Daily Bible Reading: NASB Translation: Recent Episodes

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The reading for today is Job 40-42; Psalm 150; Revelation 22.

Job 40Then the Lord said to Job,

"Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who reproves God answer it."

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

"Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
"Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more."

Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said,

"Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will ask you, and you instruct Me.
"Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?
"Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?

"Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
"Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.
"Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
"Hide them in the dust together;
Bind them in the hidden place.
"Then I will also confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.

"Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
"Behold now, his strength in his loins
And his power in the muscles of his belly.
"He bends his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
"His bones are tubes of bronze;
His limbs are like bars of iron.

"He is the first of the ways of God;
Let his maker bring near his sword.
"Surely the mountains bring him food,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
"Under the lotus plants he lies down,
In the covert of the reeds and the marsh.
"The lotus plants cover him with shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
"If a river rages, he is not alarmed;
He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth.
"Can anyone capture him when he is on watch,
With barbs can anyone pierce his nose?

Job 41"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
"Can you put a rope in his nose
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
"Will he make many supplications to you,
Or will he speak to you soft words?
"Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him for a servant forever?
"Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you bind him for your maidens?
"Will the traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him among the merchants?
"Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
"Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle; you will not do it again!
"Behold, your expectation is false;
Will you be laid low even at the sight of him?
"No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him;
Who then is he that can stand before Me?
"Who has given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame.
"Who can strip off his outer armor?
Who can come within his double mail?
"Who can open the doors of his face?
Around his teeth there is terror.
"His strong scales are his pride,
Shut up as with a tight seal.
"One is so near to another
That no air can come between them.
"They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.
"His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
"Out of his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.
"Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
"His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
"In his neck lodges strength,
And dismay leaps before him.
"The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm on him and immovable.
"His heart is as hard as a stone,
Even as hard as a lower millstone.
"When he raises himself up, the mighty fear;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
"The sword that reaches him cannot avail,
Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.
"He regards iron as straw,
Bronze as rotten wood.
"The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.
"Clubs are regarded as stubble;
He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.
"His underparts are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mire.
"He makes the depths boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
"Behind him he makes a wake to shine;
One would think the deep to be gray-haired.
"Nothing on earth is like him,
One made without fear.
"He looks on everything that is high;
He is king over all the sons of pride."

Job 42Then Job answered the Lord and said,

"I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."
‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes."

It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job.

The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days.

Psalm 150Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!

Revelation 22Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.

"And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God."

And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy."

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

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The reading for today is Job 37-39; Psalm 103; Revelation 21.

Job 37"At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
"Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
"Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
"After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
"God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
"For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
"He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
"Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
"Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
"From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
"Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
"It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
"Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

"Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
"Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
"Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
"Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
"Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
"Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

"Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
"Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
"The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
"Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart."

Job 38Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

"Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
"Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
"On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

"Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;
When I made a cloud its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
And I placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop’?

"Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
"It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand forth like a garment.
"From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the uplifted arm is broken.

"Have you entered into the springs of the sea
Or walked in the recesses of the deep?
"Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
"Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

"Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
That you may take it to its territory
And that you may discern the paths to its home?
"You know, for you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!
"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
Which I have reserved for the time of distress,
For the day of war and battle?
"Where is the way that the light is divided,
Or the east wind scattered on the earth?

"Who has cleft a channel for the flood,
Or a way for the thunderbolt,
To bring rain on a land without people,
On a desert without a man in it,
To satisfy the waste and desolate land
And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?
"Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
"From whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
"Water becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

"Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of Orion?
"Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her satellites?
"Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or fix their rule over the earth?

"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?
"Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
"Who has put wisdom in the innermost being
Or given understanding to the mind?
"Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
Or tip the water jars of the heavens,
When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?

"Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
When they crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?
"Who prepares for the raven its nourishment
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?

Job 39"Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?
"Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
"They kneel down, they bring forth their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
"Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.

"Who sent out the wild donkey free?
And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
To whom I gave the wilderness for a home
And the salt land for his dwelling place?
"He scorns the tumult of the city,
The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.
"He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.
"Will the wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?
"Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?
"Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?
"Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

"The ostriches’ wings flap joyously
With the pinion and plumage of love,
For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
And she forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may trample them.
"She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned;
Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
"When she lifts herself on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.

"Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
"Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic snorting is terrible.
"He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons.
"He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
"The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
"With shaking and rage he races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.
"As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

"Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
"Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
And makes his nest on high?
"On the cliff he dwells and lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.
"From there he spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.
"His young ones also suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there is he."

Psalm 103A Psalm of David.Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Revelation 21Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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The reading for today is Job 34-36; Revelation 20.

Job 34Then Elihu continued and said,

"Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who know.
"For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
"Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
"For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;
Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
"What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,
Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
"For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he is pleased with God.’

"Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
"For He pays a man according to his work,
And makes him find it according to his way.
"Surely, God will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
"Who gave Him authority over the earth?
And who has laid on Him the whole world?
"If He should determine to do so,
If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

"But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
"Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;
Who shows no partiality to princes
Nor regards the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands?
"In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.
"There is no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
"For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
"He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
"Therefore He knows their works,
And He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
"He strikes them like the wicked
In a public place,
Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no regard for any of His ways;
So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted—
When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
That is, in regard to both nation and man?—
So that godless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.

"For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;
Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity,
I will not do it again’?
"Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.
"Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
‘Job ought to be tried to the limit,
Because he answers like wicked men.
‘For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’"

Job 35Then Elihu continued and said,

"Do you think this is according to justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
"For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
"I will answer you,
And your friends with you.
"Look at the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—they are higher than you.
"If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?
"If you are righteous, what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
"Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.

"Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.
"But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs in the night,
Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
"There they cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.
"Surely God will not listen to an empty cry,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
"How much less when you say you do not behold Him,
The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
"And now, because He has not visited in His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged transgression well,
So Job opens his mouth emptily;
He multiplies words without knowledge."

Job 36Then Elihu continued and said,

"Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
"I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
"For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
"Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
"He does not keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to the afflicted.
"He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
"And if they are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of affliction,
Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves.
"He opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they return from evil.
"If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasures.
"But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword
And they will die without knowledge.
"But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
"They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.
"He delivers the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ear in time of oppression.
"Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And that which was set on your table was full of fatness.

"But you were full of judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
"Beware that wrath does not entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
"Will your riches keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your strength?
"Do not long for the night,
When people vanish in their place.
"Be careful, do not turn to evil,
For you have preferred this to affliction.
"Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a teacher like Him?
"Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?

"Remember that you should exalt His work,
Of which men have sung.
"All men have seen it;
Man beholds from afar.
"Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.
"For He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from the mist,
Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly.
"Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
The thundering of His pavilion?
"Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
"For by these He judges peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
"He covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark.
"Its noise declares His presence;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.

Revelation 20Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

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The reading for today is Job 31-33; Psalm 102; Revelation 19.

Job 31"I have made a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?
"And what is the portion of God from above
Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
"Is it not calamity to the unjust
And disaster to those who work iniquity?
"Does He not see my ways
And number all my steps?

"If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,
Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
"If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
Let me sow and another eat,
And let my crops be uprooted.

"If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
May my wife grind for another,
And let others kneel down over her.
"For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.
"For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon,
And would uproot all my increase.

"If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?
"Did not He who made me in the womb make him,
And the same one fashion us in the womb?

"If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not shared it
(But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from infancy I guided her),
If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,
If his loins have not thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw I had support in the gate,
Let my shoulder fall from the socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.
"For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

"If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had secured so much;
If I have looked at the sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,
And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.

"Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy,
Or exulted when evil befell him?
"No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.
"Have the men of my tent not said,
‘Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’?
"The alien has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler.
"Have I covered my transgressions like Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And kept silent and did not go out of doors?
"Oh that I had one to hear me!
Behold, here is my signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written,
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
I would bind it to myself like a crown.
"I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

"If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
Let briars grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley."

The words of Job are ended.

Job 32Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned because he justified himself before God. And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned.

