The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday December 24, 2018 (NIV)

Eighth Vision: Four Chariots

6 Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains. The mountains were made of bronze. ² The first chariot had chestnut^[a] horses,^(A) the second chariot black horses,^{(B) 3} the third chariot white horses,^(C) and the fourth chariot dappled^(D) horses—all strong horses. ⁴ So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ The angel told me, “These are the four spirits^[b](E) of heaven going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of the whole earth. ⁶ The one with the black horses is going to the land of the north, the white horses are going after them, but the dappled horses are going to the land of the south.” ⁷ As the strong horses went out, they wanted to go patrol the earth, and the Lord said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. ⁸ Then he summoned me saying, “See, those going to the land of the north have pacified my Spirit in the northern land.”

Crowning of the Branch

⁹ The word of the Lord came to me:^{(F) 10} “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Take silver and gold, make a crown,^[c] and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch;^(G) he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple. ¹³ Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will be clothed in splendor^(H) and will sit on his throne and rule. There will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.^{(I) 14} The crown will reside in the Lord’s temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen^[d] son of Zephaniah. ¹⁵ People who are far off will come and build the Lord’s temple, and you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen when you fully obey the Lord your God.”^(J)

Disobedience and Fasting

7 In the fourth year of King Darius,^(K) the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. ² Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer, Regem-melech, and their men to plead for the Lord’s favor^{(L) 3} by asking the priests who were at the house of the Lord of Armies as well as the prophets, “Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord of Armies came to me: ⁵ “Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?^{(M) 6} When you eat and drink, don’t you eat and drink simply for yourselves?^{(N) 7} Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure,^[e] along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited?”

⁸ The word of the Lord came to Zechariah: ⁹ “The Lord of Armies says this: ‘Make fair decisions.^(O) Show faithful love and compassion^(P) to one another. ¹⁰ Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the resident alien or the poor,^(Q) and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’^{(R) 11} But they refused to pay attention^(S) and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.^{(T) 12} They made their hearts like a rock so as not to obey the law or the words that the Lord of Armies had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.^(U) Therefore intense anger came from the Lord of Armies. ¹³ Just as he had called, and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen, says the Lord of Armies. ¹⁴ I scattered them with a windstorm over all the nations that had not known them, and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one coming or going. They turned a pleasant land into a desolation.”

Preparation for the Bowl Judgments

15 Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign^[a] in heaven:^(A) seven angels with the seven last plagues; for with them God’s wrath will be completed.^{(B) 2} I also saw something like a sea of glass^(C) mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image,^[b] and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God.^{(D) 3} They sang the song of God’s servant Moses^(E) and the song of the Lamb:

⁵ After this I looked, and the heavenly temple—the tabernacle of testimony^(J)—was opened.^{(K) 6} Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes wrapped around their chests. ⁷ One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.^{(L) 8} Then the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power,^(M) and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Psalm 143

A Cry for Help

A psalm of David.