December 2020 – Page 2 – A Walk Through The Word

December 27, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday December 27, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 10-11

The Lord Will Restore His People

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the spring,
for he makes the storm clouds.
And he will send showers of rain
so every field becomes a lush pasture.
²Household gods give worthless advice,
fortune-tellers predict only lies,
and interpreters of dreams pronounce
falsehoods that give no comfort.
So my people are wandering like lost sheep;
they are attacked because they have no shepherd.

³“My anger burns against your shepherds,
and I will punish these leaders.^[a]
For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has arrived
to look after Judah, his flock.
He will make them strong and glorious,
like a proud warhorse in battle.
⁴From Judah will come the cornerstone,
the tent peg,
the bow for battle,
and all the rulers.
⁵They will be like mighty warriors in battle,
trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet.
Since the Lord is with them as they fight,
they will overthrow even the enemy’s horsemen.

⁶“I will strengthen Judah and save Israel^[b];
I will restore them because of my compassion.
It will be as though I had never rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries.
⁷The people of Israel^[c] will become like mighty warriors,
and their hearts will be made happy as if by wine.
Their children, too, will see it and be glad;
their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.
⁸When I whistle to them, they will come running,
for I have redeemed them.
From the few who are left,
they will grow as numerous as they were before.
⁹Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations,
they will still remember me in distant lands.
They and their children will survive
and return again to Israel.
¹⁰I will bring them back from Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will resettle them in Gilead and Lebanon
until there is no more room for them all.
¹¹They will pass safely through the sea of distress,^[d]
for the waves of the sea will be held back,
and the waters of the Nile will dry up.
The pride of Assyria will be crushed,
and the rule of Egypt will end.
¹²By my power^[e] I will make my people strong,
and by my authority they will go wherever they wish.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,
so that fire may devour your cedar forests.
²Weep, you cypress trees, for all the ruined cedars;
the most majestic ones have fallen.
Weep, you oaks of Bashan,
for the thick forests have been cut down.
³Listen to the wailing of the shepherds,
for their rich pastures are destroyed.
Hear the young lions roaring,
for their thickets in the Jordan Valley are ruined.

The Good and Evil Shepherds

⁴This is what the Lord my God says: “Go and care for the flock that is intended for slaughter. ⁵The buyers slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers say, ‘Praise the Lord! Now I’m rich!’ Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. ⁶Likewise, I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” says the Lord. “I will let them fall into each other’s hands and into the hands of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not rescue them.”

⁷So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter—the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd’s staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. ⁸I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month.

But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too. ⁹So I told them, “I won’t be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And let those who remain devour each other!”

¹⁰Then I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. ¹¹That was the end of my covenant with them. The suffering flock was watching me, and they knew that the Lord was speaking through my actions.

¹²And I said to them, “If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to.” So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

¹³And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter^[f]”—this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potter in the Temple of the Lord.

¹⁴Then I took my other staff, Union, and cut it in two, showing that the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken.

¹⁵Then the Lord said to me, “Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. ¹⁶This illustrates how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for those who are dying, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves.

¹⁷“What sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd
who abandons the flock!
The sword will cut his arm
and pierce his right eye.
His arm will become useless,
and his right eye completely blind.”

Footnotes:

10:3 Or these male goats.
10:6 Hebrew save the house of Joseph.
10:7 Hebrew of Ephraim.
10:11 Or the sea of Egypt, referring to the Red Sea.
10:12 Hebrew In the Lord.
11:13 Syriac version reads into the treasury; also in 11:13b. Compare Matt 27:6-10.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Revelation 18

The Fall of Babylon

18 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. ²He gave a mighty shout:

“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!
She has become a home for demons.
She is a hideout for every foul^[a] spirit,
a hideout for every foul vulture
and every foul and dreadful animal.^[b]
³For all the nations have fallen^[c]
because of the wine of her passionate immorality.
The kings of the world
have committed adultery with her.
Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,
the merchants of the world have grown rich.”

⁴Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,

“Come away from her, my people.
Do not take part in her sins,
or you will be punished with her.
⁵For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God remembers her evil deeds.
⁶Do to her as she has done to others.
Double her penalty^[d] for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others,
so brew twice as much^[e] for her.
⁷She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart,
‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow,
and I have no reason to mourn.’
⁸Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day—
death and mourning and famine.
She will be completely consumed by fire,
for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”

⁹And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. ¹⁰They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,

“How terrible, how terrible for you,
O Babylon, you great city!
In a single moment
God’s judgment came on you.”

¹¹The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. ¹²She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble. ¹³She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.

¹⁴“The fancy things you loved so much
are gone,” they cry.
“All your luxuries and splendor
are gone forever,
never to be yours again.”

¹⁵The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,

¹⁶“How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens,
decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
¹⁷In a single moment
all the wealth of the city is gone!”

And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance. ¹⁸They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?” ¹⁹And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out,

“How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
The shipowners became wealthy
by transporting her great wealth on the seas.
In a single moment it is all gone.”

²⁰Rejoice over her fate, O heaven
and people of God and apostles and prophets!
For at last God has judged her
for your sakes.

²¹Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,

“Just like this, the great city Babylon
will be thrown down with violence
and will never be found again.
²²The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets
will never be heard in you again.
No craftsmen and no trades
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of the mill
will never be heard in you again.
²³The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The happy voices of brides and grooms
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
²⁴In your^[f] streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people
and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

Footnotes:

18:2a Greek unclean; also in each of the two following phrases.
18:2b Some manuscripts condense the last two lines to read a hideout for every foul [unclean] and dreadful vulture.
18:3 Some manuscripts read have drunk.
18:6a Or Give her an equal penalty.
18:6b Or brew just as much.
18:24 Greek her.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 146

¹Praise the Lord!

Let all that I am praise the Lord.
²I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

³Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
⁴When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
⁵But joyful are those who have the God of Israel^[a] as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
⁶He made heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
⁷He gives justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
⁸The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
The Lord loves the godly.
⁹The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

¹⁰The Lord will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem,^[b] throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes:

146:5 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 44:4.
146:10 Hebrew Zion.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Proverbs 30:33

³³As the beating of cream yields butter
and striking the nose causes bleeding,
so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

New Living Translation (NLT)

December 26, 2020

12/26/2020 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 9:1-17, Revelation 17:1-18, Psalms 145:1-21, Proverbs 30:32

Today is the 26^th day of December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great, it is a joy, it is an honor to be here with you the day after Christmas, right? Left over day, return day, exchange day, all of the things that are traditional. I guess we have to try to find some nontraditional ways of doing some of those things, but this is the day after Christmas where we…we just kind of relax and be together and try to just let the day unfolded. But it is great to be here with you because the day has unfolded that we could spend some time together around the Global Campfire and take the next step forward. I mean we don’t have too many more steps left. This is the 361^st day of the year. We actually have 366 days in this year. It was a leap year this year among other things. So, here we are at the 361^st day of the year and we will return to the book that we are in in the Old Testament, the second to the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Zechariah. We’re reading from the New English Translation this week. Zechariah chapter 9.

Prayer:

Father we thank You for Your word and we thank You for another week completed in Your word, which…which leaves us less than one full week to go. By the time we finish the next week we will be in a new year, which is on some levels very, very hopeful and we’re looking forward to the fresh start. On another level it’s like, “wow, this is where we are. It’s almost over. We really made this journey and it’s been a year for the books. We’ll never forget this one.” Yet we’ve mentioned many times Father, we’re still here because of Your faithfulness to us, and we have a hope for the future because You are faithful to us. You are sustaining us. Christmas day that we celebrated yesterday reminds us of Your passion to come in person to restore us. And, so, we rest in that as we just acknowledge where we are in the year. And, so, as we begin to turn the corner and…and move to the final days of this year 2020 we look into Your word and we look to Your word to give us the counsel that we will need in these coming days as we make a transition into a new year. And, so, we take what the Proverbs, what the voice of wisdom that we met back at the beginning of the year, she, the one at every crossroads pointing the way to go, we listen to her today at the end of the year telling us that if we’ve been foolish by exalting ourselves and others, in other words, if we’ve been proud or if we’ve planned to do something evil that we should put our hands over our mouths. It’s stark. That’s how wisdom works. It’s just simply the truth without nuance. And, so, we take hold of that, carry that forward as we listen to Your word, speaking into our lives about what we’re going to need to carry with us into the new year. And learning to put our hand over our mouth is something that we should carry forward. And, so, we thank You for that gift, that post Christmas gift that You’ve just given us, the counsel of wisdom. Holy Spirit come and plant that in our lives. Help us to water it so that it can be a shoot, just a little shoot peeking through the ground by the time we get to the new year, something we’re gonna cultivate, water, and care for and watch it blossom into something beautiful as we learn to control our tongues. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it is the website, its where you find what’s going on around here. And, so, be sure to stay tuned and stay connected.

Be familiar with the Community section of the website. That’s how you get connected. That’s all the different places that we are on social media. So, check it out. Of course, if you’re using…using the Daily Audio Bible app just press the Drawer icon, it’s in the upper left-hand corner and it opens up drawer and then you can access the Community section and the Prayer Wall and all these things, but this is how we stay connected. So, check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible here as we approach the final days of a year. Is this an unforgettable year or a forgettable year? Like I think that’s the decisions that we have to make over the next few days as we begin to turn our hearts and minds toward goals and dreams and things that the new year might bring, things that a brand-new start might give us. I think this is an unforgettable year for me. I think it’s been hard, which, you know, challenge and difficulty and things you have to endure, those of the things you want to forget. But I think we should probably remember because we grew stronger this year. It was hard. That’s what growing stronger is. It’s hard. And, so, like some of the goals we might have in the new year are to get stronger, physically, like we’re gonna go to the gym and stronger. That’s gonna be hard. It will work. It can work. We will be strengthened. We could completely change our health in the next year, but it will be hard and will take discipline and plenty of endurance. And spiritually, we’ve been doing that all year. And, so, we are stronger. So, we should probably remember. We should probably hold onto it in the new year as we discover some of the things that we have been strengthened, some of the ways that we’ve been strengthened, they get to finally show themselves. So, looking forward to that. But if you…if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible then dailyaudiobible.com’s the place to go. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, there’s a Hotline button in the app that you can press no matter where you are on this planet or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey fellow DABbers this is Denise A New Day in Tampa Florida and I wanted to thank you guys for praying for my dad who did pass away at 95 but did come to know the Lord before that. And I especially wanted to thank Esther from Orlando who’s a tremendous prayer warrior and I heard her mention that. So, thank you Esther. I’m calling for prayer today because I find myself in a situation where I’ve been thinking since my dad passed of the fact that my husband passed and then my mother passed and now my dad passed within a five-year time period. And I find myself being one of those people who society looks at as elder orphans, people who’ve lost their parents and…or husband and don’t have children. So, I’m essentially alone. And, so, I just would like to ask for some prayer about how I approach this, what I do, and where to find community so that as I age alone, I won’t do it alone. So, if you could offer a prayer for me, I would really appreciate it. God bless you guys. Have a beautiful weekend.

I was listening to the recording for 18^th of December and I heard quiet confidence asking for prayers and asking for the Lord to take her up. My dear, if you’re still here then He has a reason for that, and you have a purpose on earth. I know it can be difficult. It can be frustrating it can be overwhelming. I can’t say I have a clue…I can’t say I have…I…I…I can’t say I know exactly what you’re going through but I might have a clue. I just want to ask you a favor please if you don’t mind. I would like you to think of four things you are grateful for, four things every morning and every evening before you go to sleep. Four things, just four things. It could be anything. It could be thanking the Lord for being grateful for waking up. It could be being grateful for brushing your teeth. You know, it could be being grateful for anything, that you’re still breathing or that you had a delicious meal or that you had a meal that you didn’t even enjoy. Just anything that you are grateful for. Just list the simplest things, doesn’t have to be major. But every morning and every evening try that. You know, it gives you a sense of calm, it gives you a sense of thankfulness. And from my experience if you are thankful for everything, everything, for the air we breathe for every single thing of life there is this peace and this happiness and this joy that comes with it. So, my darling if you will please do this every morning four thing’s you’re grateful for when you wake up, every evening before you sleep four things you are grateful for, for the day, for that day. Just do it for the next two weeks and you’ll see how the Lord will bless you and change your life. Thank you very much and thank you Brian, thank you everyone.

Hello Quiet Confidence from Virginia this is Running Bear in Tennessee and your words were…I hear you and recognize the sorrow of your journey and I spent a lot of time yesterday praying for you and even praying for words to share with you. Read some scriptures for you and prayed to them. Prayed through Psalms 27 where you definitely have your eyes focused on the Lord as you do reflect of wanting to be with the Lord, but you also have the sorrow the journey and that comes out in Psalms 27. And just prayed through that for you and for your family. And then I thought too, about in places of deep sorrow I reflect upon the children of the Bible and how they lived through absolute tragedy and yet are able to demonstrate an amazing love to the community around them. First thing that comes to mind is Naaman the servant girl who is in a foreign land, no real hopes of seeing her family anymore and yet she provides not only love to her captors but direction and obviously lived a life that was powerful, that they took value in her words. I’m praying for you, praying for your husband. There’s a lot of sorrow right there for him as well with you. Love you.

Praise God for Quiet Confidence for you called in to reach out to your family and we, every one of us heard your voice. Everyone of us heard your plea. And God our father in heaven loves you so very much. You were wonderfully made. God chose you to live this life this time right now for His purpose no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the thoughts from the enemy, no matter what the feelings that are affected by the attempts of the enemy the truth will always remain that you are loved, and God loves you. May His Holy Spirit fill you and rest in his love and let you know that He never leaves, He never will forsake you. No matter what it is you’re feeling, no matter what the lies are telling you from the enemy. He will do everything to separate you from God but nothing, nothing can ever separate you from God’s love and your husband’s love who is there beside you to help you and we are here for you. Quiet Confidence, thank you for calling, thank you so much for calling. You will be prayed for every day by this family and the angels in heaven are surrounding you and protecting you and lifting you up at the feet of our Lord. And you are saved. Don’t you ever doubt it. You are home now until God chooses otherwise. God bless you. Leann…

Hi family this is Soaring On Eagles Wings from Canada it’s Saturday, December 19^th and I am phoning in to ask for prayer. There are six more days before…no…five more days before Christmas and I haven’t spent Christmas here for many many years. I’m either in Arizona or the with my daughter and family or the beautiful island of Jamaica __. But because of Covid I can’t travel to see I won’t get to see my family. And as Christmas draws closer, I find I’m getting a little bit more despondent. And, so, I’m asking all of my family to surround me with prayers so that in spite of what is happening I will focus on Christ’s birth, what it means to humanity, and the joy of the Lord will be my strength. I am really __ having its ups and downs it’s not easy. So, I thank you for praying for me. I love you all. I pray for you every day. And I wish that all of you will have a beautiful and very special Christmas.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Anonymous in Tulsa Oklahoma. I want you to know that I wish each of you, those who speak, those who work behind the scenes, those who just listen a blessed Christmas. This has been a difficult, strange, interesting, awesome, phenomenal, remarkable, different, and a holy joyous year and we’re going into a new year where we’re still just carrying this load, but the thing is is we don’t have to carry it. We can shed it and place it in the Lord’s lap and let Him carry it while we walk along with Him on our path in life. This path is called the journey of life and that it’s not ours to walk alone. He always walks with us as long as we ask Him to. Christmas reminds me of that, that He came to this earth to walk along with us, to show us how to walk in servitude, in patience and kindness and forgiveness and love. And I love each of you remarkably differently and in all different kinds of ways. Thank you for coming. Know that you’re being prayed for whether you’re here speaking, behind the scenes, or listening. Amen.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Blessed Assurance calling in a prayer for Quiet Confidence in Virginia. I believe she called in on December 18^th stating that she had mental issues and she was really struggling. I’d like to lift her up in prayer now. Our heavenly Father holy holy holy is Your name. I lift up to You Quiet Confidence. I ask Lord that You protect her and comfort her, give her peace. Lord I ask that You draw near to her and in doing so she will draw closer to You. Lord God I…I pray that You protect her…

December 26, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 26, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 9

The Coming of the True King

9 This is an oracle,^[a] the Lord’s message concerning the land of Hadrach,^[b] with its focus on Damascus:^[c]

The eyes of all humanity,^[d] especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord, ²as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, Tyre and Sidon, though they consider themselves to be very wise. ³Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets. ⁴Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications^[e] into the sea—she will be consumed by fire. ⁵Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up.^[f] Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited. ⁶A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. ⁷I will take away their abominable religious practices;^[g] then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God,^[h] like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. ⁸Then I will surround my temple^[i] to protect it like a guard^[j] from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.

