Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Help against Persecutors.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.
Judgment on Neighbor Nations
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepherders from (B)Tekoa, which he [a]envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of (C)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (D)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (E)earthquake.
2 He said,
“The (F)Lord roars from Zion
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ (G)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [b](H)summit of Carmel dries up.”
3 Thus says the Lord,
“For (I)three transgressions of (J)Damascus and for four
I will not [c]revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.
4 “So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael
And it will consume the citadels of (K)Ben-hadad.
5 “I will also (L)break the gate bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the [d]valley of Aven,
And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will go exiled to (M)Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (N)Gaza and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they deported an entire population
To (O)deliver it up to Edom.
7 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza
And it will consume her citadels.
8 “I will also cut off the inhabitant from (P)Ashdod,
And him who holds the scepter, from (Q)Ashkelon;
I will even [e]unleash My [f]power upon Ekron,
And the remnant of the (R)Philistines will perish,”
Says the Lord [g]God.
9 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (S)Tyre and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of [h](T)brotherhood.
10 “So I will (U)send fire upon the wall of Tyre
And it will consume her citadels.”
11 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (V)Edom and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he (W)pursued his brother with the sword,
While he [i]stifled his compassion;
His anger also (X)tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
12 “So I will send fire upon (Y)Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of the sons of (Z)Ammon and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (AA)ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to (AB)enlarge their borders.
14 “So I will kindle a fire on the wall of (AC)Rabbah
And it will consume her citadels
Amid [j](AD)war cries on the day of battle,
And a (AE)storm on the day of tempest.
15 “Their (AF)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah and Israel
2 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (AG)Moab and for four
I will not [k]revoke its punishment,
Because he (AH)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 “So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of (AI)Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid (AJ)tumult,
With [l]war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
3 “I will also cut off the [m](AK)judge from her midst
And slay all her (AL)princes with him,” says the Lord.
4 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (AM)Judah and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (AN)rejected the law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their [n](AO)lies also have led them astray,
Those after which their (AP)fathers walked.
5 “So I will (AQ)send fire upon Judah
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
6 (A)And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.
7 The first sounded, and there came (B)hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and (C)a third of the earth was burned up, and (D)a third of the (E)trees were burned up, and all the green (F)grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great (G)mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and (H)a third of the (I)sea became blood, 9 and (J)a third of the creatures which were in the sea [a]and had life, died; and a third of the (K)ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded, and a great star (L)fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a (M)third of the rivers and on the (N)springs of waters. 11 The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a (O)third of the waters became (P)wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded, and a (Q)third of the (R)sun and a third of the (S)moon and a (T)third of the (U)stars were struck, so that a (V)third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a (W)third of it, and the night in the same way.
13 Then I looked, and I heard [b]an eagle flying in (X)midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “(Y)Woe, woe, woe to (Z)those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the (AA)three angels who are about to sound!”
The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit
9 Then the (AB)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a (AC)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the (AD)key of the [c](AE)bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the [d]bottomless pit, and (AF)smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and (AG)the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came (AH)locusts [e]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the (AI)scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to (AJ)hurt the (AK)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the (AL)seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [f]they were not permitted to kill [g]anyone, but to torment for (AM)five months; and their torment was like the torment of a (AN)scorpion when it [h]stings a man. 6 And in those days (AO)men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7 The [i](AP)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their (AQ)teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the (AR)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like (AS)scorpions, and stings; and in their (AT)tails is their power to hurt men for (AU)five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the (AV)abyss; his name in (AW)Hebrew is [j](AX)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name [k]Apollyon.
12 (AY)The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.