Amos 2:14

Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.

Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies.

“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

“This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” It was done as Yahweh commanded Moses.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil;

But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins.

Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul.

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash their little ones in pieces, and rip up their pregnant women.”

Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, continually.

Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

Some Gadites joined David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains:

Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom. God may refute him, not man;’

lest they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is no one to deliver.

The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God.

You shall bring out your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving. You shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as when men go out into exile.

The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.

Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.

nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own,

Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh.”

“Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.

“See now that I myself am he. There is no god with me. I kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.

He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.

So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh.

Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.

Yahweh says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don’t let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches.

“How do you say, ‘We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?’

“He who flees from the terror will fall into the pit; and he who gets up out of the pit will be taken in the snare: for I will bring on him, even on Moab, the year of their visitation,” says Yahweh.

Why do you boast in the valleys, your flowing valley, backsliding daughter? You trusted in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come to me?’

“ ‘The prince who is among them will bear on his shoulder in the dark, and will go out. They will dig through the wall to carry things out that way. He will cover his face, because he will not see the land with his eyes.

You have plowed wickedness. You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, for you trusted in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men.

Therefore I am like a lion to them. Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.

Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.

Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and enables me to go in high places. For the music director, on my stringed instruments.

Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand,

Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

The young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, arose, and went home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.

In those days Yahweh began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel;

and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Yahweh says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

He took courage, built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, with the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in David’s city, and made weapons and shields in abundance.

He who denounces his friends for plunder, Even the eyes of his children will fail.

For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.

There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.

Look on my right, and see; for there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled from me. No one cares for my soul.

The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish.

I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?

I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young deer on the mountains of Bether.

Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver.

Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.

Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall;

The shepherds will have no way to flee. The leader of the flock will have no escape.

When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, then they fled, and went out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah.

“Don’t let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape. In the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.

For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also will be taken. Chemosh will go out into captivity, his priests and his princes together.

I will set my face against them. They will go out from the fire, but the fire will devour them. Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I set my face against them.

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stop his hand, or ask him, “What are you doing?”

Therefore I have cut them to pieces with the prophets; I killed them with the words of my mouth. Your judgments are like a flash of lightning.

Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron;

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!

By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

that no flesh should boast before God.

Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint.

We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will,

Zebah and Zalmunna fled and he pursued them. He took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and confused all the army.

The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.

He who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.

The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers.

But the eyes of the wicked will fail. They will have no way to flee. Their hope will be the giving up of the spirit.”

For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.

“Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains. They set an ambush for us in the wilderness.

For I will be to Ephraim like a lion, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear in pieces and go away. I will carry off, and there will be no one to deliver.

“Therefore thus I will do to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.

but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people.