard Version
Matthew 21:12-22
English Standard Version
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 (A)And Jesus entered the temple[a] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of (B)the money-changers and the seats of those who sold (C)pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, (D)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but (E)you make it a den of robbers.”
14 (F)And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 (G)But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, (H)“Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; (I)have you never read,
17 And (L)leaving them, he (M)went out of the city to (N)Bethany and lodged there.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 (O)In the morning, as he was returning to the city, (P)he became hungry. 19 (Q)And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, (R)“Truly, I say to you, (S)if you have faith and (T)do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, (U)‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And (V)whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, (W)if you have faith.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 21:12 Some manuscripts add of God
Matthew 21:12-22
The Message
Matthew 21:12-22
The Message
He Kicked Over the Tables
12-14 Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:
My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves.
Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.
15-16 When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these children are saying?”
Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?”
17 Fed up, Jesus spun around and left the city for Bethany, where he spent the night.
The Withered Fig Tree
18-20 Early the next morning Jesus was returning to the city. He was hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree alongside the road, he approached it anticipating a breakfast of figs. When he got to the tree, there was nothing but fig leaves. He said, “No more figs from this tree—ever!” The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick. The disciples saw it happen. They rubbed their eyes, saying, “Did we really see this? A leafy tree one minute, a dry stick the next?”
21-22 But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”
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Matthew 21:12-22
New International Version
Matthew 21:12-22
New International Version
Jesus at the Temple(A)
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying(B) and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers(C) and the benches of those selling doves.(D) 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a](E) but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”(F)
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.(G) 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,”(H) they were indignant.(I)
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany,(K) where he spent the night.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree(L)
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.(M)
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt,(N) not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for(O) in prayer.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:13 Isaiah 56:7
- Matthew 21:13 Jer. 7:11
- Matthew 21:16 Psalm 8:2 (see Septuagint)
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.