⁹Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you:
He is legitimate^[k] and victorious,^[l]
humble and riding on a donkey^[m]—
on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
¹⁰I will remove^[n] the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be removed.
Then he will announce peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River^[o] to the ends of the earth.

¹¹Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. ¹²Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you. ¹³I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow.^[p] I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and I will make you, Zion,^[q] like a warrior’s sword.

¹⁴Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Sovereign Lord will blow the trumpet and will proceed^[r] in the southern storm winds. ¹⁵The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will guard them, and they will prevail and overcome with sling stones. Then they will drink and will become noisy like drunkards,^[s] full like the sacrificial basin or like the corners of the altar.^[t] ¹⁶On that day the Lord their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land. ¹⁷How precious and fair!^[u] Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

Footnotes:

Zechariah 9:1 tn See note at Isa 13:1.
Zechariah 9:1 sn The land of Hadrach was a northern region stretching from Aleppo in the north to Damascus in the south (cf. NLT “Aram”).
Zechariah 9:1 tn Heb “Damascus its resting place.” The third person masculine singular suffix on “resting place” (מְנֻחָתוֹ, m^enukhato), however, precludes “land” or even “Hadrach,” both of which are feminine, from being the antecedent. Most likely “word” (masculine) is the antecedent, i.e., the “word of the Lord” is finding its resting place, that is, its focus in or on Damascus.
Zechariah 9:1 tc Though without manuscript and version support, many scholars suggest emendation here to clarify what, to them, is an unintelligible reading. Thus some propose עָרֵי אָרָם (ʿare ʾaram, “cities of Aram”; cf. NAB, NRSV) for עֵין אָדָם (ʿen ʾadam, “eye of man”) or אֲדָמָה (ʾadamah, “ground”) for אָדָם (ʾadam, “man”), “(surface of) the earth.” It seems best, however, to see “eye” as collective and to understand the passage as saying that the attention of the whole earth will be upon the Lord (cf. NIV, NLT).
Zechariah 9:4 tn The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength, wealth”) can, with certain suffixes, look exactly like חֵל (khel, “fortress, rampart”). The chiastic pattern here suggests that not Tyre’s riches but her defenses will be cast into the sea. Thus the present translation renders the term “fortifications” (so also NLT) rather than “wealth” (NASB, NRSV, TEV) or “power” (NAB, NIV).
Zechariah 9:5 tn The present translation presupposes a Hiphil perfect of יָבֵשׁ (yavesh, “be dry”; cf. NRSV “are withered”) rather than the usually accepted Hiphil of בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “be ashamed”; cf. KJV, ASV), a sense that is less suitable with the removal of hope.
Zechariah 9:7 tn Heb “and I will take away their blood from their mouth and their abominations from between their teeth.” These expressions refer to some type of abominable religious practices, perhaps eating meat with the blood still in it (less likely NCV “drinking blood”) or eating unclean or forbidden foods.
Zechariah 9:7 tn Heb “and they will be a remnant for our God”; cf. NIV “will belong to our God”; NLT “will worship our God.”
Zechariah 9:8 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
Zechariah 9:8 tn Though a hapax legomenon, the מִצָּבָה (mitsavah) of the MT (from נָצַב, natsav, “take a stand”) is preferable to the suggestion מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”) or even מִצָּבָא (mitsavaʾ, “from” or “against the army”). The context favors the idea of the Lord as a protector.
Zechariah 9:9 tn The Hebrew term צַדִּיק (tsaddiq) ordinarily translated “righteous,” frequently occurs, as here, with the idea of conforming to a standard or meeting certain criteria. The Messianic king riding into Jerusalem is fully qualified to take the Davidic throne (cf. 1 Sam 23:3; Isa 9:5-6; 11:4; 16:5; Jer 22:1-5; 23:5-6).
Zechariah 9:9 tn The Hebrew term נוֹשָׁע (noshaʿ) a Niphal participle of יָשַׁע (yashaʿ, “to save”) could mean “one delivered” or, if viewed as active, “one bringing salvation” (similar KJV, NIV, NKJV). It is preferable to take the normal passive use of the Niphal and understand that the king, having been delivered, is as a result “victorious” (so also NRSV, TEV, NLT).
Zechariah 9:9 sn The NT understands this verse to be a prophecy of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and properly so (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15), but reference to the universal rule of the king in v. 10 reveals that this is a “split prophecy,” that is, it has a two-stage fulfillment. Verse 9 was fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly ministry but v. 10 awaits a millennial consummation (cf. Rev 19:11-16).
Zechariah 9:10 tc The MT first person pronoun (“I”), which seems to shift the subject too abruptly, becomes third person masculine singular (“he”) in the LXX (הִכְרִית, hikhrit, presupposed for הִכְרַתִּי, hikhratti). However, the Lord is the subject of v. 8, which speaks of his protection of Jerusalem, so it is not surprising that he is the subject in v. 10 as well.tn Heb “cut off” (so NASB, NRSV; also later in this verse); NAB “banish”; NIV, CEV “take away.”
Zechariah 9:10 tn Heb “the river.” The Hebrew expression typically refers to the Euphrates, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Zechariah 9:13 tn The words “my arrow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify the imagery for the modern reader (cf. NRSV, NLT).
Zechariah 9:13 tn The word “Zion” is not repeated here in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the statement refers to Zion and not to Greece.
Zechariah 9:14 tn The verb הָלַך (halakh) means “to walk” or more generally “to go.” In this military setting it might be understood as marching (ESV, NASB, NIV), attacking (NLV), or sallying, which is making a sudden offensive thrust especially from a defensive position.sn This picture is part of a larger storm imagery associated with God. Elsewhere the Lord is said to “ride” (רָכַב, rakhav) on the heavens (Ps 68:33), on a cherub (Ps 18:11; parallel to “flying on the wings of the wind”), and on a cloud (Isa 19:1). The Lord also speaks to Job from the “whirlwind” (the same word for storm here).
Zechariah 9:15 tn Heb “they will drink and roar as with wine”; the LXX (followed here by NAB, NRSV) reads “they will drink blood like wine” (referring to a figurative “drinking” of the blood of their enemies).
Zechariah 9:15 sn The whole setting is eschatological as the intensely figurative language shows. The message is that the Lord will assume his triumphant reign over all the earth and will use his own redeemed and renewed people Israel to accomplish that work. The imagery of v. 15 is the eating and drinking of the flesh and blood of God’s enemies, that is, Israel’s complete mastery of them. Like those who drink too much wine, the Lord’s warriors will be satiated with the blood of their foes and will exult as though drunk.
Zechariah 9:17 sn This expostulation best fits the whole preceding description of God’s eschatological work on behalf of his people. His goodness is especially evident in his nurturing of the young men and women of his kingdom.

New English Translation (NET)

Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

17 Then^[a] one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me.^[b] “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment^[c] of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, ²with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”^[d] ³So^[e] he carried me away in the Spirit^[f] to a wilderness,^[g] and there^[h] I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴Now^[i] the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing,^[j] and adorned with gold,^[k] precious stones, and pearls. She held^[l] in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality.^[m] ⁵On^[n] her forehead was written a name, a mystery:^[o] “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” ⁶I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus.^[p] I^[q] was greatly astounded^[r] when I saw her. ⁷But^[s] the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret^[t] for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. ⁸The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss^[u] and then go to destruction. The^[v] inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that^[w] the beast was, and is not, but is to come. ⁹(This requires^[x] a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains^[y] the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: ¹⁰five have fallen; one is,^[z] and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. ¹¹The^[aa] beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. ¹²The^[ab] ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority^[ac] as kings with the beast for one hour. ¹³These kings^[ad] have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying^[ae] the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”

¹⁵Then^[af] the angel^[ag] said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes,^[ah] nations, and languages. ¹⁶The^[ai] ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They^[aj] will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire.^[ak] ¹⁷For God has put into their minds^[al] to carry out his purpose^[am] by making^[an] a decision^[ao] to give their royal power^[ap] to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.^[aq] ¹⁸As for^[ar] the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes:

Revelation 17:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 17:1 tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”
Revelation 17:1 tn Here one Greek term, κρίμα (krima), has been translated by the two English terms “condemnation” and “punishment.” See BDAG 567 s.v. 4.b, “mostly in an unfavorable sense, of the condemnatory verdict and sometimes the subsequent punishment itself 2 Pt 2:3; Jd 4…τὸ κ. τῆς πόρνης the condemnation and punishment of the prostitute Rv 17:1.”
Revelation 17:2 tn This is a cognate noun of the verb translated “sexual immorality” earlier in the verse, but here the qualifier “sexual” has not been repeated for stylistic reasons.
Revelation 17:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s invitation to witness the fate of the prostitute.
Revelation 17:3 tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).
Revelation 17:3 tn Or “desert.”
Revelation 17:3 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
Revelation 17:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the detailed description of the woman, which is somewhat parenthetical in nature.
Revelation 17:4 tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
Revelation 17:4 tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
Revelation 17:4 tn Grk “pearls, having in her hand.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Revelation 17:4 tc Several mss (including 1611 1854 2053 M^K) read “sexual immorality on/of the earth” (πορνείας τῆς γῆς, porneias tēs gēs) instead of “her sexual immorality.” Other mss (א sy^h** [co]) read “her sexual immorality and the earth’s” (πορνείας αὐτῆς καὶ τῆς γῆς, porneias autēs kai tēs gēs). The translation is a rendering of πορνείας αὐτῆς, found in A 1006 2344 al. It seems that the first reading “sexuality immorality on/of the earth” was a scribal mistake in which letters may have been confused (auths would have been read as thsghs), or was perhaps influenced by the presence of “of the world” (τῆς γῆς) at the end of v. 5. The earliest wording seems to be “her sexual immorality”; codex א has conflated the two readings.
Revelation 17:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 17:5 tn Some translations consider the word μυστήριον (mustērion, “mystery”) a part of the name written (“Mystery Babylon the Great,” so KJV, NIV), but the gender of both ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) and μυστήριον are neuter, while the gender of “Babylon” is feminine. This strongly suggests that μυστήριον should be understood as an appositive to ὄνομα (“a name, i.e., a mystery”).
Revelation 17:6 tn Or “of the witnesses to Jesus.” Here the genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Iēsou) is taken as an objective genitive; Jesus is the object of their testimony.
Revelation 17:6 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 17:6 tn Grk “I marveled a great marvel” (an idiom for great astonishment).
Revelation 17:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Revelation 17:7 tn Grk “I will tell you,” but since what follows is the angel’s interpretation of the vision, “interpret for you” is the preferred translation here.
Revelation 17:8 tn On this term BDAG 2 s.v. ἄβυσσος 2 states, “netherworld, abyss, esp. the abode of the dead Ro 10:7 (Ps 106:26) and of demons Lk 8:31; dungeon where the devil is kept Rv 20:3; abode of the θηρίον, the Antichrist 11:7; 17:8; of ᾿Αβαδδών (q.v.), the angel of the underworld 9:11…φρέαρ τῆς ἀ. 9:1f; capable of being sealed 9:1; 20:1, 3.”
Revelation 17:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 17:8 tn Some translations take the ὅτι (hoti) here as causal: “because he was, and is not, but is to come” (so NIV, NRSV), but it is much more likely that the subject of the ὅτι clause has been assimilated into the main clause: “when they see the beast, that he was…” = “when they see that the beast was” (so BDAG 732 s.v. ὅτι 1.f, where Rev 17:8 is listed).
Revelation 17:9 tn Grk “Here is the mind that has wisdom.”
Revelation 17:9 tn It is important to note that the height of “mountains” versus “hills” or other topographical terms is somewhat relative. In terms of Palestinian topography, Mount Tabor (traditionally regarded as the mount of transfiguration) is some 1,800 ft (550 m) above sea level, while the Mount of Olives is only some 100 ft (30 m) higher than Jerusalem.
Revelation 17:10 tn That is, one currently reigns.
Revelation 17:11 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 17:12 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 17:12 tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
Revelation 17:13 tn The word “kings” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the referent.
Revelation 17:14 tn See BDAG 636 s.v. μετά A.2.a.α.
Revelation 17:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 17:15 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 17:15 tn Grk “and multitudes,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
Revelation 17:16 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 17:16 tn A new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 17:16 tn The final clause could also be turned into an adverbial clause of means: “They will consume her flesh by burning her with fire.”
Revelation 17:17 tn Grk “hearts.”
Revelation 17:17 tn Or “his intent.”
Revelation 17:17 tn The infinitive ποιῆσαι (poiēsai) was translated here as giving the logical means by which God’s purpose was carried out.
Revelation 17:17 tn On this term BDAG 203 s.v. γνώμη 4 states, “declaration, decision, resolution…of God Rv 17:17.”
Revelation 17:17 tn For this translation see BDAG 168 s.v. βασιλεία 1.a, “kingship, royal power, royal rule.”
Revelation 17:17 tn Or “completed.”
Revelation 17:18 tn Grk “And.” Because this remark is somewhat resumptive in nature, “as for” is used in the translation.

New English Translation (NET)

Psalm 145

Psalm 145^[a]

A psalm of praise; by David.

145 I will extol you, my God, O King.
I will praise your name continually.^[b]
²Every day I will praise you.
I will praise your name continually.^[c]
³The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise.
No one can fathom his greatness.^[d]
⁴One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and tell about your mighty acts.^[e]
⁵I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor,
and your amazing deeds.^[f]
⁶They will proclaim^[g] the power of your awesome acts.
I will declare your great deeds.
⁷They will talk about the fame of your great kindness,^[h]
and sing about your justice.^[i]
⁸The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient^[j] and demonstrates great loyal love.^[k]
⁹The Lord is good to all,
and has compassion on all he has made.^[l]
¹⁰All your works will give thanks to you, Lord.
Your loyal followers will praise you.
¹¹They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom;
they will tell about your power,
¹²so that mankind^[m] might acknowledge your mighty acts,
and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom,^[n]
and your dominion endures through all generations.
¹⁴^[o] The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over.^[p]
¹⁵Everything looks to you in anticipation,^[q]
and you provide them with food on a regular basis.^[r]
¹⁶You open your hand,
and fill every living thing with the food it desires.^[s]
¹⁷The Lord is just in all his actions,^[t]
and exhibits love in all he does.^[u]
¹⁸The Lord is near all who cry out to him,
all who cry out to him sincerely.^[v]
¹⁹He satisfies the desire^[w] of his loyal followers;^[x]
he hears their cry for help and delivers them.
²⁰The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.
²¹My mouth will praise the Lord.^[y]
Let all who live^[z] praise his holy name forever.

