The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday December 10, 2017 (NIV)

Amos 1-3

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)

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

The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Damascus(I)
for three crimes, even four,(J)
because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
Therefore, I will send fire against Hazael’s palace,
and it will consume Ben-hadad’s(K) citadels.
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.

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.
Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Gaza,
and it will consume its citadels.
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.

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.

The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Moab(AF)
for three crimes, even four,
because he burned the bones
of the king of Edom to lime.(AG)
Therefore, I will send fire against Moab,
and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth.(AH)
Moab will die with a tumult,(AI)
with shouting and the sound of the ram’s horn.
I will cut off the judge(AJ) from the land
and kill all its officials(AK) with him.
The Lord has spoken.

Judgment on Judah

The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Judah(AL)
for three crimes, even four,
because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord(AM)
and have not kept His statutes.(AN)
The lies(AO) that their ancestors followed(AP)
have led them astray.
Therefore, I will send fire(AQ) against Judah,
and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.

Judgment on Israel

The Lord says:

I will not relent from punishing Israel(AR)
for three crimes, even four,
because they sell a righteous person for silver
and a needy person for a pair of sandals.(AS)
They trample the heads of the poor(AT)
on the dust of the ground
and block the path of the needy.(AU)
A man and his father have sexual relations
with the same girl,(AV)
profaning My holy name.(AW)
They stretch out beside every altar(AX)
on garments taken as collateral,(AY)
and in the house of their God,
they drink wine obtained through fines.(AZ)

Yet I destroyed the Amorite(BA) as Israel advanced;
his height(BB) was like the cedars,
and he was as sturdy as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit(BC) above and his roots beneath.
10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt(BD)
and led you 40 years in the wilderness(BE)
in order to possess the land of the Amorite.(BF)
11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets(BG)
and some of your young men as Nazirites.(BH)
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.”(BI)
13 Look, I am about to crush[e] you in your place(BJ)
as a wagon full of sheaves crushes grain.
14 Escape will fail the swift,(BK)
the strong one will not prevail by his strength,(BL)
and the brave will not save his life.
15 The archer will not stand his ground,(BM)
the one who is swift of foot
will not save himself,
and the one riding a horse will not save his life.(BN)
16 Even the most courageous of the warriors
will flee naked on that day(BO)
this is the Lord’s declaration.

God’s Reasons for Punishing Israel

Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, Israelites, against the entire clan that I brought from the land of Egypt:(BP)

I have known only you(BQ)
out of all the clans of the earth;
therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.(BR)
Can two walk together(BS)
without agreeing to meet?[f]
Does a lion roar(BT) in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from its lair
unless it has captured something?
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?
If a ram’s horn(BU) is blown in a city,
aren’t people afraid?(BV)
If a disaster(BW) occurs in a city,
hasn’t the Lord done it?(BX)
Indeed, the Lord God does nothing
without revealing His counsel
to His servants the prophets.(BY)
A lion has roared;(BZ)
who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;(CA)
who will not prophesy?(CB)

Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod(CC)
and on the citadels in the land of Egypt:
Assemble on the mountains of Samaria(CD)
and see the great turmoil in the city
and the acts of oppression within it.(CE)
10 The people are incapable of doing right(CF)
this is the Lord’s declaration—
those who store up violence and destruction(CG)
in their citadels.

11 Therefore, the Lord God says:

An enemy(CH) will surround the land;
he will destroy(CI) your strongholds
and plunder your citadels.(CJ)

12 The Lord says:

As the shepherd snatches two legs
or a piece of an ear
from the lion’s mouth,(CK)
so the Israelites who live in Samaria
will be rescued
with only the corner of a bed(CL)
or the[g] cushion[h] of a couch.[i](CM)

13 Listen and testify(CN) 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(CO)
on the day I punish Israel for its crimes;
the horns of the altar(CP) will be cut off
and fall to the ground.(CQ)
15 I will demolish the winter house(CR)
and the summer house;(CS)
the houses inlaid with ivory(CT) will be destroyed,
and the great houses(CU) will come to an end.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

Footnotes:

  1. Amos 1:1 Or the shepherds
  2. Amos 1:2 Or dry up
  3. Amos 1:5 Lit gate bars
  4. Amos 1:9 Lit and did not remember
  5. Amos 2:13 Or hinder; Hb obscure
  6. Amos 3:3 LXX reads without meeting
  7. Amos 3:12 Or Israelites will be rescued, those who sit in Samaria on a corner of a bed or a
  8. Amos 3:12 Hb obscure
  9. Amos 3:12 LXX, Aq, Sym, Theod, Syr, Tg, Vg read or in Damascus

