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.

December 20 Reading through the Bible

 

HAGGAI 1:1-2:23

REVELATION 11:1-19

PSALM 139:1-24

PROVERBS 30:15-16

HAGGAI 1:1-2:23

On August 29 of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 2 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: The people are saying, ` The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD's house--the Temple.' " 3 So the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4 " Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you! 6 You have planted much but harvested little. You have food to eat, but not enough to fill you up. You have wine to drink, but not enough to satisfy your thirst. You have clothing to wear, but not enough to keep you warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! 7 " This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you! 8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD. 9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD Almighty, while you are all busy building your own fine houses. 10 That is why the heavens have withheld the dew and the earth has withheld its crops. 11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills--a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olives and all your other crops, a drought to starve both you and your cattle and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get." 12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God's people obeyed the message from the LORD their God. It had been delivered by the prophet Haggai, whom the LORD their God had sent, and the people worshiped the LORD in earnest. 13 Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: " I am with you, says the LORD!" 14 So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God's people. They came and began their work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God. 15 This was on September 21 of the second year of King Darius's reign.2:1 THEN on October 17 of that same year, the LORD sent another message through the prophet Haggai. 2 " Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God's people there in the land: 3 Is there anyone who can remember this house--the Temple--as it was before? In comparison, how does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! 4 But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD. Take courage, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Take courage, all you people still left in the land, says the LORD. Take courage and work, for I am with you, says the LORD Almighty. 5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid. 6 " For this is what the LORD Almighty says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth. I will shake the oceans and the dry land, too. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD Almighty. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD Almighty. 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the LORD Almighty. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!" 10 On December 18 of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD sent this message to the prophet Haggai: 11 " This is what the LORD Almighty says! Ask the priests this question about the law: 12 If one of you is carrying a holy sacrifice in his robes and happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?" The priests replied, " No." 13 Then Haggai asked, " But if someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then brushes against any of the things mentioned, will it be defiled?" And the priests answered, " Yes." 14 Then Haggai said, " That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the LORD. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled. 15 So think about this from now on--consider how things were going for you before you began to lay the foundation of the LORD's Temple. 16 When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty. 17 I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy all the produce of your labor. Yet, even so, you refused to return to me, says the LORD.18 " On this eighteenth day of December--the day when the foundation of the LORD's Temple was laid--carefully consider this: 19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn, before you have harvested your grain and before the grapevine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have produced their crops. From this day onward I will bless you." 20 The LORD sent this second message to Haggai on December 18: 21 " Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow royal thrones, destroying the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and charioteers. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other. 23 But when this happens, says the LORD Almighty, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will treat you like a signet ring on my finger, says the LORD, for I have specially chosen you. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!"

REVELATION 11:1-19

Then I [John] was given a measuring stick, and I was told, " Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. 2 But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in sackcloth and will prophesy during those 1,260 days." 4 These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from the mouths of the prophets and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut the skies so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to send every kind of plague upon the earth as often as they wish.7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them. He will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city which is called " Sodom" and " Egypt," the city where their Lord was crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will come to stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10 All the people who belong to this world will give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them. 11 But after three and a half days, the spirit of life from God entered them, and they stood up! And terror struck all who were staring at them. 12 Then a loud voice shouted from heaven, " Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched. 13 And in the same hour there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake. And everyone who did not die was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second terror is past, but look, now the third terror is coming quickly. 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: " The whole world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever." 16 And the twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped him. 17 And they said, " We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,

the one who is and who always was,

for now you have assumed your great power

and have begun to reign.

18 The nations were angry with you,

but now the time of your wrath has come.

It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants.

You will reward your prophets and your holy people,

all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest.

And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth."

19 Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared; there was a great hailstorm, and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake.

PSALM 139:1-24

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my every thought when far away.

3 You chart the path ahead of me

and tell me where to stop and rest.

Every moment you know where I am.

4 You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, LORD.

5 You both precede and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to know!

7 I can never escape from your spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night--

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are both alike to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God!

They are innumerable!

18 I can't even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up in the morning,

you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

Get out of my life, you murderers!

20 They blaspheme you;

your enemies take your name in vain.

21 O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you?

Shouldn't I despise those who resist you?

22 Yes, I hate them with complete hatred,

for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

PROVERBS 30:15-16

The leech has two suckers that cry out, " More, more!" There are three other things--no, four!--that are never satisfied: the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.

December 19 Reading through the Bible!