Footnotes:

Psalm 145:1 sn Psalm 145. The psalmist praises God because he is a just and merciful king who cares for his people.
Psalm 145:1 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
Psalm 145:2 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
Psalm 145:3 tn Heb “and concerning his greatness there is no searching.”
Psalm 145:4 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 4 are understood as imperfects, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as jussives, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may one generation praise…and tell about.”
Psalm 145:5 tn Heb “the splendor of the glory of your majesty, and the matters of your amazing deeds I will ponder.”
Psalm 145:6 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as an imperfect, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as a jussive, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may they proclaim.”
Psalm 145:7 tn Heb “the fame of the greatness of your goodness.”
Psalm 145:7 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 7 are understood as imperfects, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as jussives, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may they talk…and sing.”
Psalm 145:8 tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).
Psalm 145:8 tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).
Psalm 145:9 tn Heb “and his compassion is over all his works.”
Psalm 145:12 tn Heb “the sons of man.”
Psalm 145:13 tn Heb “a kingdom of all ages.”
Psalm 145:14 tc Psalm 145 is an acrostic psalm, with each successive verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. However, in the traditional Hebrew (Masoretic) text of Psalm 145 there is no verse beginning with the letter nun. One would expect such a verse to appear as the fourteenth verse, between the (מ) (mem) and (ס) (samek) verses. Several ancient witnesses, including one medieval Hebrew manuscript, the Qumran scroll from cave 11, the LXX, and the Syriac, supply the missing (נ) (nun) verse, which reads as follows: “The Lord is reliable in all his words, and faithful in all his deeds.” One might paraphrase this as follows: “The Lord’s words are always reliable; his actions are always faithful.” Scholars are divided as to the originality of this verse. L. C. Allen argues for its inclusion on the basis of structural considerations (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 294-95), but there is no apparent explanation for why, if original, it would have been accidentally omitted. The psalm may be a partial acrostic, as in Pss 25 and 34 (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:335). The glaring omission of the nun line would have invited a later redactor to add such a line.
Psalm 145:14 tn Perhaps “discouraged” (see Ps 57:6).
Psalm 145:15 tn Heb “the eyes of all wait for you.”
Psalm 145:15 tn Heb “and you give to them their food in its season” (see Ps 104:27).
Psalm 145:16 tn Heb “[with what they] desire.”
Psalm 145:17 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
Psalm 145:17 tn Heb “and [is] loving in all his deeds.”
Psalm 145:18 tn Heb “in truth.”
Psalm 145:19 tn In this context “desire” refers to the followers’ desire to be delivered from wicked enemies.
Psalm 145:19 tn Heb “the desire of those who fear him, he does.”
Psalm 145:21 tn Heb “the praise of the Lord my mouth will speak.”
Psalm 145:21 tn Heb “all flesh.”

New English Translation (NET)

Proverbs 30:32

³²If you have done foolishly by exalting yourself^[a]
or if you have planned evil,
put^[b] your hand over your mouth!

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:32 tn The construction has the ב (bet) preposition with the Hitpael infinitive construct, forming a temporal clause. This clause explains the way in which the person has acted foolishly.
Proverbs 30:32 tn Heb “hand to mouth.” This expression means “put your hand to your mouth” (e.g., Job 40:4, 5); cf. NIV “clap your hand over.”

New English Translation (NET)

December 25, 2020

12/25/2020 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 8:1-23, Revelation 16:1-21, Psalms 144:1-15, Proverbs 30:29-31

Today is the 25^th day of December Merry Christmas everybody welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is great to be here with you. We have worked an entire year to get to this place and now we commemorate with awe and wonder the reality that the Savior has arrived, that God would not tolerate the separation between he and us any longer and He came in person to rescue us. And may we respond with open hearted joy.

Song:

Joy to the world – Hillsong

Joy to the world
The Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
Let heaven, let heaven and nature sing
Let heaven, let heaven and nature sing

Joy to the Earth the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and the plains
Repeat the sounding joy (repeat the sounding joy)
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, oh darling, Lord

Repeat, repeat the sound, yeah

Let the heavens sing

He rules the world (he rules the world)
With truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And the wonders of His love
And the wonders of His love
And the wonders, the wonders of His love
And the wonders, the wonders of His love

Joy, joy, joy to the world (his love)
Joy, joy, joy, singing
Joy, joy, joy to the world (sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it)
Joy, joy, joy, singing

Joy, joy, joy to the world
Joy, joy, joy, singing
Joy, joy, joy to the world
Joy, joy, joy, singing

Singing (singing)
Singing (singing)
Singing joy to the world now
Singing (singing)
Singing (singing)
Joy to the world now (joy to the world now)
Joy to the world now
Joy to the world now
Joy to the world now, now, now, now, now, now, now
Ooh yeah (oh yeah)

To the world
To the world
You reign, You reign, yeah

Joy, joy, joy to the world
Joy, joy, joy, singing

Even though it’s Christmas day, even though there’s a lot going on on Christmas day we have a rhythm here around the Global Campfire and so we should spend a portion of our Christmas day together hearing from God’s word, which is what we’ll do now. We’re reading from the New English Translation this week. Zechariah chapter 8.

Commentary:

Okay. So, today is Christmas day and I don’t know what time of day it is that you might be hearing this. Maybe it’s early morning Christmas morning before everyone’s awake or maybe everybody gets up at dawn and so there’s no time for that and it’s been festivities and now you’ve just kind of found a second to catch her breath. Maybe it’s Christmas night and this is how you’re kind of sealing Christmas, ending Christmas before falling asleep. And it’s been a good…well…it’s been more than a month now that all of the lights and trees and all of the festivities are all over the place all throughout our neighborhoods all throughout our communities. There is no celebration like Christmas. The world over in all of our cultures and customs throughout the earth. Billions and billions of people are observing Christmas for all kinds of different reasons and not all of them are religious, but regardless, everyone that is commemorating and observing Christmas in some sort of way is acknowledging the arrival of God in the flesh. And there is no celebration on earth like it. As Christians we…we might argue that Easter, resurrection day, the day where it is accomplished is more or equally as important. I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t really matter. But Christmas is a day of joy and celebration the world over, and the whole build up to its brings our hearts closer together in unity. We sense goodwill toward people around us in ways that we really don’t the rest of the year. And, so, the world is celebrating today, and we have either got in our cars and traveled across town or across the country to be with loved ones or we’ve gotten on planes. And it was a little more tricky this year than ever before, or maybe people have come into our town and they are with us, our friends, our family. We are surrounded by goodness and yet I know that some of you that I’m speaking to that’s not the story. I’ve learned that over the years. I know that some of you may be together with your spouse, but that's…that’s how you observe Christmas. That’s all there is right now. Or maybe nobody. Some of you are literally…have nobody today. You’re celebrating Christmas physically anyway, alone. I…I kind of grew up with a certain kind of Christmas. My mom she was determined to create a season around Christmas that she never really got to experience. And, so, it was really, really important for her to kind of build up the Christmas spirit. And, so, I just kinda grew up thinking that’s how it was for everyone. It wasn’t until I became older that I began to realize, no, not everybody even has a family. It wasn’t until I got into ministry, especially ministry here at the Daily Audio Bible that I began to realize when we get to December 25^th every year it is tremendous and joyous celebration. The church, the capital “C” church around the world, we’re like…we are in full bloom celebrating the arrival of the Savior and it sets an example and sends it out into the world but not everybody is involved. Some have no one and nowhere and that’s always been a bit sad to me. So, every time we get here to the 25^th of December here at the Daily Audio Bible certainly we want to jump up and down and celebrate the arrival of the Savior, we want to jump up and down and celebrate, but not everybody gets this traditional type of celebration. And I’ve become more and more aware of that. And, so, each Christmas day that we come to on the Daily Audio Bible I want to acknowledge that. I acknowledge that this time that we’re having around the Global Campfire right now centered around God’s word, knowing that, at least for these moments we’re not alone. Somebody else somewhere is connected to what we’re doing right now. I’ve found that for some of you this is your family Christmas, this is…this is the gathering, and this is one of those moments where I wish that the…I mean I’m so grateful for the Internet because it creates the community that we share but I wish that we could reach through it and actually be together. I guess it was maybe like six or seven years ago when reading through December 25^th’s reading of the Daily Audio Bible, and of course we’re reading through the book of Revelation. I’m just reading out God pouring out bowls of wrath upon the earth and all the horrible things that are happening on the earth and earth’s people are suffering tremendously because of this outpouring of wrath and it’s like Christmas day. And I’m realizing that some of us are having joyful celebrations and some of us are completely by ourselves, and I just…I can remember like getting done with that reading and just going, “this doesn’t feel like Christmas.” And I am an introvert and I’m a creative person. And, so, I’ve got a bit of a melancholy personality and…at times…and I can brood and especially if things are disrupted, I can brood. And, so, just kind of brooding realizing that every Christmas always for some reason feels like somethings missing…I don’t know…missing. Even if its perfect somethings missing because I’ve felt like that at Christmas at some point or another long as I can remember. Like that…even today. We have festive joyous celebration with our family and we’re having a wonderful time together but there’ll be a point in the day where I’ll find myself somewhere alone whether I’m going for a walk or just finding a quiet place for just a little while…to let that sink in. And I used to call it like Christmas blues or something like that because…and I know I’m not the only one…and I’m not saying things that nobody else understands. I know that I’m talking to some of you directly, like I’m speaking your language right now. You’re feeling it and you don’t know how…I mean it’s supposed to be joyous and it doesn’t exactly feel that way. It feels like something’s still broken. It was just a handful of years ago, the year my mother died. My mother, she…she lived through Christmas of 2016, but she passed away in the first couple weeks of January 2017. And it was that year…my mom in the hospital…just really having lost…lost any kind of tethering to reality. I’m running back and forth to hospitals seven days a week, keeping the Daily Audio Bible going seven days a week, run in from the hospital, come into the studio reading Christmas days reading feeling the…the fatigue of it all, feeling the blues of it all, and then reading Revelation and the bowls of God’s wrath poured out on the earth and just feeling like this…this doesn’t feel like Christmas. And then I read Revelation again and tried to consider it and the concept of Christmas and then I realized what’s happening in Revelation for our Christmas day reading isn’t God just so angry at people that He’s had enough and wants to destroy them at all. It’s God putting an end to evil. It’s God putting an end to everything that has destroyed us all along. It’s difficult to read of but it’s God putting things right so that all things can become new again. And I realized kind of in that year in that particular reading this is what has to happen. This is why we are told so many times that we must endure until the end. Basically, what we’re reading in Revelation today is that baby Jesus all grown up eradicating the power of sin and death and the grave forever and ever. Amen. So, at least for me when I feel those blues kind of come, this kind of emptiness that something’s not right I realize that all I’m feeling is the longing of my soul. We are in the in between. We can jump up and down and celebrate wildly for the arrival of the Savior, and we should, and we are, but we are in between. We are waiting for the second arrival of the Savior, when all things will be made new and all things will be put right. And in the meantime, everything isn’t right, and we are here to endure and to share the good news and to be a part of the rescue for as long as we can, as long as we live. We are the living story of Christmas all year long through our very lives. It’s not how many lights we can put on our house. It’s how much of a light can shine out of our heart that’s gonna matter. And, so, no matter what’s going on, if you’ve got all kinds of festivities and it’s just crazy out there, if you find a moment to just sit with that to just understand this is the in between, that all things are being made new. We are being made new. The Scriptures have told us this over and over and over throughout this year. We are in process. It’s okay where we are right now. This isn’t where we’re gonna be 12 months from now. Think about Christmas day last year. We had no idea what was on the horizon for 2020. We were going into this year with the idea of seeing clearly and vision and just moving forward and finally getting our legs under us. And this was gonna be a fantastic year and we didn’t realize we were going to face some significant challenges that the world has never really seen before We were gonna find how divided we are. We were gonna get vision alright. The truth was gonna come to us. We were gonna see things as they really were and stop faking, stop pretending they were different than they are. And we got a good dose of reality. Last Christmas 12 months ago today we had no idea. So, in fairness, we have no idea what’s in front of us, which is not a message of ominous things to come. I don’t think that. I never think that. The truth is 12 months ago we did not know what we now know. We had not experienced what we have experienced together as humanity in the world in 2020. We’ve learned a lot, a lot about ourselves, a lot about each other, a lot about our cultures and societies, a lot. We aren’t the same people we were on Christmas day last year and we’re not gonna be the same people 12 months from today on Christmas day next year. We are in process. It’s okay. Because what we read in things like the book of Revelation is, even though there is a profound disruption to the status quo, a complete upheaval of things. The things that are being disrupted have to fall. They have to go away to be replaced by something new. And where this whole story is going is that all things will be made new again. And, so, let’s take some time today on this beautiful celebratory day to certainly enjoy our presents and certainly enjoy giving the presents and O the twinkle in the children’s eyes and the gratefulness and the thankfulness and the beautiful sense of family, yes to all of that. Let’s dive into it completely, but let’s also be aware of the deeper currents of what Christmas represents. This is all going somewhere and that somewhere is good. And, so, I love you guys. This is my 15^th Christmas day doing this, being here behind this mic at Daily Audio Bible and I am profoundly grateful for the journey that we’ve been on and are on. And, so, from the bottom of my heart Jill and I wish you all a very, very joyous Merry Christmas.

Song:

O Come, All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
O come and behold Him, born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem

O sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
O come, o come ye to Bethlehem
O Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful to Bethlehem

O come all ye
O come all ye faithful
O come all ye
O come all ye faithful

O come all ye faithful
O come all ye faithful
O come all ye faithful to Bethlehem

O come all ye faithful
O come all ye faithful
Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come all ye faithful
O come all ye faithful
O come all ye faithful to Bethlehem

December 25, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 25, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

The Blessing of True Fasting

8 Then the message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies^[a] came to me as follows: ²“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘I am very much concerned for Zion; indeed, I am so concerned for her that my rage will fall on those who hurt her.’ ³The Lord says, ‘I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem will be called “truthful city,” “mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,” “holy mountain.”’ ⁴Moreover, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘Old men and women will once more live in the plazas of Jerusalem, each one leaning on a cane because of advanced age. ⁵And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing.^[b] ⁶And,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘though such a thing may seem to be difficult in the opinion of the small community of those days, will it also appear difficult to me?’ asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

⁷“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies asserts, ‘I am about to save my people from the lands of the east and the west. ⁸And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God,^[c] in truth and righteousness.’

⁹“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies also says, ‘Gather strength, you who are listening to these words today from the mouths of the prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,^[d] so that the temple might be built. ¹⁰Before that time there was no compensation for man or animal, nor was there any relief from adversity for those who came and went, because I had pitted everybody—each one—against everyone else. ¹¹But I will be different now to this remnant of my people from the way I was in those days,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ¹²‘for there will be a peaceful time of sowing, the vine will produce its fruit, and the ground its yield, and the skies^[e] will rain down dew. Then I will allow the remnant of my people to possess all these things. ¹³And it will come about that just as you, both Judah and Israel, were a curse to the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid! Instead, be strong.’

¹⁴“For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘As I had planned to hurt^[f] you when your fathers made me angry,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘and I was not sorry, ¹⁵so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah—do not fear! ¹⁶These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.^[g] ¹⁷Do not plan evil in your hearts against one another. Do not favor a false oath—these are all things that I hate,’ says the Lord.”

