Amos 3

Christian Standard Bible

God’s Reasons for Punishing Israel

3 Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, Israelites, against the entire clan that I brought from the land of Egypt:^(A)

²I have known only you^(B)
out of all the clans of the earth;
therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.^(C)
³Can two walk together^(D)
without agreeing to meet?
⁴Does a lion roar^(E) in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from its lair
unless it has captured something?
⁵Does a bird land in a trap on the ground
if there is no bait for it?
Does a trap spring from the ground
when it has caught nothing?
⁶If a ram’s horn^(F) is blown in a city,
aren’t people afraid?^(G)
If a disaster^(H) occurs in a city,
hasn’t the Lord done it?^(I)
⁷Indeed, the Lord God does nothing
without revealing his counsel
to his servants the prophets.^(J)
⁸A lion has roared;^(K)
who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;^(L)
who will not prophesy?^(M)

⁹Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod^(N)
and on the citadels in the land of Egypt:
Assemble on the mountains of Samaria,^(O)
and see the great turmoil in the city
and the acts of oppression within it.^(P)
¹⁰The people are incapable of doing right^(Q)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
those who store up violence and destruction^(R)
in their citadels.

¹¹Therefore, the Lord God says:

An enemy^(S) will surround the land;
he will destroy^(T) your strongholds
and plunder your citadels.^(U)

¹²The Lord says:

As the shepherd snatches two legs
or a piece of an ear
from the lion’s mouth,^(V)
so the Israelites who live in Samaria
will be rescued
with only the corner of a bed^(W)
or the^[a] cushion^[b] of a couch.^[c]^(X)

¹³Listen and testify^(Y) against the house of Jacob—
this is the declaration of the Lord God,
the God of Armies.
¹⁴I will punish the altars of Bethel^(Z)
on the day I punish Israel for its crimes;
the horns of the altar^(AA) will be cut off
and fall to the ground.^(AB)
¹⁵I will demolish the winter house^(AC)
and the summer house;^(AD)
the houses inlaid with ivory^(AE) will be destroyed,
and the great houses^(AF) will come to an end.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Footnotes

3:12 Or Israelites will be rescued, those who sit in Samaria on a corner of a bed or a
3:12 Hb obscure
3:12 LXX, Aq, Sym, Theod, Syr, Tg, Vg read or in Damascus

Isaiah 59:12-21

Christian Standard Bible

¹²For our transgressions have multiplied before you,^(A)
and our sins testify against us.^(B)
For our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:^(C)
¹³transgression and deception against the Lord,
turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.
¹⁴Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far off.
For truth has stumbled in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.
¹⁵Truth is missing,
and whoever turns from evil is plundered.
The Lord saw that there was no justice,
and he was offended.
¹⁶He saw that there was no man—
he was amazed that there was no one interceding;^(D)
so his own arm brought salvation,
and his own righteousness supported him.

¹⁷He put on righteousness as body armor,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;^(E)
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.^(F)
¹⁸So he will repay according to their deeds:^(G)
fury to his enemies,
retribution to his foes,
and he will repay the coasts and islands.
¹⁹They will fear the name of the Lord in the west
and his glory in the east;^[a]^(H)
for he will come like a rushing stream^(I)
driven by the wind of the Lord.
²⁰“The Redeemer^(J) will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”^(K)
This is the Lord’s declaration.

²¹“As for me, this is my covenant with them,”^(L) says the Lord: “My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth,^(M) will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord.

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Footnotes

59:19 Lit sunrise

Titus 3:1-11

Christian Standard Bible

Christian Living among Outsiders

3 Remind them to submit^(A) to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, ²to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness^(B) to all people. ³For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions^(C) and pleasures,^(D) living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.

⁴But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared,^(E) ⁵he saved us^(F)—not by works of righteousness that we had done,^(G) but according to his mercy^(H)—through the washing of regeneration^(I) and renewal by the Holy Spirit.^(J) ⁶He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly^(K) through Jesus Christ our Savior ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace,^(L) we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.^(M) ⁸This saying is trustworthy.^(N) I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone. ⁹But avoid foolish debates,^(O) genealogies,^(P) quarrels,^(Q) and disputes about the law, because they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰Reject a divisive^(R) person after a first and second warning.^(S) ¹¹For you know that such a person has gone astray and is sinning; he is self-condemned.

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Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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