December 31 Reading through the Bible

  

MALACHI 3:1-4:6

REVELATION 22:1-21

PSALM 150:1-6

PROVERBS 31:25-31

MALACHI 3:1-4:6

" Look! I [the LORD] am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD Almighty. 2 " But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal or like a strong soap that whitens clothes. 3 He will sit and judge like a refiner of silver, watching closely as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold or silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD. 4 Then once more the LORD will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in former times. 5 At that time I will put you on trial. I will be a ready witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. 6 " I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already completely destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my laws and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. " But you ask, ` How can we return when we have never gone away?' 8 " Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! " But you ask, ` What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' " You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD Almighty, " I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not shrivel before they are ripe," says the LORD Almighty. 12 " Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight," says the LORD Almighty. 13 " You have said terrible things about me," says the LORD. " But you say, ` What do you mean? How have we spoken against you?' 14 " You have said, ` What's the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD Almighty that we are sorry for our sins? 15 From now on we will say, " Blessed are the arrogant." For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them go free of harm.' " 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. 17 " They will be my people," says the LORD Almighty. " On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. 18 Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."4:1 THE LORD Almighty says, " The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. The arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw on that day. They will be consumed like a tree--roots and all. 2 " But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. 3 On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet," says the LORD Almighty. 4 " Remember to obey the instructions of my servant Moses, all the laws and regulations that I gave him on Mount Sinai for all Israel. 5 " Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the hearts of children to their parents. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse."

REVELATION 22:1-21

And the angel showed me [John] a pure river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 coursing down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. 3 No longer will anything be cursed. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. 4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. 6 Then the angel said to me, " These words are trustworthy and true: ` The Lord God, who tells his prophets what the future holds, has sent his angel to tell you what will happen soon.' " 7 " Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the prophecy written in this scroll."8 I, John, am the one who saw and heard all these things. And when I saw and heard these things, I fell down to worship the angel who showed them to me. 9 But again he said, " No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this scroll. Worship God!" 10 Then he instructed me, " Do not seal up the prophetic words you have written, for the time is near. 11 Let the one who is doing wrong continue to do wrong; the one who is vile, continue to be vile; the one who is good, continue to do good; and the one who is holy, continue in holiness." 12 " See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. 15 Outside the city are the dogs--the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. 16 " I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star."17 The Spirit and the bride say, " Come." Let each one who hears them say, "Come ." Let the thirsty ones come--anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge. 18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words of this prophetic book, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. 20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, " Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.

PSALM 150:1-6

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his heavenly dwelling;

praise him in his mighty heaven!

2 Praise him for his mighty works;

praise his unequaled greatness!

3 Praise him with a blast of the trumpet;

praise him with the lyre and harp!

4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;

praise him with stringed instruments and flutes!

5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals;

praise him with loud clanging cymbals.

6 Let everything that lives sing praises to the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 31:25-31

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: " There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

December 30 Reading through the Bible

 

 

MALACHI 1:1-2:17

REVELATION 21:1-27

PSALM 149:1-9

PROVERBS 31:10-24

MALACHI 1:1-2:17

This is the message that the LORD gave to Israel through the prophet Malachi. 2 " I have loved you deeply," says the LORD. But you retort, " Really? How have you loved us?" And the LORD replies, " I showed my love for you by loving your ancestor Jacob. Yet Esau was Jacob's brother, 3 and I rejected Esau and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau's inheritance into a desert for jackals." 4 And Esau's descendants in Edom may say, " We have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins." But this is what the LORD Almighty says: " They may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again! Their country will be known as ` The Land of Wickedness,' and their people will be called ` The People with Whom the LORD Is Forever Angry.' 5 When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, ` Truly, the LORD's great power reaches far beyond our borders!' " 6 The LORD Almighty says to the priests: " A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. I am your father and master, but where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have despised my name! " But you ask, ` How have we ever despised your name?' 7 " You have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. " Then you ask, ` How have we defiled the sacrifices?'" You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect. 8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the LORD Almighty. 9 " Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?" asks the LORD Almighty. 10 " I wish that someone among you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not at all pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, " and I will not accept your offerings. 11 But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. 12 " But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it's all right to defile the Lord's table. 13 You say, ` It's too hard to serve the LORD,' and you turn up your noses at his commands," says the LORD Almighty. " Think of it! Animals that are stolen and mutilated, crippled and sick--presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?" asks the LORD. 14 " Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, " and my name is feared among the nations!2:1 " LISTEN, you priests; this command is for you! 2 Listen to me and take it to heart. Honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, " or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning seriously. 3 I will rebuke your descendants and splatter your faces with the dung of your festival sacrifices, and I will add you to the dung heap. 4 Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites may continue," says the LORD Almighty. 5 " The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and this is what I gave them. This called for reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6 They passed on to the people all the truth they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin. 7 The priests' lips should guard knowledge, and people should go to them for instruction, for the priests are the messengers of the LORD Almighty. 8 But not you! You have left God's paths. Your ` guidance' has caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites," says the LORD Almighty. 9 " So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown partiality in your interpretation of the law." 10 Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why are we faithless to each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors? 11 In Judah, in Israel, and in Jerusalem there is treachery, for the men of Judah have defiled the LORD's beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. 12 May the LORD cut off from the nation of Israel every last man who has done this and yet brings an offering to the LORD Almighty.13 Here is another thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings, and he doesn't accept them with pleasure. 14 You cry out, " Why has the LORD abandoned us?" I'll tell you why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made to each other on your wedding day when you were young. But you have been disloyal to her, though she remained your faithful companion, the wife of your marriage vows. 15 Didn't the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard yourself; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 " For I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel. " It is as cruel as putting on a victim's bloodstained coat," says the LORD Almighty. " So guard yourself; always remain loyal to your wife." 17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. " Wearied him?" you ask. " How have we wearied him?" You have wearied him by suggesting that the LORD favors evildoers since he does not punish them. You have wearied him by asking, " Where is the God of justice?"

