Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing [a]by a [b]vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “(A)What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold I am about to put a (B)plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel.
I will [c](C)spare them no longer.
9 “The (D)high places of Isaac will be desolated
And the (E)sanctuaries of Israel laid waste.
Then I will (F)rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused, Answers
10 Then Amaziah, the (G)priest of Bethel, sent word to (H)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has (I)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11 For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “(J)Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! 13 But (K)no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a (L)sanctuary of the king and a royal [d]residence.”
14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the (M)son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a [e]grower of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from [f]following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go (N)prophesy to My people Israel.’
8 [a]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will (A)speak peace to His people, [b]to His godly ones;
But let them not (B)turn back to [c]folly.
9 Surely (C)His salvation is near to those who [d]fear Him,
That (D)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (E)Lovingkindness and [e]truth have met together;
(F)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 [f]Truth (G)springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, (H)the Lord will give what is good,
And our (I)land will yield its produce.
13 (J)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
3 (A)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in (B)the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as (C)He chose us in Him before (D)the foundation of the world, that we would be (E)holy and blameless before [a]Him. (F)In love 5 [b]He (G)predestined us to (H)adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, (I)according to the [c]kind intention of His will, 6 (J)to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in (K)the Beloved. 7 (L)In [d]Him we have (M)redemption (N)through His blood, the (O)forgiveness of our trespasses, according to (P)the riches of His grace 8 which He [e]lavished on [f]us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He [g](Q)made known to us the mystery of His will, (R)according to His [h]kind intention which He (S)purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration [i]suitable to (T)the fullness of the times, that is, (U)the summing up of all things in Christ, things [j]in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 [k]also we [l](V)have obtained an inheritance, having been (W)predestined (X)according to His purpose who works all things (Y)after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in [m]Christ would be (Z)to the praise of His glory. 13 In [n]Him, you also, after listening to (AA)the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also [o]believed, you were (AB)sealed in [p]Him with (AC)the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is [q](AD)given as a pledge of (AE)our inheritance, with a view to the (AF)redemption of (AG)God’s own possession, (AH)to the praise of His glory.
John’s Fate Recalled
14 (A)And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “(B)John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15 But others were saying, “He is (C)Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is (D)a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”
17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of (E)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “(F)It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 (G)Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20 for (H)Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; [a]but he [b]used to enjoy listening to him. 21 A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday (I)gave a banquet for his lords and [c]military commanders and the leading men (J)of Galilee; 22 and when the daughter of (K)Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and [d]his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to (L)half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 Immediately she came in a hurry 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 although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of [e]his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded 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 disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.
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