The Daily Practice

12 This is what the Lord says:

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth     only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued,     with only the head of a bed     and a piece of fabric[a] from a couch.[b]”

13 “Hear this and testify against the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.

14 “On the day I punish Israel for her sins,     I will destroy the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off     and fall to the ground. 15 I will tear down the winter house     along with the summer house; the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed     and the mansions will be demolished,” declares the Lord.

4 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,     you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy     and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!” 2 The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:     “The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks,     the last of you with fishhooks.[c] 3 You will each go straight out     through breaches in the wall,     and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[d]” declares the Lord. 4 “Go to Bethel and sin;     go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning,     your tithes every three years.[e] 5 Burn leavened bread as a thank offering     and brag about your freewill offerings— boast about them, you Israelites,     for this is what you love to do,” declares the Sovereign Lord.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[a] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants     you, Lord, have called forth your praise’[c]?”

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger     or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;     heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. 3 My soul is in deep anguish.     How long, Lord, how long?

4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;     save me because of your unfailing love. 5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.     Who praises you from the grave?

6 I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping     and drench my couch with tears. 7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;     they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me, all you who do evil,     for the Lord has heard my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;     the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;     they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

6 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Israel,     even for four, I will not relent. They sell the innocent for silver,     and the needy for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample on the heads of the poor     as on the dust of the ground     and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl     and so profane my holy name. 8 They lie down beside every altar     on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god     they drink wine taken as fines.

9 “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them,     though they were tall as the cedars     and strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above     and their roots below. 10 I brought you up out of Egypt     and led you forty years in the wilderness     to give you the land of the Amorites.

11 “I also raised up prophets from among your children     and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the Lord. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine     and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

13 “Now then, I will crush you     as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. 14 The swift will not escape,     the strong will not muster their strength,     and the warrior will not save his life. 15 The archer will not stand his ground,     the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,     and the horseman will not save his life. 16 Even the bravest warriors     will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,     ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,     and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c]

“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash[a] was king of Israel.

2 He said:

“The Lord roars from Zion     and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up,     and the top of Carmel withers.”

3 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Damascus,     even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead     with sledges having iron teeth, 4 I will send fire on the house of Hazael     that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. 5 I will break down the gate of Damascus;     I will destroy the king who is in[b] the Valley of Aven[c] and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.     The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.

4 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Judah,     even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord     and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods,[a]     the gods[b] their ancestors followed, 5 I will send fire on Judah     that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”

6 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Israel,     even for four, I will not relent. They sell the innocent for silver,     and the needy for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample on the heads of the poor     as on the dust of the ground     and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl     and so profane my holy name. 8 They lie down beside every altar     on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god     they drink wine taken as fines.

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

3 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

1 Listen to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.
2 Hear my cry for help,
    my King and my God,
    for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
    with you, evil people are not welcome.
5 The arrogant cannot stand
    in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
6     you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
    you, Lord, detest.
7 But I, by your great love,
    can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
    toward your holy temple.

8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies—
    make your way straight before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
    their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
    with their tongues they tell lies.
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
    Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
    for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
    you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.