REVELATION 21:1-27

Then I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, " Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever." 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, " Look, I am making all things new!" And then he said to me, " Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." 6 And he also said, " It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega--the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. 8 But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars--their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death." 9 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, " Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."10 So he took me in spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It was filled with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious gem, crystal clear like jasper. 12 Its walls were broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on each side--east, north, south, and west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, it was in the form of a cube, for its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (the angel used a standard human measure). 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve gems: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were made of pearls--each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. 22 No temple could be seen in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations of the earth will walk in its light, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. 25 Its gates never close at the end of day because there is no night. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter--no one who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty--but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

PSALM 149:1-9

Praise the LORD!

Sing to the LORD a new song.

Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.

2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.

O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.

3 Praise his name with dancing,

accompanied by tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD delights in his people;

he crowns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the faithful rejoice in this honor.

Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.

6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths,

and a sharp sword in their hands--

7 to execute vengeance on the nations

and punishment on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with shackles

and their leaders with iron chains,

9 to execute the judgment written against them.

This is the glory of his faithful ones.

Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 31:10-24

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant's ship; she brings her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls. She goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. She quilts her own bedspreads. She dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth. Her husband is well known, for he sits in the council meeting with the other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.

December 29 Reading through the Bible

  

ZECHARIAH 14:1-21

REVELATION 20:1-15

PSALM 148:1-14

PROVERBS 31:8-9

ZECHARIAH 14:1-21

Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you [the people of Jerusalem]! 2 On that day I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses plundered, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken away into captivity, and half will be left among the ruins of the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. 5 You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. 6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! Only the LORD knows how this could happen! There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. 8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously both in summer and in winter. 9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD--his name alone will be worshiped. 10 All the land from Geba, north of Judah, to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become one vast plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up in its original place and will be inhabited all the way from the Benjamin Gate over to the site of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. 11 And Jerusalem will be filled, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed. 12 And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will shrivel in their sockets, and their tongues will decay in their mouths. 13 On that day they will be terrified, stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will fight against each other in hand-to-hand combat; 14 Judah, too, will be fighting at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the neighboring nations will be captured--great quantities of gold and silver and fine clothing. 15 This same plague will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the other animals in the enemy camps. 16 In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. 17 And any nation anywhere in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, will have no rain. 18 And if the people of Egypt refuse to attend the festival, the LORD will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go. 19 Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don't go to celebrate the festival.20 On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the LORD will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. 21 In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be set apart as holy to the LORD Almighty. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the LORD Almighty.

REVELATION 20:1-15

Then I [John] saw an angel come down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon--that old serpent, the Devil, Satan--and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he would be released again for a little while. 4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the word of God. And I saw the souls of those who had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations from every corner of the earth, which are called Gog and Magog. He will gather them together for battle--a mighty host, as numberless as sand along the shore. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God's people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. 10 Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.11 And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. 14 And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death--the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

PSALM 148:1-14

Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD from the heavens!

Praise him from the skies!

2 Praise him, all his angels!

Praise him, all the armies of heaven!

3 Praise him, sun and moon!

Praise him, all you twinkling stars!

4 Praise him, skies above!

Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!

5 Let every created thing give praise to the LORD,

for he issued his command, and they came into being.

6 He established them forever and forever.

His orders will never be revoked.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,

you creatures of the ocean depths,

8 fire and hail, snow and storm,

wind and weather that obey him,

9 mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

10 wild animals and all livestock,

reptiles and birds,

11 kings of the earth and all people,

rulers and judges of the earth,

12 young men and maidens,

old men and children.

13 Let them all praise the name of the LORD.

For his name is very great;

his glory towers over the earth and heaven!

14 He has made his people strong,

honoring his godly ones--

the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 31:8-9

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those who are perishing. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

December 28 Reading through the Bible

 

ZECHARIAH 12:1-13:9

REVELATION 19:1-21

PSALM 147:1-20

PROVERBS 31:1-7

ZECHARIAH 12:1-13:9

This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: " This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the spirit within humans. 2 I will make Jerusalem and Judah like an intoxicating drink to all the nearby nations that send their armies to besiege Jerusalem. 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone, a burden for the world. None of the nations who try to lift it will escape unscathed. 4 " On that day, says the LORD, I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind the horses of her enemies. 5 And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ` The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the LORD Almighty, their God.' 6 " On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a brazier that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure. 7 The LORD will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. 8 On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the LORD who goes before them! 9 For my plan is to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 " Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. 11 The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the grievous mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo. 12 " All Israel will weep in profound sorrow, each family by itself, with the husbands and wives in separate groups. The family of David will mourn, along with the family of Nathan, 13 the family of Levi, and the family of Shimei. 14 Each of the surviving families from Judah will mourn separately, husbands and wives apart.13:1 " ON that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and defilement. 2 " And on that day, says the LORD Almighty, I will get rid of every trace of idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land all false prophets and the unclean spirits that inspire them. 3 If anyone begins prophesying again, his own father and mother will tell him, ` You must die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the LORD.' Then his own father and mother will stab him. 4 " No one will be boasting then of a prophetic gift! No one will wear prophet's clothes to try to fool the people. 5 ` No,' he will say. ` I'm not a prophet; I'm a farmer. The soil has been my means of livelihood from my earliest youth.' 6 And if someone asks, ` Then what are those scars on your chest?' he will say, ` I was wounded at the home of friends!'7 " Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner, says the LORD Almighty. Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs. 8 Two-thirds of the people in the land will be cut off and die, says the LORD. But a third will be left in the land. 9 I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ` These are my people,' and they will say, ` The LORD is our God.' "