¹⁸The message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies came to me as follows: ¹⁹“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth^[h] months will become joyful and happy, pleasant feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’ ²⁰The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people—residents of many cities—will come. ²¹The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, “Let’s go up at once to ask the favor of the Lord, to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Indeed, I’ll go with you.”’ ²²Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask his favor. ²³The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘In those days ten people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of—indeed, grab—the robe of one Jew and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”^[i]

Footnotes:

Zechariah 8:1 sn There is a remarkable concentration of this name of God in this section of Zechariah, 18 times in this chapter out of 53 in the book. It emphasizes the Lord’s sovereignty in contrast to the human impossibility of accomplishing what lies ahead.
Zechariah 8:5 sn The references to longevity and to children living and playing in peace are eschatological in tone. Elsewhere the millennial kingdom is characterized in a similar manner (cf. Isa 65:20; Jer 31:12-13).
Zechariah 8:8 sn The affirmation They will be my people, and I will be their God speaks of covenant renewal, a restoration of the unbroken fellowship the Lord desired to have with his people but which their disloyalty had shattered. In the eschaton God and Israel will be in covenant union once again (cf. Jer 31:33).
Zechariah 8:9 sn These prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies included at least Haggai and Zechariah, and perhaps others. The founding referred to here is not the initial laying of the temple’s foundations in 536 b.c. (Ezra 3:8) but the resumption of work two years before the time of the present narrative (i.e., in 520 b.c.), as vv. 10-12 make clear.
Zechariah 8:12 tn Or “the heavens” (so KJV, NAB, NIV). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “skies” depending on the context.
Zechariah 8:14 tn The verb זָמַם (zamam) usually means “to plot to do evil,” but with a divine subject (as here), and in light of v. 15 where it means to plan good, the meaning here has to be the implementation of discipline (cf. NCV, CEV “punish”). God may bring hurt but its purpose is redemptive and/or pedagogical.
Zechariah 8:16 sn For a similar reference to true and righteous judgment see Mic 6:8.
Zechariah 8:19 sn The fasts of the fifth and seventh months, mentioned previously (7:5), are listed here along with the observances of the fourth and tenth months. The latter commemorated the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians on January 15, 588 b.c. (2 Kgs 25:1), and the former the breach of the city walls on or about July 18, 586 b.c. (Jer 39:2-5).
Zechariah 8:23 sn This scene of universal and overwhelming attraction of the nations to Israel’s God finds initial fulfillment in the establishment of the church (Acts 2:5-11) but ultimate completion in the messianic age (Isa 45:14, 24; 60:14; Zech 14:16-21).

New English Translation (NET)

Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then^[a] I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”^[b] ²So^[c] the first angel^[d] went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then^[e] ugly and painful sores^[f] appeared on the people^[g] who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

³Next,^[h] the second angel^[i] poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.

⁴Then^[j] the third angel^[k] poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. ⁵Now^[l] I heard the angel of the waters saying:

“You are just^[m]—the one who is and who was,
the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments,^[n]
⁶because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets,
so^[o] you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!”^[p]

⁷Then^[q] I heard the altar reply,^[r] “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful,^[s] your judgments are true and just!”

⁸Then^[t] the fourth angel^[u] poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people^[v] with fire. ⁹Thus^[w] people^[x] were scorched by the terrible heat,^[y] yet^[z] they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority^[aa] over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory.

¹⁰Then^[ab] the fifth angel^[ac] poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that^[ad] darkness covered his kingdom,^[ae] and people^[af] began to bite^[ag] their tongues because^[ah] of their pain. ¹¹They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings^[ai] and because of their sores,^[aj] but nevertheless^[ak] they still refused to repent^[al] of their deeds.

¹²Then^[am] the sixth angel^[an] poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water^[ao] to prepare the way^[ap] for the kings from the east.^[aq] ¹³Then^[ar] I saw three unclean spirits^[as] that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth^[at] to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful.^[au]

¹⁵(Look ! I will come like a thief!
Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose^[av] his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition^[aw] be seen.)^[ax]

¹⁶Now^[ay] the spirits^[az] gathered the kings and their armies^[ba] to the place that is called Armageddon^[bb] in Hebrew.

¹⁷Finally^[bc] the seventh angel^[bd] poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” ¹⁸Then^[be] there were flashes of lightning, roaring,^[bf] and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake—an earthquake unequaled since humanity^[bg] has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. ¹⁹The^[bh] great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations^[bi] collapsed.^[bj] So^[bk] Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup^[bl] filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath.^[bm] ²⁰Every^[bn] island fled away^[bo] and no mountains could be found.^[bp] ²¹And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a 100 pounds^[bq] each, fell from heaven^[br] on people,^[bs] but they^[bt] blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it^[bu] was so horrendous.^[bv]

Footnotes:

Revelation 16:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 16:1 tn Or “anger.” Here τοῦ θυμοῦ (tou thumou) has been translated as a genitive of content.
Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the directions given by the voice from the temple.
Revelation 16:2 tn Grk “the first”; the referent (the first angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:2 tn Or “ulcerated sores”; the term in the Greek text is singular but is probably best understood as a collective singular.
Revelation 16:2 tn Grk ‘the men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “next” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:3 tn Grk “the second”; the referent (the second angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:4 tn Grk “the third”; the referent (the third angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the remarks that follow.
Revelation 16:5 tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.
Revelation 16:5 tn Or “because you have judged these things.” The pronoun ταῦτα (tauta) is neuter gender.
Revelation 16:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this judgment is the result of what these wicked people did to the saints and prophets.
Revelation 16:6 tn Grk “They are worthy”; i.e., of this kind of punishment. By extension, “they got what they deserve.”
Revelation 16:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:7 tn Grk “the altar saying.”
Revelation 16:7 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
Revelation 16:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “the fourth”; the referent (the fourth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the bowl poured on the sun.
Revelation 16:9 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:9 tn On this phrase BDAG 536 s.v. καῦμα states, “burning, heat Rv 7:16…καυματίζεσθαι κ. μέγα be burned with a scorching heat 16:9.”
Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Revelation 16:9 tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “the fifth”; the referent (the fifth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” to indicate the implied result of the fifth bowl being poured out.
Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “his kingdom became dark.”
Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:10 tn On this term BDAG 620 s.v. μασάομαι states, “bite w. acc. τὰς γλώσσας bite their tongues Rv 16:10.”
Revelation 16:10 tn The preposition ἐκ (ek) has been translated here and twice in the following verse with a causal sense.
Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π.…because of their sufferings vs. 11.”
Revelation 16:11 tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).
Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.
Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.
Revelation 16:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “the sixth”; the referent (the sixth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “and its water was dried up.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “in order that the way might be prepared.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12; simply ἀπὸ ἀ.…21:13.”
Revelation 16:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:13 sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.
Revelation 16:14 tn BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 1 states, “the inhabited earth, the world…ὅλη ἡ οἰκ. the whole inhabited earth…Mt 24:14; Ac 11:28; Rv 3:10; 16:14.”
Revelation 16:14 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
Revelation 16:15 tn Grk “and keeps.” BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 2.c states “of holding on to someth. so as not to give it up or lose it…τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Rv 16:15 (or else he will have to go naked).”
Revelation 16:15 tn On the translation of ἀσχημοσύνη (aschēmosunē) as “shameful condition” see L&N 25.202. The indefinite third person plural (“and they see”) has been translated as a passive here.
Revelation 16:15 sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator. Many interpreters have seen this verse as so abrupt that it could not be an original part of the work, but the author has used such asides before (1:7; 14:13) and the suddenness here (on the eve of Armageddon) is completely parallel to Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:15-16 and parallels.
Revelation 16:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the resumption and conclusion of the remarks about the pouring out of the sixth bowl.
Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “gathered them”; the referent (the kings and [implied] their armies, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:16 tc There are many variations in the spelling of this name among the Greek mss, although ῾Αρμαγεδών (harmagedōn) has the best support. The usual English spelling is Armageddon, used in the translation.tn Or “Harmagedon” (a literal transliteration of the Greek), or “Har-Magedon” (NASB), meaning “the Mount of Magedon” in Hebrew.
Revelation 16:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “finally” to indicate the conclusion of the seven bowl judgments.
Revelation 16:17 tn Grk “the seventh”; the referent (the seventh angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:18 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
Revelation 16:18 tn The singular ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used generically here to refer to the human race.
Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 16:19 tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “fell.”
Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).
Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).
Revelation 16:19 tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (thumos) and ὀργή (orgē) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.
Revelation 16:20 tn Grk “And every.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 16:20 tn Or “vanished.”
Revelation 16:20 sn Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. Major geographical and topographical changes will accompany the Day of the Lord.
Revelation 16:21 tn Here BDAG 988 s.v. ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent…χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a 100 pounds NRSV) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
Revelation 16:21 tn Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the plague of it.”
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”

New English Translation (NET)

Psalm 144

Psalm 144^[a]

By David.

144 The Lord, my Protector,^[b] deserves praise^[c]—
the one who trains my hands for battle,^[d]
and my fingers for war,
²who loves me^[e] and is my stronghold,
my refuge^[f] and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me.^[g]
³O Lord, of what importance is the human race,^[h] that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind,^[i] that you should be concerned about them?^[j]
⁴People^[k] are like a vapor,
their days like a shadow that disappears.^[l]
⁵O Lord, make the sky sink^[m] and come down.^[n]
Touch the mountains and make them smolder.^[o]
⁶Hurl lightning bolts and scatter the enemy.
Shoot your arrows and rout them.^[p]
⁷Reach down^[q] from above.
Grab me and rescue me from the surging water,^[r]
from the power of foreigners,^[s]
⁸who speak lies,
and make false promises.^[t]
⁹O God, I will sing a new song to you.
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
¹⁰the one who delivers^[u] kings,
and rescued David his servant from a deadly^[v] sword.
¹¹Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners,^[w]
who speak lies,
and make false promises.^[x]
¹²Then^[y] our sons will be like plants,
that quickly grow to full size.^[z]
Our daughters will be like corner pillars,^[aa]
carved like those in a palace.^[ab]
¹³Our storehouses^[ac] will be full,
providing all kinds of food.^[ad]
Our sheep will multiply by the thousands
and fill^[ae] our pastures.^[af]
¹⁴Our cattle will be weighted down with produce.^[ag]
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares.^[ah]
¹⁵How blessed are the people who experience these things.^[ai]
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes:

Psalm 144:1 sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.
Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”
Psalm 144:1 sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
Psalm 144:2 tn Or “my elevated place.”
Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”
Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “What is mankind?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (ʾenosh) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race. See Ps 8:5.
Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “take account of him.” The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “man,” or “mankind.”
Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “his days [are] like a shadow that passes away,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
Psalm 144:5 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “to [cause to] bend; to [cause to] bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm. See Ps 18:9.
Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so you might come down.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The same type of construction is utilized in v. 6.
Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so they might smolder.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative.
Psalm 144:6 sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17-18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “stretch out your hands.”
Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful foreign enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see the next line and Ps 18:16-17).
Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
Psalm 144:8 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).
Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “grants deliverance to.”
Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “harmful.”
Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.
Psalm 144:12 tn Some consider אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) problematic, but here it probably indicates the anticipated consequence of the preceding request. (For other examples of אֲשֶׁר indicating purpose/result, see BDB 83 s.v. and HALOT 99 s.v.) If the psalmist—who appears to be a Davidic king preparing to fight a battle (see vv. 10-11)—is victorious, the whole nation will be spared invasion and defeat (see v. 14) and can flourish. Some prefer to emend the form to אַשְׁרֵי (“how blessed [are our sons]”). A suffixed noun sometimes follows אַשְׁרֵי (ʾashre; see 1 Kgs 10:8; Prov 20:7), but the presence of a comparative element (see “like plants”) after the suffixed noun makes the proposed reading too awkward syntactically.
Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “grown up in their youth.” The translation assumes that “grown up” modifies “plants” (just as “carved” modifies “corner pillars” in the second half of the verse). Another option is to take “grown up” as a predicate in relation to “our sons,” in which case one might translate, “they will be strapping youths.”
Psalm 144:12 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Zech 9:15, where it refers to the corners of an altar.
Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “carved [in] the pattern of a palace.”
Psalm 144:13 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “from kind to kind.” Some prefer to emend the text to מָזוֹן עַל מָזוֹן (mazon ʿal mazon, “food upon food”).
Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “they are innumerable.”
Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “in outside places.” Here the term refers to pastures and fields (see Job 5:10; Prov 8:26).
Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “weighted down.” This probably refers (1) to the cattle having the produce from the harvest placed on their backs to be transported to the storehouses (see BDB 687 s.v. סָבַל). Other options are (2) to take this as reference to the cattle being pregnant (see HALOT 741 s.v. סבל pu) or (3) to their being well-fed or fattened (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 288).
Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “there [will be] no breach, and there [will be] no going out, and there [will be] no crying out in our broad places.”
Psalm 144:15 tn Heb “[O] the happiness of the people who [it is] such to them.”

New English Translation (NET)

Proverbs 30:29-31

²⁹There are three things that are magnificent^[a] in their step,
four things that move about magnificently:^[b]
³⁰a lion, mightiest^[c] of the beasts,
who does not retreat from anything;
³¹a strutting rooster,^[d] a male goat,
and a king with his army around him.^[e]

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:29 tn The form מֵיטִיבֵי (metive) is the Hiphil participle, plural construct. It has the idea of “doing good [in] their step.” They move about well, i.e., magnificently. The genitive would be a genitive of specification.
Proverbs 30:29 tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle again (as in the previous line) followed by the infinitive construct of הָלַךְ (halakh). This forms a verbal hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the participle before it the adverb.
Proverbs 30:30 tn Heb “mighty among the beasts,” but referring to a superlative degree (“mightiest”).
Proverbs 30:31 tn The Hebrew term זַרְזִיר (zarzir) means “girt”; it occurs only here with “loins” in the Bible: “that which is girt in the loins” (BDB 267 s.v.). Some have interpreted this to be the “greyhound” because it is narrow in the flanks (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 327); so KJV, ASV. Others have suggested the warhorse, zebra, raven, or starling. Tg. Prov 30:31 has it as the large fighting cock that struts around among the hens. There is no clear referent that is convincing, although most modern English versions use “strutting rooster” or something similar (cf. CEV “proud roosters”).
Proverbs 30:31 tc This last line has inspired many suggestions. The MT has “with his army around him” (אַלְקוּם עִמּוֹ, ʾalqum ʿimmo); so NIV. This has been emended to read “against whom there is no rising up” (so KJV, ASV) or “standing over his people.” The LXX has “a king haranguing his people.” Tg. Prov 30:31 has, “a king who stands up before his people and addresses them.” Some have attempted to identify this with Alcimus, the high priest who aspired to kingship (1 Macc 7:5-22), but such a suggestion is quite remote. Another interpretation sees the word for “God” in the line: “a king with whom God is.” Furthermore, C. H. Toy thinks the text is defective and must have at one time referred to some majestic animal (Proverbs [ICC], 537). While all these suggestions are fascinating, they have not improved or corrected the Hebrew text. At least one can say the focus is on the stately appearance of the king at some auspicious moment. The word occurs only here, but if it is interpreted with its Arabic cognate in mind, then it refers to a band of soldiers (BDB 39 s.v. אַלְקוּם).

