Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Special Dream about a String
7 This is what He showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall made straight by a string held in His hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A string.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am about to put a straight string among my people Israel. I will not change My mind again about punishing them. 9 The high places of Isaac will be destroyed. The holy places of Israel will be laid waste. Then I will rise up against the people of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos and Amaziah
10 Then Amaziah, the religious leader of Bethel, sent word to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has made plans against you among the people of Israel. His words will destroy the land. 11 For this is what Amos is saying: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and the people of Israel will be taken away from their own land to a strange land.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you who tell what is going to happen in the future! Run away to the land of Judah! There eat your bread, and there speak your words! 13 But never speak about your special dreams again at Bethel. For it is a holy place of the king, a place where the nation worships.”
14 Amos answered Amaziah, saying, “I am not a man who tells what is going to happen in the future, or the son of such a man. I take care of sheep and cattle, and grow fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go and speak in My name to My people Israel.’ 16 So now hear the Word of the Lord. You are saying, ‘Do not speak against Israel or preach against the people of Isaac.’ 17 So this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will sell the use of her body in the city. Your sons and daughters will be killed by the sword. Your land will be divided and given to others. You yourself will die in an unclean land. And Israel will be driven away from this land to a strange country.’”
God’s Rule
82 God takes His stand in the great meeting of His people. He judges among the rulers. 2 How long will you rulers be wrong in how you judge? How long will you show favor to the sinful? 3 Do the right thing for the weak and those without a father. Stand up for the rights of those who are suffering and in need. 4 Save the weak and those in need. Set them free from the hand of the sinful.
5 They know nothing; they understand nothing. They walk around in the dark. All that the earth is built upon is shaking. 6 I said, “You are gods. You are all sons of the Most High. 7 But you will die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”
8 Rise up, O God! Say who is guilty or not guilty upon the earth! For all the nations belong to You.
Paul Gives Thanks for the Christians in Colossae
1 This letter is from Paul, a missionary for Jesus Christ. God wanted me to work for Him. This letter is from brother Timothy also. 2 I am writing to you who belong to Christ in the city of Colossae. May all the Christian brothers there have loving-favor and peace from God our Father.
3 We always pray and give thanks to God for you. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We give thanks to God for you because we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. We thank God for your love for all those who belong to Christ. 5 We thank God for the hope that is being kept for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope through the Good News which is the Word of Truth. 6 The Good News came to you the same as it is now going out to all the world. Lives are being changed, just as your life was changed the day you heard the Good News. You understood the truth about God’s loving-kindness. 7 You heard the Good News through our much-loved brother Epaphras who is taking my place. He is a faithful servant of Christ. 8 He told us that the Holy Spirit had given you much love.
9 This is why I have never stopped praying for you since I heard about you. I ask God that you may know what He wants you to do. I ask God to fill you with the wisdom and understanding the Holy Spirit gives. 10 Then your lives will please the Lord. You will do every kind of good work, and you will know more about God. 11 I pray that God’s great power will make you strong, and that you will have joy as you wait and do not give up. 12 I pray that you will be giving thanks to the Father. He has made it so you could share the good things given to those who belong to Christ who are in the light. 13 God took us out of a life of darkness. He has put us in the holy nation of His much-loved Son. 14 We have been bought by His blood and made free. Our sins are forgiven through Him.
Jesus Talks to the Man Who Knew the Law
25 A man stood up who knew the Law and tried to trap Jesus. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to have life that lasts forever?” 26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? What does the Law say?” 27 The man said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. You must love Him with all your soul. You must love Him with all your strength. You must love Him with all your mind. You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 28 Jesus said to him, “You have said the right thing. Do this and you will have life.” 29 The man tried to make himself look good. He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
The Picture-Story of the Good Samaritan
30 Jesus said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to the city of Jericho. Robbers came out after him. They took his clothes off and beat him. Then they went away, leaving him almost dead. 31 A religious leader was walking down that road and saw the man. But he went by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a man from the family group of Levi was walking down that road. When he saw the man who was hurt, he came near to him but kept on going on the other side of the road. 33 Then a man from the country of Samaria came by. He went up to the man. As he saw him, he had loving-pity on him. 34 He got down and put oil and wine on the places where he was hurt and put cloth around them. Then the man from Samaria put this man on his own donkey. He took him to a place where people stay for the night and cared for him. 35 The next day the man from Samaria was ready to leave. He gave the owner of that place two pieces of money to care for him. He said to him, ‘Take care of this man. If you use more than this, I will give it to you when I come again.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was beaten by the robbers?” 37 The man who knew the Law said, “The one who showed loving-pity on him.” Then Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
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