REVELATION 19:1-21

After this, I [John] heard the sound of a vast crowd in heaven shouting, " Hallelujah! Salvation is from our God. Glory and power belong to him alone. 2 His judgments are just and true. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and he has avenged the murder of his servants." 3 Again and again their voices rang, " Hallelujah! The smoke from that city ascends forever and forever!" 4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, " Amen! Hallelujah!" 5 And from the throne came a voice that said, " Praise our God, all his servants, from the least to the greatest, all who fear him." 6 Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a huge crowd, or the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: " Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. 8 She is permitted to wear the finest white linen." (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.) 9 And the angel said, " Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, " These are true words that come from God."10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, " No, don't worship me. For I am a servant of God, just like you and other brothers and sisters* who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. 12 His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. 16 On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: " Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. 18 Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great."19 Then I saw the beast gathering the kings of the earth and their armies in order to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast--miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came out of the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And all the vultures of the sky gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

PSALM 147:1-20

Praise the LORD!

How good it is to sing praises to our God!

How delightful and how right!

2 The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem

and bringing the exiles back to Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted,

binding up their wounds.

4 He counts the stars

and calls them all by name.

5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!

His understanding is beyond comprehension!

6 The LORD supports the humble,

but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

7 Sing out your thanks to the LORD;

sing praises to our God, accompanied by harps.

8 He covers the heavens with clouds,

provides rain for the earth,

and makes the green grass grow in mountain pastures.

9 He feeds the wild animals,

and the young ravens cry to him for food.

10 The strength of a horse does not impress him;

how puny in his sight is the strength of a man.

11 Rather, the LORD's delight is in those who honor him,

those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

13 For he has fortified the bars of your gates

and blessed your children within you.

14 He sends peace across your nation

and satisfies you with plenty of the finest wheat.

15 He sends his orders to the world--

how swiftly his word flies!

16 He sends the snow like white wool;

he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.

17 He hurls the hail like stones.

Who can stand against his freezing cold?

18 Then, at his command, it all melts.

He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.

19 He has revealed his words to Jacob,

his principles and laws to Israel.

20 He has not done this with any other nation;

they do not know his laws.

Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 31:1-7

These are the sayings of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him. O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my promises, do not spend your strength on women, on those who ruin kings. And it is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave liquor. For if they drink, they may forget their duties and be unable to give justice to those who are oppressed. Liquor is for the dying, and wine for those in deep depression. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more. 

December 27 Reading through the Bible

 

ZECHARIAH 10:1-11:17

REVELATION 18:1-24

PSALM 146:1-10

PROVERBS 30:33

ZECHARIAH 10:1-11:17

Ask the LORD for rain in the spring, and he will give it. It is the LORD who makes storm clouds that drop showers of rain so that every field becomes a lush pasture. 2 Household gods give false advice, fortune-tellers predict only lies, and interpreters of dreams pronounce comfortless falsehoods. So my people are wandering like lost sheep, without a shepherd to protect and guide them. 3 " My anger burns against your shepherds, and I will punish these leaders. For the LORD Almighty has arrived to look after his flock of Judah; he will make them strong and glorious, like a proud warhorse in battle. 4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow, and all the rulers. 5 They will be like mighty warriors in battle, trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet. Since the LORD is with them as they fight, they will overthrow even the horsemen of the enemy.6 " I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will reestablish them because I love them. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the LORD their God, who will hear their cries. 7 The people of Israel will become like mighty warriors, and their hearts will be happy as if by wine. Their children, too, will see it all and be glad; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD. 8 When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them. From the few that are left, their population will grow again to its former size. 9 Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations, still they will remember me in distant lands. With their children, they will survive and come home again to Israel. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and Assyria and resettle them in Gilead and Lebanon. There won't be enough room for them all! 11 They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back. And the waters of the Nile will become dry. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end. 12 I will make my people strong in my power, and they will go wherever they wish by my authority. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 11:1 OPEN your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may sweep through your cedar forests. 2 Weep, you cypress trees, for all the ruined cedars; the tallest and most beautiful of them are fallen. Weep, you oaks of Bashan, as you watch the thickest forests being felled. 3 Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their wealth is gone. Hear the young lions roaring, for their thickets in the Jordan Valley have been destroyed. 4 This is what the LORD my God says: " Go and care for a flock that is intended for slaughter. 5 The buyers will slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers will say, ` Praise the LORD, I am now rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 And likewise, I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD. " I will let them fall into each other's clutches, as well as into the clutches of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not protect them."7 So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter--the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. 8 I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep--this nation--and they hated me, too. 9 So I told them, " I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And those who remain will devour each other!" 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and snapped it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 That was the end of my covenant with them. Those who bought and sold sheep were watching me, and they knew that the LORD was speaking to them through my actions. 12 And I said to them, " If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to." So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, " Throw it to the potters"--this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potters in the Temple of the LORD. 14 Then I broke my other staff, Union, to show that the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken. 15 Then the LORD said to me, " Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. 16 This will illustrate how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for the sheep that are threatened by death, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves. 17 Doom is certain for this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye! His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind!"