 ZEPHANIAH 1:1-3:20

REVELATION 10:1-11

PSALM 138:1-8

PROVERBS 30:11-14

ZEPHANIAH 1:1-3:20

The LORD gave these messages to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. 2 " I will sweep away everything in all your land," says the LORD. 3 " I will sweep away both people and animals alike. Even the birds of the air and the fish in the sea will die. I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble, along with the rest of humanity," says the LORD. 4 " I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. 5 For they go up to their roofs and bow to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow the LORD, but then they worship Molech, too. So now I will destroy them! 6 And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the LORD's guidance or seek my blessings." 7 Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign LORD, for the awesome day of the LORD's judgment has come. The LORD has prepared his people for a great slaughter and has chosen their executioners. 8 " On that day of judgment," says the LORD, " I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah and all those following pagan customs. 9 Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies, and those who steal and kill to fill their masters' homes with loot.10 " On that day," says the LORD, " a cry of alarm will come from the Fish Gate and echo throughout the newer Mishneh section of the city. And a great crashing sound will come from the surrounding hills. 11 Wail in sorrow, all you who live in the market area, for all who buy and sell there will die. 12 " I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem's darkest corners to find and punish those who sit contented in their sins, indifferent to the LORD, thinking he will do nothing at all to them. 13 They are the very ones whose property will be plundered by the enemy, whose homes will be ransacked. They will never have a chance to live in the new homes they have built. They will never drink wine from the vineyards they have planted. 14 " That terrible day of the LORD is near. Swiftly it comes--a day when strong men will cry bitterly. 15 It is a day when the LORD's anger will be poured out. It is a day of terrible distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, of clouds, blackness, 16 trumpet calls, and battle cries. Down go the walled cities and strongest battlements! 17 " Because you have sinned against the LORD, I will make you as helpless as a blind man searching for a path. Your blood will be poured out into the dust, and your bodies will lie there rotting on the ground." 18 Your silver and gold will be of no use to you on that day of the LORD's anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. He will make a terrifying end of all the people on earth.2:1 GATHER together and pray, you shameless nation. 2 Gather while there is still time, before judgment begins and your opportunity is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls and the terrible day of the LORD's anger begins. 3 Beg the LORD to save you--all you who are humble, all you who uphold justice. Walk humbly and do what is right. Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you from his anger on that day of destruction. 4 Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron--these Philistine cities, too, will be rooted out and left in desolation. 5 And how terrible it will be for you Philistines who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan, for this judgment is against you, too! The LORD will destroy you until not one of you is left. 6 The coastal area will become a pasture, a place of shepherd camps and enclosures for sheep. 7 The few survivors of the tribe of Judah will pasture there. They will lie down to rest in the abandoned houses in Ashkelon. For the LORD their God will visit his people in kindness and restore their prosperity again. 8 " I have heard the taunts of the people of Moab and Ammon, mocking my people and invading their borders. 9 Now, as surely as I live," says the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, " Moab and Ammon will be destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah. Their land will become a place of stinging nettles, salt pits, and eternal desolation. Those of my people who are left will plunder them and take their land."10 They will receive the wages of their pride, for they have scoffed at the people of the LORD Almighty. 11 The LORD will terrify them as he destroys all the gods in the land. Then people from nations around the world will worship the LORD, each in their own land. 12 " You Ethiopians will also be slaughtered by my sword," says the LORD. 13 And the LORD will strike the lands of the north with his fist. He will destroy Assyria and make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert. 14 The city that once was so proud will become a pasture for sheep and cattle. All sorts of wild animals will settle there. Owls of many kinds will live among the ruins of its palaces, hooting from the gaping windows. Rubble will block all the doorways, and the cedar paneling will lie open to the wind and weather.15 This is the fate of that boisterous city, once so secure. " In all the world there is no city as great as I," it boasted. But now, look how it has become an utter ruin, a place where animals live! Everyone passing that way will laugh in derision or shake a defiant fist. 3:1 HOW terrible it will be for rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime. 2 It proudly refuses to listen even to the voice of the LORD. No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the LORD or draw near to its God. 3 Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims--out for everything they can get. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. 4 Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God's laws. 5 But the LORD is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day his justice is more evident, but no one takes notice--the wicked know no shame. 6 " I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their cities are now deserted; their streets are in silent ruin. There are no survivors to even tell what happened. 7 I thought, ` Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings, so I won't need to strike again.' But no; however much I punish them, they continue their evil practices from dawn till dusk and dusk till dawn." 8 So now the LORD says: " Be patient; the time is coming soon when I will stand up and accuse these evil nations. For it is my decision to gather together the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy.9 " On that day I will purify the lips of all people, so that everyone will be able to worship the LORD together. 10 My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings. 11 And then you will no longer need to be ashamed of yourselves, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all the proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no pride on my holy mountain. 12 Those who are left will be the lowly and the humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the LORD. 13 The people of Israel who survive will do no wrong to each other, never telling lies or deceiving one another. They will live peaceful lives, lying down to sleep in safety; there will be no one to make them afraid." 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 For the LORD will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the LORD himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will fear disaster no more. 16 On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, " Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! 17 For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song." 18 " I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more. 19 And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and renown to my former exiles, who have been mocked and shamed. 20 On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction among all the nations of the earth. They will praise you as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