So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said,

"I am young in years and you are old;
Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think.
"I thought age should speak,
And increased years should teach wisdom.
"But it is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
"The abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may elders understand justice.
"So I say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell what I think.’

"Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings,
While you pondered what to say.
"I even paid close attention to you;
Indeed, there was no one who refuted Job,
Not one of you who answered his words.
"Do not say,
‘We have found wisdom;
God will rout him, not man.’
"For he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I reply to him with your arguments.

"They are dismayed, they no longer answer;
Words have failed them.
"Shall I wait, because they do not speak,
Because they stop and no longer answer?
"I too will answer my share,
I also will tell my opinion.
"For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constrains me.
"Behold, my belly is like unvented wine,
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
"Let me speak that I may get relief;
Let me open my lips and answer.
"Let me now be partial to no one,
Nor flatter any man.
"For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me away.

Job 33"However now, Job, please hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
"Behold now, I open my mouth,
My tongue in my mouth speaks.
"My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.
"The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
"Refute me if you can;
Array yourselves before me, take your stand.
"Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been formed out of the clay.
"Behold, no fear of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

"Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words:
‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.
‘Behold, He invents pretexts against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
‘He puts my feet in the stocks;
He watches all my paths.’
"Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.

"Why do you complain against Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?
"Indeed God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one notices it.
"In a dream, a vision of the night,
When sound sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction,
That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep man from pride;
He keeps back his soul from the pit,
And his life from passing over into Sheol.

"Man is also chastened with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones;
So that his life loathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.
"His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones which were not seen stick out.
"Then his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.

"If there is an angel as mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To remind a man what is right for him,
Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom’;
Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,
Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;
Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him,
That he may see His face with joy,
And He may restore His righteousness to man.
"He will sing to men and say,
‘I have sinned and perverted what is right,
And it is not proper for me.
‘He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit,
And my life shall see the light.’

"Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,
To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
"Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and let me speak.
"Then if you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
"If not, listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

Psalm 102A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.Hear my prayer, O Lord!
And let my cry for help come to You.
Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call answer me quickly.
For my days have been consumed in smoke,
And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.
My heart has been smitten like grass and has withered away,
Indeed, I forget to eat my bread.
Because of the loudness of my groaning
My bones cling to my flesh.
I resemble a pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the waste places.
I lie awake,
I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

My enemies have reproached me all day long;
Those who deride me have used my name as a curse.
For I have eaten ashes like bread
And mingled my drink with weeping
Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
My days are like a lengthened shadow,
And I wither away like grass.

But You, O Lord, abide forever,
And Your name to all generations.
You will arise and have compassion on Zion;
For it is time to be gracious to her,
For the appointed time has come.
Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones
And feel pity for her dust.
So the nations will fear the name of the Lord
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
For the Lord has built up Zion;
He has appeared in His glory.
He has regarded the prayer of the destitute
And has not despised their prayer.

This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.
For He looked down from His holy height;
From heaven the Lord gazed upon the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To set free those who were doomed to death,
That men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion
And His praise in Jerusalem,
When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

He has weakened my strength in the way;
He has shortened my days.
I say, "O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days,
Your years are throughout all generations.
"Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
"Even they will perish, but You endure;
And all of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.
"But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.
"The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You."

Revelation 19After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her." And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And a voice came from the throne, saying,

"Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,

"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then he said to me, "Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’" And he said to me, "These are true words of God." Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great."

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

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The reading for today is Job 28-30; Revelation 18.

Job 28"Surely there is a mine for silver
And a place where they refine gold.
"Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock.
"Man puts an end to darkness,
And to the farthest limit he searches out
The rock in gloom and deep shadow.
"He sinks a shaft far from habitation,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing to and fro far from men.
"The earth, from it comes food,
And underneath it is turned up as fire.
"Its rocks are the source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
"The path no bird of prey knows,
Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.
"The proud beasts have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
"He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the base.
"He hews out channels through the rocks,
And his eye sees anything precious.
"He dams up the streams from flowing,
And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

"But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
"Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
"The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
"Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
"It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
"Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
"Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls.
"The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
"Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?
"Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living
And concealed from the birds of the sky.
"Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

"God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
"For He looks to the ends of the earth
And sees everything under the heavens.
"When He imparted weight to the wind
And meted out the waters by measure,
When He set a limit for the rain
And a course for the thunderbolt,
Then He saw it and declared it;
He established it and also searched it out.
"And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’"

Job 29And Job again took up his discourse and said,

"Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God watched over me;
When His lamp shone over my head,
And by His light I walked through darkness;
As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship of God was over my tent;
When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were around me;
When my steps were bathed in butter,
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
"When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat in the square,
The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the old men arose and stood.
"The princes stopped talking
And put their hands on their mouths;
The voice of the nobles was hushed,
And their tongue stuck to their palate.
"For when the ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,
Because I delivered the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.
"The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
"I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
"I was eyes to the blind
And feet to the lame.
"I was a father to the needy,
And I investigated the case which I did not know.
"I broke the jaws of the wicked
And snatched the prey from his teeth.
"Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,
And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
‘My root is spread out to the waters,
And dew lies all night on my branch.
‘My glory is ever new with me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

"To me they listened and waited,
And kept silent for my counsel.
"After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped on them.
"They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.
"I smiled on them when they did not believe,
And the light of my face they did not cast down.
"I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And dwelt as a king among the troops,
As one who comforted the mourners.

Job 30"But now those younger than I mock me,
Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.
"Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?
Vigor had perished from them.
"From want and famine they are gaunt
Who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,
Who pluck mallow by the bushes,
And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.
"They are driven from the community;
They shout against them as against a thief,
So that they dwell in dreadful valleys,
In holes of the earth and of the rocks.
"Among the bushes they cry out;
Under the nettles they are gathered together.
"Fools, even those without a name,
They were scourged from the land.

"And now I have become their taunt,
I have even become a byword to them.
"They abhor me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting at my face.
"Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off the bridle before me.
"On the right hand their brood arises;
They thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of destruction.
"They break up my path,
They profit from my destruction;
No one restrains them.
"As through a wide breach they come,
Amid the tempest they roll on.
"Terrors are turned against me;
They pursue my honor as the wind,
And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.

"And now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of affliction have seized me.
"At night it pierces my bones within me,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
"By a great force my garment is distorted;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
"He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
"I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.
"You have become cruel to me;
With the might of Your hand You persecute me.
"You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride;
And You dissolve me in a storm.
"For I know that You will bring me to death
And to the house of meeting for all living.

"Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?
"Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard?
Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
"When I expected good, then evil came;
When I waited for light, then darkness came.
"I am seething within and cannot relax;
Days of affliction confront me.
"I go about mourning without comfort;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
"I have become a brother to jackals
And a companion of ostriches.
"My skin turns black on me,
And my bones burn with fever.
"Therefore my harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the sound of those who weep.

Revelation 18After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

"And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

"And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."

Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."

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The reading for today is Job 24-27; Revelation 17.

Job 24"Why are times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not see His days?
"Some remove the landmarks;
They seize and devour flocks.
"They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
"They push the needy aside from the road;
The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.
"Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness
They go forth seeking food in their activity,
As bread for their children in the desert.
"They harvest their fodder in the field
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
"They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
"They are wet with the mountain rains
And hug the rock for want of a shelter.
"Others snatch the orphan from the breast,
And against the poor they take a pledge.
"They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,
And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.
"Within the walls they produce oil;
They tread wine presses but thirst.
"From the city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

"Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor abide in its paths.
"The murderer arises at dawn;
He kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he is as a thief.
"The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he disguises his face.
"In the dark they dig into houses,
They shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light.
"For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

"They are insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their portion is cursed on the earth.
They do not turn toward the vineyards.
"Drought and heat consume the snow waters,
So does Sheol those who have sinned.
"A mother will forget him;
The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer remembered.
And wickedness will be broken like a tree.
"He wrongs the barren woman
And does no good for the widow.
"But He drags off the valiant by His power;
He rises, but no one has assurance of life.
"He provides them with security, and they are supported;
And His eyes are on their ways.
"They are exalted a little while, then they are gone;
Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up;
Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
"Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?"

