The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 26, 2017 (NIV)

Zechariah 9

The Lord Protects His House

This is the divine revelation.

The Lord’s word is against the land of Hadrach
and will rest on Damascus
and also Hamath, which borders on it,
and Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
(The eyes of humanity and of all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord.)[a]

Tyre built itself a fortress.
It piled up silver like dust
and gold like mud in the streets.
The Lord will take away its possessions.
He will throw its wealth into the sea
and burn the city down.
Ashkelon will see this and be afraid.
Gaza will also be in great pain,
also Ekron, because its hope will fade.
Gaza will lose its king.
Ashkelon will no longer be lived in.
A mixed race will live in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the Philistines’ arrogance.
I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the disgusting things from between their teeth.
Then only a few of them will be left for our God
like a tribe in Judah,
and Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
I will camp in front of my house
as a guard against those who come and go.
No oppressors will pass through them,
because I have seen it with my own eyes.[b]

The Lord Sends His King

Rejoice with all your heart, people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem!
Look! Your King is coming to you:
He is righteous and victorious.
He is humble and rides on a donkey,
on a colt, a young pack animal.
10 He[c] will make sure there are no chariots in Ephraim
or war horses in Jerusalem.
There will be no battle bows.
He will announce peace to the nations.
He will rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

11 I will set your captives free from the waterless pit
because of the blood that sealed my promise[d] to you.
12 Return to your fortress, you captives who have hope.
Today I tell you that I will return to you double blessings.
13 I will bend Judah as my bow
and draw my bow with Ephraim as its arrow.
I will stir up your people, Zion, against your people, Greece,
and I will use you like a warrior’s sword.

14 The Lord will appear over them,
and his arrow will go out like lightning.
The Almighty Lord will blow the ram’s horn
and will march in the storms from the south.
15 The Lord of Armies will defend them.
They will destroy and trample the stones used in slings.
They will drink and shout as if they were drunk.
They will be filled like a sacrificial bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will rescue them
as the flock of his people.
They will certainly sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be beautiful and lovely.[e]
Young men will prosper on grain,
and young women will prosper on new wine.

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 9:2 This sentence has been moved from verse 1 to express the complex Hebrew paragraph structure more clearly in English.
  2. Zechariah 9:8 Hebrew meaning of verses 7–8 uncertain.
  3. Zechariah 9:10 Greek, Syriac; Masoretic Text “I.”
  4. Zechariah 9:11 Or “covenant.”
  5. Zechariah 9:17 Or “He will be beautiful and lovely.”
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Revelation 17

Babylon the Great

17 One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters. The kings of the earth had sex with her, and those living on earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual sins.” Then the angel carried me by his power into the wilderness.

I saw a woman sitting on a bright red beast covered with insulting names. It had seven heads and ten horns. The woman wore purple clothes, bright red clothes, gold jewelry, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable and evil things from her sexual sins. A name was written on her forehead. The name was Mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Detestable Things of the Earth. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people and of those who testify about Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her.

The angel asked me, “Why are you surprised? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her.

“You saw the beast which once was, is no longer, and will come from the bottomless pit and go to its destruction. Those living on earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life when the world was created, will be surprised when they see the beast because it was, is no longer, and will come again.

“In this situation a wise mind is needed. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting. 10 They are also seven kings. Five of them have fallen, one is ruling now, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain for a little while. 11 The beast that was and is no longer is the eighth king. It belongs with the seven kings and goes to its destruction.

12 “The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet started to rule. They will receive authority to rule as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 They have one purpose—to give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will go to war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.”

15 The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute is sitting, are people, crowds, nations, and languages. 16 The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up in a fire. 17 God has made them do what he wants them to do. So they will give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words are carried out. 18 The woman you saw is the important city which dominates the kings of the earth.”

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Psalm 145

I will highly praise you, my God, the king.
I will bless your name forever and ever.
I will bless you every day.
I will praise your name forever and ever.

The Lord is great, and he should be highly praised.
His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation will praise your deeds to the next.
Each generation will talk about your mighty acts.
I will think about the glorious honor of your majesty
and the miraculous things you have done.
People will talk about the power of your terrifying deeds,
and I will tell about your greatness.
They will announce what they remember of your great goodness,
and they will joyfully sing about your righteousness.
The Lord is merciful, compassionate, patient,
and always ready to forgive.
The Lord is good to everyone
and has compassion for everything that he has made.
10 Everything that you have made will give thanks to you, O Lord,
and your faithful ones will praise you.
11 Everyone will talk about the glory of your kingdom
and will tell the descendants of Adam about your might
12 in order to make known your mighty deeds
and the glorious honor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
Your empire endures throughout every generation.

14 The Lord supports everyone who falls.
He straightens the backs of those who are bent over.
15 The eyes of all creatures look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand,
and you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is fair in all his ways
and faithful in everything he does.
18 The Lord is near to everyone who prays to him,
to every faithful person who prays to him.
19 He fills the needs of those who fear him.
He hears their cries for help and saves them.
20 The Lord protects everyone who loves him,
but he will destroy all wicked people.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and all living creatures will praise his holy name
forever and ever.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Proverbs 30:32

Keep Calm and Quiet

32 If you are such a godless fool as to honor yourself,
or if you scheme,
you had better put your hand over your mouth.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group