REVELATION 10:1-11

Then I [John] saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. 2 And in his hand was a small scroll, which he had unrolled. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3 And he gave a great shout, like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered. 4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But a voice from heaven called to me: " Keep secret what the seven thunders said. Do not write it down."5 Then the mighty angel standing on the sea and on the land lifted his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, " God will wait no longer. 7 But when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God's mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets." 8 Then the voice from heaven called to me again: " Go and take the unrolled scroll from the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." 9 So I approached him and asked him to give me the little scroll. " Yes, take it and eat it," he said. " At first it will taste like honey, but when you swallow it, it will make your stomach sour!" 10 So I took the little scroll from the hands of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but it made my stomach sour. 11 Then he said to me, " You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings."

PSALM 138:1-8

A psalm of David.

1 I give you thanks, O LORD, with all my heart;

I will sing your praises before the gods.

2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.

I will give thanks to your name

for your unfailing love and faithfulness,

because your promises are backed

by all the honor of your name.

3 When I pray, you answer me;

you encourage me by giving me the strength I need.

4 Every king in all the earth will give you thanks, O LORD,

for all of them will hear your words.

5 Yes, they will sing about the LORD's ways,

for the glory of the LORD is very great.

6 Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble,

but he keeps his distance from the proud.

7 Though I am surrounded by troubles,

you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies.

You will clench your fist against my angry enemies!

Your power will save me.

8 The LORD will work out his plans for my life--

for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.

Don't abandon me, for you made me.

PROVERBS 30:11-14

Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. They feel pure, but they are filthy and unwashed. They are proud beyond description and disdainful. They devour the poor with teeth as sharp as swords or knives. They destroy the needy from the face of the earth.

December 18 Reading through the Bible

 

