The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 28, 2018 (NIV)

Zechariah 12-13

Judah’s Security

12 A pronouncement:

The word of the Lord concerning Israel.
A declaration of the Lord,
who stretched out the heavens,(A)
laid the foundation of the earth,(B)
and formed the spirit of man within him.

“Look, I will make Jerusalem a cup that causes staggering(C) for the peoples who surround the city. The siege against Jerusalem will also involve Judah.(D) On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who try to lift it will injure themselves severely when all the nations of the earth gather against her.(E) On that day”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness.(F) I will keep a watchful eye on(G) the house of Judah but strike all the horses of the nations with blindness. Then each of the leaders of Judah will think to himself: The residents of Jerusalem are my strength through the Lord of Armies, their God. On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile,(H) like a flaming torch among sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and the left, while Jerusalem continues to be inhabited on its site, in Jerusalem. The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of David’s house and the glory of Jerusalem’s residents may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem,(I) so that on that day the one who is weakest among them will be like David on that day, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord, before them.(J) On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning for the Pierced One

10 “Then I will pour out a spirit[a](K) of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at[b] me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for him as one weeps for a firstborn.(L) 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, every family by itself: the family of David’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Nathan’s[c](M) house by itself and their women by themselves; 13 the family of Levi’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Shimei[d](N) by itself and their women by themselves; 14 all the remaining families, every family by itself, and their women by themselves.

God’s People Cleansed

13 “On that day a fountain(O) will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity.(P) On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“I will remove the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered.(Q) I will banish the prophets[e] and the unclean spirit from the land. If a man still prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will say to him: You cannot remain alive because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord. When he prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will pierce him through.(R) On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not put on a hairy cloak(S) in order to deceive. He will say: I am not a prophet; I work the land, for a man purchased[f] me as a servant since my youth.(T) If someone asks him: What are these wounds(U) on your chest?[g]—then he will answer: I received the wounds in the house of my friends.

Sword, awake against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;(V)
I will turn my hand against the little ones.
In the whole land—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
two-thirds[h] will be cut off and die,
but a third will be left in it.
I will put this third through the fire;
I will refine them as silver is refined
and test them as gold is tested.(W)
They will call on my name,
and I will answer them.(X)
I will say: They are my people,
and they will say: The Lord is our God.”(Y)

Footnotes:

  1. 12:10 Or out the Spirit
  2. 12:10 Or to
  3. 12:12 = a son of David
  4. 12:13 = a descendant of Levi
  5. 13:2 = false prophets
  6. 13:5 Or sold
  7. 13:6 Lit wounds between your hands
  8. 13:8 Lit two-thirds in it
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Revelation 19

Celebration in Heaven

19 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude(A) in heaven, saying,

Hallelujah!(B)
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,(C)
because his judgments are true[a] and righteous,(D)
because he has judged the notorious prostitute(E)
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality;
and he has avenged the blood of his servants
that was on her hands.(F)

A second time they said,

Hallelujah!
Her smoke ascends forever and ever!(G)

Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God,(H) who is seated on the throne, saying,

Amen! Hallelujah!(I)

A voice came from the throne, saying,

Praise our God,
all his servants, and the ones who fear him,
both small and great!(J)

Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters,(K) and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying,

Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty,
reigns!(L)
Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,(M)
because the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has prepared herself.(N)
She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.(O)

For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.(P)

Then he[b] said to me,(Q) “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast(R) of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”(S) 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that!(T) I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus.(U) Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit[c] of prophecy.”

The Rider on a White Horse

11 Then I saw heaven opened,(V) and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True,(W) and he judges and makes war with justice.(X) 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame,(Y) and many crowns[d] were on his head.(Z) He had a name written that no one knows except himself.(AA) 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood,(AB) and his name is called the Word of God.(AC) 14 The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 A sharp[e] sword(AD) came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it.(AE) He will rule[f] them with an iron rod.(AF) He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God,(AG) the Almighty. 16 And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.(AH)

The Beast and Its Armies Defeated

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”(AI)

19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies(AJ) gathered together to wage war(AK) against the rider on the horse and against his army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs.(AL) Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.(AM) 21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.

Footnotes:

  1. 19:2 Valid; Jn 8:16; 19:35
  2. 19:9 Probably an angel; Rv 17:1; 22:8-9
  3. 19:10 Or the Spirit
  4. 19:12 Or diadems
  5. 19:15 Other mss add double-edged
  6. 19:15 Or shepherd
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 147

Psalm 147

God Restores Jerusalem

Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing to our God,
for praise is pleasant and lovely.(A)

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;(B)
he gathers Israel’s exiled people.(C)
He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.(D)
He counts the number of the stars;
he gives names to all of them.(E)
Our Lord is great, vast in power;
his understanding is infinite.[a](F)
The Lord helps the oppressed
but brings the wicked to the ground.(G)

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
play the lyre to our God,(H)
who covers the sky with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
and causes grass to grow on the hills.(I)
He provides the animals with their food,
and the young ravens, what they cry for.(J)

10 He is not impressed by the strength of a horse;
he does not value the power of a warrior.[b](K)
11 The Lord values those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his faithful love.(L)

12 Exalt the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion!(M)
13 For he strengthens the bars of your city gates
and blesses your children within you.(N)
14 He endows your territory with prosperity;[c](O)
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.(P)

15 He sends his command throughout the earth;
his word runs swiftly.(Q)
16 He spreads snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes;(R)
17 he throws his hailstones like crumbs.
Who can withstand his cold?(S)
18 He sends his word and melts them;
he unleashes his winds,[d] and the water flows.(T)

19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and judgments to Israel.(U)
20 He has not done this for every nation;
they do not know his judgments.(V)
Hallelujah!

Footnotes:

  1. 147:5 Lit understanding has no number
  2. 147:10 Lit the legs of the man
  3. 147:14 Or peace
  4. 147:18 Or breath
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 31:1-7

The Words of Lemuel

31 The words of King Lemuel,
a pronouncement[a](A) that his mother taught him:

What should I say, my son?
What, son of my womb?(B)
What, son of my vows?
Don’t spend your energy(C) on women
or your efforts on those who destroy kings.(D)
It is not for kings, Lemuel,
it is not for kings(E) to drink wine(F)
or for rulers to desire beer.
Otherwise, he will drink,
forget what is decreed,(G)
and pervert justice for all the oppressed.[b](H)
Give beer to one who is dying
and wine to one whose life is bitter.(I)
Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty
and remember his trouble no more.(J)

Footnotes:

  1. 31:1 Or of Lemuel, king of Massa, or of King Lemuel, a burden
  2. 31:5 Lit sons of affliction
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.