New English Translation (NET)

December 25, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 25, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

The Blessing of True Fasting

Footnotes:

Zechariah 8:1 sn There is a remarkable concentration of this name of God in this section of Zechariah, 18 times in this chapter out of 53 in the book. It emphasizes the Lord’s sovereignty in contrast to the human impossibility of accomplishing what lies ahead.
Zechariah 8:5 sn The references to longevity and to children living and playing in peace are eschatological in tone. Elsewhere the millennial kingdom is characterized in a similar manner (cf. Isa 65:20; Jer 31:12-13).
Zechariah 8:8 sn The affirmation They will be my people, and I will be their God speaks of covenant renewal, a restoration of the unbroken fellowship the Lord desired to have with his people but which their disloyalty had shattered. In the eschaton God and Israel will be in covenant union once again (cf. Jer 31:33).
Zechariah 8:9 sn These prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies included at least Haggai and Zechariah, and perhaps others. The founding referred to here is not the initial laying of the temple’s foundations in 536 b.c. (Ezra 3:8) but the resumption of work two years before the time of the present narrative (i.e., in 520 b.c.), as vv. 10-12 make clear.
Zechariah 8:12 tn Or “the heavens” (so KJV, NAB, NIV). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “skies” depending on the context.
Zechariah 8:14 tn The verb זָמַם (zamam) usually means “to plot to do evil,” but with a divine subject (as here), and in light of v. 15 where it means to plan good, the meaning here has to be the implementation of discipline (cf. NCV, CEV “punish”). God may bring hurt but its purpose is redemptive and/or pedagogical.
Zechariah 8:16 sn For a similar reference to true and righteous judgment see Mic 6:8.
Zechariah 8:19 sn The fasts of the fifth and seventh months, mentioned previously (7:5), are listed here along with the observances of the fourth and tenth months. The latter commemorated the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians on January 15, 588 b.c. (2 Kgs 25:1), and the former the breach of the city walls on or about July 18, 586 b.c. (Jer 39:2-5).
Zechariah 8:23 sn This scene of universal and overwhelming attraction of the nations to Israel’s God finds initial fulfillment in the establishment of the church (Acts 2:5-11) but ultimate completion in the messianic age (Isa 45:14, 24; 60:14; Zech 14:16-21).

New English Translation (NET)

Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

³Next,^[h] the second angel^[i] poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.

⁴Then^[j] the third angel^[k] poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. ⁵Now^[l] I heard the angel of the waters saying:

⁷Then^[q] I heard the altar reply,^[r] “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful,^[s] your judgments are true and just!”

¹⁶Now^[ay] the spirits^[az] gathered the kings and their armies^[ba] to the place that is called Armageddon^[bb] in Hebrew.

Footnotes:

Revelation 16:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 16:1 tn Or “anger.” Here τοῦ θυμοῦ (tou thumou) has been translated as a genitive of content.
Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the directions given by the voice from the temple.
Revelation 16:2 tn Grk “the first”; the referent (the first angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:2 tn Or “ulcerated sores”; the term in the Greek text is singular but is probably best understood as a collective singular.
Revelation 16:2 tn Grk ‘the men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “next” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:3 tn Grk “the second”; the referent (the second angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:4 tn Grk “the third”; the referent (the third angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the remarks that follow.
Revelation 16:5 tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.
Revelation 16:5 tn Or “because you have judged these things.” The pronoun ταῦτα (tauta) is neuter gender.
Revelation 16:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this judgment is the result of what these wicked people did to the saints and prophets.
Revelation 16:6 tn Grk “They are worthy”; i.e., of this kind of punishment. By extension, “they got what they deserve.”
Revelation 16:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:7 tn Grk “the altar saying.”
Revelation 16:7 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
Revelation 16:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “the fourth”; the referent (the fourth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the bowl poured on the sun.
Revelation 16:9 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:9 tn On this phrase BDAG 536 s.v. καῦμα states, “burning, heat Rv 7:16…καυματίζεσθαι κ. μέγα be burned with a scorching heat 16:9.”
Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Revelation 16:9 tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “the fifth”; the referent (the fifth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” to indicate the implied result of the fifth bowl being poured out.
Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “his kingdom became dark.”
Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
Revelation 16:10 tn On this term BDAG 620 s.v. μασάομαι states, “bite w. acc. τὰς γλώσσας bite their tongues Rv 16:10.”
Revelation 16:10 tn The preposition ἐκ (ek) has been translated here and twice in the following verse with a causal sense.
Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π.…because of their sufferings vs. 11.”
Revelation 16:11 tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).
Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.
Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.
Revelation 16:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “the sixth”; the referent (the sixth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “and its water was dried up.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “in order that the way might be prepared.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12; simply ἀπὸ ἀ.…21:13.”
Revelation 16:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:13 sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.
Revelation 16:14 tn BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 1 states, “the inhabited earth, the world…ὅλη ἡ οἰκ. the whole inhabited earth…Mt 24:14; Ac 11:28; Rv 3:10; 16:14.”
Revelation 16:14 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
Revelation 16:15 tn Grk “and keeps.” BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 2.c states “of holding on to someth. so as not to give it up or lose it…τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Rv 16:15 (or else he will have to go naked).”
Revelation 16:15 tn On the translation of ἀσχημοσύνη (aschēmosunē) as “shameful condition” see L&N 25.202. The indefinite third person plural (“and they see”) has been translated as a passive here.
Revelation 16:15 sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator. Many interpreters have seen this verse as so abrupt that it could not be an original part of the work, but the author has used such asides before (1:7; 14:13) and the suddenness here (on the eve of Armageddon) is completely parallel to Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:15-16 and parallels.
Revelation 16:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the resumption and conclusion of the remarks about the pouring out of the sixth bowl.
Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “gathered them”; the referent (the kings and [implied] their armies, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:16 tc There are many variations in the spelling of this name among the Greek mss, although ῾Αρμαγεδών (harmagedōn) has the best support. The usual English spelling is Armageddon, used in the translation.tn Or “Harmagedon” (a literal transliteration of the Greek), or “Har-Magedon” (NASB), meaning “the Mount of Magedon” in Hebrew.
Revelation 16:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “finally” to indicate the conclusion of the seven bowl judgments.
Revelation 16:17 tn Grk “the seventh”; the referent (the seventh angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 16:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 16:18 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
Revelation 16:18 tn The singular ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used generically here to refer to the human race.
Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 16:19 tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “fell.”
Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).
Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).
Revelation 16:19 tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (thumos) and ὀργή (orgē) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.
Revelation 16:20 tn Grk “And every.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 16:20 tn Or “vanished.”
Revelation 16:20 sn Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. Major geographical and topographical changes will accompany the Day of the Lord.
Revelation 16:21 tn Here BDAG 988 s.v. ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent…χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a 100 pounds NRSV) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
Revelation 16:21 tn Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the plague of it.”
Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”

New English Translation (NET)

Psalm 144

Psalm 144^[a]

By David.

Footnotes:

Psalm 144:1 sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.
Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”
Psalm 144:1 sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
Psalm 144:2 tn Or “my elevated place.”
Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”
Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “What is mankind?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (ʾenosh) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race. See Ps 8:5.
Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “take account of him.” The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “man,” or “mankind.”
Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “his days [are] like a shadow that passes away,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
Psalm 144:5 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “to [cause to] bend; to [cause to] bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm. See Ps 18:9.
Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so you might come down.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The same type of construction is utilized in v. 6.
Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so they might smolder.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative.
Psalm 144:6 sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17-18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “stretch out your hands.”
Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful foreign enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see the next line and Ps 18:16-17).
Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
Psalm 144:8 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).
Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “grants deliverance to.”
Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “harmful.”
Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.
Psalm 144:12 tn Some consider אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) problematic, but here it probably indicates the anticipated consequence of the preceding request. (For other examples of אֲשֶׁר indicating purpose/result, see BDB 83 s.v. and HALOT 99 s.v.) If the psalmist—who appears to be a Davidic king preparing to fight a battle (see vv. 10-11)—is victorious, the whole nation will be spared invasion and defeat (see v. 14) and can flourish. Some prefer to emend the form to אַשְׁרֵי (“how blessed [are our sons]”). A suffixed noun sometimes follows אַשְׁרֵי (ʾashre; see 1 Kgs 10:8; Prov 20:7), but the presence of a comparative element (see “like plants”) after the suffixed noun makes the proposed reading too awkward syntactically.
Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “grown up in their youth.” The translation assumes that “grown up” modifies “plants” (just as “carved” modifies “corner pillars” in the second half of the verse). Another option is to take “grown up” as a predicate in relation to “our sons,” in which case one might translate, “they will be strapping youths.”
Psalm 144:12 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Zech 9:15, where it refers to the corners of an altar.
Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “carved [in] the pattern of a palace.”
Psalm 144:13 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “from kind to kind.” Some prefer to emend the text to מָזוֹן עַל מָזוֹן (mazon ʿal mazon, “food upon food”).
Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “they are innumerable.”
Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “in outside places.” Here the term refers to pastures and fields (see Job 5:10; Prov 8:26).
Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “weighted down.” This probably refers (1) to the cattle having the produce from the harvest placed on their backs to be transported to the storehouses (see BDB 687 s.v. סָבַל). Other options are (2) to take this as reference to the cattle being pregnant (see HALOT 741 s.v. סבל pu) or (3) to their being well-fed or fattened (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 288).
Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “there [will be] no breach, and there [will be] no going out, and there [will be] no crying out in our broad places.”
Psalm 144:15 tn Heb “[O] the happiness of the people who [it is] such to them.”

New English Translation (NET)

Proverbs 30:29-31

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:29 tn The form מֵיטִיבֵי (metive) is the Hiphil participle, plural construct. It has the idea of “doing good [in] their step.” They move about well, i.e., magnificently. The genitive would be a genitive of specification.
Proverbs 30:29 tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle again (as in the previous line) followed by the infinitive construct of הָלַךְ (halakh). This forms a verbal hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the participle before it the adverb.
Proverbs 30:30 tn Heb “mighty among the beasts,” but referring to a superlative degree (“mightiest”).
Proverbs 30:31 tn The Hebrew term זַרְזִיר (zarzir) means “girt”; it occurs only here with “loins” in the Bible: “that which is girt in the loins” (BDB 267 s.v.). Some have interpreted this to be the “greyhound” because it is narrow in the flanks (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 327); so KJV, ASV. Others have suggested the warhorse, zebra, raven, or starling. Tg. Prov 30:31 has it as the large fighting cock that struts around among the hens. There is no clear referent that is convincing, although most modern English versions use “strutting rooster” or something similar (cf. CEV “proud roosters”).
Proverbs 30:31 tc This last line has inspired many suggestions. The MT has “with his army around him” (אַלְקוּם עִמּוֹ, ʾalqum ʿimmo); so NIV. This has been emended to read “against whom there is no rising up” (so KJV, ASV) or “standing over his people.” The LXX has “a king haranguing his people.” Tg. Prov 30:31 has, “a king who stands up before his people and addresses them.” Some have attempted to identify this with Alcimus, the high priest who aspired to kingship (1 Macc 7:5-22), but such a suggestion is quite remote. Another interpretation sees the word for “God” in the line: “a king with whom God is.” Furthermore, C. H. Toy thinks the text is defective and must have at one time referred to some majestic animal (Proverbs [ICC], 537). While all these suggestions are fascinating, they have not improved or corrected the Hebrew text. At least one can say the focus is on the stately appearance of the king at some auspicious moment. The word occurs only here, but if it is interpreted with its Arabic cognate in mind, then it refers to a band of soldiers (BDB 39 s.v. אַלְקוּם).

New English Translation (NET)

December 24, 2020

12/24/2020 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 6:1-7:14, Revelation 15:1-8, Psalms 143:1-12, Proverbs 30:24-28

Today is the 24^th day of December, Christmas Eve. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is a joy to be here with you today. Christmas Eve, Christmas day, your birthday, New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July…I’m naming all the holidays that are…that are in the country that I live in, but there’s holidays all over the world and no matter what day it is we still have a rhythm. It’s Christmas Eve and we have a rhythm. We’re coming together on Christmas Eve. Even though we’re all over the world we get to be together for these moments on Christmas Eve. And, so, as we take our places around the Global Campfire let’s just look around. I mean, I know we have to do this kind of in spirit in our imaginations but just look across the fire and see your brothers and sisters. We are here. It’s Christmas eve we are a year together and it’s a joy to be here together with you as we take the next step forward. And, so, that next step will lead us back into the book of Zechariah. And a couple days ago when we began Zechariah, we talked about how it had eight night visions in it and how the symbolism in the book of Zechariah is not dissimilar to the symbolism in the book of Revelation. So, we have read through over the last couple of days seven of those night visions, and we will conclude today with the eighth vision. We won’t be concluding Zechariah, but the final night vision is in today’s reading. So, we’re reading from the New English Translation. Zechariah, chapters 6 and 7.

Commentary:

Okay. On this Christmas Eve we read in the book of Revelation of a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast, the beast figure in the Apocalypse of John or the book of Revelation, they’re standing by this sea of glass mixed with fire and they have harps, and they sing a song. And…and let’s make this song…even though this isn’t like “joy to the world the Lord has come, let Earth receive her King” this isn’t “silent night holy night”, this is a song coming from the future coming after victory has been accomplished sung back to us today on Christmas Eve.

Prayer:

Father, this is Christmas Eve and this is the last day of waiting and…and midnight comes and, yeah, this is all traditional and this is our rituals, but it comes and then we realize new dawn is coming, everything has changed, You have arrived, we are saved. And, so, we pray along with our brothers and sisters in the future. “Great and astounding are Your deeds Lord, God the all powerful. Just and true are Your ways. King over the nations. Who will not fear You, oh Lord and glorify Your name because You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You for Your righteous act of been revealed. Thank You, Father. We enter into the mystery of Your arrival as we enter into Christmas celebration. And of the many postures that we have considered about how to behave toward one another over these coming days, we need to consider our posture toward You throughout all of it. And right now, our posture should be that of absolute basically speechless awe. We were wandering in the dark without hope and You would not abandon us to the dark. And, so, You came as a great light into this world to rescue humanity, but to also model for humanity what it is supposed to look like, what it could and should and must become. And then You invited us to be a part of that story, the redemption of all things. And what can we say to that? When we truly get a glimpse of that it makes us feel almost embarrassed for the childishness that we exhibit so often, the self-absorption that we exhibit so often. And yet You have invited us into the biggest story of all, the story of the God of the universe, the story of the most-high God, the redeemer of everything that He touches. And You have touched us, and we are redeemed and that changes everything. And then You have commissioned us to go in Your name and share the good news and be a part of the redemptive story. And, so, this is what we’re thinking about right now, Yeah, we got a lot of stuff to finish up and we got church tonight. There are all kinds of things going on, but this is what we’re holding onto as we continue the activity of the day. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it is the website, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here.

It’s Christmas eve, so that is what’s going on around here and we should be just soaking in it. I mean probably we’re busy…just all the little things that have to get done and preparation and then maybe preparation for candlelight services tonight depending on where we are. Lots of places that’s not even a possibility. And, so, we…we will be participating in a virtual candlelight service tonight. Jill will be singing O Holy Night, which you can stream anywhere like, Spotify or Apple music or whatever, or download. So, check that out. But she’ll be singing that tonight and we’ll post links on our social media channels for those of you who aren’t able to attend a candlelight service this evening, or for safety reasons aren’t going to. We’re going to be participating in a virus free candlelight service. So, we’ll post links to that.