Job 25Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

"Dominion and awe belong to Him
Who establishes peace in His heights.
"Is there any number to His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?
"How then can a man be just with God?
Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?
"If even the moon has no brightness
And the stars are not pure in His sight,
How much less man, that maggot,
And the son of man, that worm!"

Job 26Then Job responded,

"What a help you are to the weak!
How you have saved the arm without strength!
"What counsel you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly provided!
"To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit was expressed through you?

"The departed spirits tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
"Naked is Sheol before Him,
And Abaddon has no covering.
"He stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.
"He wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.
"He obscures the face of the full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.
"He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters
At the boundary of light and darkness.
"The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.
"He quieted the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He shattered Rahab.
"By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.
"Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty thunder, who can understand?"

Job 27Then Job continued his discourse and said,

"As God lives, who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,
For as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils,
My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
"Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
"I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not reproach any of my days.

"May my enemy be as the wicked
And my opponent as the unjust.
"For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,
When God requires his life?
"Will God hear his cry
When distress comes upon him?
"Will he take delight in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
"I will instruct you in the power of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
"Behold, all of you have seen it;
Why then do you act foolishly?

"This is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty.
"Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword;
And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
"His survivors will be buried because of the plague,
And their widows will not be able to weep.
"Though he piles up silver like dust
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
He may prepare it, but the just will wear it
And the innocent will divide the silver.
"He has built his house like the spider’s web,
Or as a hut which the watchman has made.
"He lies down rich, but never again;
He opens his eyes, and it is no longer.
"Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away in the night.
"The east wind carries him away, and he is gone,
For it whirls him away from his place.
"For it will hurl at him without sparing;
He will surely try to flee from its power.
"Men will clap their hands at him
And will hiss him from his place.

Revelation 17Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

"The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."

And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."

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The reading for today is Job 21-23; Psalm 101; Revelation 16.

Job 21Then Job answered,

"Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
"Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may mock.
"As for me, is my complaint to man?
And why should I not be impatient?
"Look at me, and be astonished,
And put your hand over your mouth.
"Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And horror takes hold of my flesh.
"Why do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very powerful?
"Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
Their houses are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.
"His ox mates without fail;
His cow calves and does not abort.
"They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
"They sing to the timbrel and harp
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
"They spend their days in prosperity,
And suddenly they go down to Sheol.
"They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
‘Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And what would we gain if we entreat Him?’
"Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

"How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their calamity fall on them?
Does God apportion destruction in His anger?
"Are they as straw before the wind,
And like chaff which the storm carries away?
"You say, ‘God stores away a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let God repay him so that he may know it.
"Let his own eyes see his decay,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
"For what does he care for his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
"Can anyone teach God knowledge,
In that He judges those on high?
"One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and satisfied;
His sides are filled out with fat,
And the marrow of his bones is moist,
While another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even tasting anything good.
"Together they lie down in the dust,
And worms cover them.

"Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plans by which you would wrong me.
"For you say, ‘Where is the house of the nobleman,
And where is the tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’
"Have you not asked wayfaring men,
And do you not recognize their witness?
"For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity;
They will be led forth at the day of fury.
"Who will confront him with his actions,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
"While he is carried to the grave,
Men will keep watch over his tomb.
"The clods of the valley will gently cover him;
Moreover, all men will follow after him,
While countless ones go before him.
"How then will you vainly comfort me,
For your answers remain full of falsehood?"

Job 22Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

"Can a vigorous man be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?
"Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
"Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
"Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquities without end?
"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.
"To the weary you have given no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have withheld bread.
"But the earth belongs to the mighty man,
And the honorable man dwells in it.
"You have sent widows away empty,
And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.
"Therefore snares surround you,
And sudden dread terrifies you,
Or darkness, so that you cannot see,
And an abundance of water covers you.

"Is not God in the height of heaven?
Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!
"You say, ‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
‘Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the vault of heaven.’
"Will you keep to the ancient path
Which wicked men have trod,
Who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were washed away by a river?
"They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’
"Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
"The righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them,
Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off,
And their abundance the fire has consumed.’

"Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
"Please receive instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart.
"If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
Then the Almighty will be your gold
And choice silver to you.
"For then you will delight in the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.
"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And light will shine on your ways.
"When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence,
And the humble person He will save.
"He will deliver one who is not innocent,
And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

Job 23Then Job replied,

"Even today my complaint is rebellion;
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
"Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
"I would present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
"I would learn the words which He would answer,
And perceive what He would say to me.
"Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me.
"There the upright would reason with Him;
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

"Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
"But He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
"My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
"I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
"But He is unique and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.
"For He performs what is appointed for me,
And many such decrees are with Him.
"Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence;
When I consider, I am terrified of Him.
"It is God who has made my heart faint,
And the Almighty who has dismayed me,
But I am not silenced by the darkness,
Nor deep gloom which covers me.

Psalm 101A Psalm of David.I will sing of lovingkindness and justice,
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
I will give heed to the blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will know no evil.
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.

My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity.

Revelation 16Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.

Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it." And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."

The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.") And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.

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The reading for today is Job 18-20; Psalm 141; Revelation 15.

Job 18Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

"How long will you hunt for words?
Show understanding and then we can talk.
"Why are we regarded as beasts,
As stupid in your eyes?
"O you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?

"Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out,
And the flame of his fire gives no light.
"The light in his tent is darkened,
And his lamp goes out above him.
"His vigorous stride is shortened,
And his own scheme brings him down.
"For he is thrown into the net by his own feet,
And he steps on the webbing.
"A snare seizes him by the heel,
And a trap snaps shut on him.
"A noose for him is hidden in the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
"All around terrors frighten him,
And harry him at every step.
"His strength is famished,
And calamity is ready at his side.
"His skin is devoured by disease,
The firstborn of death devours his limbs.
"He is torn from the security of his tent,
And they march him before the king of terrors.
"There dwells in his tent nothing of his;
Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.
"His roots are dried below,
And his branch is cut off above.
"Memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name abroad.
"He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.
"He has no offspring or posterity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
"Those in the west are appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
"Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God."

Job 19Then Job responded,

"How long will you torment me
And crush me with words?
"These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
"Even if I have truly erred,
My error lodges with me.
"If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
Know then that God has wronged me
And has closed His net around me.

"Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
"He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has put darkness on my paths.
"He has stripped my honor from me
And removed the crown from my head.
"He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
And He has uprooted my hope like a tree.
"He has also kindled His anger against me
And considered me as His enemy.
"His troops come together,
And build up their way against me
And camp around my tent.

"He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
"My relatives have failed,
And my intimate friends have forgotten me.
"Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger.
I am a foreigner in their sight.
"I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with my mouth.
"My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
"Even young children despise me;
I rise up and they speak against me.
"All my associates abhor me,
And those I love have turned against me.
"My bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
"Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me.
"Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

"Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
"That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
"As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
"Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
"If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’
"Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know there is judgment."

Job 20Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

"Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me respond,
Even because of my inward agitation.
"I listened to the reproof which insults me,
And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
"Do you know this from of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,
That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless momentary?
"Though his loftiness reaches the heavens,
And his head touches the clouds,
He perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
"He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him;
Even like a vision of the night he is chased away.
"The eye which saw him sees him no longer,
And his place no longer beholds him.
"His sons favor the poor,
And his hands give back his wealth.
"His bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it lies down with him in the dust.

"Though evil is sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
Though he desires it and will not let it go,
But holds it in his mouth,
Yet his food in his stomach is changed
To the venom of cobras within him.
"He swallows riches,
But will vomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.
"He sucks the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue slays him.
"He does not look at the streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
"He returns what he has attained
And cannot swallow it;
As to the riches of his trading,
He cannot even enjoy them.
"For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor;
He has seized a house which he has not built.

