Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Amos 7:1–9:15; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:1-3; and Proverbs 29:23. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Amos 7-9:15 (Contemporary English Version)
Amos 7
A Vision of Locusts
1The LORD God showed me that he is going to send locusts a] to attack your crops. It will happen after the king has already been given his share of the grain and before the rest of the grain has been harvested. b] 2In my vision the locusts ate every crop in the land, and I said to the LORD, "Forgive me for asking, but how can the nation survive? It's so weak." 3Then the LORD felt sorry and answered, "I won't let it be destroyed."
A Vision of Fire
4The LORD showed me that he is going to send a ball of fire to burn up everything on earth, including the ocean. 5Then I said, "Won't you please stop? How can our weak nation survive?" 6Again the LORD felt sorry and answered, "I won't let it be destroyed."
A Vision of a Measuring Line
7The LORD showed me a vision of himself standing beside a wall and holding a string with a weight tied to the end of it. The string and weight had been used to measure the straightness of the wall. 8Then he asked, "Amos, what do you see?" "A measuring line," I answered.
The LORD said, "I'm using this measuring line to show that my people Israel don't measure up, and I won't forgive them any more. 9Their sacred places will be destroyed, and I will send war against the nation of King Jeroboam." c]
The LORD said, "I'm using this measuring line to show that my people Israel don't measure up, and I won't forgive them any more. 9Their sacred places will be destroyed, and I will send war against the nation of King Jeroboam." c]
Amos and Amaziah
10Amaziah the priest at Bethel sent this message to King Jeroboam of Israel, "Amos is plotting against you in the very heart of Israel. Our nation cannot put up with his message for very long. 11Here is what he is saying: `Jeroboam will be put to death,
and the people will be taken
to a foreign country.' "
12Then Amaziah told me, "Amos, take your visions and get out! Go back to Judah and earn your living there as a prophet. 13Don't do any more preaching at Bethel. The king worships here at our national temple."
14I answered:
I'm not a prophet! And I wasn't trained to be a prophet. I am a shepherd, and I take care of fig trees. 15But the LORD told me to leave my herds and preach to the people of Israel. 16And here you are, telling me not to preach! 17Now, listen to what the LORD says about you:
Your wife will become
a prostitute in the city,
your sons and daughters
will be killed in war,
and your land will be divided
among others.
You will die in a country
of foreigners,
and the people of Israel
will be dragged
from their homeland.
and the people will be taken
to a foreign country.' "
12Then Amaziah told me, "Amos, take your visions and get out! Go back to Judah and earn your living there as a prophet. 13Don't do any more preaching at Bethel. The king worships here at our national temple."
14I answered:
I'm not a prophet! And I wasn't trained to be a prophet. I am a shepherd, and I take care of fig trees. 15But the LORD told me to leave my herds and preach to the people of Israel. 16And here you are, telling me not to preach! 17Now, listen to what the LORD says about you:
Your wife will become
a prostitute in the city,
your sons and daughters
will be killed in war,
and your land will be divided
among others.
You will die in a country
of foreigners,
and the people of Israel
will be dragged
from their homeland.
Amos 8
A Basket of Fruit
1The LORD God showed me a basket of ripe fruit 2and asked, "Amos, what do you see?" "A basket of ripe fruit," I replied.
Then he said,
"This is the end d] for my people Israel.
I won't forgive them again.
3Instead of singing
in the temple,
they will cry and weep.
Dead bodies will be everywhere.
So keep silent!
I, the LORD, have spoken!"
Then he said,
"This is the end d] for my people Israel.
I won't forgive them again.
3Instead of singing
in the temple,
they will cry and weep.
Dead bodies will be everywhere.
So keep silent!
I, the LORD, have spoken!"
Israel Is Doomed
The LORD said:
4You people crush those in need and wipe out the poor.
5You say to yourselves,
"How much longer before the end
of the New Moon Festival?
When will the Sabbath e] be over? Our wheat is ready,
and we want to sell it now.
We can't wait to cheat
and charge high prices
for the grain we sell.
We will use dishonest scales
6and mix dust in the grain.
Those who are needy and poor
don't have any money.
We will make them our slaves
for the price
of a pair of sandals."
7I, the LORD, won't forget
any of this,
though you take great pride
in your ancestor Jacob. f] 8Your country will tremble,
and you will mourn.
It will be like the Nile River
that rises and overflows,
then sinks back down.