Cross references:

  1. 1:1 : 2Kg 3:4; Am 7:14-15
  2. 1:1 : 2Sm 14:2; Jr 6:1
  3. 1:1 : 2Kg 15:1-7; 2Ch 26:1-23; Is 1:1; Hs 1:1
  4. 1:1 : 2Kg 14:23-29
  5. 1:1 : Zch 14:5
  6. 1:2 : Is 42:13; Jr 25:30; Jl 3:16; Am 3:8
  7. 1:2 : Is 24:4-7; Jr 12:4; 23:10; Jl 1:10, 18-19
  8. 1:2 : Am 9:3
  9. 1:3 : Is 17:1-3
  10. 1:3 : Pr 30:15-29; Am 2:1, 4, 6
  11. 1:4 : 2Kg 8:11-15; 13:3, 22, 24
  12. 1:5 : Gn 22:17; Neh 1:3; Lm 2:9; Hs 11:6; Nah 3:13
  13. 1:5 : 2Kg 16:9; Am 9:7
  14. 1:6 : Jr 47:1, 4-5; Ezk 25:15-17
  15. 1:8 : 2Ch 26:6; Am 3:9; Zch 9:6
  16. 1:8 : Jr 47:5; Zph 2:4
  17. 1:8 : Is 14:29-31; Ezk 25:16
  18. 1:9 : Is 23; Ezk 26:1–28:19
  19. 1:9 : 1Kg 5:1, 12; 9:11-14
  20. 1:10 : Zch 9:4
  21. 1:11 : Jr 49:8-22; Ezk 25:12-14
  22. 1:11 : Nm 20:14; Dt 2:4; 23:7; Ob 10-14
  23. 1:11 : Gn 37:33; Ps 7:2; Hs 5:14
  24. 1:12 : Jr 49:7, 20
  25. 1:13 : Jr 49:1-6; Ezk 25:1-7; Zph 2:8-11
  26. 1:13 : 2Kg 8:12; 15:16; Hs 13:16
  27. 1:13 : Is 5:8; Ezk 35:10
  28. 1:14 : 1Ch 20:1; Jr 49:2
  29. 1:14 : Ezk 21:22; Am 2:2
  30. 1:14 : Is 29:6; 30:30
  31. 1:15 : Jr 49:3
  32. 2:1 : Is 15–16; Jr 48; Ezk 25:8-11
  33. 2:1 : Lv 20:14; 21:9
  34. 2:2 : Jr 48:24, 41
  35. 2:2 : Jr 48:45
  36. 2:3 : Ps 2:10; 141:6
  37. 2:3 : Jb 12:21; Is 40:23
  38. 2:4 : 2Kg 17:19; Hs 2:12; Am 3:2
  39. 2:4 : Jdg 2:17-20; 2Kg 22:11-17; Jr 6:19; 8:9
  40. 2:4 : Jr 44:10; Ezk 5:7
  41. 2:4 : Is 9:15-16; Jr 11:10-13; 23:14, 21-22
  42. 2:4 : Jr 9:14; 16:11-12; Ezk 20:18, 24, 30
  43. 2:5 : Jr 17:27; 21:10
  44. 2:6 : 2Kg 18:12
  45. 2:6 : Dt 16:18-20; Am 5:12; 8:6
  46. 2:7 : Am 5:11; 8:4; Mc 2:2, 9
  47. 2:7 : Jb 24:4
  48. 2:7 : Hs 4:14
  49. 2:7 : Lv 18:21; Pr 30:9; Ezk 36:20-23
  50. 2:8 : Am 3:14
  51. 2:8 : Ex 22:26
  52. 2:8 : Am 4:1; 6:6
  53. 2:9 : Jos 10:12
  54. 2:9 : Nm 13:28-33
  55. 2:9 : Ezk 17:9; Mal 4:1
  56. 2:10 : Ex 20:2; Am 3:1; 9:7
  57. 2:10 : Dt 2:7
  58. 2:10 : Nm 21:25
  59. 2:11 : Dt 18:18-19; Jr 1:4-5; Am 7:14-15
  60. 2:11 : Nm 6:1-21; Jdg 13:2-5; 1Sm 1:11
  61. 2:12 : Jr 11:21; Am 7:13, 16
  62. 2:13 : Jl 3:13
  63. 2:14 : Is 30:16-17
  64. 2:14 : Jr 9:23
  65. 2:15 : Jr 51:56; Ezk 39:3
  66. 2:15 : Is 31:3
  67. 2:16 : Jdg 4:17
  68. 3:1 : Am 2:10
  69. 3:2 : Ex 19:5-6; Dt 4:32-37
  70. 3:2 : Jr 14:10; Ezk 20:36; Dn 9:12
  71. 3:3 : Lv 26:23-24
  72. 3:4 : Ps 104:21; Hs 5:14; 11:10
  73. 3:6 : Jr 4:5, 19, 21; 6:1; Hs 5:8; Zph 1:16
  74. 3:6 : Nm 10:9; Jr 4:19; Jl 2:1
  75. 3:6 : Is 14:24-27; 45:7
  76. 3:6 : Lm 3:37-39
  77. 3:7 : Gn 18:17; Jr 23:18, 22; Jnh 1:2
  78. 3:8 : Am 1:2
  79. 3:8 : Jnh 1:1-3; 3:1-3
  80. 3:8 : Jr 6:10-11; 20:9
  81. 3:9 : 1Sm 5:1; Am 1:8
  82. 3:9 : Am 4:1; 6:1
  83. 3:9 : Am 5:11; 6:8
  84. 3:10 : Ps 14:4; Jr 4:22; Am 5:7; 6:12
  85. 3:10 : Hab 2:8-10; Zph 1:9; Zch 5:3-4
  86. 3:11 : Am 6:14
  87. 3:11 : Am 2:14
  88. 3:11 : 2Kg 17:5-6; 18:9-12
  89. 3:12 : 1Sm 17:34-37
  90. 3:12 : Ps 132:3
  91. 3:12 : Est 1:6; 7:8; Am 6:4
  92. 3:13 : Ezk 2:7
  93. 3:14 : Hs 10:5-8, 14-15; Am 4:4; 5:5-6; 7:10, 13
  94. 3:14 : Lv 8:15; 16:18-19; 1Kg 1:50-51; 2:28; Ps 118:27
  95. 3:14 : Hs 10:1-2
  96. 3:15 : Jr 36:22
  97. 3:15 : Jdg 3:20
  98. 3:15 : 1Kg 22:39; 2Ch 9:17; Am 6:4
  99. 3:15 : Am 2:5; 6:11

