Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

^7 (A)This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with ^(B)a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. ⁸ And the Lord said to me, ^(C)“Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

Amos Accused

¹⁰ Then Amaziah ^(H)the priest of Bethel sent to ^(I)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has ^(J)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. ¹¹ For thus Amos has said,

¹² And Amaziah said to Amos, ^(L)“O seer, go, flee away ^(M)to the land of Judah, and ^(N)eat bread there, and prophesy there, ¹³ but ^(O)never again prophesy at Bethel, for ^(P)it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

¹⁴ Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, ^(Q)“I was^[a] no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but ^(R)I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. ^15 (S)But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

^3 (A)Blessed be ^(B)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing ^(C)in the heavenly places, ^4 (D)even as he ^(E)chose us in him ^(F)before the foundation of the world, that we should be ^(G)holy and blameless before him. In love ^5 (H)he predestined us^[a] for ^(I)adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, ^(J)according to the purpose of his will, ^6 (K)to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in ^(L)the Beloved. ^7 (M)In him we have ^(N)redemption ^(O)through his blood, ^(P)the forgiveness of our trespasses, ^(Q)according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ^9 (R)making known^[b] to us the mystery of his will, ^(S)according to his purpose, which he ^(T)set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for ^(U)the fullness of time, ^(V)to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

¹¹ In him we have obtained ^(W)an inheritance, ^(X)having been predestined ^(Y)according to the purpose of him who works all things according to ^(Z)the counsel of his will, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be ^(AA)to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard ^(AB)the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, ^(AC)were sealed with the ^(AD)promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is ^(AE)the guarantee^[c] of our ^(AF)inheritance until ^(AG)we acquire ^(AH)possession of it,^{[d] (AI)}to the praise of his glory.

The Death of John the Baptist

^14 (A)King Herod heard of it, for Jesus'^[a] name had become known. Some^[b] said, ^(B)“John the Baptist^[c] has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” ^15 (C)But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is ^(D)a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” ^17 (E)For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and ^(F)bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. ^18 (G)For John had been saying to Herod, ^(H)“It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, ²⁰ for Herod ^(I)feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he ^(J)heard him gladly.

²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod ^(K)on his birthday ^(L)gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. ²² For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” ²³ And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, ^(M)up to half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” ²⁵ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's^[d] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his ^(N)disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.