9On that day, I, the LORD God,
will make the sun
go down at noon,
and I will turn daylight
into darkness.
10Your festivals and joyful singing
will turn into sorrow.
You will wear sackcloth g] and shave your heads,
as you would at the death
of your only son.
It will be a horrible day.
11I, the LORD, also promise you
a terrible shortage,
but not of food and water.
You will hunger and thirst
to hear my message.
12You will search everywhere--
from north to south,
from east to west.
You will go all over the earth,
seeking a message
from me, the LORD.
But you won't find one.
13Your beautiful young women
and your young men
will faint from thirst.
14You made promises
in the name of Ashimah,
the goddess of Samaria.
And you made vows in my name
at the shrines
of Dan and Beersheba. h] But you will fall
and never get up.
5You say to yourselves,
"How much longer before the end
of the New Moon Festival?
When will the Sabbath e] be over? Our wheat is ready,
and we want to sell it now.
We can't wait to cheat
and charge high prices
for the grain we sell.
We will use dishonest scales
6and mix dust in the grain.
Those who are needy and poor
don't have any money.
We will make them our slaves
for the price
of a pair of sandals."
7I, the LORD, won't forget
any of this,
though you take great pride
in your ancestor Jacob. f] 8Your country will tremble,
and you will mourn.
It will be like the Nile River
that rises and overflows,
then sinks back down.
9On that day, I, the LORD God,
will make the sun
go down at noon,
and I will turn daylight
into darkness.
10Your festivals and joyful singing
will turn into sorrow.
You will wear sackcloth g] and shave your heads,
as you would at the death
of your only son.
It will be a horrible day.
11I, the LORD, also promise you
a terrible shortage,
but not of food and water.
You will hunger and thirst
to hear my message.
12You will search everywhere--
from north to south,
from east to west.
You will go all over the earth,
seeking a message
from me, the LORD.
But you won't find one.
13Your beautiful young women
and your young men
will faint from thirst.
14You made promises
in the name of Ashimah,
the goddess of Samaria.
And you made vows in my name
at the shrines
of Dan and Beersheba. h] But you will fall
and never get up.
Amos 9
Judgment on Israel
1I saw a vision of the LORD standing by the temple altar, i] and he said,
"Shake the columns
until the tops fall loose,
and the doorposts crumble.
Then make the pieces fall
on the people below.
I will take a sword and kill
anyone who escapes.
2"If they dig deep into the earth
or climb to the sky,
I'll reach out and get them.
3If they escape to the peaks
of Mount Carmel,
I'll search and find them.
And if they hide from me
at the bottom of the ocean,
I'll command a sea monster
to bite them.
4I'll send a sword to kill them,
wherever their enemies
drag them off as captives.
I'm determined to hurt them,
not to help them."
"Shake the columns
until the tops fall loose,
and the doorposts crumble.
Then make the pieces fall
on the people below.
I will take a sword and kill
anyone who escapes.
2"If they dig deep into the earth
or climb to the sky,
I'll reach out and get them.
3If they escape to the peaks
of Mount Carmel,
I'll search and find them.
And if they hide from me
at the bottom of the ocean,
I'll command a sea monster
to bite them.
4I'll send a sword to kill them,
wherever their enemies
drag them off as captives.
I'm determined to hurt them,
not to help them."
His Name Is the LORD
5When the LORD God All-Powerful touches the earth,
it melts,
and its people mourn.
God makes the earth rise
and then fall,
just like the Nile River.
6He built his palace in the heavens
and let its foundations
rest on the earth. j] He scoops up the ocean
and empties it on the earth.
His name is the LORD.
it melts,
and its people mourn.
God makes the earth rise
and then fall,
just like the Nile River.
6He built his palace in the heavens
and let its foundations
rest on the earth. j] He scoops up the ocean
and empties it on the earth.
His name is the LORD.
The LORD Is God
7Israel, I am the LORD God, and the Ethiopians k] are no less important to me
than you are.
I brought you out of Egypt,
but I also brought
the Philistines from Crete l] and the Arameans from Kir. m] 8My eyes have seen
what a sinful nation you are,
and I'll wipe you out.
But I will leave a few
of Jacob's descendants.
I, the LORD, have spoken!
9At my command, all of you
will be sifted like grain.
Israelites who remain faithful
will be scattered
among the nations.
And the others will be trapped
like trash in a sifter.
10Some of you are evil,
and you deny
that you will ever get caught.
But you will be killed.
than you are.