REVELATION 18:1-24

After all this I [John] saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. 2 He gave a mighty shout, " Babylon is fallen--that great city is fallen! She has become the hideout of demons and evil spirits, a nest for filthy buzzards, and a den for dreadful beasts. 3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her passionate immorality. The rulers of the world have committed adultery with her, and merchants throughout the world have grown rich as a result of her luxurious living." 4 Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, " Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. 5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God is ready to judge her for her evil deeds. 6 Do to her as she has done to your people. Give her a double penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so give her twice as much as she gave out. 7 She has lived in luxury and pleasure, so match it now with torments and sorrows. She boasts, ` I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow. I will not experience sorrow.' 8 Therefore, the sorrows of death and mourning and famine will overtake her in a single day. She will be utterly consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty." 9 And the rulers of the world who took part in her immoral acts and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. 10 They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, " How terrible, how terrible for Babylon, that great city! In one single moment God's judgment came on her." 11 The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. 12 She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple dye, silk, scarlet cloth, every kind of perfumed wood, ivory goods, objects made of expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble. 13 She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves--yes, she even traded in human lives. 14 " All the fancy things you loved so much are gone," they cry. " The luxuries and splendor that you prized so much will never be yours again. They are gone forever." 15 The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry. 16 " How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was so beautiful--like a woman clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 And in one single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!" And all the shipowners and captains of the merchant ships and their crews will stand at a distance. 18 They will weep as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, " Where in all the world is there another city like this?" 19 And they will throw dust on their heads to show their great sorrow. And they will say, " How terrible, how terrible for the great city! She made us all rich from her great wealth. And now in a single hour it is all gone." 20 But you, O heaven, rejoice over her fate. And you also rejoice, O holy people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her on your behalf. 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder as large as a great millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, " Babylon, the great city, will be thrown down as violently as I have thrown away this stone, and she will disappear forever. 22 Never again will the sound of music be heard there--no more harps, songs, flutes, or trumpets. There will be no industry of any kind, and no more milling of grain. 23 Her nights will be dark, without a single lamp. There will be no happy voices of brides and grooms. This will happen because her merchants, who were the greatest in the world, deceived the nations with her sorceries. 24 In her streets the blood of the prophets was spilled. She was the one who slaughtered God's people all over the world."

PSALM 146:1-10

Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD, I tell myself.

2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live.

I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.

3 Don't put your confidence in powerful people;

there is no help for you there.

4 When their breathing stops, they return to the earth,

and in a moment all their plans come to an end.

5 But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,

whose hope is in the LORD their God.

6 He is the one who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them.

He is the one who keeps every promise forever,

7 who gives justice to the oppressed

and food to the hungry.

The LORD frees the prisoners.

8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

The LORD lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.

The LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD protects the foreigners among us.

He cares for the orphans and widows,

but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

10 The LORD will reign forever.

O Jerusalem, your God is King in every generation!

Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 30:33

As the beating of cream yields butter, and a blow to the nose causes bleeding, so anger causes quarrels. 

December 26 Reading through the Bible

  

ZECHARIAH 9:1-17

REVELATION 17:1-18

PSALM 145:1-21

PROVERBS 30:32

ZECHARIAH 9:1-17

This is the message from the LORD against the land of Aram and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of all humanity, including the people of Israel, are on the LORD. 2 Doom is certain for Hamath, near Damascus, and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon, too, though they are so clever. 3 Tyre has built a strong fortress and has piled up so much silver and gold that it is as common as dust in the streets! 4 But now the Lord will strip away Tyre's possessions and hurl its fortifications into the Mediterranean Sea. Tyre will be set on fire and burned to the ground. 5 The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall and will be filled with fear. Gaza will shake with terror, and so will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed. Gaza will be conquered and its king killed, and Ashkelon will be completely deserted. 6 Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod. Thus, I will destroy the pride of the Philistines. 7 They will no longer eat meat with blood in it or feed on other forbidden foods. All the surviving Philistines will worship our God and be adopted as a new clan in Judah. And the Philistines of Ekron will join my people, just as the Jebusites once did. 8 I will guard my Temple and protect it from invading armies. I am closely watching their movements. No foreign oppressor will ever again overrun my people's land. 9 Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey--even on a donkey's colt. 10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and I will destroy all the weapons used in battle. Your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. 11 Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon. 12 Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners, for there is yet hope! I promise this very day that I will repay you two mercies for each of your woes! 13 Judah is my bow, and Israel is my arrow! Jerusalem is my sword, and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks. 14 The LORD will appear above his people; his arrows will fly like lightning! The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will go out against his enemies like a whirlwind from the southern desert. 15 The LORD Almighty will protect his people, and they will subdue their enemies with sling stones. They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine, shedding the blood of their enemies. They will be filled with blood like a bowl, drenched with blood like the corners of the altar. 16 When that day arrives, the LORD their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. 17 How wonderful and beautiful they will be! The young men and women will thrive on the abundance of grain and new wine.

