Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 Thus He showed me; and, hinei, Hashem stood upon a chomah (wall) made with a plumb line, and a plumb line in His hand.
8 And Hashem said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line. Then said Hashem, Hineni, I will set a plumb line in the midst of My people Yisroel; I will not again pass by them [and spare them] anymore;
9 And the high places of Yitzchak shall be desolate, and the mikdeshei Yisroel (i.e., heathen sanctuaries) shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the Bais Yarov‘am with the cherev.
10 Then Amatzyah the kohen of Beit-El sent to Yarov‘am Melech Yisroel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of Bais Yisroel; the land is not able to bear all his words.
11 For thus Amos saith, Yarov‘am shall die by the cherev, and Yisroel shall surely be led away into the golus out of their own land.
12 Also Amatzyah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into Eretz Yehudah, and there eat lechem, and prophesy there:
13 But prophesy not again any more at Beit-El; for it is the Mikdash Melech, and it is the Bais Mamlachah.
14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amatzyah, I was no navi, neither was I a ben navi; but I was a herder, and a dresser of sycamore-fig trees;
15 And Hashem took me as I followed the tzon, and Hashem said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people Yisroel.
8 (9) I will hear what HaEl Hashem will say; for He will speak shalom unto His people, and to His Chasidim; but let them not turn again to folly.
9 (10) Surely His salvation is karov (near) them that fear Him; that kavod may dwell in Artzeinu (our land).
10 (11) Chesed and emes will meet together; tzedek and shalom will kiss each other.
11 (12) Emes shall titzmach (sprout forth [T.N. Tzemach—Branch, Sprout—is the code name for Moshiach and the coming Tzemach’s Namesake in Zecharyah 6:11-12 is Yehoshua, Yeshua—see Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; 6:11-12. Go to Jer 23:5 and look at all the references. These are among the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it is here that the saving Name of Moshiach Tzidkeinu is prophetically communicated for salvation; the word Tzemach means “Moshiach” and it is the code word par excellence for Moshiach in the post-Exilic references in the minor prophets; this veiled reference to Moshiach was necessary in the situation of the Return under Persian rule when talk of a coming king was a delicate matter.]) out of ha’aretz; and tzedek shall look down from Shomayim.
12 (13) Yes, Hashem shall give that which is tov; and Artzeinu (our land) shall yield her yevul (increase, produce).
13 (14) Tzedek shall go before Him; and shall set us in the Derech of His steps.
3 Baruch hu Adonoi Avi Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, who has bestowed on us every birkat hanefesh in Shomayim in Moshiach,
4 Just as He picked us out to be part of Hashem’s Bechirim (Chosen Ones) before the hivvased tevel (foundation of the world), that we should be Kadoshim and without mum (defect, VAYIKRA 22:20) before Him in ahavah: [VAYIKRA 11:44; 20:7; SHMUEL BAIS 22:24; TEHILLIM 15:2]
5 Having provided the yi’ud merosh (predestination) for us to be chosen as adopted bnei brit through Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to Himself, according to the chafetz (good pleasure) of His ratzon (will),
6 To the tehilat kavod of the Chen v’Chesed Hashem of Him (to the praise of the glory of His grace) by which Hashem freely favored us in the Moshiach HaAhuv.
7 In Him we have the pedut (redemption, Geulah release on payment of ransom) through the [kapporah] dahm of Moshiach [YESHAYAH 53:10-12; DANIEL 9:26; BAMIDBAR 19:20], the selichat chatoteinu (forgiveness of our sins), according to the osher (wealth) of His Chen v’Chesed Hashem (grace of G-d);
8 Which He lavished upon us,
9 In all chochmah (wisdom) and binah (understanding), having made hisgalus (revelation) to us of the sod of His ratzon (mystery of His will), His chafetz (good pleasure), according to the etza (counsel, plan of G-d) which Hashem set forth in Moshiach:
10 For a pekudat Hashem (stewardship of G-d), a plan for the fullness of time, gathering up all things in Moshiach, both the things in Shomayim and the things on Ha’Aretz in Him.
11 In Moshiach we have also obtained a nachalah (allotted inheritance, TEHILLIM 16:5-6), having been predestined according to the tochnit Hashem (purposeful and willed plan of G-d), who works all things after the counsel of His ratzon,
12 To the end that we who were Rishonim to have tikvah in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach should be to the tehilat kavod (praise of glory) of Him.
13 In Moshiach you also, having heard the message of HaEmes, the Besuras HaGeulah of Yeshu’at Eloheinu which is yours, having also come to emunah, received your chotam (seal) in Moshiach with the Ruach Hakodesh of havtachah (promise),
14 Who is bestowed as an eravon (pledge) of our nachalah (allotted inheritance, TEHILLIM 16:5-6), with a view to the Geulah of Hashem’s own possession, to the tehilat kavod (praise of glory) of Him.
14 And Herod the king heard of it, for the name of Yehoshua had become bavust (famous), and some were saying, Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva has been made to stand up alive from [the] mesim, and for this reason the nissim (miracles) are at work in him.
15 But others were saying, It is Eliyahu HaNavi. Still others were saying, He is a navi, like one of the neviim of old. [MALACHI 4:5]
16 But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, Yochanan whom I beheaded has stood up alive from the mesim!
17 For Herod himself had sent and had Yochanan arrested and bound in the beis hasohar, on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip, for he had married her.
18 But Yochanan was saying to Herod, It is not mutar according to the Torah for you to have your brother’s wife. [VAYIKRA 18:16, 20:21]
19 And Herodias bore a grudge against Yochanan and desired to kill him. But she could not.
20 For Herod feared Yochanan, knowing him [to be] a tzaddik and kadosh, and Herod was protecting Yochanan. And when Herod heard Yochanan, he was greatly disturbed, and [yet] gladly Herod was listening to Yochanan.
21 And, an opportune day having come, when Herod, on his yom huledet (birthday), gave a mishteh for the court of his nobles, and the military commanders, and those of chashivut (prominence) of the Galil, [ESTHER 1:3, 2:18]
22 And when his daughter entered and danced, she pleased Herod and the ones reclining at the seudah with him. And the king said to the girl, Ask me whatever you wish and I will give [it] to you.
23 And he made a shevuah (oath) to her solemnly, Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my Malchut. [ESTHER 5:3,6; 7:2]
24 And having gone out, she said to her mother, What should I ask [for]? And her mother said, The rosh Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva.
25 And having entered, ofen ort, with haste before the king, she made a request, saying, You may give to me upon a platter the rosh Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva.
26 And having become very sad, the king, on account of his shevuah and on account of the ones reclining at the seudah [with him], was unwilling to refuse her.
27 And, ofen ort, the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring the rosh Yochanan. And having left, the executioner beheaded Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva in the beit hasohar.
28 And he brought the rosh Yochanan upon a platter and gave it to the young girl, and the young girl gave it to her mother.
29 And, having heard this, Yochanan’s talmidim came and carried away his geviyah (body) and placed it in a kever (grave).
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