I brought you out of Egypt,
but I also brought
the Philistines from Crete l] and the Arameans from Kir. m] 8My eyes have seen
what a sinful nation you are,
and I'll wipe you out.
But I will leave a few
of Jacob's descendants.
I, the LORD, have spoken!
9At my command, all of you
will be sifted like grain.
Israelites who remain faithful
will be scattered
among the nations.
And the others will be trapped
like trash in a sifter.
10Some of you are evil,
and you deny
that you will ever get caught.
But you will be killed.
The LORD's Promise to Israel
11In the future, I will rebuild David's fallen kingdom.
I will build it from its ruins
and set it up again,
just as it used to be.
12Then you will capture Edom
and the other nations
that are mine.
I, the LORD, have spoken,
and my words will come true.
13You will have such a harvest
that you won't be able
to bring in all of your wheat
before plowing time.
You will have grapes left over
from season to season;
your fruitful vineyards
will cover the mountains.
14I'll make Israel prosper again.
You will rebuild your towns
and live in them.
You will drink wine
from your own vineyards
and eat the fruit you grow.
15I'll plant your roots deep
in the land I have given you,
and you won't ever
be uprooted again.
I, the LORD God, have spoken!
Footnotes:- Amos 7:1 locusts: See the note at 4.9.
- Amos 7:1 harvested: This would have been an especially bad time for a locust attack. The non-grain crops such as vegetables and onions were just beginning to sprout, and the grain crops were almost ready to be harvested.
- Amos 7:9 Jeroboam: Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel 783-743 B.C.
- Amos 8:2 end: In Hebrew "ripe fruit" and "end" sound alike.
- Amos 8:5 New Moon Festival. . . Sabbath: Selling grain at these times was forbidden by the Law of Moses.
- Amos 8:7 though. . . Jacob: Or "though I am the God that Jacob proudly worshiped."
- Amos 8:10 sackcloth: A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.
- Amos 8:14 You made. . . Beersheba: Or "You made promises to the goddess Ashimah at Samaria, and you made vows in the names of other gods at the shrines of Dan and Beersheba."
- Amos 9:1 the temple altar: The one at Bethel.
- Amos 9:6 He built. . . earth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Amos 9:7 Ethiopians: The Hebrew text has "people of Cush," which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
- Amos 9:7 Crete: Hebrew "Caphtor."
- Amos 9:7 Philistines. . . Arameans from Kir: The Philistines were Israel's enemies to the west, and the Arameans were enemies to the northeast. For Kir, see the note at 1.5.
I will build it from its ruins
and set it up again,
just as it used to be.
12Then you will capture Edom
and the other nations
that are mine.
I, the LORD, have spoken,
and my words will come true.
13You will have such a harvest
that you won't be able
to bring in all of your wheat
before plowing time.
You will have grapes left over
from season to season;
your fruitful vineyards
will cover the mountains.
14I'll make Israel prosper again.
You will rebuild your towns
and live in them.
You will drink wine
from your own vineyards
and eat the fruit you grow.
15I'll plant your roots deep
in the land I have given you,
and you won't ever
be uprooted again.
I, the LORD God, have spoken!
Footnotes:
- Amos 7:1 locusts: See the note at 4.9.
- Amos 7:1 harvested: This would have been an especially bad time for a locust attack. The non-grain crops such as vegetables and onions were just beginning to sprout, and the grain crops were almost ready to be harvested.
- Amos 7:9 Jeroboam: Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel 783-743 B.C.
- Amos 8:2 end: In Hebrew "ripe fruit" and "end" sound alike.
- Amos 8:5 New Moon Festival. . . Sabbath: Selling grain at these times was forbidden by the Law of Moses.
- Amos 8:7 though. . . Jacob: Or "though I am the God that Jacob proudly worshiped."
- Amos 8:10 sackcloth: A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.
- Amos 8:14 You made. . . Beersheba: Or "You made promises to the goddess Ashimah at Samaria, and you made vows in the names of other gods at the shrines of Dan and Beersheba."
- Amos 9:1 the temple altar: The one at Bethel.
- Amos 9:6 He built. . . earth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Amos 9:7 Ethiopians: The Hebrew text has "people of Cush," which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
- Amos 9:7 Crete: Hebrew "Caphtor."
- Amos 9:7 Philistines. . . Arameans from Kir: The Philistines were Israel's enemies to the west, and the Arameans were enemies to the northeast. For Kir, see the note at 1.5.
