Israel's Guilt and Punishment

(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:

(B)“You only have I known
    of all the families of the earth;
(C)therefore I will punish you
    for all your iniquities.

“Do two walk together,
    unless they have agreed to meet?
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?
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?
(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?

“For the Lord God does nothing
    (F)without revealing his secret
    to his servants the prophets.
The lion has roared;
    who will not fear?
(G)The Lord God has spoken;
    who can but prophesy?”

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.”

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 3:11 Hebrew An adversary, one who surrounds the land—he shall bring down

Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

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)

“You only have I chosen(C)
    of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish(D) you
    for all your sins.(E)

Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
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?
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?
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)

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
    without revealing his plan(L)
    to his servants the prophets.(M)

The lion(N) has roared(O)
    who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
    who can but prophesy?(P)

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)

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Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, you have (A)searched me and known me!
You (B)know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you (C)discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, (D)you know it altogether.
You (E)hem me in, behind and before,
    and (F)lay your hand upon me.
(G)Such knowledge is (H)too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

(I)Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where (J)shall I flee from your presence?
(K)If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    (L)If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall (M)lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, (N)“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 (O)even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you (P)formed my inward parts;
    you (Q)knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
(R)Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 (S)My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in (T)the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your (U)book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your (V)thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 (W)If I would count them, they are more than (X)the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me,(A) Lord,
    and you know(B) me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;(C)
    you perceive my thoughts(D) from afar.
You discern my going out(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.(F)
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.(G)
You hem me in(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(I)
    too lofty(J) for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(K) from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens,(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed(M) in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(N)
    your right hand(O) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;(Q)
    you knit me together(R) in my mother’s womb.(S)
14 I praise you(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,(U)
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together(W) in the depths of the earth.(X)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](Z) God!(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand(AC)
    when I awake,(AD) I am still with you.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me

Divisions in the Church

10 I appeal to you, brothers,[a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no (A)divisions among you, but that you be united (B)in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is (C)quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that (D)each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow (E)Apollos,” or “I follow (F)Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 (G)Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you (H)baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except (I)Crispus and (J)Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also (K)the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and (L)not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:10 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; also verses 11, 26

A Church Divided Over Leaders

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a](A) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you,(B) but that you be perfectly united(C) in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household(D) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;(E) another, “I follow Apollos”;(F) another, “I follow Cephas[b]”;(G) still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?(H) 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus(I) and Gaius,(J) 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household(K) of Stephanas;(L) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize,(M) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom(N) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 11 and 26; and in 2:1; 3:1; 4:6; 6:8; 7:24, 29; 10:1; 11:33; 12:1; 14:6, 20, 26, 39; 15:1, 6, 50, 58; 16:15, 20.
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:12 That is, Peter

Jesus Begins His Ministry

12 Now when he heard that (A)John had been arrested, (B)he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving (C)Nazareth he went and lived in (D)Capernaum by (E)the sea, in the territory of (F)Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 (G)so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 (H)“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 (I)the people dwelling in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and (J)shadow of death,
    on them a light has dawned.”

17 (K)From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, (L)“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[a]

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

18 (M)While walking by (N)the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you (O)fishers of men.”[b] 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:17 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near
  2. Matthew 4:19 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women

Jesus Begins to Preach

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,(A) he withdrew to Galilee.(B) 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,(C) which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill(D) what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”[a](E)

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(F) has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples(G)

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,(H) he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter(I) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,”(J) Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.(K)

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.(L) They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:16 Isaiah 9:1,2