AMOS 1

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Judgment on Neighbor Nations  1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

2 He said,

“The LORD roars from Zion

And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;

And the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn,

And the summit of Carmel dries up.”

3 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of Damascus and for four

I will not 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 Ben-hadad.

5 “I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,

And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven,

And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;

So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir,”

Says the LORD.

6 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of Gaza and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they deported an entire population

To 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 Ashdod,

And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon;

I will even unleash My power upon Ekron,

And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,”

Says the Lord GOD.

9 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of 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 brotherhood.

10 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre

And it will consume her citadels.”

11 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of Edom and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because he pursued his brother with the sword,

While he stifled his compassion;

His anger also tore continually,

And he maintained his fury forever.

12 “So I will send fire upon Teman

And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”

13 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead

In order to enlarge their borders.

14 “So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah

And it will consume her citadels

Amid war cries on the day of battle,

And a storm on the day of tempest.

15 “Their king will go into exile,

He and his princes together,” says the LORD.

AMOS 2

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Judgment on Judah and Israel  2:1 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of Moab and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because he 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 Kerioth;

And Moab will die amid tumult,

With war cries and the sound of a trumpet.

3 “I will also cut off the judge from her midst

And slay all her princes with him,” says the LORD.

4 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of Judah and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they rejected the law of the LORD

And have not kept His statutes;

Their lies also have led them astray,

Those after which their fathers walked.

5 “So I will send fire upon Judah

And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”

6 Thus says the LORD,

“For three transgressions of Israel and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they sell the righteous for money

And the needy for a pair of sandals.

7 “These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless

Also turn aside the way of the humble;

And a man and his father resort to the same girl

In order to profane My holy name.

8 “On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar,

And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,

Though his height was like the height of cedars

And he was strong as the oaks;

I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below.

10 “It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,

And I led you in the wilderness forty years

That you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.

11 “Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets

And some of your young men to be Nazirites.

Is this not so, O sons of Israel?” declares the LORD.

12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,

And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’

13 “Behold, I am weighted down beneath you

As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves.

14 “Flight will perish from the swift,

And the stalwart will not strengthen his power,

Nor the mighty man save his life.

15 “He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground,

The swift of foot will not escape,

Nor will he who rides the horse save his life.

16 “Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day,” declares the LORD.

AMOS 3

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All the Tribes Are Guilty  3:1 Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt:

2 “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth;

Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?

4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?

Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?

5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it?

Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?

6 If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?

If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?

7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing

Unless He reveals His secret counsel

To His servants the prophets.

8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear?

The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

    9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst. 10 But they do not know how to do what is right,” declares the LORD, “these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels.”
    11 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

“An enemy, even one surrounding the land,

Will pull down your strength from you

And your citadels will be looted.”

12 Thus says the LORD,

“Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,

So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away--

With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch!

13 “Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”

Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts.

14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,

I will also punish the altars of Bethel;

The horns of the altar will be cut off

And they will fall to the ground.

15 “I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house;

The houses of ivory will also perish

And the great houses will come to an end,”

Declares the LORD.

PROVERBS 9

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Wisdom’s Invitation9:1 Wisdom has built her house,

She has hewn out her seven pillars;

2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;

She has also set her table;

3 She has sent out her maidens, she calls

From the tops of the heights of the city:

4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”

To him who lacks understanding she says,

5 “Come, eat of my food

And drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 “Forsake your folly and live,

And proceed in the way of understanding.”

7 He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,

And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,

Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,

Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For by me your days will be multiplied,

And years of life will be added to you.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

13 The woman of folly is boisterous,

She is naive and knows nothing.

14 She sits at the doorway of her house,

On a seat by the high places of the city,

15 Calling to those who pass by,

Who are making their paths straight:

16 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”

And to him who lacks understanding she says,

17 “Stolen water is sweet;

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

18 But he does not know that the dead are there,

That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

PSALM 144

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Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.A Psalm of David.
144:1 Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

Who trains my hands for war,

And my fingers for battle;

2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,

My stronghold and my deliverer,

My shield and He in whom I take refuge,

Who subdues my people under me.

3 O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?

Or the son of man, that You think of him?

4 Man is like a mere breath;

His days are like a passing shadow.

5 Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;

Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.

6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;

Send out Your arrows and confuse them.

7 Stretch forth Your hand from on high;

Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,

Out of the hand of aliens

8 Whose mouths speak deceit,

And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;

Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,

10 Who gives salvation to kings,

Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.

11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens,

Whose mouth speaks deceit

And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants,

And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace;

13 Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,

And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;

14 Let our cattle bear

Without mishap and without loss,

Let there be no outcry in our streets!

15 How blessed are the people who are so situated;

How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!