REVELATION 17:1-18

One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me [John]. " Come with me," he said, " and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2 The rulers of the world have had immoral relations with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality." 3 So the angel took me in spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, written all over with blasphemies against God. 4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. 5 A mysterious name was written on her forehead: " Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World." 6 I could see that she was drunk--drunk with the blood of God's holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her completely amazed.7 " Why are you so amazed?" the angel asked. " I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast you saw was alive but isn't now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from before the world began, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died. 9 " And now understand this: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills of the city where this woman rules. They also represent seven kings. 10 Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. 11 The scarlet beast that was alive and then died is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, will go to his doom. 12 His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. 13 They will all agree to give their power and authority to him. 14 Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones."15 And the angel said to me, " The waters where the prostitute is sitting represent masses of people of every nation and language. 16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns--which represent ten kings who will reign with him--all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. 17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will mutually agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

PSALM 145:1-21

A psalm of praise of David.

1 I will praise you, my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever.

2 I will bless you every day,

and I will praise you forever.

3 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!

His greatness is beyond discovery!

4 Let each generation tell its children

of your mighty acts.

5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor

and your wonderful miracles.

6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;

I will proclaim your greatness.

7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;

they will sing with joy of your righteousness.

8 The LORD is kind and merciful,

slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.

9 The LORD is good to everyone.

He showers compassion on all his creation.

10 All of your works will thank you, LORD,

and your faithful followers will bless you.

11 They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom;

they will celebrate examples of your power.

12 They will tell about your mighty deeds

and about the majesty and glory of your reign.

13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

You rule generation after generation.

The LORD is faithful in all he says;

he is gracious in all he does.

14 The LORD helps the fallen

and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.

15 All eyes look to you for help;

you give them their food as they need it.

16 When you open your hand,

you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in everything he does;

he is filled with kindness.

18 The LORD is close to all who call on him,

yes, to all who call on him sincerely.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cries for help and rescues them.

20 The LORD protects all those who love him,

but he destroys the wicked.

21 I will praise the LORD,

and everyone on earth will bless his holy name

forever and forever.

PROVERBS 30:32

If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, don't brag about it--cover your mouth with your hand in shame.

December 25 Reading through the Bible

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MAY THE LORD BLESS THIS DAY AND YEAR FOR YOU ABOVE ALL OTHERS!

ZECHARIAH 8:1-23

REVELATION 16:1-21

PSALM 144:1-15

PROVERBS 30:29-31

ZECHARIAH 8:1-23

Then another message came to me [Zechariah] from the LORD Almighty: 2 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem! 3 And now the LORD says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain. 4 This is what the LORD Almighty says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem's streets with a cane and sit together in the city squares. 5 And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play. 6 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small and discouraged remnant of God's people. But do you think this is impossible for me, the LORD Almighty? 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. 8 I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God. 9 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: Take heart and finish the task! You have heard what the prophets have been saying about building the Temple of the LORD Almighty ever since the foundation was laid. 10 Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no wages for either people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other. 11 But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the LORD Almighty. 12 For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the sky will release the dew. Once more I will make the remnant in Judah and Israel the heirs of these blessings. 13 Among the nations, Judah and Israel had become symbols of what it means to be cursed. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing! So don't be afraid or discouraged, but instead get on with rebuilding the Temple! 14 " For this is what the LORD Almighty says: I did not change my mind when your ancestors angered me and I promised to punish them, says the LORD Almighty. 15 Neither will I change my decision to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don't be afraid. 16 But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. 17 Do not make evil plots to harm each other. And stop this habit of swearing to things that are false. I hate all these things, says the LORD."18 Here is another message that came to me from the LORD Almighty. 19 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace. 20 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. 21 The people of one city will say to the people in another, ` Let us go to Jerusalem to ask the LORD to bless us and to seek the LORD Almighty. We are planning to go ourselves.' 22 People from many nations, even powerful nations, will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to ask the LORD to bless them. 23 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: In those days ten people from nations and languages around the world will clutch at the hem of one Jew's robe. And they will say, ` Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.' "

REVELATION 16:1-21

Then I [John] heard a mighty voice shouting from the Temple to the seven angels, " Now go your ways and empty out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth." 2 So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl over the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. 3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died. 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, " You are just in sending this judgment, O Holy One, who is and who always was. 6 For your holy people and your prophets have been killed, and their blood was poured out on the earth. So you have given their murderers blood to drink. It is their just reward." 7 And I heard a voice from the altar saying, " Yes, Lord God Almighty, your punishments are true and just." 8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. 9 Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who sent all of these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. 10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. And his subjects ground their teeth in anguish, 11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they refused to repent of all their evil deeds.12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. 13 And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14 These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty. 15 " Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed."16 And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew. 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne of the Temple in heaven, saying, " It is finished!" 18 Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And there was an earthquake greater than ever before in human history. 19 The great city of Babylon split into three pieces, and cities around the world fell into heaps of rubble. And so God remembered all of Babylon's sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. 20 And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. 21 There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the hailstorm, which was a very terrible plague.

PSALM 144:1-15

A psalm of David.

1 Bless the LORD, who is my rock.

He gives me strength for war

and skill for battle.

2 He is my loving ally and my fortress,

my tower of safety, my deliverer.

He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in him.

He subdues the nations under me.

3 O LORD, what are mortals that you should notice us,

mere humans that you should care for us?

4 For we are like a breath of air;

our days are like a passing shadow.

5 Bend down the heavens, LORD, and come down.

Touch the mountains so they billow smoke.

6 Release your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies!

Release your arrows and confuse them!

7 Reach down from heaven and rescue me;

deliver me from deep waters,

from the power of my enemies.

8 Their mouths are full of lies;

they swear to tell the truth, but they lie.

