Rescue Promised

12 “Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel [a]whom I called;
(A)I am He, (B)I am the first, I am also the last.
13 Assuredly My hand (C)founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I (D)call to them, they stand together.
14 (E)Assemble, all of you, and listen!
(F)Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will (G)carry out His good pleasure against (H)Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have (I)called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 (J)Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the beginning I have (K)not spoken in secret,
(L)From the time it took place, I was there.
And now (M)the Lord [b]God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

17 This is what the Lord says, He who is your (N)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to benefit,
Who (O)leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had (P)paid attention to My commandments!
Then your [c](Q)well-being would have been like a river,
And your (R)righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your [d](S)descendants would have been like the sand,
And [e]your offspring like its grains;
(T)Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence.”

20 (U)Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of (V)joyful shouting, proclaim this,
(W)Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “(X)The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not (Y)thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He (Z)made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and (AA)the water gushed out.
22 (AB)There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:12 Lit My called one
  2. Isaiah 48:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  3. Isaiah 48:18 Or peace
  4. Isaiah 48:19 Lit seed
  5. Isaiah 48:19 Lit the offspring of your inward parts

Israel Freed

12 “Listen(A) to me, Jacob,
    Israel, whom I have called:(B)
I am he;(C)
    I am the first and I am the last.(D)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(E)
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;(F)
when I summon them,
    they all stand up together.(G)

14 “Come together,(H) all of you, and listen:
    Which of the idols has foretold(I) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(J)
    will carry out his purpose(K) against Babylon;(L)
    his arm will be against the Babylonians.[a]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
    yes, I have called(M) him.
I will bring him,
    and he will succeed(N) in his mission.

16 “Come near(O) me and listen(P) to this:

“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(Q)
    at the time it happens, I am there.”

And now the Sovereign Lord(R) has sent(S) me,
    endowed with his Spirit.(T)

17 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(U) the Holy One(V) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches(W) you what is best for you,
    who directs(X) you in the way(Y) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(Z) to my commands,
    your peace(AA) would have been like a river,(AB)
    your well-being(AC) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(AD) would have been like the sand,(AE)
    your children like its numberless grains;(AF)
their name would never be blotted out(AG)
    nor destroyed from before me.”

20 Leave Babylon,
    flee(AH) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(AI)
    and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(AJ)
    say, “The Lord has redeemed(AK) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(AL) when he led them through the deserts;
    he made water flow(AM) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
    and water gushed out.(AN)

22 “There is no peace,”(AO) says the Lord, “for the wicked.”(AP)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20

Warning through Visions

This is what the Lord [a]God showed me, and behold, He was forming a (A)swarm of locusts [b]when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing. And it came about, [c]when it had (B)finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said,

(C)Lord God, please pardon!
How can Jacob stand?
For he is (D)small.”
The Lord (E)relented of this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.

So the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by (F)fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the [d]farmland. Then I said,

(G)Lord God, please stop!
(H)How can Jacob stand?
For he is small.”
The Lord (I)relented of this.
“This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.

So He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing [e]by a [f]vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, “(J)What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

“Behold I am about to put a (K)plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel.
I will not [g](L)spare them any longer.
The (M)high places of Isaac will become deserted,
And the (N)sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins.
Then I will (O)rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Amos Accused; Gives an Answer

10 Then Amaziah, the (P)priest of Bethel, sent word to (Q)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has (R)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, “(S)Go, you seer, flee to the land of Judah; and eat bread there and do your prophesying there! 13 But (T)do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a (U)sanctuary of the king and a royal [h]residence.”

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

Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Amos 7:1 Lit at the beginning of the coming up of
  3. Amos 7:2 Lit if
  4. Amos 7:4 Lit plot of land
  5. Amos 7:7 Or on
  6. Amos 7:7 Lit wall of a plumb line
  7. Amos 7:8 Lit pass him by
  8. Amos 7:13 Lit house
  9. Amos 7:14 Or picker
  10. Amos 7:15 Lit behind
  11. Amos 7:16 Lit drivel
  12. Amos 7:17 Or in an unclean land

Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:(A) He was preparing swarms of locusts(B) after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. When they had stripped the land clean,(C) I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive?(D) He is so small!(E)

So the Lord relented.(F)

“This will not happen,” the Lord said.(G)

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire;(H) it dried up the great deep and devoured(I) the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!(J)

So the Lord relented.(K)

“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.(L)

This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb,[a] with a plumb line[b] in his hand. And the Lord asked me, “What do you see,(M) Amos?(N)

“A plumb line,(O)” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.(P)

“The high places(Q) of Isaac will be destroyed
    and the sanctuaries(R) of Israel will be ruined;
    with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.(S)

Amos and Amaziah

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel(T) sent a message to Jeroboam(U) king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy(V) against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.(W) 11 For this is what Amos is saying:

“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
    and Israel will surely go into exile,(X)
    away from their native land.’”(Y)

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer!(Z) Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.(AA) 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel,(AB) because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple(AC) of the kingdom.(AD)