"Because he knew no quiet within him,
He does not retain anything he desires.
"Nothing remains for him to devour,
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.
"In the fullness of his plenty he will be cramped;
The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.
"When he fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And will rain it on him while he is eating.
"He may flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.
"It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from his gall.
Terrors come upon him,
Complete darkness is held in reserve for his treasures,
And unfanned fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
"The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
"The increase of his house will depart;
His possessions will flow away in the day of His anger.
"This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
Even the heritage decreed to him by God."

Psalm 141A Psalm of David.O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness
With men who do iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me;
It is oil upon the head;
Do not let my head refuse it,
For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
As when one plows and breaks open the earth,
Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the snares of those who do iniquity.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I pass by safely.

Revelation 15Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

"Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!
"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For all the nations will come and worship before You,
For Your righteous acts have been revealed."

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

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The reading for today is Job 15-17; Revelation 14.

Job 15Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

"Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge
And fill himself with the east wind?
"Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which are not profitable?
"Indeed, you do away with reverence
And hinder meditation before God.
"For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of the crafty.
"Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.

"Were you the first man to be born,
Or were you brought forth before the hills?
"Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And limit wisdom to yourself?
"What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that we do not?
"Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Older than your father.
"Are the consolations of God too small for you,
Even the word spoken gently with you?
"Why does your heart carry you away?
And why do your eyes flash,
That you should turn your spirit against God
And allow such words to go out of your mouth?
"What is man, that he should be pure,
Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
"Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones,
And the heavens are not pure in His sight;
How much less one who is detestable and corrupt,
Man, who drinks iniquity like water!

"I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;
What wise men have told,
And have not concealed from their fathers,
To whom alone the land was given,
And no alien passed among them.
"The wicked man writhes in pain all his days,
And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless.
"Sounds of terror are in his ears;
While at peace the destroyer comes upon him.
"He does not believe that he will return from darkness,
And he is destined for the sword.
"He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.
"Distress and anguish terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
Because he has stretched out his hand against God
And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.
"He rushes headlong at Him
With his massive shield.
"For he has covered his face with his fat
And made his thighs heavy with flesh.
"He has lived in desolate cities,
In houses no one would inhabit,
Which are destined to become ruins.
"He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not bend down to the ground.
"He will not escape from darkness;
The flame will wither his shoots,
And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.
"Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For emptiness will be his reward.
"It will be accomplished before his time,
And his palm branch will not be green.
"He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine,
And will cast off his flower like the olive tree.
"For the company of the godless is barren,
And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt.
"They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity,
And their mind prepares deception."

Job 16Then Job answered,

"I have heard many such things;
Sorry comforters are you all.
"Is there no limit to windy words?
Or what plagues you that you answer?
"I too could speak like you,
If I were in your place.
I could compose words against you
And shake my head at you.
"I could strengthen you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.

"If I speak, my pain is not lessened,
And if I hold back, what has left me?
"But now He has exhausted me;
You have laid waste all my company.
"You have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness;
And my leanness rises up against me,
It testifies to my face.
"His anger has torn me and hunted me down,
He has gnashed at me with His teeth;
My adversary glares at me.
"They have gaped at me with their mouth,
They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt;
They have massed themselves against me.
"God hands me over to ruffians
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
"I was at ease, but He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
"His arrows surround me.
Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
"He breaks through me with breach after breach;
He runs at me like a warrior.
"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin
And thrust my horn in the dust.
"My face is flushed from weeping,
And deep darkness is on my eyelids,
Although there is no violence in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

"O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no resting place for my cry.
"Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
And my advocate is on high.
"My friends are my scoffers;
My eye weeps to God.
"O that a man might plead with God
As a man with his neighbor!
"For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.

Job 17"My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished,
The grave is ready for me.
"Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye gazes on their provocation.

"Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will be my guarantor?
"For You have kept their heart from understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them.
"He who informs against friends for a share of the spoil,
The eyes of his children also will languish.

"But He has made me a byword of the people,
And I am one at whom men spit.
"My eye has also grown dim because of grief,
And all my members are as a shadow.
"The upright will be appalled at this,
And the innocent will stir up himself against the godless.
"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
"But come again all of you now,
For I do not find a wise man among you.
"My days are past, my plans are torn apart,
Even the wishes of my heart.
"They make night into day, saying,
‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
"If I look for Sheol as my home,
I make my bed in the darkness;
If I call to the pit, ‘You are my father’;
To the worm, ‘my mother and my sister’;
Where now is my hope?
And who regards my hope?
"Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together go down into the dust?"

Revelation 14Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality."

Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

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The reading for today is Job 12-14; Psalm 100; Revelation 13.

Job 12Then Job responded,

"Truly then you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
"But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?
"I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke.
"He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.
"The tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure,
Whom God brings into their power.

"But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
"Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
"Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
"Does not the ear test words,
As the palate tastes its food?
"Wisdom is with aged men,
With long life is understanding.

"With Him are wisdom and might;
To Him belong counsel and understanding.
"Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
"Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.
"With Him are strength and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader belong to Him.
"He makes counselors walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.
"He loosens the bond of kings
And binds their loins with a girdle.
"He makes priests walk barefoot
And overthrows the secure ones.
"He deprives the trusted ones of speech
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
"He pours contempt on nobles
And loosens the belt of the strong.
"He reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings the deep darkness into light.
"He makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
"He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
"They grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Job 13"Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
"What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

"But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
"But you smear with lies;
You are all worthless physicians.
"O that you would be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
"Please hear my argument
And listen to the contentions of my lips.
"Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
"Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
"Will it be well when He examines you?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
"He will surely reprove you
If you secretly show partiality.
"Will not His majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
"Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.

"Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
"Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands?
"Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
"This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before His presence.
"Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
"Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.
"Who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.

"Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
Remove Your hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
"Then call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
"How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my rebellion and my sin.
"Why do You hide Your face
And consider me Your enemy?
"Will You cause a driven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry chaff?
"For You write bitter things against me
And make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
"You put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You set a limit for the soles of my feet,
While I am decaying like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Job 14"Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
"Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
"You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
"Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
"Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.
"Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.

"For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not fail.
"Though its roots grow old in the ground
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
At the scent of water it will flourish
And put forth sprigs like a plant.
"But man dies and lies prostrate.
Man expires, and where is he?
"As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
So man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.

"Oh that You would hide me in Sheol,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
"If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my change comes.
"You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.
"For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.
"My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You wrap up my iniquity.

"But the falling mountain crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You destroy man’s hope.
"You forever overpower him and he departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.
"His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.
"But his body pains him,
And he mourns only for himself."

Psalm 100A Psalm for Thanksgiving.Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Revelation 13And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

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The reading for today is Job 8-11; Revelation 12.

Job 8Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

"How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
"Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?
"If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression.
"If you would seek God
And implore the compassion of the Almighty,
If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He would rouse Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.
"Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your end will increase greatly.

"Please inquire of past generations,
And consider the things searched out by their fathers.
"For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are as a shadow.
"Will they not teach you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their minds?

"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water?
"While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant.
"So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish,
Whose confidence is fragile,
And whose trust a spider’s web.
"He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.
"He thrives before the sun,
And his shoots spread out over his garden.
"His roots wrap around a rock pile,
He grasps a house of stones.
"If he is removed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
"Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.
"Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He support the evildoers.
"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with shouting.
"Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tent of the wicked will be no longer."

Job 9Then Job answered,

"In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?
"If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
"Wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has defied Him without harm?
"It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
Who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
Who commands the sun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the waves of the sea;
Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
Who does great things, unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.
"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

"God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.
"How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
"For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.
"If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
"For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
"He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.
"If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
"I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.
"It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’
"If the scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
"The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?

"Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
"They slip by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.
"Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
I am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.
"I am accounted wicked,
Why then should I toil in vain?
"If I should wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,
Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.
"There is no umpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
"Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
"Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

Job 10"I loathe my own life;
I will give full vent to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
"I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
‘Is it right for You indeed to oppress,
To reject the labor of Your hands,
And to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked?
‘Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You see as a man sees?
‘Are Your days as the days of a mortal,
Or Your years as man’s years,
That You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?
‘According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.

