Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁷ Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.

⁸ And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass over them any more:

⁹ And the altars of Isaac shall be destroyed, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise upon the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

¹⁰ ¶ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words.

¹¹ For thus hath Amos said, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.

¹² And Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and eat thy bread there, and prophesy there:

¹³ but do not prophesy any more in Bethel: for it is the king’s sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.

¹⁴ Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, I am not a prophet, neither am I a prophet’s son, but I am a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit:

¹⁵ and the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

⁸ ¶ I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints, that they not turn again to folly.

⁹ Surely his saving health is near those that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰ Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

¹¹ Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from the heavens.

¹² The LORD shall give that which is good, and our land shall bring forth her fruit.

¹³ Righteousness shall go before him and shall set his steps in the way.

³ ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ;

⁴ according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in charity;

⁵ having marked out beforehand the way for us to be adopted as sons by Jesus Christ in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶ to the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has made us accepted in the beloved;

⁷ in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace,

⁸ which has over abounded in us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹ having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself,

¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fulfillment of the times he might restore all things by the Christ, both those which are in heaven and those which are on earth,

¹¹ in him in whom likewise we have obtained an inheritance, having had the way marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will,

¹² so that we should be to the praise of his glory, those of us who first trusted in the Christ.

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your saving health; in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of the promise,

¹⁴ which is the earnest of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

¹⁴ ¶ And king Herod heard of him (for his name was spread abroad), and he said, John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and therefore virtues operate in him.

¹⁵ Others said, It is Elijah. And others said, It is the prophet or one of the prophets.

¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, This is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her.

¹⁸ For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

¹⁹ Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him, but she could not;

²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and respected him; and when he heard him, he did many things and heard him gladly.

²¹ And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his princes and tribunes and to the principal people of Galilee;

²² and when the daughter of Herodias came in and danced and pleased Herod and those that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee.

²³ And he swore unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it unto thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

²⁴ And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

²⁵ And she came in with haste unto the king and asked, saying, I will that thou give me immediately in a platter the head of John the Baptist.

²⁶ And the king was exceeding sorry, yet for his oath’s sake and for the sakes of those who sat with him, he would not reject her.

²⁷ And straightway the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought, and he went and beheaded him in the prison

²⁸ and brought his head in a platter and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother.

²⁹ And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb.