⁷ This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. ⁸ And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

Amaziah Complains to the King

¹⁰ Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words.^{(C) 11} For thus Amos has said,

¹² And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there, ¹³ but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”^(E)

¹⁴ Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am^[a] no prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I am^[b] a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees,^{(F) 15} and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’^(G)

Psalm 85

Prayer for the Restoration of God’s Favor

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

Salutation

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful^[a] in Christ Jesus:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,^{[b](A) 4} just as he chose us in Christ^[c] before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.^{(B) 5} He destined us^[d] for adoption as his children^[e] through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,^{(C) 6} to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace^{(D) 8} that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹ he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,^{(E) 10} as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.^{(F) 11} In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,^[f] having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,^{(G) 12} so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;^{(H) 14} this^[g] is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.^(I)

Paul’s Prayer

¹⁵ I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[a] toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers,^{(A) 17} that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,^{(B) 18} so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. ²⁰ God^[b] put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,^{[c](C) 21} far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.^{(D) 22} And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,^{(E) 23} which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.^(F)

⁷ He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.^{(A) 8} He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, ⁹ but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰ He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹ If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.^{(B) 13} They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.^(C)