‘Your hands fashioned and made me altogether,
And would You destroy me?
‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
And would You turn me into dust again?
‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;
Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.
‘Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
If I sin, then You would take note of me,
And would not acquit me of my guilt.
‘If I am wicked, woe to me!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.
‘Should my head be lifted up, You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your power against me.
‘You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me.

‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!
‘I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’
"Would He not let my few days alone?
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and deep shadow,
The land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And which shines as the darkness."

Job 11Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

"Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a talkative man be acquitted?
"Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you scoff and none rebuke?
"For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’
"But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.

"Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
"They are high as the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?
"Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
"If He passes by or shuts up,
Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?
"For He knows false men,
And He sees iniquity without investigating.
"An idiot will become intelligent
When the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

"If you would direct your heart right
And spread out your hand to Him,
If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
"Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.
"For you would forget your trouble,
As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
"Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
"Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
"You would lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would entreat your favor.
"But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And there will be no escape for them;
And their hope is to breathe their last."

Revelation 12A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

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The reading for today is Job 4-7; Psalm 99; Revelation 11.

Job 4Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

"If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But who can refrain from speaking?
"Behold you have admonished many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
"Your words have helped the tottering to stand,
And you have strengthened feeble knees.
"But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
It touches you, and you are dismayed.
"Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

"Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
"According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
"By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.
"The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
"The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

"Now a word was brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
"Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made all my bones shake.
"Then a spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.
"It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
‘Can mankind be just before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
‘He puts no trust even in His servants;
And against His angels He charges error.
‘How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
‘Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unobserved, they perish forever.
‘Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them?
They die, yet without wisdom.’

Job 5"Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
"For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple.
"I have seen the foolish taking root,
And I cursed his abode immediately.
"His sons are far from safety,
They are even oppressed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.
"His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the schemer is eager for their wealth.
"For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
For man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.

"But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
Who does great and unsearchable things,
Wonders without number.
"He gives rain on the earth
And sends water on the fields,
So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
"He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
"He captures the wise by their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
"By day they meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
"But He saves from the sword of their mouth,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.
"So the helpless has hope,
And unrighteousness must shut its mouth.

"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
"For He inflicts pain, and gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.
"From six troubles He will deliver you,
Even in seven evil will not touch you.
"In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.
"You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
"You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of wild beasts.
"For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
"You will know that your tent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
"You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
"You will come to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
"Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself."

Job 6Then Job answered,

"Oh that my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my calamity!
"For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.
"For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.
"Does the wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?
"Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
"My soul refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.

"Oh that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my longing!
"Would that God were willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
"But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
"What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should endure?
"Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
"Is it that my help is not within me,
And that deliverance is driven from me?

"For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.
"My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi,
Like the torrents of wadis which vanish,
Which are turbid because of ice
And into which the snow melts.
"When they become waterless, they are silent,
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
"The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
"The caravans of Tema looked,
The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.
"They were disappointed for they had trusted,
They came there and were confounded.
"Indeed, you have now become such,
You see a terror and are afraid.
"Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
Or, ‘Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

"Teach me, and I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.
"How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
"Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?
"You would even cast lots for the orphans
And barter over your friend.
"Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face.
"Desist now, let there be no injustice;
Even desist, my righteousness is yet in it.
"Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my palate discern calamities?

Job 7"Is not man forced to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?
"As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,
So am I allotted months of vanity,
And nights of trouble are appointed me.
"When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.
"My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and runs.
"My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end without hope.

"Remember that my life is but breath;
My eye will not again see good.
"The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
"When a cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.
"He will not return again to his house,
Nor will his place know him anymore.

"Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
"Am I the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
"If I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions;
So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pains.
"I waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
"What is man that You magnify him,
And that You are concerned about him,
That You examine him every morning
And try him every moment?
"Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
"Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
"Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be."

Psalm 99The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble;
He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is exalted above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name;
Holy is He.
The strength of the King loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.

Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called on His name;
They called upon the Lord and He answered them.
He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
They kept His testimonies
And the statute that He gave them.
O Lord our God, You answered them;
You were a forgiving God to them,
And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
Exalt the Lord our God
And worship at His holy hill,
For holy is the Lord our God.

Revelation 11Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,

"We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

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The reading for today is Job 1-3; Psalm 29; Revelation 10.

Job 1There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." Then Satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face." Then the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said,

"Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Job 2Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face." So the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Job 3Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said,

"Let the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
"May that day be darkness;
Let not God above care for it,
Nor light shine on it.
"Let darkness and black gloom claim it;
Let a cloud settle on it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
"As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.
"Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.
"Let those curse it who curse the day,
Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.
"Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it wait for light but have none,
And let it not see the breaking dawn;
Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

"Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?
"Why did the knees receive me,
And why the breasts, that I should suck?
"For now I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,
With kings and with counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt ruins for themselves;
Or with princes who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
"Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.
"There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary are at rest.
"The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
"The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.

"Why is light given to him who suffers,
And life to the bitter of soul,
Who long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
Who rejoice greatly,
And exult when they find the grave?
"Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?
"For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries pour out like water.
"For what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread befalls me.
"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes."

Psalm 29A Psalm of David.Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in holy array.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"

The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Revelation 10I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them." Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.

Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."

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The reading for today is Malachi 1-4; Psalm 2; Revelation 9.

Malachi 1The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.

"I have loved you," says the Lord. But you say, "How have You loved us?" "Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?" declares the Lord. "Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness." Though Edom says, "We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins"; thus says the Lord of hosts, "They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the Lord is indignant forever." Your eyes will see this and you will say, "The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!"

"‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the Lord of hosts. "But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?" says the Lord of hosts. "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the Lord of hosts, "nor will I accept an offering from you. For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations," says the Lord of hosts. "But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the Lord of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says the Lord. "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King," says the Lord of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations."

Malachi 2"And now this commandment is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the Lord of hosts, "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the Lord of hosts. "My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the Lord of hosts. "So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.

"Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. As for the man who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of hosts.

"This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the Lord of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously."

You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, "How have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them," or, "Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 3"Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts. "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the Lord of hosts. "For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

"From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the Lord of hosts. "But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes," says the Lord of hosts. "All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land," says the Lord of hosts.

"Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the Lord. "Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.’"

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. "They will be Mine," says the Lord of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

Malachi 4"For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the Lord of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing," says the Lord of hosts.

"Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."

Psalm 2Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
"Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!"

He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
"But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain."

"I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’"

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
Worship the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Revelation 9Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

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The reading for today is Nehemiah 10-13; Revelation 8.

Nehemiah 10Now on the sealed document were the names of: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were the priests. And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; also their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

Now the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding, are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of God our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes; and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

We also placed ourselves under obligation to contribute yearly one third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, for the continual grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, the sabbaths, the new moon, for the appointed times, for the holy things and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

Likewise we cast lots for the supply of wood among the priests, the Levites and the people so that they might bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers’ households, at fixed times annually, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law; and that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord annually, and bring to the house of our God the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks as it is written in the law, for the priests who are ministering in the house of our God. We will also bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns. The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers and the singers. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.

Nehemiah 11Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities. And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

Now these are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each lived on his own property in their cities—the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants. Some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez; and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 able men.

Now these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah; and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928. Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second in command of the city.

From the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the leader of the house of God, and their kinsmen who performed the work of the temple, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and his kinsmen, heads of fathers’ households, 242; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, and their brothers, valiant warriors, 128. And their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim.

Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God; and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. All the Levites in the holy city were 284.

Also the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brethren who kept watch at the gates, were 172.

The rest of Israel, of the priests and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own inheritance. But the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants.

Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers for the service of the house of God. For there was a commandment from the king concerning them and a firm regulation for the song leaders day by day. Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s representative in all matters concerning the people.

