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 29

And 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 18

After 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."

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 25

Then 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 26

Then 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 27

Then 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 17

Then 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."

Job 21

Then 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 22

Then 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 23

Then 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 101

A 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 16

Then 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.

Job 18

Then 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 19

Then 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 20

Then 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 141

A 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 15

Then 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.

Job 15

Then 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 16

Then 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 14

Then 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.

Job 12

Then 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 100

A 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 13

And 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.

Job 8

Then 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 9

Then 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 11

Then 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 12

A 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.

Job 4

Then 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 6

Then 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 99

The 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 11

Then 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.

Job 1

There 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 2

Again 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 3

Afterward 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 29

A 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 10

I 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."

Malachi 1

The 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 2

Why 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 9

Then 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.

Nehemiah 10

Now 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 11

Now 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 12

Now 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 13

On 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 8

When 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!"