The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 29, 2018 (NIV)

Zechariah 14

The Lord’s Triumph and Reign

14 Look, a day belonging to the Lord is coming(A) when the plunder taken from you will be divided in your presence. I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle.(B) The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.

Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as he fights on a day of battle.(C) On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,(D) which faces Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, forming a huge valley, so that half the mountain will move to the north and half to the south. You will flee by my mountain valley,[a] for the valley of the mountains will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled[b] from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah.(E) Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones(F) with him.[c](G)

On that day there will be no light; the sunlight and moonlight will diminish.[d][e](H) It will be a unique day known only to the Lord,(I) without day or night, but there will be light at evening.

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem,(J) half of it toward the eastern sea[f] and the other half toward the western sea,[g] in summer and winter alike. On that day the Lord will become King over the whole earth(K)—the Lord alone, and his name alone.(L) 10 All the land from Geba(M) to Rimmon(N) south of Jerusalem will be changed into a plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain[h] on its site from the Benjamin Gate(O) to the place of the First Gate,[i] to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.(P) 11 People will live there, and never again will there be a curse of complete destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell in security.

12 This will be the plague with which the Lord strikes all the people who have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day a great panic from the Lord will be among them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other. 14 Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected: gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance.(Q) 15 The same plague as the previous one will strike[j] the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals that are in those camps.

16 Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters.(R) 17 Should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Armies, rain will not fall on them. 18 And if the people[k] of Egypt will not go up and enter, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the Lord inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Shelters.

20 On that day, the words Holy to the Lord will be on the bells of the horses.(S) The pots in the house of the Lord will be like the sprinkling basins before the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of Armies. All who sacrifice will come and use the pots to cook in. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite[l] in the house of the Lord of Armies.

Footnotes:

  1. 14:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Sym, Tg read The valley of my mountains will be blocked
  2. 14:5 LXX reads It will be blocked as it was blocked
  3. 14:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg, Syr; other Hb mss read you
  4. 14:6 LXX, Sym, Syr, Tg, Vg read no light or cold or ice
  5. 14:6 Lit no light; the precious ones will congeal
  6. 14:8 = the Dead Sea
  7. 14:8 = the Mediterranean Sea
  8. 14:10 Or will be inhabited
  9. 14:10 Or the former gate
  10. 14:15 Lit be on
  11. 14:18 Lit family
  12. 14:21 Or merchant
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 20

Satan Bound

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss(A) and a great chain(B) in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan,[a](C) and bound(D) him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it(E) so that he would no longer deceive the nations(F) until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.

The Saints Reign with Christ

Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge.(G) I also saw the souls of those(H) who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus(I) and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands.(J) They came to life(K) and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.(L) The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

This is the first resurrection. Blessed(M) and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death(N) has no power[b] over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.(O)

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations(P) at the four corners of the earth,(Q) Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle.(R) Their number is like the sand of the sea.(S) They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city.(T) Then fire came down from heaven[c] and consumed them.(U) 10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are,(V) and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.(W)

The Great White Throne Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.(X) 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.(Y) Another book was opened, which is the book of life,(Z) and the dead were judged according to their works(AA) by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades(AB) gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.(AC) This is the second death, the lake of fire.[d] 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Footnotes:

  1. 20:2 Other mss add who deceives the whole world
  2. 20:6 Or authority
  3. 20:9 Other mss add from God
  4. 20:14 Other mss omit the lake of fire
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 148

Psalm 148

Creation’s Praise of the Lord

Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.(A)
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly armies.(B)
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.(C)
Praise him, highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.(D)
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded, and they were created.(E)
He set them in position forever and ever;
he gave an order that will never pass away.(F)

Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,(G)
lightning[a] and hail, snow and cloud,
stormy wind that executes his command,(H)
mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,(I)
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,(J)
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,(K)
12 young men as well as young women,
old and young together.(L)
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.(M)
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
resulting in praise to all his faithful ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to him.(N)
Hallelujah!

Footnotes:

  1. 148:8 Or fire
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 31:8-9

Speak up[a] for those who have no voice,[b](A)
for the justice of all who are dispossessed.[c]
Speak up, judge righteously,(B)
and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.(C)

Footnotes:

  1. 31:8 Lit Open your mouth, also in v. 9
  2. 31:8 Lit who are mute
  3. 31:8 Lit all the sons of passing away
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.