Now as for the villages with their fields, some of the sons of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages, and in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth-pelet, and in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns, and in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns, and in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in Jarmuth, Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its towns. So they encamped from Beersheba as far as the valley of Hinnom. The sons of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, at Bethel and its towns, at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. From the Levites, some divisions in Judah belonged to Benjamin.

Nehemiah 12Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers. Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them in their service divisions. Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada, and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers’ households were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

As for the Levites, the heads of fathers’ households were registered in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers’ households, were registered in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, to praise and give thanks, as prescribed by David the man of God, division corresponding to division. Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at the storehouses of the gates. These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres. So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall.

Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great choirs, the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward the Refuse Gate. Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them, with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

The second choir proceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of Furnaces, to the Broad Wall, and above the Gate of Ephraim, by the Old Gate, by the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard. Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets; and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang, with Jezrahiah their leader, and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

On that day men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served. For they performed the worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon. For in the days of David and Asaph, in ancient times, there were leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required, and set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.

Nehemiah 13On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. So when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.

Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah, had prepared a large room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, by preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. It was very displeasing to me, so I threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. Then I gave an order and they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had gone away, each to his own field. So I reprimanded the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses. In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered reliable, and it was their task to distribute to their kinsmen. Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.

In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonished them on the day they sold food. Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day? Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath."

It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day. Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. Then I warned them and said to them, "Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will use force against you." From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.

In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people. So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?" Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Revelation 8When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"

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The reading for today is Nehemiah 7-9; Psalm 140; Revelation 7.

Nehemiah 7Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. Then I said to them, "Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, let them shut and bolt the doors. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house." Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first in which I found the following record:

These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.

The number of men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172; the sons of Shephatiah, 372; the sons of Arah, 652; the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818; the sons of Elam, 1,254; the sons of Zattu, 845; the sons of Zaccai, 760; the sons of Binnui, 648; the sons of Bebai, 628; the sons of Azgad, 2,322; the sons of Adonikam, 667; the sons of Bigvai, 2,067; the sons of Adin, 655; the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98; the sons of Hashum, 328; the sons of Bezai, 324; the sons of Hariph, 112; the sons of Gibeon, 95; the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188; the men of Anathoth, 128; the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42; the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; the men of Michmas, 122; the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; the men of the other Nebo, 52; the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; the sons of Harim, 320; the men of Jericho, 345; the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721; the sons of Senaah, 3,930.

The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; the sons of Immer, 1,052; the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; the sons of Harim, 1,017.

The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74. The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148. The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.

The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon, the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai, the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim, the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.

The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon.

All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.

These were they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses or their descendants, whether they were of Israel: the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642. Of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named after them. These searched among their ancestral registration, but it could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest arose with Urim and Thummim.

The whole assembly together was 42,360, besides their male and their female servants, of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers. Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests’ garments. Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ garments.

Now the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Israel, lived in their cities.

And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

Nehemiah 8And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand. Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.

Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law. They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written." So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing. He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.

Nehemiah 9Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. Now on the Levites’ platform stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, "Arise, bless the Lord your God forever and ever!

O may Your glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
"You alone are the Lord.
You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down before You.
"You are the Lord God,
Who chose Abram
And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees,
And gave him the name Abraham.
"You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite—
To give it to his descendants.
And You have fulfilled Your promise,
For You are righteous.

"You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And heard their cry by the Red Sea.
"Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants and all the people of his land;
For You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them,
And made a name for Yourself as it is this day.
"You divided the sea before them,
So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground;
And their pursuers You hurled into the depths,
Like a stone into raging waters.
"And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day,
And with a pillar of fire by night
To light for them the way
In which they were to go.
"Then You came down on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven;
You gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
"So You made known to them Your holy sabbath,
And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law,
Through Your servant Moses.
"You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger,
You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst,
And You told them to enter in order to possess
The land which You swore to give them.

"But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly;
They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments.
"They refused to listen,
And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them;
So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.
But You are a God of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
"Even when they made for themselves
A calf of molten metal
And said, ‘This is your God
Who brought you up from Egypt,’
And committed great blasphemies,
You, in Your great compassion,
Did not forsake them in the wilderness;
The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day,
To guide them on their way,
Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.
"You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.
"Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want;
Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.
"You also gave them kingdoms and peoples,
And allotted them to them as a boundary.
They took possession of the land of Sihon the king of Heshbon
And the land of Og the king of Bashan.
"You made their sons numerous as the stars of heaven,
And You brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
"So their sons entered and possessed the land.
And You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites,
And You gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land,
To do with them as they desired.
"They captured fortified cities and a fertile land.
They took possession of houses full of every good thing,
Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,
Fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate, were filled and grew fat,
And reveled in Your great goodness.

"But they became disobedient and rebelled against You,
And cast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your prophets who had admonished them
So that they might return to You,
And they committed great blasphemies.
"Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them,
But when they cried to You in the time of their distress,
You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion
You gave them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors.
"But as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before You;
Therefore You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them.
When they cried again to You, You heard from heaven,
And many times You rescued them according to Your compassion,
And admonished them in order to turn them back to Your law.
Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances,
By which if a man observes them he shall live.
And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
"However, You bore with them for many years,
And admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets,
Yet they would not give ear.
Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
"Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them,
For You are a gracious and compassionate God.

"Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness,
Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,
Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people,
From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
"However, You are just in all that has come upon us;
For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.
"For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law
Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonitions with which You have admonished them.
"But they, in their own kingdom,
With Your great goodness which You gave them,
With the broad and rich land which You set before them,
Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds.
"Behold, we are slaves today,
And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty,
Behold, we are slaves in it.
"Its abundant produce is for the kings
Whom You have set over us because of our sins;
They also rule over our bodies
And over our cattle as they please,
So we are in great distress.

"Now because of all this
We are making an agreement in writing;
And on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests."

Psalm 140For the choir director. A Psalm of David.Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from violent men
Who devise evil things in their hearts;
They continually stir up wars.
They sharpen their tongues as a serpent;
Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men
Who have purposed to trip up my feet.
The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set snares for me. Selah.

I said to the Lord, "You are my God;
Give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.
"O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle.
"Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not promote his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.

"As for the head of those who surround me,
May the mischief of their lips cover them.
"May burning coals fall upon them;
May they be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.
"May a slanderer not be established in the earth;
May evil hunt the violent man speedily."

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted
And justice for the poor.
Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The upright will dwell in Your presence.

Revelation 7After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

"Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

"Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

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The reading for today is Nehemiah 4-6; Psalm 98; Revelation 6.

Nehemiah 4Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?" Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, "Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!"

Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.

So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.

But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

Thus in Judah it was said,

"The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall."

Our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work." When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place where you may turn," then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: "Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses."

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."

So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. At that time I also said to the people, "Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day." So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.

Nehemiah 5Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, "We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live." There were others who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain because of the famine." Also there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

Then I was very angry when I had heard their outcry and these words. I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, "You are exacting usury, each from his brother!" Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. I said to them, "We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?" Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. Again I said, "The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury. Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine and the oil that you are exacting from them." Then they said, "We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say." So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. I also shook out the front of my garment and said, "Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said, "Amen!" And they praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this promise.

Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the governor’s food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people. Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Nehemiah 6Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono." But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take counsel together." Then I sent a message to him saying, "Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind." For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night." But I said, "Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in." Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me. Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

Psalm 98A Psalm.O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.

Revelation 6Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine."

When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

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The reading for today is Nehemiah 1-3; Revelation 5.

Nehemiah 1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire."

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, "I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man."

Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah 2And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, "Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart." Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, "Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?" Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king, "If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it." Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, "How long will your journey be, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. And I said to the king, "If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go." And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.

Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.

Then I said to them, "You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach." I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands to the good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" So I answered them and said to them, "The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem."

Nehemiah 3Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs. Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters.

Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor of the province beyond the River. Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of Furnaces. Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.

Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall to the Refuse Gate.

Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of Beth-haccherem repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars.

Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king’s garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David. After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men. After him the Levites carried out repairs under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. After him their brothers carried out repairs under Bavvai the son of Henadad, official of the other half of the district of Keilah. Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle. After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest. After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib’s house even as far as the end of his house. After him the priests, the men of the valley, carried out repairs. After them Benjamin and Hasshub carried out repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, carried out repairs beside his house. After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle and as far as the corner. Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs. The temple servants living in Ophel made repairs as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel.

Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house. After them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs. After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah carried out repairs in front of his own quarters. After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room of the corner. Between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out repairs.

Revelation 5I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."

And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

"To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.

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The reading for today is Ezra 7-10; Psalm 97; Revelation 4.

Ezra 7Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. Forasmuch as you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand, and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, with all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, provide for it from the royal treasury.

"I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, even up to 100 talents of silver, 100 kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt as needed. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. We also inform you that it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God.

"You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant of them. Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment."

Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to adorn the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

Ezra 8Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him; of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him; and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him; and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him; and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him; of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him; and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with them; and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70 males with them.

Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him." So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered. Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents, and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. Then I said to them, "You are holy to the Lord, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers. Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord." So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.

On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time.

The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the Lord. Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.

Ezra 9Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness." When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.

But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God; and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day. But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

"Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and with their impurity. So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this, shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this."

Ezra 10Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly. Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act."

Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives." Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That’s right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us." Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month.

Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense. Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.

Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.

Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah; of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei; of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, Bani, Binnui, Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

Psalm 97The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.
His lightnings lit up the world;
The earth saw and trembled.
The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples have seen His glory.

Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images,
Who boast themselves of idols;
Worship Him, all you gods.
Zion heard this and was glad,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Your judgments, O Lord.
For You are the Lord Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

Hate evil, you who love the Lord,
Who preserves the souls of His godly ones;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown like seed for the righteous
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.

Revelation 4After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

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The reading for today is Esther 7-10; Revelation 3.

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The reading for today is Esther 4-6; Revelation 2.

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The reading for today is Esther 1-3; Psalm 139; Revelation 1.

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The reading for today is Ezra 5-6; Psalm 95; 3 John.

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The reading for today is Zechariah 12-14; Psalm 94; 2 John.

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The reading for today is Zechariah 9-11; 1 John 5.

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The reading for today is Zechariah 6-8; 1 John 4.

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The reading for today is Zechariah 2-5; Psalm 93; 1 John 3.

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The reading for today is Haggai; Zechariah 1; Psalm 138; 1 John 2.

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The reading for today is Ezra 3-4; Psalm 92; 1 John 1.

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The reading for today is Ezra 1-2; John 21.

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The reading for today is Daniel 10-12; John 20.

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The reading for today is Daniel 7-9; Psalm 91; John 19.

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The reading for today is Daniel 4-6; John 18.

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The reading for today is Daniel 1-3; Psalm 88; John 17.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 46-48; John 16.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 43-45; Psalm 135; John 15.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 40-42; John 14.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 37-39; Psalm 87; John 13.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 34-36; Psalm 86; John 12.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 31-33; John 11.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 28-30; John 10.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 25-27; Psalm 85; John 9.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 22-24; Psalm 134; John 8.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 19-21; Psalm 84; John 7.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 16-18; John 6.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 13-15; Psalm 136; John 5.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 10-12; Psalm 83; John 4.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 7-9; John 3.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 4-6; Psalm 82; John 2.

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The reading for today is Ezekiel 1-3; John 1.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 50-51; 2 Peter 3.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 47-49; Psalm 80; 2 Peter 2.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 43; Jeremiah 44; Jeremiah 46; 2 Peter 1.

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The reading for today is Obadiah; Jeremiah 40-42; Psalm 147; 1 Peter 5.

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The reading for today is Lamentations; Psalm 137; 1 Peter 4.

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The reading for today is 2Kin 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36; Psalm 126; 1 Peter 3.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 38; Jeremiah 39; Jeremiah 52; 1 Peter 2.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 30-33; 1 Peter 1.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 37; Jeremiah 21; Jeremiah 34; Psalm 79; James 5.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 27; Jeremiah 28; Jeremiah 29; Jeremiah 24; James 4.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 25; Jeremiah 35; Jeremiah 36; Jeremiah 45; Psalm 133; James 3.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 22; Jeremiah 23; Jeremiah 26; Psalm 77; James 2.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 17-20; James 1.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 14-16; Psalm 76; 2 Corinthians 13.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 11-13; 2 Corinthians 12.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 8-10; 2 Corinthians 11.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 5-7; Psalm 75; 2 Corinthians 10.

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The reading for today is Jeremiah 1-4; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 9.

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The reading for today is Zephaniah; Psalm 74; 2 Corinthians 8.

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The reading for today is Habakkuk; 2 Corinthians 7.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 34-35; 2 Corinthians 6.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 22-23; Psalm 73; 2 Corinthians 5.

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The reading for today is Nahum; Psalm 149; 2 Corinthians 4.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33; Psalm 71; 2 Corinthians 3.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 64-66; 2 Corinthians 2.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 60-63; 2 Corinthians 1.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 56-59; Psalm 70; 1 Corinthians 16.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 53-55; Psalm 128; 1 Corinthians 15.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 49-52; Psalm 69; 1 Corinthians 14.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 45-48; 1 Corinthians 13.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 41-44; 1 Corinthians 12.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38-40; Psalm 68; 1 Corinthians 11.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 36-37; Psalm 123; 1 Corinthians 10.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 32; Psalm 67; 1 Corinthians 9.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 29-31; 1 Corinthians 8.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 28; 2 Kings 17; Psalm 66; 1 Corinthians 7.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 33-35; 1 Corinthians 6.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 30-32; 1 Corinthians 5.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 26-29; Psalm 65; 1 Corinthians 4.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 23-25; 1 Corinthians 3.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 20-22; 1 Corinthians 2.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 17-19; Psalm 62; 1 Corinthians 1.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 14-16; Matthew 28.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 11-13; Psalm 118; Matthew 27.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 7-10; Psalm 22; Matthew 26.

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The reading for today is Micah 5-7; Matthew 25.

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The reading for today is Micah 1-4; Psalm 10; Matthew 24.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 4-6; Matthew 23.

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The reading for today is Isaiah 1-3; Psalm 9; Matthew 22.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 15-16; Matthew 21.

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The reading for today is Hosea 14; 2 Chronicles 26-27; Psalm 61; Matthew 20.

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The reading for today is Hosea 11-13; Matthew 19.

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The reading for today is Hosea 7-10; Matthew 18.

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The reading for today is Hosea 4-6; Psalm 58; Matthew 17.

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The reading for today is Hosea 1-3; Matthew 16.

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The reading for today is Amos 7-9; Matthew 15.

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The reading for today is Amos 4-6; Psalm 55; Matthew 14.

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The reading for today is Amos 1-3; Matthew 13.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 25; Psalm 53; Matthew 12.

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The reading for today is Jonah 1-4; Matthew 11.

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The reading for today is Joel 1-3; Matthew 10.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 24; 2 Kings 12; Psalm 50; Matthew 9.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 22-23; 2 Kings 11; Psalm 131; Matthew 8.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 9-10; Psalm 49; Matthew 7.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 7-8; 2 Chronicles 21; Matthew 6.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 4-6; Matthew 5.

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The reading for today is 2 Kings 2-3; Psalm 48; Matthew 4.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 19-20; 2 Kings 1; Psalm 20; Matthew 3.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18; Matthew 2.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 19-21; 2 Chronicles 17; Psalm 129; Matthew 1.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 17-18; Psalm 119; Jude 1.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 15-16; 1 Kings 16; Philemon 1.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 13-14; Titus 3.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 12; Psalm 47; Titus 2.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10-11; Titus 1.

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The reading for today is Ecclesiastes 10-12; 2 Timothy 4.

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The reading for today is Ecclesiastes 7-9; Psalm 46; 2 Timothy 3.

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The reading for today is Ecclesiastes 4-6; Psalm 125; 2 Timothy 2.

