Amos Accused; Gives an Answer

¹⁰ Then Amaziah, the ^(A)priest of Bethel, sent word to ^(B)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has ^(C)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. ¹¹ For this is what Amos says: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” ¹² Then Amaziah said to Amos, “^(D)Go, you seer, flee to the land of Judah; and eat bread there and do your prophesying there! ¹³ But ^(E)do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a ^(F)sanctuary of the king and a royal ^[a]residence.”

¹⁴ Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the ^(G)son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a ^[b]grower of sycamore figs. ¹⁵ But the Lord took me from ^[c]following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go ^(H)prophesy to My people Israel.’ ¹⁶ So now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You ^(I)shall not prophesy against Israel ^(J)nor shall you ^[d]prophesy against the house of Isaac.’ ¹⁷ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Your ^(K)wife will become a prostitute in the city, your ^(L)sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die ^[e]upon ^(M)unclean soil. Furthermore Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

4 Therefore, since we have this ^(A)ministry, as we ^(B)received mercy, we ^(C)do not lose heart, ² but we have renounced the ^(D)things hidden because of shame, not walking in trickery nor ^(E)distorting the word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth ^(F)commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our ^(G)gospel is ^(H)veiled, it is veiled ^[a]to ^(I)those who are perishing, ⁴ in whose case ^(J)the god of ^(K)this ^[b]world has ^(L)blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that ^[c]they will not see the ^(M)light of the gospel of the ^(N)glory of Christ, who is the ^(O)image of God. ⁵ For we ^(P)do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants ^[d]on account of Jesus. ⁶ For God, who said, “^(Q)Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has ^(R)shone in our hearts to give the ^(S)Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.