9 I will sing a new song to you, O God!

I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.

10 For you grant victory to kings!

You are the one who rescued your servant David.

11 Save me from the fatal sword!

Rescue me from the power of my enemies.

Their mouths are full of lies;

they swear to tell the truth, but they lie.

12 May our sons flourish in their youth

like well-nurtured plants.

May our daughters be like graceful pillars,

carved to beautify a palace.

13 May our farms be filled

with crops of every kind.

May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands,

even tens of thousands,

14 and may our oxen be loaded down with produce.

May there be no breached walls, no forced exile,

no cries of distress in our squares.

15 Yes, happy are those who have it like this!

Happy indeed are those whose God is the LORD.

PROVERBS 30:29-31

There are three stately monarchs on the earth--no, four: the lion, king of animals, who won't turn aside for anything, the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. 

December 24 Reading through the Bible

 

Just as a reminder our Christmas eve service starts at 6 PM

 ZECHARIAH 6:1-7:14

REVELATION 15:1-8

PSALM 143:1-12

PROVERBS 30:24-28

ZECHARIAH 6:1-7:14

Then I [Zechariah] looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains. 2 The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses, 3 the third by white horses, and the fourth by dappled-gray horses. 4 " And what are these, my lord?" I asked the angel who was talking with me. 5 He replied, " These are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work. 6 The chariot with black horses is going north, the chariot with white horses is going west, and the chariot with dappled-gray horses is going south." 7 The powerful horses were eager to be off, to patrol back and forth across the earth. And the LORD said, " Go and patrol the earth!" So they left at once on their patrol. 8 Then the LORD summoned me and said, " Those who went north have vented the anger of my Spirit there." 9 Then I received another message from the LORD: 10 " Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah will bring gifts of silver and gold from the Jews exiled in Babylon. As soon as they arrive, meet them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Accept their gifts and make a crown from the silver and gold. Then put the crown on the head of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Tell him that the LORD Almighty says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out where he is and build the Temple of the LORD. 13 He will build the LORD's Temple, and he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between the two. 14 " The crown will be a memorial in the Temple of the LORD to honor those who gave it--Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah." 15 Many will come from distant lands to rebuild the Temple of the LORD. And when this happens, you will know my messages have been from the LORD Almighty. All this will happen if you carefully obey the commands of the LORD your God.7:1 ON December 7 of the fourth year of King Darius's reign, another message came to Zechariah from the LORD. 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their men, to seek the LORD's favor. 3 They were to ask this question of the prophets and of the priests at the Temple of the LORD Almighty: " Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple's destruction, as we have done for so many years?" 4 The LORD Almighty sent me this message: 5 " Say to all your people and your priests, ` During those seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and at the festival in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? 6 And even now in your holy festivals, you don't think about me but only of pleasing yourselves. 7 Isn't this the same message the LORD proclaimed through the prophets years ago when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were populated areas?' " 8 Then this message came to Zechariah from the LORD: 9 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: Judge fairly and honestly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not make evil plans to harm each other. 11 " Your ancestors would not listen to this message. They turned stubbornly away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. 12 They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the law or the messages that the LORD Almighty had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD Almighty was so angry with them.13 " Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the LORD Almighty. 14 I scattered them as with a whirlwind among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. The land that had been so pleasant became a desert."

REVELATION 15:1-8

Then I [John] saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion. 2 I saw before me what seemed to be a crystal sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. 3 And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: " Great and marvelous are your actions,

Lord God Almighty.

Just and true are your ways,

O King of the nations.

4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship before you,

for your righteous deeds have been revealed."

5 Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God's Tabernacle, was thrown wide open! 6 The seven angels who were holding the bowls of the seven plagues came from the Temple, clothed in spotless white linen with gold belts across their chests. 7 And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever. 8 The Temple was filled with smoke from God's glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

PSALM 143:1-12

A psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;

listen to my plea!

Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.

2 Don't bring your servant to trial!

Compared to you, no one is perfect.

3 My enemy has chased me.

He has knocked me to the ground.

He forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.

4 I am losing all hope;

I am paralyzed with fear.

5 I remember the days of old.

I ponder all your great works.

I think about what you have done.

6 I reach out for you.

I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.

Interlude7 Come quickly, LORD, and answer me,

for my depression deepens.

Don't turn away from me,

or I will die.

8 Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning,

for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk,

for I have come to you in prayer.

9 Save me from my enemies, LORD;

I run to you to hide me.

10 Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward

on a firm footing.

11 For the glory of your name, O LORD, save me.

In your righteousness, bring me out of this distress.

12 In your unfailing love, cut off all my enemies

and destroy all my foes,

for I am your servant.

PROVERBS 30:24-28

There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: Ants--they aren't strong, but they store up food for the winter. Rock badgers--they aren't powerful, but they make their homes among the rocky cliffs. Locusts--they have no king, but they march like an army in ranks. Lizards--they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings' palaces.

