Amos 6:1-7

New International Version

Woe to the Complacent

6 Woe to you^(A) who are complacent^(B) in Zion,
    and to you who feel secure^(C) on Mount Samaria,^(D)
you notable men of the foremost nation,
    to whom the people of Israel come!^(E)
²Go to Kalneh^(F) and look at it;
    go from there to great Hamath,^(G)
    and then go down to Gath^(H) in Philistia.
Are they better off than^(I) your two kingdoms?
    Is their land larger than yours?
³You put off the day of disaster
    and bring near a reign of terror.^(J)
⁴You lie on beds adorned with ivory
    and lounge on your couches.^(K)
You dine on choice lambs
    and fattened calves.^(L)
⁵You strum away on your harps^(M) like David
    and improvise on musical instruments.^(N)
⁶You drink wine^(O) by the bowlful
    and use the finest lotions,
    but you do not grieve^(P) over the ruin of Joseph.^(Q)
⁷Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;^(R)
    your feasting and lounging will end.^(S)

Read full chapter

Psalm 146

New International Version

Psalm 146

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise the Lord,^(A) my soul.

²I will praise the Lord all my life;^(B)
    I will sing praise^(C) to my God as long as I live.^(D)
³Do not put your trust in princes,^(E)
    in human beings,^(F) who cannot save.
⁴When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;^(G)
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.^(H)
⁵Blessed are those^(I) whose help^(J) is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

⁶He is the Maker of heaven^(K) and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful^(L) forever.
⁷He upholds^(M) the cause of the oppressed^(N)
    and gives food to the hungry.^(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,^(P)
⁸    the Lord gives sight^(Q) to the blind,^(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,^(S)
    the Lord loves the righteous.^(T)
⁹The Lord watches over the foreigner^(U)
    and sustains the fatherless^(V) and the widow,^(W)
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

¹⁰The Lord reigns^(X) forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10

1 Timothy 3:1-13

New International Version

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

3 Here is a trustworthy saying:^(A) Whoever aspires to be an overseer^(B) desires a noble task. ²Now the overseer is to be above reproach,^(C) faithful to his wife,^(D) temperate,^(E) self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,^(F) able to teach,^(G) ³not given to drunkenness,^(H) not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,^(I) not a lover of money.^(J) ⁴He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full^[a] respect.^(K) ⁵(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)^(L) ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited^(M) and fall under the same judgment^(N) as the devil. ⁷He must also have a good reputation with outsiders,^(O) so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.^(P)

⁸In the same way, deacons^[b]^(Q) are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine,^(R) and not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁹They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.^(S) ¹⁰They must first be tested;^(T) and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

¹¹In the same way, the women^[c] are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers^(U) but temperate^(V) and trustworthy in everything.

¹²A deacon must be faithful to his wife^(W) and must manage his children and his household well.^(X) ¹³Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1 Timothy 3:4 Or him with proper
1 Timothy 3:8 The word deacons refers here to Christians designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in verse 12; and in Romans 16:1 and Phil. 1:1.
1 Timothy 3:11 Possibly deacons’ wives or women who are deacons

Luke 16:19-31

New International Version

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.^(A) ²⁰At his gate was laid a beggar^(B) named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.^(C) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,^(D) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’^(E)

²⁵“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,^(F) but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.^(G) ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸for I have five brothers. Let him warn them,^(H) so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses^(I) and the Prophets;^(J) let them listen to them.’

³⁰“‘No, father Abraham,’^(K) he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Read full chapter