And then, yeah, I don’t know what all the traditions out there for Christmas Eve are. For us we’ll be gathering together as a family, enjoying a meal together, and just enjoying a fire, be playing some games, just getting ready for tomorrow when we…when we really truly joy to the world rejoice that the Lord has come and put ourselves in that position of the longing, the weight is over, the longing, the Savior has come while at the same time understanding that we’re still waiting, we’re waiting for the second arrival. And, so, this is a fantastic joyous day, a couple of days we’re we really, really sink our hearts into what’s happening here, that this changes everything. And you can even feel it. Every year we get that glimpse because the world…the world takes note the hearts of people who are even not religious or not even believers or don’t want anything to do with it. Everyone takes note of a lift in our spirits, good will toward one another. And maybe that’s got all of its challenges this year. Maybe we’ve been apart for so long that we don’t know how to be together or maybe we’re being kept apart and so it just doesn’t feel as personal, but it’s still there. It hovers. It comes like a season doesn’t it? It just comes. There’s the first winds of Christmas off in the distance. Once it starts to get cold, off in the distance it’s like we are headed toward this day. And, so, happy merry joyous Christmas eve to you. May you sense the power of what we’re talking about here, that God…God the most-high, the Creator, the supreme…like what words could we use. God came to earth in person to redeem and restore and reveal what life can and should look like for us. And, so, let’s enjoy every moment of this.

I love you. I’m Brian merry Christmas I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey DAB family it’s His __ here calling from the UK. Today’s the 18^th of December and I just heard Quiet Confidence’s message coming through. Oh Lord I just pray over quiet confidence in this moment, just the sadness and the loss that I feel in her voice Lord. She feels so lost in away from the Lord and she’s begging to go home, but Lord I just pray in this moment that you fill her up with your strength, you fill her up with your love and you fill her up with your confidence. In this very moment Lord, Father God, this confidence that she so speaks about. And Lord I just pray again that, you know, even though you love her to come home with you, even though you want or they are in heaven, that you have a purpose for her on this earth, you have such a big purpose for her to just continue on Lord father God, continue on even when she feels lost, even…even when she feels afraid, even when she feels that she is nowhere near you when she’s away from you father God. That you are the closest to her, you are the closest to her that that you’ve ever been Lord father God and that she’s just hanging on. May she just hang on with all her strength. Quiet Confidence me you just keep on hanging on because there’s still something for you. God will call you when…when you’re ready. God will call you when He’s ready to take you up but for now He wants you here on this earth for anything and everything that you can give even if it’s coming out of this…this…this…this lowness that you feel even if it’s you know it’s just…just showing people that you can endure, that you can come back from…from the sadness, from this loss. I pray in Jesus’ name that you find the courage. I pray that you come out of this and I’m just sending all your love to you. Your husband’s there for you, your family and so were we the DAB. Take care. Bye.

Hello friends I’m calling for a prayer request, this is my first prayer request call and almost one year that I’ve been listening every day and the prayer request is for my wife. She’s been having chemo treatments most of 2020 and the doctors say there is no finish line, but we are trusting God for a finish line in February. So, if the doctors treatments goes expected then she will not have any more treatments because of the power and the miracle of our Lord.

This is Thomas King of West Point Mississippi calling to pray for the Bible __ family, Brian and his family, the DBA family want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a great happy and prosperous new year. Let us pray. Father we thank You once again oh dear God. You have been so good to us yet Lord we have been under so much pressure these past few months Lord, due to this pandemic and all the other things that families are going through. Dear God, we pray that You will just continue to keep us O God and bless everyone that’s under the sound of this voice that the hearing today. God, we pray that You would just keep them O God, keep them safe from this pandemic, keep them and watch over them master and please Sir even my sister that have come down and caught Covid we pray that You bless her and her family, all the DBA families dear God that may have caught it. We pray that You would watch over and keep them dear God in the mighty name of Jesus. Lord we pray for our family that is on the sound system and God has blessed me to be with the last 12 years and now I’m calling for the first time in a long time and again I’m Thomas King from West Point Mississippi. God bless You all Brian and family. Amen.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family this call is in response to a call that I heard at the end of the December 18^th podcast specifically for Quiet Confidence in Virginia. O sister in faith you…thank you for your vulnerability and thank you for reaching out. Lord just makes me want to pray for her because I felt compelled to call. Heavenly Father thank You thank, You for the gift of life and community. Thank You for people that are here, that are willing to bear the burden of prayer. Lord we come lifting up Quiet Confidence and any other person that’s in the same boat, that’s in the same position right now, walking through challenges with their mental and spiritual health. God we ask humbly that first and foremost You forgive us for any sins, forgive us for any opportunities that we may have given the enemy to attack us and to connect us. God we just ask that You lead us through, deliver for us. Lord You are our delivery. You said in Your word that You are not only near to the broken hearted a broken reed You will not despise but Lord You’ve come literally into this world to deliver us. Lord we pray and ask that You touch Quiet Confidence’s mind, her heart, her spirit. We ask Lord that You grant her an unusual faith, an unusual hope an unusual trust in You that will combat the lies of the enemy and in the name of Jesus Satan rebuke You, rebuke You. We rebuke and buffet the attacks that would come to destroy Quiet Confidence’s life and her purpose…

Hi family it’s Shannon from Texas and I already have the best news. My son went to court this morning and let me tell you after a night from hell I could literally write a book about the battle that we’ve had coming up to this point. The three different times he’s been on probation since he was 14, he’s 23 now just battle after battle after battle. I could write a book. Anyway, the judge as he talked to him on the phone, he said that the judge actually prayed with him…and rehab is not something that they do in the area that he’s on probation and he wasn’t even in the area he was supposed to be and he had responded and I tried to report that they didn’t seem to care they didn’t even normally offer rehab. The judge prayed with him and told him he would’ve no…he could see that he was not a liar and that he had integrity he had a family that cared about him and that he would send him away for 8 to 10 years if he saw him again, but he knew that he was going to get it right and that he was gonna send him to six months of rehab. I cannot tell you I have never heard such good news in my entire life. My son said he was in there crying and I just…he said that he has just…this is something he hasn’t been able to break free from and it definitely has gotten worse lately after some deliverance prayer. So, you know, we can’t speak life out of one side of my mouth and death outside the other and that’s something we’ve really…I’m working on we’ve all got to work on. I love you guys thank you for praying. Love you love you. Bye.

December 24, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday December 24, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 6-7

Vision Eight: The Chariots

6 Once more I looked, and this time I saw four chariots emerging from between two mountains of bronze.^[a] ²Harnessed to the first chariot were red horses, to the second black horses, ³to the third white horses, and to the fourth spotted horses, all of them strong.^[b] ⁴Then I asked the angelic messenger^[c] who was speaking with me, “What are these, sir?” ⁵The messenger replied, “These are the four spirits^[d] of heaven going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. ⁶The chariot with the black horses is going to the north country, and the white ones are going after them, but the spotted ones are going to the south country. ⁷All these strong ones^[e] are scattering; they have sought permission to go and walk about over the earth.” The Lord had said, “Go! Walk about over the earth!” So they are doing so. ⁸Then he cried out to me, “Look! The ones going to the northland have brought me^[f] peace about the northland.”^[g]

A Concluding Oracle

⁹The Lord’s message came to me as follows: ¹⁰“Choose some people^[h] from among the exiles, namely, Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, all who have come from Babylon, and when you have done so go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.^[i] ¹¹Then take some silver and gold to make a crown^[j] and set it on the head of Joshua the high priest, the son of Jehozadak. ¹²Then say to him, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “Look—here is the man whose name is Branch,^[k] who will sprout up from his place and build the temple of the Lord. ¹³Indeed, he will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest^[l] with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything. ¹⁴The crown will then be turned over to Helem,^[m] Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen^[n] son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. ¹⁵Then those who are far away^[o] will come and build the temple of the Lord so that you may know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. This will all come to pass if you completely obey the voice of the Lord your God.”’”

The Hypocrisy of False Fasting

7 In King Darius’ fourth year, on the fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month,^[p] the Lord’s message came to Zechariah. ²Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their companions to seek the Lord’s favor ³by asking both the priests of the temple^[q] of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and the prophets, “Should we weep in the fifth month,^[r] fasting as we have done over the years?” ⁴The message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies then came to me, ⁵“Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh^[s] months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me—for me, indeed? ⁶And now when you eat and drink, are you not doing so for yourselves? ⁷Should you not have obeyed the words that the Lord cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the foothills^[t] were also populated?’”

⁸Again the Lord’s message came to Zechariah: ⁹“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other. ¹⁰You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the resident foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow citizen.’^[u]

¹¹“But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear. ¹²Indeed, they made their hearts as hard as diamond,^[v] so that they could not obey the law of Moses^[w] and the other words the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies poured out great wrath.

¹³“‘Just as I^[x] called out, but they would not obey, so they will call out, but I will not listen,’ the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. ¹⁴‘Rather, I will sweep them away in a storm into all the nations they are not familiar with.’ Thus the land became desolate because of them, with no one crossing through or returning, for they had made the fruitful^[y] land a waste.”

Footnotes:

Zechariah 6:1 tn Heb “two mountains, and the mountains [were] mountains of bronze.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn Bronze, a hard, almost impenetrable metal, is an apt figure to speak of the obstacles standing in the way of the accomplishment of God’s purposes for the postexilic Jewish community (cf. 4:7). The cleft between the two from which the chariots emerge might be related to the eschatological triumph of the Lord who will return to the Mount of Olives and divide it into two mountains, one on the north and the other on the south (cf. Zech 14:1-8; Ezek 47:1-12).
Zechariah 6:3 tc For the MT reading אֲמֻצִּים (ʾamutsim, “strong”) Aquila and Syriac presuppose אֲדֻמִּים (ʾadummim, “red”), thus giving the red horse an assignment and eliminating the problem of a fifth, “spotted” horse. The fourth would be a mottled red horse according to this view. There is, however, no manuscript support for this interpretation.
Zechariah 6:4 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.
Zechariah 6:5 tn The Hebrew term translated “spirit” here may also be translated “wind” or “breath” depending on the context (cf. ASV, NRSV, CEV “the four winds of heaven”; NAB similar).
Zechariah 6:7 tn The present translation takes אֲמֻצִּים (ʾamutsim, “strong”) to be a descriptive of all the horses—white, black, red, and spotted (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).
Zechariah 6:8 tn Heb “my spirit.” The subject appears to be the Lord who exclaims here that the horsemen have accomplished their task of bringing peace.
Zechariah 6:8 sn The immediate referent of peace about the northland is to the peace brought by Persia’s conquest of Babylonia, a peace that allowed the restoration of the Jewish people (cf. 2 Chr 36:22-23; Isa 44:28; 45:1-2). However, there is also an eschatological dimension, referring to a time when there will be perfect and universal peace.
Zechariah 6:10 tn The words “some people” are supplied in the translation. The Hebrew verb translated “choose” (alternatively “take” [NAB, NIV]; “collect” [NRSV, CEV]) has no direct object specified in the text. Some translations supply “silver and gold” (NIV, NRSV) or “an offering” (NASB).
Zechariah 6:10 sn Except for Joshua (v. 11) none of these individuals is otherwise mentioned and therefore they cannot be further identified.
Zechariah 6:11 tn Heb “crowns” (so KJV, ASV; also in v. 14). The Hebrew word for “crown” here is עֲטֶרֶת (ʿateret), a term never used in the OT for the priestly crown or mitre. Thus, the scene here describes the investing of the priest with royal authority.
Zechariah 6:12 tn The epithet “Branch” (צֶמַח, tsemakh) derives from the verb used here (יִצְמָח, yitsmakh, “will sprout up”) to describe the rise of the Messiah, already referred to in this manner in Zech 3:8 (cf. Isa 11:1; 53:2; Jer 33:15). In the immediate context this refers to Zerubbabel, but the ultimate referent is Jesus (cf. John 19:5).
Zechariah 6:13 sn The priest here in the immediate context is Joshua but the fuller and more distant allusion is to the Messiah, a ruling priest. The notion of the ruler as a priest-king was already apparent in David and his successors (Pss 2:2, 6-8; 110:2, 4), and it finds mature expression in David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ, who will combine both offices in his kingship (Heb 5:1-10; 7:1-25).
Zechariah 6:14 tn “Helem” is probably the same individual as “Heldai” in v. 10. Since the MT and the major ancient versions leave the apparent conflict unresolved it is probably best to view “Helem” as interchangeable with “Heldai” (cf. “Heled” in 1 Chr 11:30 with “Heleb” [2 Sam 23:29] and “Heldai” [1 Chr 27:15]). A number of modern English versions use “Heldai” here (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
Zechariah 6:14 tn Since the “son of Zephaniah” in v. 10 is Josiah, it might be best here to understand “Hen” in its meaning “grace” (חֵן, khen); that is, “Hen” is a nickname for Josiah—“the gracious one.” A number of modern English translations use “Josiah” here (e.g., NCV, NRSV, NLT).
Zechariah 6:15 sn Those who are far away is probably a reference to later groups of returning exiles under Ezra, Nehemiah, and others.
Zechariah 7:1 sn The fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month would be December 7, 518 b.c., 22 months after the previous eight visions.
Zechariah 7:3 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
Zechariah 7:3 sn This lamentation marked the occasion of the destruction of Solomon’s temple on August 14, 586 b.c., almost exactly 70 years earlier (cf. 2 Kgs 25:8).
Zechariah 7:5 tn The seventh month apparently refers to the anniversary of the assassination of Gedaliah, governor of Judah (Jer 40:13-14; 41:1), in approximately 581 b.c.
Zechariah 7:7 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, sh^ephelah) are the region between the Judean hill country and the Mediterranean coastal plain.
Zechariah 7:10 tn Heb “brother.” The Hebrew term ‘akh (אָח) may refer to a brother, relative, fellow countryman, or companion.sn Cf. Exod 22:21; Lev 19:33-34; Deut 10:18-19; 24:14, 17; 27:19.
Zechariah 7:12 tn The Hebrew term שָׁמִיר (shamir) means literally “hardness” and since it is said in Ezek 3:9 to be harder than flint, many scholars suggest that it refers to diamond. It is unlikely that diamond was known to ancient Israel, however, so probably a hard stone like emery or corundum is in view. The translation nevertheless uses “diamond” because in modern times it has become proverbial for its hardness. A number of English versions use “flint” here (e.g., NASB, NIV).
Zechariah 7:12 tn Heb “Torah”; the five books of Moses that make up the Pentateuch.
Zechariah 7:13 tn Heb “he.” Since the third person pronoun refers to the Lord, it has been translated as a first person pronoun (“I”) to accommodate English style, which typically does not exhibit switches between persons of pronouns in the same immediate context as Hebrew does.
Zechariah 7:14 tn Or “desirable”; traditionally “pleasant” (so many English versions; cf. TEV “This good land”).

New English Translation (NET)

Revelation 15

The Final Plagues

15 Then^[a] I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final plagues^[b] (they are final because in them God’s anger is completed).

²Then^[c] I saw something like a sea of glass^[d] mixed with fire, and those who had conquered^[e] the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing^[f] by^[g] the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God.^[h] ³They^[i] sang the song of Moses the servant^[j] of God and the song of the Lamb:^[k]

“Great and astounding are your deeds,
Lord God, the All-Powerful!^[l]
Just^[m] and true are your ways,
King over the nations!^[n]
⁴Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and glorify^[o] your name, because you alone are holy?^[p]
All nations^[q] will come and worship before you
for your righteous acts^[r] have been revealed.”

⁵After^[s] these things I looked, and the temple (the tent^[t] of the testimony)^[u] was opened in heaven, ⁶and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean bright linen, wearing wide golden belts^[v] around their chests. ⁷Then^[w] one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath^[x] of God who lives forever and ever, ⁸and the temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and from his power. Thus^[y] no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues from the seven angels were completed.

