The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday December 3, 2020 (NIV)

² Now I will tell you the truth.^(A)

Prophecies about Persia and Greece

“Three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than the others. By the power he gains through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.^{(B) 3} Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants.^{(C) 4} But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of heaven,^(D) but not to his descendants; it will not be the same kingdom that he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and will go to others besides them.^(E)

Kings of the South and the North

⁵ “The king of the South^(F) will grow powerful, but one of his commanders will grow more powerful and will rule a kingdom greater than his. ⁶ After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North^(G) to seal the agreement. She will not retain power, and his strength will not endure. She will be given up, together with her entourage, her father,^[a] and the one who supported her during those times. ⁷ In the place of the king of the South, one from her family^[b] will rise up, come against the army, and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will take action against them and triumph. ⁸ He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious articles of silver and gold.^(H) For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, ⁹ who will enter the kingdom of the king of the South and then return to his own land.

¹⁰ “His sons will mobilize for war and assemble a large number of armed forces. They will advance, sweeping through like a flood,^[c](I) and will again wage war as far as his fortress. ¹¹ Infuriated, the king of the South will march out to fight with the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but they will be handed over to his enemy. ¹² When the army is carried off, he will become arrogant and cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph. ¹³ The king of the North will again raise a multitude larger than the first. After some years^[d](J) he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

¹⁴ “In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will assert themselves to fulfill a vision, but they will fail. ¹⁵ Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp,^(K) and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their select troops will not be able to resist. ¹⁶ The king of the North who comes against him will do whatever he wants,^(L) and no one can oppose him. He will establish himself in the beautiful land^[e](M) with total destruction in his hand. ¹⁷ He will resolve^(N) to come with the force of his whole kingdom and will reach an agreement with him.^[f] He will give him a daughter in marriage^[g] to destroy it,^[h] but she will not stand with him or support him. ¹⁸ Then he will turn his attention to the coasts and islands^[i](O) and capture many. But a commander will put an end to his taunting; instead, he will turn his taunts against him.^{(P) 19} He will turn his attention back to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble, fall,^(Q) and be no more.^(R)

²⁰ “In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector^(S) for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger^[j] or in battle.

²¹ “In his place a despised^(T) person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come during a time of peace^[k](U) and seize the kingdom by intrigue. ²² A flood of forces will be swept away before him; they will be broken, as well as the covenant prince. ²³ After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully. He will rise to power with a small nation.^{[l] 24} During a time of peace,^[m] he will come into the richest parts of the province^(V) and do what his fathers and predecessors never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will make plans against fortified cities, but only for a time.

²⁵ “With a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will prepare for battle with an extremely large and powerful army, but he will not succeed, because plots will be made against him. ²⁶ Those who eat his provisions^(W) will destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. ²⁷ The two kings, whose hearts are bent on evil, will speak lies^(X) at the same table but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.^{(Y) 28} The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant;^[n] he will take action, then return to his own land.

²⁹ “At the appointed time he will come again to the South, but this time^[o] will not be like the first. ³⁰ Ships of Kittim^[p](Z) will come against him, and being intimidated, he will withdraw. Then he will rage against the holy covenant and take action. On his return, he will favor those who abandon the holy covenant. ³¹ His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the regular sacrifice^(AA) and set up the abomination of desolation.^{(AB) 32} With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.^{(AC) 33} Those who have insight among the people^(AD) will give understanding to many, yet they will fall by the sword and flame,^(AE) and they will be captured and plundered for a time. ³⁴ When they fall, they will be helped by some, but many others will join them insincerely.^{(AF) 35} Some of those who have insight will fall so that they may be refined,^(AG) purified, and cleansed^(AH) until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸ The one who commits^[a] sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God^(A) was revealed^(B) for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. ⁹ Everyone who has been born of God^(C) does not sin,^[b] because his seed^(D) remains in him; he is not able to sin,^[c] because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.^(E)

Love in Action

¹¹ For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, ¹² unlike Cain,^(F) who was of the evil one^(G) and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates^(H) you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.^{(I) 15} Everyone who hates his brother or sister^(J) is a murderer,^(K) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. ¹⁶ This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life^(L) for us.^(M) We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(N) 17} If anyone has this world’s goods^(O) and sees a fellow believer^[d] in need^(P) but withholds compassion^(Q) from him—how does God’s love reside in him?^{(R) 18} Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.^(S)

¹⁹ This is how we will know that we belong to the truth^(T) and will reassure our hearts before him ²⁰ whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.^(U)

²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands^(V) and do what is pleasing in his sight. ²³ Now this is his command: that we believe in the name^(W) of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps his commands remains in him,^(X) and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us^(Y) is from the Spirit^(Z) he has given us.

Psalm 122

A Prayer for Jerusalem

A song of ascents. Of David.