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet(AE) nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.(AF) 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock(AG) and said to me, ‘Go,(AH) prophesy(AI) to my people Israel.’(AJ) 16 Now then, hear(AK) the word of the Lord. You say,

“‘Do not prophesy against(AL) Israel,
    and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wife will become a prostitute(AM) in the city,
    and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up,
    and you yourself will die in a pagan[c] country.
And Israel will surely go into exile,(AN)
    away from their native land.(AO)’”

Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Amos 7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain; also in verse 8.
  3. Amos 7:17 Hebrew an unclean

Paul’s Stewardship

For this reason I, Paul, (A)the prisoner of (B)Christ Jesus (C)for the sake of you (D)Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the (E)administration of God’s grace which was given to me for you; (F)that (G)by revelation there was (H)made known to me (I)the mystery, (J)as I wrote before briefly. [a]By referring to this, when you read you can understand (K)my insight [b]into the (L)mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to [c]mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy (M)apostles and prophets [d]in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are (N)fellow heirs and (O)fellow members of the body, and (P)fellow partakers of the promise in (Q)Christ Jesus through the gospel, (R)of which I was made a (S)minister, according to the gift of (T)God’s grace which was given to me (U)according to the working of His power. To me, (V)the very least of all [e]saints, this grace was given, to (W)preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable (X)riches of Christ, and to [f]enlighten all people as to what the plan of the (Y)mystery is which for ages has been (Z)hidden in God, (AA)who created all things; 10 so that the multifaceted (AB)wisdom of God might now be (AC)made known through the church to the (AD)rulers and the authorities in (AE)the heavenly places. 11 This was in (AF)accordance with the [g]eternal purpose which He [h]carried out in (AG)Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and [i](AH)confident (AI)access through faith [j]in Him. 13 Therefore I ask [k]you not (AJ)to become discouraged about my tribulations (AK)in your behalf, [l]since they are your glory.

14 For this reason I (AL)bend my knees before the Father, 15 from whom [m]every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to (AM)the riches of His glory, to be (AN)strengthened with power through His Spirit in (AO)the inner [n]self, 17 so that (AP)Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being (AQ)rooted and (AR)grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with (AS)all the [o]saints what is (AT)the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know (AU)the love of Christ which (AV)surpasses knowledge, that you may be (AW)filled to all the (AX)fullness of God.

20 (AY)Now to Him who is (AZ)able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, (BA)according to the power that works within us, 21 (BB)to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [p]forever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 3:4 Lit To which, when you read
  2. Ephesians 3:4 Lit in
  3. Ephesians 3:5 Lit the sons of man
  4. Ephesians 3:5 Or by
  5. Ephesians 3:8 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  6. Ephesians 3:9 One early ms bring to light what
  7. Ephesians 3:11 Lit purpose of the ages
  8. Ephesians 3:11 Or formed
  9. Ephesians 3:12 Lit access in confidence
  10. Ephesians 3:12 Lit of Him
  11. Ephesians 3:13 Or that I may not lose
  12. Ephesians 3:13 Lit which are
  13. Ephesians 3:15 Or the whole
  14. Ephesians 3:16 Lit person
  15. Ephesians 3:18 See note v 8
  16. Ephesians 3:21 Lit of the age of the ages

God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner(A) of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me(B) for you, that is, the mystery(C) made known to me by revelation,(D) as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight(E) into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.(F) This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs(G) together with Israel, members together of one body,(H) and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.(I)

I became a servant of this gospel(J) by the gift of God’s grace given me(K) through the working of his power.(L) Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,(M) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles(N) the boundless riches of Christ,(O) and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,(P) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God(Q) should be made known(R) to the rulers and authorities(S) in the heavenly realms,(T) 11 according to his eternal purpose(U) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God(V) with freedom and confidence.(W) 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel(X) before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches(Y) he may strengthen you with power(Z) through his Spirit in your inner being,(AA) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts(AB) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted(AC) and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,(AD) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(AE) is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(AF)—that you may be filled(AG) to the measure of all the fullness of God.(AH)

20 Now to him who is able(AI) to do immeasurably more than all we ask(AJ) or imagine, according to his power(AK) that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for father (pater).

53 [[[a]And everyone went to his home.

The Adulterous Woman

But Jesus went to (A)the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning He came again into the temple area, and all the people were coming to Him; and (B)He sat down and began teaching them. Now the scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and after placing her in the center of the courtyard, they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the Law, (C)Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” Now they were saying this to (D)test Him, (E)so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. When they persisted in asking Him, (F)He straightened up and said to them, (G)He who is without sin among you, let him be the (H)first to throw a stone at her.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Now when they heard this, they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman where she was, in the center of the courtyard. 10 And (I)straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, [b]Lord.” And Jesus said, (J)I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not (K)sin any longer.”]]

Footnotes

  1. John 7:53 Later mss add the story of the adulterous woman, numbering it as John 7:53-8:11
  2. John 8:11 Or Sir


[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(A)

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.(B) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.(C) Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap,(D) in order to have a basis for accusing him.(E)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone(F) at her.”(G) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”(H) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(I)