December 23 Reading through the Bible

  

ZECHARIAH 4:1-5:11

REVELATION 14:1-20

PSALM 142:1-7

PROVERBS 30:21-23

ZECHARIAH 4:1-5:11

Then the angel who had been talking with me [Zechariah] returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep. 2 " What do you see now?" he asked. I answered, " I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each one having seven spouts with wicks. 3 And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl." 4 Then I asked the angel, " What are these, my lord? What do they mean?" 5 " Don't you know?" the angel asked. " No, my lord," I replied. 6 Then he said to me, " This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will flatten out before him! Then Zerubbabel will set the final stone of the Temple in place, and the people will shout: ` May God bless it! May God bless it!' "8 Then another message came to me from the LORD: 9 " Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me. 10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand. For these seven lamps represent the eyes of the LORD that search all around the world." 11 Then I asked the angel, " What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, 12 and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?" 13 " Don't you know?" he asked. " No, my lord," I replied. 14 Then he said to me, " They represent the two anointed ones who assist the Lord of all the earth."5:1 I LOOKED up again and saw a scroll flying through the air. 2 " What do you see?" the angel asked. " I see a flying scroll," I replied. " It appears to be about thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide."3 Then he said to me, " This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land. 4 And this is what the LORD Almighty says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely by my name. And my curse will remain in that house until it is completely destroyed--even its timbers and stones." 5 Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, " Look up! Something is appearing in the sky." 6 " What is it?" I asked.He replied, " It is a basket for measuring grain, and it is filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land." 7 When the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, there was a woman sitting inside it. 8 The angel said, " The woman's name is Wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again.9 Then I looked up and saw two women flying toward us, with wings gliding on the wind. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew with it into the sky. 10 " Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel. 11 He replied, " To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on its pedestal."

REVELATION 14:1-20

Then I [John] saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roaring of a great waterfall or the rolling of mighty thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. 3 This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. And no one could learn this song except those 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 For they are spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. 5 No falsehood can be charged against them; they are blameless. 6 And I saw another angel flying through the heavens, carrying the everlasting Good News to preach to the people who belong to this world--to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 " Fear God," he shouted. " Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all the springs of water." 8 Then another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, " Babylon is fallen--that great city is fallen--because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality."9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting, " Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or the hand 10 must drink the wine of God's wrath. It is poured out undiluted into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name. 12 Let this encourage God's holy people to endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end, obeying his commands and trusting in Jesus." 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, " Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from all their toils and trials; for their good deeds follow them!" 14 Then I saw the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then an angel came from the Temple and called out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, " Use the sickle, for the time has come for you to harvest; the crop is ripe on the earth." 16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who has power to destroy the world with fire, shouted to the angel with the sickle, " Use your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are fully ripe for judgment." 19 So the angel swung his sickle on the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20 And the grapes were trodden in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse's bridle.

PSALM 142:1-7

A psalm of David, regarding his experience in the cave. A prayer.

1 I cry out to the LORD;

I plead for the LORD's mercy.

2 I pour out my complaints before him

and tell him all my troubles.

3 For I am overwhelmed,

and you alone know the way I should turn.

Wherever I go,

my enemies have set traps for me.

4 I look for someone to come and help me,

but no one gives me a passing thought!

No one will help me;

no one cares a bit what happens to me.

5 Then I pray to you, O LORD.

I say, " You are my place of refuge.

You are all I really want in life.

6 Hear my cry,

for I am very low.

Rescue me from my persecutors,

for they are too strong for me.

7 Bring me out of prison

so I can thank you.

The godly will crowd around me,

for you treat me kindly."

PROVERBS 30:21-23

There are three things that make the earth tremble--no, four it cannot endure: a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.

December 22 Reading through the Bible

  

ZECHARIAH 2:1-3:10

REVELATION 12:18-13:18

PSALM 141:1-10

PROVERBS 30:18-20

ZECHARIAH 2:1-3:10

When I [Zechariah] looked around me again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 " Where are you going?" I asked. He replied, " I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is." 3 Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him. 4 The other angel said, " Hurry, and say to that young man, ` Jerusalem will someday be so full of people that it won't have room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls, with all their livestock--and yet they will be safe. 5 For I, myself, will be a wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the LORD. And I will be the glory inside the city!' " 6 The LORD says, " Come away! Flee from the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds. 7 Come away! Escape to Jerusalem, you who are exiled in Babylon!" 8 " After a period of glory, the LORD Almighty sent me against the nations who oppressed you. For he said, ` Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. 9 I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.' Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me." 10 The LORD says, " Shout and rejoice, O Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. 11 Many nations will join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the LORD Almighty sent me to you. 12 The land of Judah will be the LORD's inheritance in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. 13 Be silent before the LORD, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling."3:1 THEN the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. Satan was there at the angel's right hand, accusing Jeshua of many things. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, " I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from a fire." 3 Jeshua's clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. 4 So the angel said to the others standing there, " Take off his filthy clothes." And turning to Jeshua he said, " See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes." 5 Then I said, " Please, could he also have a clean turban on his head?" So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the LORD stood by. 6 Then the angel of the LORD spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said, 7 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: If you follow my ways and obey my requirements, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk in and out of my presence along with these others standing here. 8 Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of the good things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD Almighty, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day. 10 And on that day, says the LORD Almighty, each of you will invite your neighbor into your home to share your peace and prosperity."

REVELATION 12:18-13:18

Then he [the dragon] stood waiting on the shore of the sea. 13:1 AND now in my vision I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. 2 This beast looked like a leopard, but it had bear's feet and a lion's mouth! And the dragon gave him his own power and throne and great authority. 3 I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery--but the fatal wound was healed! All the world marveled at this miracle and followed the beast in awe. 4 They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they worshiped the beast. " Is there anyone as great as the beast?" they exclaimed. " Who is able to fight against him?" 5 Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do what he wanted for forty-two months. 6 And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and all who live in heaven, who are his temple. 7 And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to overcome them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb who was killed before the world was made. 9 Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand. 10 The people who are destined for prison will be arrested and taken away. Those who are destined for death will be killed. But do not be dismayed, for here is your opportunity to have endurance and faith.11 Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke with the voice of a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and those who belong to this world to worship the first beast, whose death-wound had been healed. 13 He did astounding miracles, such as making fire flash down to earth from heaven while everyone was watching. 14 And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people of the world to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. 16 He required everyone--great and small, rich and poor, slave and free--to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18 Wisdom is needed to understand this. Let the one who has understanding solve the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

PSALM 141:1-10

A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, I am calling to you. Please hurry!