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The reading for today is Ecclesiastes 1-3; Psalm 45; 2 Timothy 1.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 10-11; 2 Chronicles 9; 1 Timothy 6.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 9; 2 Chronicles 8; 1 Timothy 5.

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The reading for today is 2 Chronicles 5-7; Psalm 121; 1 Timothy 4.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 8; Psalm 30; 1 Timothy 3.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalm 44; 1 Timothy 2.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; 1 Timothy 1.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 5; 2 Chronicles 2; 2 Thessalonians 3.

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The reading for today is Song of Solomon 7-8; Psalm 127; 2 Thessalonians 2.

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The reading for today is Song of Solomon 4-6; 2 Thessalonians 1.

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The reading for today is Song of Solomon 1-3; Psalm 72; 1 Thessalonians 5.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 26-28; 1 Thessalonians 3.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 24-25; Psalm 41; 1 Thessalonians 2.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 22-23; Psalm 117; 1 Thessalonians 1.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 19-21; Psalm 40; Romans 16.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 16-18; Romans 15.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 14-15; Romans 14.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 11-13; Psalm 8; Romans 13.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 8-10; Psalm 144; Romans 12.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 6-7; Psalm 7; Romans 11.

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The reading for today is Proverbs 3-5; Romans 10.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 4; Proverbs 1-2; Psalm 43; Romans 9.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalm 42; Romans 8.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 2; 1 Chronicles 29; Romans 7.

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The reading for today is 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 26-28; Romans 6.

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The reading for today is 1 Chronicles 22-25; Psalm 78; Romans 5.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Romans 4.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 21-23; Psalm 18; Romans 3.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 18-20; Psalm 34; Romans 2.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 15-17; Psalms 3; Psalm 63; Romans 1.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 13-14; Acts 28.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalm 51; Psalm 32; Acts 27.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 9-10; 1 Chronicles 18-19; Psalm 89; Acts 26.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 7-8; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalm 132; Acts 25.

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The reading for today is 1 Chronicles 14-16; Acts 24.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; Psalm 60; Acts 23.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 3-5; 1 Chronicles 12; Psalm 122; Acts 22.

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The reading for today is 2 Samuel 1-2; 1 Chronicles 11; Psalm 96; Psalm 106; Acts 21.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 30-31; 1 Chronicles 10; Acts 20.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 28-29; 1 Chronicles 9; Acts 19.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 26-27; 1 Chronicles 8; Acts 18.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 25; 1 Chronicles 7; Acts 17.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 23-24; 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 54; Acts 16.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 21-22; 1 Chronicles 5; Psalm 52; Acts 15.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 20; 1 Chronicles 4; Psalm 56; Psalm 57; Psalm 142; Acts 14.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 18-19; 1 Chronicles 3; Psalm 59; Acts 13.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 17; 1 Chronicles 2; Acts 12.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 15-16; 1 Chronicles 1; Psalm 39; Acts 11.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 124; Acts 10.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 11-13; Psalm 38; Acts 9.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 9-10; Acts 8.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 6-8; Acts 7.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 3-5; Psalm 23; Acts 6.

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The reading for today is 1 Samuel 1-2; Psalm 120; Acts 5.

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The reading for today is Ruth 3-4; Psalm 37; Acts 4.

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The reading for today is Ruth 1-2; Acts 3.

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The reading for today is Judges 19-21; Acts 2.

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The reading for today is Judges 17-18; Psalm 21; Acts 1.

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The reading for today is Judges 12-16; Psalm 146; Luke 24.

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The reading for today is Judges 9-11; Psalm 17; Luke 23.

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The reading for today is Judges 7-8; Luke 22.

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The reading for today is Judges 4-6; Luke 21.

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The reading for today is Judges 1-3; Psalm 16; Luke 20.

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The reading for today is Joshua 22-24; Psalm 116; Luke 19.

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The reading for today is Joshua 18-21; Psalm 15; Luke 18.

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The reading for today is Joshua 14-17; Luke 17.

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The reading for today is Joshua 9-13; Luke 16.

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The reading for today is Joshua 5-8; Psalm 14; Luke 15.

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The reading for today is Joshua 1-4; Psalm 143; Luke 14.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 32-34; Psalm 13; Luke 13.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 27-31; Luke 12.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 23-26; Luke 11.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 19-22; Luke 10.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 15-18; Psalm 115; Luke 9.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 10-14; Psalm 5; Luke 8.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 6-9; Luke 7.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 4-5; Luke 6.

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The reading for today is Deuteronomy 1-3; Psalm 36; Luke 5.

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The reading for today is Numbers 34-36; Luke 4.

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The reading for today is Numbers 30-33; Psalm 35; Luke 3.

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The reading for today is Numbers 26-29; Luke 2.

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The reading for today is Numbers 22-25; Luke 1.

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The reading for today is Numbers 19-21; Colossians 4.

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The reading for today is Numbers 15-18; Psalm 113; Colossians 3.

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The reading for today is Numbers 12-14; Psalm 28; Colossians 2.

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The reading for today is Numbers 8-11; Colossians 1.

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The reading for today is Numbers 6-7; Hebrews 13.

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The reading for today is Numbers 3-5; Hebrews 12.

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The reading for today is Numbers 1-2; Psalm 64; Hebrews 11.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 26-27; Psalm 112; Hebrews 10.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 24-25; Psalm 81; Hebrews 9.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 21-23; Hebrews 8.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 19-20; Hebrews 7.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 15-18; Psalm 31; Hebrews 6.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 12-14; Psalm 111; Hebrews 5.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 8-11; Psalm 110; Hebrews 4.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 4-7; Hebrews 3.

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The reading for today is Leviticus 1-3; Psalm 27; Hebrews 2.

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The reading for today is Exodus 38-40; Hebrews 1.

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The reading for today is Exodus 35-37; Psalm 26; Philippians 4.

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The reading for today is Exodus 32-34; Philippians 3.

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The reading for today is Exodus 28-31; Philippians 2.

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The reading for today is Exodus 25-27; Psalm 90; Philippians 1.

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The reading for today is Exodus 22-24; Psalm 109; Ephesians 6.

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The reading for today is Exodus 19-21; Psalm 33; Ephesians 5.

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The reading for today is Exodus 16-18; Ephesians 4.

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The reading for today is Exodus 13-15; Psalm 114; Ephesians 3.

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The reading for today is Exodus 10-12; Ephesians 2.

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The reading for today is Exodus 7-9; Psalm 105; Ephesians 1.

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The reading for today is Exodus 4-6; Galatians 6.

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The reading for today is Exodus 1-3; Galatians 5.

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The reading for today is Genesis 49-50; Galatians 4.

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The reading for today is Genesis 47-48; Psalm 25; Galatians 3.

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The reading for today is Genesis 45-46; Psalm 108; Galatians 2.

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The reading for today is Genesis 43-44; Psalm 24; Galatians 1.

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The reading for today is Genesis 41-42; Mark 16.

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The reading for today is Genesis 38-40; Mark 15.

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The reading for today is Genesis 35-37; Psalm 12; Mark 14.

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The reading for today is Genesis 32-34; Psalm 145; Mark 13.

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The reading for today is Genesis 30-31; Psalm 11; Mark 12.

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The reading for today is Genesis 28-29; Mark 11.

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The reading for today is Genesis 26-27; Mark 10.

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The reading for today is Genesis 24-25; Psalm 4; Mark 9.

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The reading for today is Genesis 21-23; Psalm 107; Mark 8.

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The reading for today is Genesis 19-20; Psalm 1; Mark 7.

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The reading for today is Genesis 16-18; Mark 6.

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The reading for today is Genesis 12-15; Psalm 148; Mark 5.

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The reading for today is Genesis 9-11; Mark 4.

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The reading for today is Genesis 6-8; Psalm 104; Mark 3.

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The reading for today is Genesis 3-5; Mark 2.

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The reading for today is Genesis 1-2; Psalm 19; Mark 1.