Footnotes:

Revelation 15:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 15:1 tn Grk “seven plagues—the last ones.”
Revelation 15:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 15:2 sn See Rev 4:6 where the sea of glass was mentioned previously.
Revelation 15:2 tn Or “had been victorious over”; traditionally, “had overcome.”
Revelation 15:2 tn Grk “of his name, standing.” A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”
Revelation 15:2 tn Or “on.” The preposition ἐπί (epi) with the accusative case could mean “on, at, by, near”; given the nature of this scene appearing in a vision, it is difficult to know precisely which the author of Revelation intended. See BDAG 363 s.v. ἐπί 1.c.γ, “At, by, near someone or someth.”
Revelation 15:2 tn Grk “harps of God.” The phrase τοῦ θεοῦ (tou theou) has been translated as a genitive of agency.
Revelation 15:3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
Revelation 15:3 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
Revelation 15:3 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Revelation 15:3 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
Revelation 15:3 tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.
Revelation 15:3 tc Certain mss (P⁴⁷ א*^,2 C 1006 1611 1841) read “ages” (αἰώνων, aiōnōn) instead of “nations” (ἐθνῶν, ethnōn), which itself is supported by several mss (א¹ A 051 M). The ms evidence seems to be fairly balanced, though αἰώνων has somewhat better support. The replacement of “ages” with “nations” is possibly a scribal attempt to harmonize this verse with the use of “nations” in the following verse. On the other hand, the idea of “nations” fits well with v. 4 and it may be that “ages” is a scribal attempt to assimilate this text to 1 Tim 1:17: “the king of the ages” (βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, basileus tōn aiōnōn). The decision is a difficult one since both scenarios deal well with the evidence, though the verbal parallel with 1 Tim 1:17 is exact while the parallel with v. 4 is not. The term “king” occurs 17 other times (most occurrences refer to earthly kings) in Revelation and it is not used with either “ages” or “nations” apart from this verse. Probably “nations” should be considered the earlier reading due to the influence of 1 Tim 1:17 on this passage.
Revelation 15:4 tn Or “and praise.”sn Jeremiah 10:7 probably stands behind the idea of fearing God, and Psalm 86:9-10 stands behind the ideas of glorifying God, his uniqueness, and the nations coming to worship him. Many other OT passages also speak about the nations “coming to his temple” to worship (Isa 2:2-3; 49:22-23; 66:23-24; Micah 4:2; Zech 8:20-22). See G. K. Beale, Revelation (NIGTC), 796-97.
Revelation 15:4 sn Because you alone are holy. In the Greek text the sentence literally reads “because alone holy.” Three points can be made in connection with John’s language here: (1) Omitting the second person, singular verb “you are” lays stress on the attribute of God’s holiness. (2) The juxtaposition of alone with holy stresses the unique nature of God’s holiness and complete “otherness” in relationship to his creation. It is not just moral purity which is involved in the use of the term holy, though it certainly includes that. It is also the pervasive OT idea that although God is deeply involved in the governing of his creation, he is to be regarded as separate and distinct from it. (3) John’s use of the term holy is also intriguing since it is the term ὅσιος (hosios) and not the more common NT term ἅγιος (hagios). The former term evokes images of Christ’s messianic status in early Christian preaching. Both Peter in Acts 2:27 and Paul in Acts 13:35 apply Psalm 16:10 (LXX) to Jesus, referring to him as the “holy one” (ὅσιος). It is also the key term in Acts 13:34 (Isa 55:3 [LXX]) where it refers to the “holy blessings” (i.e., forgiveness and justification) brought about through Jesus in fulfillment of Davidic promise. Thus, in Rev 15:3-4, when John refers to God as “holy,” using the term ὅσιος in a context where the emphasis is on both God and Christ, there might be an implicit connection between divinity and the Messiah. This is bolstered by the fact that the Lamb is referred to in other contexts as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (cf. 1:5; 17:14; 19:16 and perhaps 11:15; G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 796-97).
Revelation 15:4 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
Revelation 15:4 tn Or perhaps, “your sentences of condemnation.” On δικαίωμα (dikaiōma) in this context BDAG 249 s.v. 2. states, “righteous deed…δι᾿ ἑνὸς δικαιώματος (opp. παράπτωμα) Ro 5:18.—B 1:2 (cp. Wengst, Barnabas-brief 196, n.4); Rv 15:4 (here perh.= ‘sentence of condemnation’ [cp. Pla., Leg. 9, 864e; ins fr. Asia Minor: LBW 41, 2 [κατὰ] τὸ δι[καί]ωμα τὸ κυρω[θέν]= ‘acc. to the sentence which has become valid’]; difft. Wengst, s. above); 19:8.”
Revelation 15:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 15:5 tn On this term BDAG 928 s.v. σκηνή 1.b.α states, “ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου the Tabernacle or Tent of Testimony (Ex 27:21; 29:4; Lev 1:1; Num 1:1 and oft.…) Ac 7:44; 1 Cl 43:2, 5, ” and then continues in section 2 to state, “Rv 15:5 speaks of a ναὸς τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. God’s σκ.= dwelling is in heaven 13:6, and will some time be among humans 21:3.”
Revelation 15:5 tn Grk “the temple of the tent of the testimony” (ὁ ναός τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, ho naos tēs skēnēs tou marturiou). The genitive “of the tent” is probably an appositional genitive and should be rendered as “the temple, which is the tent.” The entire expression, then, would be “the temple which is the tent of testimony,” that is, “the heavenly equivalent of the tent or tabernacle that was with Israel in the wilderness” (G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 801-2). sn In the OT the expression “tent of the testimony” occurs frequently (130 times in Exodus through Deuteronomy). The “testimony” refers to the ten commandments, i.e., the revelation of the righteous will of God (Exod 16:34; 25:21; 31:18; 32:15; 40:24). It is little wonder that the wrath of God upon an unrighteous, lawbreaking humanity follows in John’s description.
Revelation 15:6 tn Or “wide golden sashes,” but these would not be diagonal, as some modern sashes are, but horizontal. The Greek term can refer to a wide band of cloth or leather worn on the outside of one’s clothing (L&N 6.178).
Revelation 15:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 15:7 tn Or “anger.”
Revelation 15:8 tn Grk “power, and no one.” A new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the temple being filled with smoke.

New English Translation (NET)

Psalm 143

Psalm 143^[a]

A psalm of David.

143 O Lord, hear my prayer.
Pay attention to my plea for help.
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me.
²Do not sit in judgment on^[b] your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you.^[c]
³Certainly^[d] my enemies^[e] chase me.
They smash me into the ground.^[f]
They force me to live^[g] in dark regions,^[h]
like those who have been dead for ages.
⁴My strength leaves me;^[i]
I am absolutely shocked.^[j]
⁵I recall the old days.^[k]
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments.^[l]
⁶I spread my hands out to you in prayer;^[m]
my soul thirsts for you in a parched^[n] land.^[o] (Selah)
⁷Answer me quickly, Lord.
My strength is fading.^[p]
Do not reject me,^[q]
or I will join^[r] those descending into the grave.^[s]
⁸May I hear about your loyal love in the morning,^[t]
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,^[u]
because I long for you.^[v]
⁹Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord.
I run to you for protection.^[w]
¹⁰Teach me to do what pleases you,^[x]
for you are my God.
May your kind presence^[y]
lead me^[z] into a level land.^[aa]
¹¹O Lord, for the sake of your reputation,^[ab] revive me.^[ac]
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble.^[ad]
¹²As a demonstration of your loyal love,^[ae] destroy my enemies.
Annihilate^[af] all who threaten my life,^[ag]
for I am your servant.

Footnotes:

Psalm 143:1 sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
Psalm 143:2 tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
Psalm 143:2 tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).
Psalm 143:3 tn Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Or “sit.”
Psalm 143:3 sn Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).
Psalm 143:4 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
Psalm 143:4 tn Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.
Psalm 143:5 tn Or “ancient times”; Heb “days from before.”
Psalm 143:5 tn Heb “the work of your hands.”
Psalm 143:6 tn The words “in prayer” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the psalmist is referring to a posture of prayer.
Psalm 143:6 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” See Ps 63:1.
Psalm 143:6 tc Heb “my soul like a faint land for you.” A verb (perhaps “thirsts”) is implied (see Ps 63:1). The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition כ (kaf, “like”) to ב (bet, “in,” see Ps 63:1; cf. NEB “athirst for thee in a thirsty land”). If the MT is retained, one might translate, “my soul thirsts for you, as a parched land does for water/rain” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.
Psalm 143:8 tn Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love.sn The morning is sometimes viewed as the time of divine intervention (see Pss 30:5; 59:16; 90:14).
Psalm 143:8 sn The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
Psalm 143:8 tn Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (naʾas nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
Psalm 143:9 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nasti, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of כ (kaf) and נ (nun) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (ʾel, “to”) is well-attested.
Psalm 143:10 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
Psalm 143:10 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
Psalm 143:10 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
Psalm 143:10 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.
Psalm 143:11 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
Psalm 143:11 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
Psalm 143:11 tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
Psalm 143:12 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
Psalm 143:12 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
Psalm 143:12 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”

New English Translation (NET)

Proverbs 30:24-28

²⁴There are four things on earth that are small,^[a]
but they are exceedingly wise:^[b]
²⁵ants are creatures with little strength,
but they prepare^[c] their food in the summer;
²⁶rock badgers^[d] are creatures with little power,
but they make their homes in the crags;
²⁷locusts have no king,
but they all go forward by ranks;^[e]
²⁸a lizard^[f] you can catch with the hand,
but it gets into the palaces of the king.^[g]

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:24 tn Heb “Four are the small things of the earth.” TEV has “four animals,” though in the list of four that follows, two are insects and one is a reptile.
Proverbs 30:24 tn The construction uses the Pual participle with the plural adjective as an intensive; these four creatures are the very embodiment of wisdom (BDB 314 s.v. חָכַם Pu).
Proverbs 30:25 sn The wisdom of the ants is found in their diligent preparation (כּוּן, kun) of food supplies in the summer for times in the winter when food is scarce. See S. P. Toperoff, “The Ant in the Bible and Midrash,” Dor le Dor 13 (1985): 179-83. According to this, being prepared ahead of time is a mark of true wisdom.
Proverbs 30:26 tn Or “hyraxes.” This is the Syrian Hyrax, also known as the rock badger. KJV, ASV has “conies” (alternately spelled “coneys” by NIV), a term usually associated with the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) but which can also refer to the pika or the hyrax. Scholars today generally agree that the Hebrew term used here refers to a type of hyrax, a small ungulate mammal of the family Procaviidae native to Africa and the Middle East which has a thick body, short legs and ears and a rudimentary tail. The simple “badger” (so NASB, NRSV, CEV) could lead to confusion with the badger, an entirely unrelated species of burrowing mammal related to weasels.sn Modern scholars identify this creature with the rock badger (the Syrian hyrax), a small mammal that lives in the crevices of the rock. Its wisdom consists in its ingenuity to find a place of security.
Proverbs 30:27 sn The Hebrew term means “divided”; they go forward in orderly divisions, or ranks (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 535). Joel 1:4 describes their order and uses it as a picture of a coming invasion (e.g., Joel 2:7, 8). Therefore the wisdom of the locust is in their order and cooperation.
Proverbs 30:28 tn The KJV appears to have followed Rashi in translating this term as “spider,” so also JPS (and the note in the NRSV). But almost all modern English versions and commentators, following the Greek and the Latin versions, have “lizard.” See HALOT 1338 s.v. שְׂמָמִית.sn The point of this saying is that a weak creature like a lizard, that is so easily caught, cannot be prevented from getting into the most significant places.
Proverbs 30:28 tn Although the Hebrew noun translated “king” is singular here, it is traditionally translated as plural: “kings’ palaces” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

New English Translation (NET)

December 23, 2020

12/23/2020 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 4:1-5:11, Revelation 14:1-20, Psalms 142:1-7, Proverbs 30:21-23

Today is the 23^rd day of December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s great to be here with you on Christmas eve eve. Man, this is it and the Christmas holiday is upon us. We are reaching the end of the Advent season. Of course, Advent is the season of…of…of longing, basically of longing, of putting…putting ourselves in the position of those before Jesus came, before the Savior came who were longing for His arrival, which is what Advent means. And, so, we continue with that in our hearts, a longing, a longing for God, a longing for Christ’s return, His second Advent. And we get this point in the season where maybe we’ve been thinking about it, maybe we have an Advent calendar or whatever to focus us, to remember, to put ourselves in that position and…and…and contemplate it as we move through the season, or maybe you just don’t even know what or pay attention to Advent, then that’s fine too. It’s just that the season is coming to an end, which means that the wait is almost over and then we get to midnight tomorrow night and it’s like joy around the world. And, so, I am overjoyed that we can be here together around the Global Campfire just kind of all snuggled up and longing and waiting and excited. And since we’re here let’s take the next step forward in the Scriptures. We’ve been reading from the New English Translation this week, which is what we’ll continue to do. Zechariah chapters 4 and 5.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we’re reading in the Old Testament from the book of Zechariah. We’re reading in the New Testament from the book of Revelation. They are far spread out in time, at least at the time of the writing and yet they sound, they sound familiar. There…there’s an incredible amount of symbolism involved in these texts. They come from the same genre, apocalyptic literature. And we’ve talked about apocalyptic literature in the past. It’s highly symbolic. So, it’s interesting when we read some of these visions that are happening in Zechariah or continuing forward with the book of Revelation. It’s interesting to just observe ourselves in a number of ways. One, we can be like, “what? What does that mean? Like, how…how…how is that supposed to go” because of all the different symbolism and creatures and this doing that. So, it’s interesting to look at ourselves and go, “what am taking literally? What do I understand is a symbol? Do I understand the symbolism? Where is this leading me?” And that’s good and that’s fine. And yeah, we can…we can get on the Internet or we can just look back into history and understand that interpretations of this literature are wide and varying and have been for thousands of years because other brothers and sisters have wrestled with the same thing in their time wondering what it means for them in their time. But when we hear the word apocalyptic or apocalypse, you know, it just sounds ominous, it’s an ominous word. And yeah, I mean an apocalypse, is a…it’s a…it’s a destruction, it’s a cat…it’s a catastrophe. But the word of apocalypses in Greek at its core means Revelation. In other words, although this may be highly symbolic it was written down to reveal something that has yet to be revealed. And out of that literature today from the book of Zechariah we read something very famous, “it’s not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s armies.” Or maybe more famously quoted, “not by power, not by might, but by my Spirit’s says the Lord of hosts.” If there were something that we should carry forward into the future into the next few days as we observe and celebrate Christmas but the next week as we move to the end of the year and all of the days of our lives it would be this, “it is not by our might. It is not by our power. It will be by the Spirit that we are led forward.” So, we can just apply that to the next like…just…just the Christmas celebrations that we will be involved in. We talked about that yesterday, how quickly things can go into interesting directions as the family dynamics of our childhoods like reassert themselves and we become little kids again even though we may have families of our own. I mean, we can take this, “it’s not by might and put in our back pocket and reach in our back pocket any time we feel that anxiety or whatever rising up with…within and just remind ourselves, “it’s not by might, it’s not by power, it’s by the Spirit of the living God” that I can move forward. Or from the Psalms today, “even when my strength leaves me you watch my footsteps. I cry out to you oh Lord, I say you are my shelter, my security in the land of the living.” So, I mean we’re gonna receive gifts probably, we’re going to give gifts probably. No matter what is under that tree. No matter how beautifully wrapped it is it’s not gonna be able to shelter your very soul. And, so, maybe his cheesy, you know, restate the clichés, “Jesus is the reason for the season, etc. etc.” but we should understand that there is a gift given to us, a Savior who is a shelter for our sole. And again, we’re out in front of us so we’re not tearing paper and figuring out what…how many garbage bags its gonna take to fill up all this paper. We’re out in front of it. Let’s remember this gift. Like, you know, I don’t know how to say it without sounding kind of cliché because we have all these little sayings to say, but if we would understand, like slowdown and understand what we’re saying it could be profoundly meaningful to us. A gift was given to us by God and all are welcome to have this gift. And this gift was that God came in person to inaugurate, to institute a personal relationship with us. That is a…that is a gift that there is no way to really adequately describe, that the most-high, the most-high God, the Creator of all things would like to give himself to you if you would give yourself back.