Revelation 2:1-17

The Letters to the Seven Churches

The Letter to Ephesus

“Write to the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus:

“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you[b] and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor(A) the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in[c] God’s paradise.(B)

The Letter to Smyrna

“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna:

“The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life, says: I know your[d] affliction and poverty, yet you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown[e] of life.

11 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.(C)

The Letter to Pergamum

12 “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum:

“The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword(D) says: 13 I know[f] where you live—where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me,[g] even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block[h] in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.[i] 15 In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.[j] 16 Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

17 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor some of the hidden manna.[k](E) I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name(F) is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 2:1 Or messenger here and elsewhere
  2. Revelation 2:5 Other mss add quickly
  3. Revelation 2:7 Other mss read in the midst of
  4. Revelation 2:9 Other mss add works and
  5. Revelation 2:10 Or wreath
  6. Revelation 2:13 Other mss add your works and
  7. Revelation 2:13 Or deny My faith
  8. Revelation 2:14 Or to place a trap
  9. Revelation 2:14 Or commit fornication
  10. Revelation 2:15 Other mss add which I hate
  11. Revelation 2:17 Other mss add to eat

Psalm 129

Psalm 129

Protection of the Oppressed

A song of ascents.

Since my youth they have often attacked me—
let Israel say—
Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not prevailed against me.(A)
Plowmen plowed over my back;
they made their furrows long.(B)
The Lord is righteous;
He has cut the ropes of the wicked.(C)

Let all who hate Zion
be driven back in disgrace.(D)
Let them be like grass on the rooftops,
which withers before it grows up[a](E)
and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper
or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.(F)
Then none who pass by will say,
“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.”

We bless you in the name of Yahweh.(G)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 129:6 Or it can be pulled out

Proverbs 29:19-20

19 A slave cannot be disciplined by words;
though he understands, he doesn’t respond.(A)

20 Do you see a man who speaks too soon?(B)
There is more hope for a fool than for him.(C)