16 As for me, (A)I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You,
Nor have I desired the woeful day;
You know what came out of my lips;
It was right there before You.

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16 I have not run away from being your shepherd;
    you know I have not desired the day of despair.
    What passes my lips(A) is open before you.

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27 For I have not [a]shunned to declare to you (A)the whole counsel of God.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 20:27 avoided declaring

27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.(A)

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20 how (A)I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,

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20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything(A) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

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Sorrow for the Doomed Nation

19 O my (A)soul, my soul!
I am pained in my very heart!
My heart makes a noise in me;
I cannot hold my peace,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 (B)Destruction upon destruction is cried,
For the whole land is plundered.
Suddenly (C)my tents are plundered,
And my curtains in a moment.

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19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(A)
    I writhe in pain.(B)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
    My heart pounds(C) within me,
    I cannot keep silent.(D)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(E)
    I have heard the battle cry.(F)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(G)
    the whole land lies in ruins.(H)
In an instant my tents(I) are destroyed,
    my shelter in a moment.

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The Untamable Tongue

My brethren, (A)let not many of you become teachers, (B)knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

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Taming the Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers,(A) my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged(B) more strictly.(C)

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Qualities Needed in Trials

19 [a]So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, (A)slow to speak, (B)slow to wrath;

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:19 NU Know this or This you know

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(A) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(B) and slow to become angry,

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17 For we are not, as [a]so many, (A)peddling[b] the word of God; but as (B)of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 2:17 M the rest
  2. 2 Corinthians 2:17 adulterating for gain

17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.(A) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,(B) as those sent from God.(C)

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Paul’s Sincerity

12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in [a]simplicity and (A)godly sincerity, (B)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:12 The opposite of duplicity

Paul’s Change of Plans

12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience(A) testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity[a](B) and godly sincerity.(C) We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom(D) but on God’s grace.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:12 Many manuscripts holiness

Israel’s Rejection of Christ

I (A)tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, (B)that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For (C)I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my [a]countrymen according to the flesh,

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:3 Or relatives

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,(A) my conscience confirms(B) it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself(C) were cursed(D) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(E) those of my own race,(F)

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14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:

“I was no prophet,
Nor was I (A)a son of a prophet,
But I was a (B)sheepbreeder
And a tender of sycamore fruit.
15 Then the Lord took me [a]as I followed the flock,
And the Lord said to me,
‘Go, (C)prophesy to My people Israel.’

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:15 Lit. from behind

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet(A) nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.(B) 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock(C) and said to me, ‘Go,(D) prophesy(E) to my people Israel.’(F)

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(A)“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have [a]delivered your soul.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:9 Or saved your life

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman(A) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(B) When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(C)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(D) But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(E) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9

14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the [a]heat of my spirit; but (A)the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. 15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and (B)I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Ezekiel Is a Watchman

16 Now it (C)came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 (D)“Son of man, I have made you (E)a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them (F)warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man (G)shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; (H)but you have delivered your soul.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 3:14 Or anger

14 The Spirit(A) then lifted me up(B) and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord(C) on me. 15 I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River.(D) And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days(E)—deeply distressed.

Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman

16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:(F) 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman(G) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(H) 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,(I)’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(J) 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn(K) from their wickedness(L) or from their evil ways, they will die(M) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 3:18 Or in; also in verses 19 and 20

Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a (A)burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And (B)I could not.

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But if I say, “I will not mention his word
    or speak anymore in his name,”(A)
his word is in my heart like a fire,(B)
    a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;(C)
    indeed, I cannot.

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