HABAKKUK 1:1-3:19

REVELATION 9:1-21

PSALM 137:1-9

PROVERBS 30:10

HABAKKUK 1:1-3:19

This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received from the LORD in a vision. 2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! " Violence!" I cry, but you do not come to save. 3 Must I forever see this sin and misery all around me? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. 4 The law has become paralyzed and useless, and there is no justice given in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, and justice is perverted with bribes and trickery. 5 The LORD replied, " Look at the nations and be amazed! Watch and be astounded at what I will do! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians to be a new power on the world scene. They are a cruel and violent nation who will march across the world and conquer it. 7 They are notorious for their cruelty. They do as they like, and no one can stop them. 8 Their horses are swifter than leopards. They are a fierce people, more fierce than wolves at dusk. Their horsemen race forward from distant places. Like eagles they swoop down to pounce on their prey. 9 " On they come, all of them bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a wind from the desert, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. 10 They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their defenses. They simply pile ramps of earth against their walls and capture them! 11 They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god." 12 O LORD my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal--is your plan in all of this to wipe us out? Surely not! O LORD our Rock, you have decreed the rise of these Babylonians to punish and correct us for our terrible sins. 13 You are perfectly just in this. But will you, who cannot allow sin in any form, stand idly by while they swallow us up? Should you be silent while the wicked destroy people who are more righteous than they? 14 Are we but fish to be caught and killed? Are we but creeping things that have no leader to defend them from their enemies? 15 Must we be strung up on their hooks and dragged out in their nets while they rejoice? 16 Then they will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them. " These nets are the gods who have made us rich!" they will claim. 17 Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests?2:1 I WILL climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the LORD will say to me and how he will answer my complaint. 2 Then the LORD said to me, " Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. 3 But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. 4 " Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked; but the righteous will live by their faith. 5 Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They range far and wide, with their mouths opened as wide as death, but they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and peoples. 6 But the time is coming when all their captives will taunt them, saying, ` You thieves! At last justice has caught up with you! Now you will get what you deserve for your oppression and extortion!' 7 Suddenly, your debtors will rise up in anger. They will turn on you and take all you have, while you stand trembling and helpless. 8 You have plundered many nations; now they will plunder you. You murderers! You have filled the countryside with violence and all the cities, too. 9 " How terrible it will be for you who get rich by unjust means! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your families beyond the reach of danger. 10 But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives. 11 The very stones in the walls of your houses cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint.12 " How terrible it will be for you who build cities with money gained by murder and corruption! 13 Has not the LORD Almighty promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain! 14 For the time will come when all the earth will be filled, as the waters fill the sea, with an awareness of the glory of the LORD. 15 " How terrible it will be for you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup on them so that you can gloat over their nakedness and shame. 16 But soon it will be your turn! Come, drink and be exposed! Drink from the cup of the LORD's judgment, and all your glory will be turned to shame. 17 You cut down the forests of Lebanon. Now you will be cut down! You terrified the wild animals you caught in your traps. Now terror will strike you because of your murder and violence in cities everywhere! 18 " What have you gained by worshiping all your man-made idols? How foolish to trust in something made by your own hands! What fools you are to believe such lies! 19 How terrible it will be for you who beg lifeless wooden idols to save you. You ask speechless stone images to tell you what to do. Can an idol speak for God? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside. 20 But the LORD is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him."3:1 THIS prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk: 2 I have heard all about you, LORD, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as you did in years gone by. Show us your power to save us. And in your anger, remember your mercy. 3 I see God, the Holy One, moving across the deserts from Edom and Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise! What a wonderful God he is! 4 Rays of brilliant light flash from his hands. He rejoices in his awesome power. 5 Pestilence marches before him; plague follows close behind. 6 When he stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble. He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills. But his power is not diminished in the least! 7 I see the peoples of Cushan and Midian trembling in terror.8 Was it in anger, LORD, that you struck the rivers and parted the sea? Were you displeased with them? No, you were sending your chariots of salvation! 9 You were commanding your weapons of power! You split open the earth with flowing rivers! 10 The mountains watched and trembled. Onward swept the raging waters. The mighty deep cried out, lifting its hands to the LORD. 11 The lofty sun and moon began to fade, obscured by brilliance from your arrows and the flashing of your glittering spear. 12 You marched across the land in awesome anger and trampled the nations in your fury. 13 You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones. You crushed the heads of the wicked and laid bare their bones from head to toe. 14 With their own weapons, you destroyed those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey. 15 You trampled the sea with your horses, and the mighty waters piled high. 16 I trembled inside when I heard all this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. 17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)

REVELATION 9:1-21

Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I [John] saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air were darkened by the smoke. 3 Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. 4 They were told not to hurt the grass or plants or trees but to attack all the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with agony like the pain of scorpion stings. 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee away! 7 The locusts looked like horses armed for battle. They had gold crowns on their heads, and they had human faces. 8 Their hair was long like the hair of a woman, and their teeth were like the teeth of a lion. 9 They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails that stung like scorpions, with power to torture people. This power was given to them for five months. 11 Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon--the Destroyer. 12 The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. 14 And the voice spoke to the sixth angel who held the trumpet: " Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River." 15 And the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. 16 They led an army of 200 million mounted troops--I heard an announcement of how many there were. 17 And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and sky blue and yellow. The horses' heads were like the heads of lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. 18 One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues--by the fire and the smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. 19 Their power was in their mouths, but also in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people. 20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood--idols that neither see nor hear nor walk! 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts.

PSALM 137:1-9

Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept

as we thought of Jerusalem.

2 We put away our lyres,

hanging them on the branches of the willow trees.

3 For there our captors demanded a song of us.

Our tormentors requested a joyful hymn:

" Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!"

4 But how can we sing the songs of the LORD

while in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

let my right hand forget its skill upon the harp.

6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth

if I fail to remember you,

if I don't make Jerusalem my highest joy.

7 O LORD, remember what the Edomites did

on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem.

" Destroy it!" they yelled.

" Level it to the ground!"

8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed.

Happy is the one who pays you back

for what you have done to us.

9 Happy is the one who takes your babies

and smashes them against the rocks!

PROVERBS 30:10

Never slander a person to his employer. If you do, the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.