Revelation 3:7-22 (Contemporary English Version)
The Letter to Philadelphia
7This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: I am the one who is holy and true, and I have the keys that belonged to David. a] When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say. 8I know everything you have done. And I have placed before you an open door that no one can close. You were not very strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny that you are my followers. b] 9Now you will see what I will do with those people who belong to Satan's group. They claim to be Jews, but they are liars. I will make them come and kneel down at your feet. Then they will know that I love you. 10You obeyed my message and endured. So I will protect you from the time of testing that everyone in all the world must go through. 11I am coming soon. So hold firmly to what you have, and no one will take away the crown that you will be given as your reward.
12Everyone who wins the victory will be made into a pillar in the temple of my God, and they will stay there forever. I will write on each of them the name of my God and the name of his city. It is the new Jerusalem that my God will send down from heaven. I will also write on them my own new name.
13If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
12Everyone who wins the victory will be made into a pillar in the temple of my God, and they will stay there forever. I will write on each of them the name of my God and the name of his city. It is the new Jerusalem that my God will send down from heaven. I will also write on them my own new name.
13If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Letter to Laodicea
14This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: I am the one called Amen! c] I am the faithful and true witness and the source d] of God's creation. Listen to what I say. 15I know everything you have done, and you are not cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other. 16But since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17You claim to be rich and successful and to have everything you need. But you don't know how bad off you are. You are pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
18Buy your gold from me. It has been refined in a fire, and it will make you rich. Buy white clothes from me. Wear them and you can cover up your shameful nakedness. Buy medicine for your eyes, so that you will be able to see.
19I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins. 20Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together. 21Everyone who wins the victory will sit with me on my throne, just as I won the victory and sat with my Father on his throne.
22If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Footnotes:- Revelation 3:7 the keys that belonged to David: The keys stand for authority over David's kingdom.
- Revelation 3:8 did not deny that you are my followers: Or "did not say evil things about me."
- Revelation 3:14 Amen: Meaning "Trustworthy."
- Revelation 3:14 source: Or "beginning."
18Buy your gold from me. It has been refined in a fire, and it will make you rich. Buy white clothes from me. Wear them and you can cover up your shameful nakedness. Buy medicine for your eyes, so that you will be able to see.
19I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins. 20Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together. 21Everyone who wins the victory will sit with me on my throne, just as I won the victory and sat with my Father on his throne.
22If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Footnotes:
- Revelation 3:7 the keys that belonged to David: The keys stand for authority over David's kingdom.
- Revelation 3:8 did not deny that you are my followers: Or "did not say evil things about me."
- Revelation 3:14 Amen: Meaning "Trustworthy."
- Revelation 3:14 source: Or "beginning."
Psalm 131:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 131
(A song by David for worship.)
Trust the LORD!
1I am not conceited, LORD, and I don't waste my time
on impossible schemes.
2But I have learned to feel safe
and satisfied,
just like a young child
on its mother's lap.
3People of Israel,
you must trust the LORD
now and forever.
on impossible schemes.
2But I have learned to feel safe
and satisfied,
just like a young child
on its mother's lap.
3People of Israel,
you must trust the LORD
now and forever.
Proverbs 29:23 (Contemporary English Version)
23Too much pride brings disgrace;
humility leads to honor.
humility leads to honor.
Thought for the Day
“But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children.” (Galatians 4:4-5 - Contemporary English Version) Through Jesus Christ, we've been set free from the Law. In other words, our relationship with God is based on his love and not our obedience. Now, that's good news.
Quote for the Day
“But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children.” (Galatians 4:4-5 - Contemporary English Version) Through Jesus Christ, we've been set free from the Law. In other words, our relationship with God is based on his love and not our obedience. Now, that's good news.
American author of gothic fiction, Christian literature, and erotic literature, Anne Rice wrote, "Invest in a feather duster - the possibilities are endless."
Joke for Today
A woman got on a bus holding a baby. The bus driver said: "That's the ugliest baby I've ever seen." In a huff, the woman slammed her fare into the fare box and took an aisle seat near the rear of the bus.
The man seated next to her sensed that she was agitated and asked her what was wrong.
"The bus driver insulted me." she fumed.
The man sympathized and said: "Why, he's a public servant and shouldn't say things to insult passengers."
You're right." She said. "I think I'll go back up there and give him a piece of my mind."
"That's a good idea." the man said. "Here, let me hold your monkey."
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That nations work to secure and enhance international peace.
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