Listen when I cry to you for help!

2 Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,

and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

3 Take control of what I say, O LORD,

and keep my lips sealed.

4 Don't let me lust for evil things;

don't let me participate in acts of wickedness.

Don't let me share in the delicacies

of those who do evil.

5 Let the godly strike me!

It will be a kindness!

If they reprove me, it is soothing medicine.

Don't let me refuse it.

But I am in constant prayer

against the wicked and their deeds.

6 When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff,

they will listen to my words and find them pleasing.

7 Even as a farmer breaks up the soil and brings up rocks,

so the bones of the wicked will be scattered without a decent burial.

8 I look to you for help, O Sovereign LORD.

You are my refuge; don't let them kill me.

9 Keep me out of the traps they have set for me,

out of the snares of those who do evil.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own snares,

but let me escape.

PROVERBS 30:18-20

There are three things that amaze me--no, four things I do not understand: how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman. Equally amazing is how an adulterous woman can satisfy her sexual appetite, shrug her shoulders, and then say, " What's wrong with that?"

December 21 Reading through the Bible

  

ZECHARIAH 1:1-21

REVELATION 12:1-17

PSALM 140:1-13

PROVERBS 30:17

ZECHARIAH 1:1-21

In midautumn of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. 2 " I, the LORD, was very angry with your ancestors. 3 Therefore, say to the people, ` This is what the LORD Almighty says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD Almighty.' 4 Do not be like your ancestors who would not listen when the earlier prophets said to them, ` This is what the LORD Almighty says: Turn from your evil ways and stop all your evil practices.' 5 " Your ancestors and their prophets are now long dead. 6 But all the things I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said they would. As a result, they repented and said, ` We have received what we deserved from the LORD Almighty. He has done what he said he would do.'" 7 Then on February 15 of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD sent another message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. Zechariah said: 8 In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses, each with its own rider. 9 I asked the angel who was talking with me, " My lord, what are all those horses for?" " I will show you," the angel replied. 10 So the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, " They are the ones the LORD has sent out to patrol the earth." 11 Then the other riders reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, " We have patrolled the earth, and the whole earth is at peace." 12 Upon hearing this, the angel of the LORD prayed this prayer: " O LORD Almighty, for seventy years now you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. How long will it be until you again show mercy to them?" 13 And the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.14 Then the angel said to me, " Shout this message for all to hear: ` This is what the LORD Almighty says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong. 15 But I am very angry with the other nations that enjoy peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations punished them far beyond my intentions. 16 " ` Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the LORD Almighty, and plans will be made for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.' 17 Say this also: ` This is what the LORD Almighty says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.' "18 Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. 19 " What are these?" I asked the angel who was talking with me. He replied, " These horns represent the world powers that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." 20 Then the LORD showed me four blacksmiths. 21 " What are these men coming to do?" I asked. The angel replied, " The blacksmiths have come to terrify the four horns that scattered and humbled Judah. They will throw them down and destroy them."

REVELATION 12:1-17

Then I [John] witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out in the pain of labor as she awaited her delivery. 3 Suddenly, I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail dragged down one-third of the stars, which he threw to the earth. He stood before the woman as she was about to give birth to her child, ready to devour the baby as soon as it was born. 5 She gave birth to a boy who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And the child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to give her care for 1,260 days.7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and the angels under his command fought the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle and was forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon--the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world--was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. 10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, " It has happened at last--the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ! For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth--the one who accused our brothers and sisters* before our God day and night. 11 And they have defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of their testimony. And they were not afraid to die. 12 Rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea. For the Devil has come down to you in great anger, and he knows that he has little time."13 And when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the child. 14 But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle. This allowed her to fly to a place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time. 15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from its mouth. 16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. 17 Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and he declared war against the rest of her children--all who keep God's commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus.

PSALM 140:1-13

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, rescue me from evil people.

Preserve me from those who are violent,

2 those who plot evil in their hearts

and stir up trouble all day long.

3 Their tongues sting like a snake;

the poison of a viper drips from their lips.

Interlude4 O LORD, keep me out of the hands of the wicked.

Preserve me from those who are violent,

for they are plotting against me.

5 The proud have set a trap to catch me;

they have stretched out a net;

they have placed traps all along the way.

Interlude6 I said to the LORD, " You are my God!"

Listen, O LORD, to my cries for mercy!

7 O Sovereign LORD, my strong savior,

you protected me on the day of battle.

8 LORD, do not give in to their evil desires.

Do not let their evil schemes succeed, O God.

Interlude9 Let my enemies be destroyed

by the very evil they have planned for me.

10 Let burning coals fall down on their heads,

or throw them into the fire,

or into deep pits from which they can't escape.

11 Don't let liars prosper here in our land.

Cause disaster to fall with great force on the violent.

12 But I know the LORD will surely help those they persecute;

he will maintain the rights of the poor.

13 Surely the godly are praising your name,

for they will live in your presence.

PROVERBS 30:17

The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures.