the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
July 13 - Old & New Testament
csb
Amos 1,2,3
1 The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders[a](a) from Tekoa(b)—what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah,(c) king of Judah, and Jeroboam(d) son of Jehoash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.(e)
2 He said:
The
Lord
roars(f) from Zion
and raises His voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds mourn,[b](g)
and the summit of Carmel(h) withers.
Judgment on Israel's Neighbors
3 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Damascus(i)
for three crimes, even four,(j)
because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
4 Therefore, I will send fire against Hazael's palace,
and it will consume Ben-hadad's(k) citadels.
5 I will break down the gates[c](l) of Damascus.
I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven,
and the one who wields the scepter from Beth-eden.
The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir.(m)
The
Lord
has spoken.
6 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Gaza(n)
for three crimes, even four,
because they exiled a whole community,
handing them over to Edom.
7 Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Gaza,
and it will consume its citadels.
8 I will cut off the ruler from Ashdod,(o)
and the one who wields the scepter from Ashkelon.(p)
I will also turn My hand against Ekron,
and the remainder of the Philistines(q) will perish.
The Lord
God
has spoken.
9 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Tyre(r)
for three crimes, even four,
because they handed over
a whole community of exiles to Edom
and broke[d] a treaty of brotherhood.(s)
10 Therefore, I will send fire(t) against the walls of Tyre,
and it will consume its citadels.
11 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Edom(u)
for three crimes, even four,
because he pursued his brother with the sword.(v)
He stifled his compassion,
his anger tore at them(w) continually,
and he harbored his rage incessantly.
12 Therefore, I will send fire against Teman,(x)
and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.
13 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing the Ammonites(y)
for three crimes, even four,
because they ripped open
the pregnant women of Gilead(z)
in order to enlarge their territory.(aa)
14 Therefore, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah,(ab)
and it will consume its citadels.
There will be shouting on the day of battle(ac)
and a violent wind on the day of the storm.(ad)
15 Their king and his princes
will go into exile together.(ae)
The
Lord
has spoken.
1 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Moab(a)
for three crimes, even four,
because he burned the bones
of the king of Edom to lime.(b)
2 Therefore, I will send fire against Moab,
and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth.(c)
Moab will die with a tumult,(d)
with shouting and the sound of the ram's horn.
3 I will cut off the judge(e) from the land
and kill all its officials(f) with him.
The
Lord
has spoken.
Judgment on Judah
4 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Judah(g)
for three crimes, even four,
because they have rejected the instruction of the
Lord
(h)
and have not kept His statutes.(i)
The lies(j) that their ancestors followed(k)
have led them astray.
5 Therefore, I will send fire(l) against Judah,
and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.
Judgment on Israel
6 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Israel(m)
for three crimes, even four,
because they sell a righteous person for silver
and a needy person for a pair of sandals.(n)
7 They trample the heads of the poor(o)
on the dust of the ground
and block the path of the needy.(p)
A man and his father have sexual relations
with the same girl,(q)
profaning My holy name.(r)
8 They stretch out beside every altar(s)
on garments taken as collateral,(t)
and in the house of their God,
they drink wine obtained through fines.(u)
9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite(v) as Israel advanced;
his height(w) was like the cedars,
and he was as sturdy as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit(x) above and his roots beneath.
10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt(y)
and led you 40 years in the wilderness(z)
in order to possess the land of the Amorite.(aa)
11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets(ab)
and some of your young men as Nazirites.(ac)
Is this not the case, Israelites?
This is the
Lord
's declaration.
12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine
and commanded the prophets,
"Do not prophesy."(ad)
13 Look, I am about to crush[a] you in your place(ae)
as a wagon full of sheaves crushes grain.
14 Escape will fail the swift,(af)
the strong one will not prevail by his strength,(ag)
and the brave will not save his life.
15 The archer will not stand his ground,(ah)
the one who is swift of foot
will not save himself,
and the one riding a horse will not save his life.(ai)
16 Even the most courageous of the warriors
will flee naked on that day(aj)—
this is the
Lord
's declaration.
God's Reasons for Punishing Israel
1 Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, Israelites, against the entire clan that I brought from the land of Egypt:(a)
2 I have known only you(b)
out of all the clans of the earth;
therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.(c)
3 Can two walk together(d)
without agreeing to meet?[a]
4 Does a lion roar(e) in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from its lair
unless it has captured something?
5 Does a bird land in a trap on the ground
if there is no bait for it?
Does a trap spring from the ground
when it has caught nothing?
6 If a ram's horn(f) is blown in a city,
aren't people afraid?(g)
If a disaster(h) occurs in a city,
hasn't the
Lord
done it?(i)
7 Indeed, the Lord
God
does nothing
without revealing His counsel
to His servants the prophets.(j)
8 A lion has roared;(k)
who will not fear?
The Lord
God
has spoken;(l)
who will not prophesy?(m)
9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod(n)
and on the citadels in the land of Egypt:
Assemble on the mountains of Samaria(o)
and see the great turmoil in the city
and the acts of oppression within it.(p)
10 The people are incapable of doing right(q)—
this is the
Lord
's declaration—
those who store up violence and destruction(r)
in their citadels.
11 Therefore, the Lord God says:
An enemy(s) will surround the land;
he will destroy(t) your strongholds
and plunder your citadels.(u)
12 The Lord says:
As the shepherd snatches two legs
or a piece of an ear
from the lion's mouth,(v)
so the Israelites who live in Samaria
will be rescued
with only the corner of a bed(w)
or the[b] cushion[c] of a couch.[d](x)
13 Listen and testify(y) against the house of Jacob—
this is the declaration of the Lord
God
,
the God of Hosts.
14 I will punish the altars of Bethel(z)
on the day I punish Israel for its crimes;
the horns of the altar(aa) will be cut off
and fall to the ground.(ab)
15 I will demolish the winter house(ac)
and the summer house;(ad)
the houses inlaid with ivory(ae) will be destroyed,
and the great houses(af) will come to an end.
This is the
Lord
's declaration.
Acts 15:22-41
Chapter 15
22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas,(q) both leading men among the brothers. 23 They wrote this letter to be delivered by them:[f]
From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,
To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:(r)
Greetings.
24 Because we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us(s) and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,[g](t) 25 we have unanimously(u) decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives(v) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.[h] 28 For it was the Holy Spirit's decision—and ours—to put no greater burden on you than these necessary things:(w) 29 that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.(x) You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things.
Farewell.
The Outcome of the Jerusalem Letter
30 Then, being sent off, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. 31 When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and strengthened them with a long message.(y) 33 After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace(z) by the brothers to those who had sent them.[i][j] 35 But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the message of the Lord.(aa)
Paul and Barnabas Part Company
36 After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit the brothers in every town(ab) where we have preached the message of the Lord and see how they're doing." 37 Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark.[k] 38 But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. 39 There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark(ac) with him and sailed off to Cyprus. 40 Then Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.(ad) 41 He traveled through Syria(ae) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Dispute in Antioch1 Some men(a) came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised(b) according to the custom prescribed by Moses,(c) you cannot be saved!" 2 But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy.(d) 3 When they had been sent on their way by the church,(e) they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, explaining in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they created great joy among all the brothers.
4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.(f) 5 But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!"
The Jerusalem Council
6 Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: "Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,[a] that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving[b] the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us.(g) 9 He made no distinction between us and them,(h) cleansing their hearts by faith.(i) 10 Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples' necks(j) that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace(k) of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are."
12 Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.(l) 13 After they stopped speaking, James responded: "Brothers, listen to me! 14 Simeon[c] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name.(m) 15 And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16
After these things I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
I will rebuild its ruins
and set it up again,
17
so the rest of humanity
may seek the Lord—
even all the Gentiles
who are called by My name,
declares the Lord who does these things,
18
known from long ago.
[d](n)[e]
19 Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,(o) from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues."(p)
The Letter to the Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas,(q) both leading men among the brothers. 23 They wrote this letter to be delivered by them:[f]
From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,
To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:(r)
Greetings.
24 Because we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us(s) and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,[g](t) 25 we have unanimously(u) decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives(v) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.[h] 28 For it was the Holy Spirit's decision—and ours—to put no greater burden on you than these necessary things:(w) 29 that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.(x) You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things.
Farewell.
The Outcome of the Jerusalem Letter
30 Then, being sent off, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. 31 When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and strengthened them with a long message.(y) 33 After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace(z) by the brothers to those who had sent them.[i][j] 35 But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the message of the Lord.(aa)
Paul and Barnabas Part Company
36 After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit the brothers in every town(ab) where we have preached the message of the Lord and see how they're doing." 37 Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark.[k] 38 But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. 39 There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark(ac) with him and sailed off to Cyprus. 40 Then Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.(ad) 41 He traveled through Syria(ae) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
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