Prayer:

Father we…we meditate on that today, we contemplate that, we invite Your Holy Spirit to allow us to be reminded to consider this today as we run around trying to get all the little things done and keep ourselves safe and keep our family safe and all of the things that are going on. Help us to remember that You gave Yourself as a gift to us. There is no gift like that. And, so, come Holy Spirit, as we meditate upon it today. May we feel the joy of our salvation we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. It’s Christmas Eve Eve so that’s kind of what’s going on around you. Can you guys believe tomorrow is Christmas eve? That is…that is amazing. We have made it this far and I’m gonna…I’m gonna celebrate in my heart, with all my heart, the arrival of the Savior this season. We need the arrival of the Savior more than anything and this year has made us more aware of it than anything. So, let's…let’s just enjoy where we are.

There’s a couple of Christmas things that you could get involved in, the Family Christmas album that is sort of our Global Campfire soundtrack to the season, you can stream that wherever you stream music, or download it wherever you download music as well as the Christmas single that we released this year, O, Holy Night with Jill singing beautifully. So, you can do the same. You can stream that wherever you stream music or download that wherever you download music. So, check those out as we move right into the heart of…I mean this is the whole purpose of the season is to arrive at these days where we really, really, rejoice - joy to the world, the Lord has come. So, yeah, those resources are available. Tomorrow Jill will be virtually performing O Holy Night at a candlelight service. We will post up the links to that tomorrow in case like if you can’t I mean there’s just a lot of things that have been switched around and switched up this year. A lot of us can’t go to candlelight services while others of us can. So, if you have to attend a virtual candlelight service then we’ll post a link to where we will be virtually. So, we’ll post a link for that on social media tomorrow.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in these remaining days of this unforgettable year that we have been navigating together in community day by day step-by-step then thank you. If what’s been going on around here bringing the spoken word of God read fresh every day for anybody to listen to it anywhere any time and to keep building community around that rhythm, if that makes a difference then thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is the…which is the Hotline button in the app, the little red button up at the top that looks like a hotline button. You can press that or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

…and you’re wanting to be with Jesus, you’re wanting to die. I get that. I mean we probably all do, we probably all know that feeling, the pain of this world and then the goodness of God, the serenity we can feel in worship and the anguish we feel in struggles in life and the wickedness and sin of life. I want to encourage you, do not kill yourself. That is schemes and attacks of the evil one. Paul felt it in Scripture I’ve felt it, we’ve all felt it in different ways. Do not kill yourself. But yeah, like you are doing, give it to the Lord. If He wants to take you, have you die in some way and be with Him in life forever, Amen. If He has you here for a purpose, you know, what’s our purpose as a Christian? To share who He is, to evangelize so the rest of the world of people we know and love and see all the time when they die too they will not die forever in hell, they will live with Christ, with Yahweh. So, I want to encourage you. Don’t kill yourself. Don’t do it. But surrender your life to Him and evangelize. Don’t be some crazy old lady. I mean, you can be. The prophets were crazy. But, you know, just be a lady of love and a daughter of love and a wife of love. Alright, love you. Bye. Mike from New York.

Hello good morning, I just listened to your prayer request from my sister quiet confidence from Virginia and I’m so touched I have to call him right now. And the song and the prayer I said because your soul is overwhelmed the father will lead you to the rock that is __ than you right now. Even though you are asking for the Lord to take you home may the father that knows what is best for the children I pray that He will step into you matter and do what is best for you. This I ask in Jesus name, that the Lord will touch your body, your spirit and your soul and do what is best for you for his name’s sake in Jesus’ name. And I pray for as many of our brethren, brothers and sisters suffering one thing or the other that the spirit of the Lord will touch them, the balm of Gilead will heal you, and the hand of the Lord will touch you wherever you are in Jesus’ name. For skis the Lord that He led us, He sent His word and His __. Shalom __ this is your sister Addie from London. Bye.

I’m calling in for Quiet Confidence in Virginia. Sister I just want you to know that God is with you and He has never left you. He’s promised never to leave us or forsake us. And I won’t begin to say that I understand why and how it is that His children can suffer like you are. I know that in my life there’ve been times I’ve asked the Lord to go ahead and take me and remove me from whatever pain I was going through but I want to encourage you to lean on the Lord, to let Him love on you and…and also want to tell you that that is a lie of the accuser of our soul, that we are not saved. God has promised that He will hear the cry of repentance and that He will forgive you and He said that He sent Christ into this world so that we could be saved. That is his greatest joy, for you to call on Him as your heavenly Gather. So, Lord I pray across these miles for my sister who is tormented today, and I ask You by the Holy Spirit to strengthen her mind soul body and spirit and to raise her up and give her new joy and new peace in the midst of her pain Lord, to work a miracle in her life as only You can do and give her joy in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good morning everyone this is Danny from Southern Oregon. Brian I just listened to Jill’s O Holy Night song and…O…was brought to tears. O my gosh she did such an absolutely phenomenal job. So, definitely gonna listen to that one over and over and over. And I just got my Klean Kanteen in the mail. I’m so excited to give that to my husband for Christmas. So, just wanted to say thank you for all…everything you do Brian just to enrich our lives every single day not only with the word but all these other things that you bring into the mix. So, thank you and God bless you and your family.

Dear Quiet Confidence this is Susan from Canada God’s Yellow Flower calling and I just want to encourage you my dear, sweetheart that God is not finished with you yet. I have been in that pit where there’s no sunlight, there’s only darkness. I have been suicidal and it’s only by the grace of God that it didn’t work out. And I just persevered with medication, with counseling and in prayer. Sometimes I would just lay on my bed and just pray the Lord’s prayer because I just did not know what to do. But He’s not finished with you yet my sweet. And once you rise out of this and into the light you will have an awesome testimony where you can encourage and help others as I hope I am doing for you. God will use you in this situation to help others. And, you know, I’ve been so blessed. And, oh my, I can’t even explain it. I’ve been so blessed with…with work at God has wanted me to do that I would have missed if He would have answered my prayer to end my life and take me home. Don’t forget, God is always with you. He’s walking you through this and you will be victorious as I have been victorious. It’s difficult…so hard. It’s not easy but hang in there, sweetheart. I’m praying for you and I love you. God bless.

Yes this is Lady T from Tennessee I would love to pray for the young lady that called in. She go by the name of Quiet Confidence from Virginia. I just lift her up. Father I pray for a sound mind over her. She’s asking God day take…take her home. Father I just pray that You restore the joy back in her in the name of Jesus, that she is made whole in Jesus’ holy name.

December 23, 2020

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday December 23, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 4-5

Vision Five: The Menorah

4 The angelic messenger^[a] who had been speaking with me then returned and woke me, as a person is wakened from sleep. ²He asked me, “What do you see?” I replied,^[b] “I see a menorah of pure gold with a receptacle at the top. There are seven lamps at the top, with seven^[c] pipes going to the lamps. ³There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the receptacle and the other on the left.”^[d] ⁴Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, “What are these,^[e] sir?” ⁵He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” So I responded, “No, sir.” ⁶Therefore he told me, “This is the Lord’s message to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’^[f] says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Oracle of Response

⁷“What are you, you great mountain?^[g] Because of Zerubbabel you will become a level plain! And he will bring forth the temple^[h] capstone with shoutings of ‘Grace! Grace!’^[i] because of this.” ⁸Moreover, the Lord’s message came to me as follows: ⁹“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple,^[j] and his hands will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. ¹⁰For who dares make light of small beginnings? These seven eyes^[k] will joyfully look on the tin tablet^[l] in Zerubbabel’s hand. These are the eyes of the Lord, which constantly range across the whole earth.”

¹¹Next I asked the messenger, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the menorah?” ¹²Before he could reply I asked again, “What are these two extensions^[m] of the olive trees, which are emptying out the golden oil through the two golden pipes?” ¹³He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” And I said, “No, sir.” ¹⁴So he said, “These are the two anointed ones^[n] who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Vision Six: The Flying Scroll

5 Then I turned to look, and there was a flying scroll! ²Someone asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a flying scroll 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”^[o] ³The speaker went on to say, “This is a curse^[p] traveling across the whole earth. For example, according to the curse whoever steals^[q] will be removed from the community; or on the other hand (according to the curse) whoever swears falsely will suffer the same fate.” ⁴“I will send it out,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and it will enter the house of the thief and of the person who swears falsely in my name. It will land in the middle of his house and destroy both timber and stones.”

Vision Seven: The Ephah

⁵After this the angelic messenger^[r] who had been speaking to me went out and said, “Look, see what is leaving.” ⁶I asked, “What is it?” And he replied, “It is a basket for measuring grain^[s] that is moving away from here.” Moreover, he said, “This is their ‘eye’^[t] throughout all the earth.” ⁷Then a round lead cover was raised up, revealing a woman sitting inside the basket. ⁸He then said, “This woman represents wickedness,” and he pushed her down into the basket and placed the lead cover on top. ⁹Then I looked again and saw two women^[u] going forth with the wind in their wings (they had wings like those of a stork), and they lifted up the basket between the earth and the sky. ¹⁰I asked the messenger who was speaking to me, “Where are they taking the basket?” ¹¹He replied, “To build a temple^[v] for her in the land of Babylonia.^[w] When it is finished, she will be placed there in her own residence.”

Footnotes:

Zechariah 4:1 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.
Zechariah 4:2 tc The present translation (along with most other English versions) follows the reading of the Qere and many ancient versions, “I said,” as opposed to the MT Kethib “he said.”
Zechariah 4:2 tc The MT, supported by a Qumran manuscript, reads “seven and seven,” which would be fourteen. But Hebrew normally says “four and ten.” The LXX simply reads “seven,” suggesting the MT has a case of dittography.
Zechariah 4:3 sn The vision apparently describes two olive trees providing olive oil by pipes to a large basin atop the menorah. From this basin two pipes extend to each of the seven lamps of the menorah, for a total of fourteen pipes in all. See vv. 11-12.
Zechariah 4:4 sn Here these must refer to the lamps, since the identification of the olive trees is left to vv. 11-14.
Zechariah 4:6 sn It is premature to understand the Spirit here as the Holy Spirit (the third Person of the Trinity), though the OT prepares the way for that NT revelation (cf. Gen 1:2; Exod 23:3; 31:3; Num 11:17-29; Judg 3:10; 6:34; 2 Kgs 2:9, 15, 16; Ezek 2:2; 3:12; 11:1, 5).
Zechariah 4:7 sn In context, the great mountain here must be viewed as a metaphor for the enormous task of rebuilding the temple and establishing the messianic kingdom (cf. TEV “Obstacles as great as mountains”).
Zechariah 4:7 tn The word “temple” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent (cf. NLT “final stone of the Temple”).
Zechariah 4:7 sn Grace is a fitting response to the idea that it was “not by strength and not by power” but by God’s gracious Spirit that the work could be done (cf. v. 6).
Zechariah 4:9 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV).
Zechariah 4:10 tn Heb “these seven.” Eyes are clearly intended in the ellipsis as v. 10b shows. As in 3:9 the idea is God’s omniscience. He who knows the end from the beginning rejoices at the completion of his purposes.
Zechariah 4:10 tn This term is traditionally translated “plumb line” (so NASB, NIV, NLT; cf. KJV, NRSV “plummet”), but it is more likely that the Hebrew בְּדִיל (b^edil) is to be derived not from בָּדַל (badal), “to divide,” but from a root meaning “tin.” This finds support in the ancient Near Eastern custom of placing inscriptions on tin plates in dedicatory foundation deposits.
Zechariah 4:12 tn The usual meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁבֹּלֶת (sh^ebolet) is “ears” (as in ears of grain). Here it probably refers to the produce of the olive trees, i.e., olives. Many English versions render the term as “branches,” but cf. NAB “tufts.”
Zechariah 4:14 tn The usual word for “anointed (one),” מָשִׁיַח (mashiakh), is not used here but rather בְנֵי־הַיִּצְהָר (v^ene hayyitshar), literally, “sons of fresh oil.” This is to maintain consistency with the imagery of olive trees. In the immediate context these two olive trees should be identified with Joshua and Zerubbabel, the priest and the governor. Only the high priest and king were anointed for office in the OT and these two were respectively the descendants of Aaron and David.
Zechariah 5:2 tn Heb “20 cubits…10 cubits” (so NAB, NRSV). These dimensions (“30 feet long and 15 feet wide”) can hardly be referring to the scroll when unrolled since that would be all out of proportion to the normal ratio, in which the scroll would be 10 to 15 times as long as it was wide. More likely, the scroll is 15 feet thick when rolled, a hyperbole expressing the enormous amount and the profound significance of the information it contains.
Zechariah 5:3 tn The Hebrew word translated “curse” (אָלָה, ʾalah) alludes to the covenant sanctions that attend the violation of God’s covenant with Israel (cf. Deut 29:12, 14, 20-21).
Zechariah 5:3 sn Stealing and swearing falsely (mentioned later in this verse) are sins against mankind and God respectively and are thus violations of the two major parts of the Ten Commandments. These two stipulations (commandments 8 and 3) represent the whole law.
Zechariah 5:5 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.
Zechariah 5:6 tn Heb “[This is] the ephah.” An ephah was a liquid or solid measure of about a bushel (five gallons or just under twenty liters). By metonymy it refers here to a measuring container (probably a basket) of that quantity.
Zechariah 5:6 tc The LXX and Syriac read עֲוֹנָם (ʿavonam, “their iniquity,” so NRSV; NIV similar) for the MT עֵינָם (ʿenam, “their eye”), a reading that is consistent with the identification of the woman in v. 8 as wickedness, but one that is unnecessary. In 4:10 the “eye” represented divine omniscience and power; here it represents the demonic counterfeit.
Zechariah 5:9 sn Here two women appear as the agents of the Lord because the whole scene is feminine in nature. The Hebrew word for “wickedness” in v. 8 (רִשְׁעָה, rishʿah) is grammatically feminine, so feminine imagery is appropriate throughout.
Zechariah 5:11 tn Heb “house” (so NIV, NRSV, CEV).
Zechariah 5:11 sn The land of Babylonia (Heb “the land of Shinar”) is another name for Sumer and Akkad, where Babylon was located (Gen 10:10). Babylon throughout the Bible symbolizes the focus of anti-God sentiment and activity (Gen 11:4; 14:1; Isa 13-14; 47:1-3; Jer 50-51; Rev 14:8; 17:1, 5, 18; 18:21).

New English Translation (NET)

Revelation 14

An Interlude: The Song of the 144,000

14 Then^[a] I looked, and here was^[b] the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000, who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. ²I also heard a sound^[c] coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now^[d] the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, ³and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No^[e] one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

⁴These are the ones who have not defiled themselves^[f] with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, ⁵and no lie was found on their lips;^[g] they^[h] are blameless.

Three Angels and Three Messages

⁶Then^[i] I saw another^[j] angel flying directly overhead,^[k] and he had^[l] an eternal gospel to proclaim^[m] to those who live^[n] on the earth—to every nation, tribe,^[o] language, and people. ⁷He declared^[p] in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has arrived, and worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water!”

⁸A^[q] second^[r] angel^[s] followed the first,^[t] declaring:^[u] “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great city!^[v] She made all the nations^[w] drink of the wine of her immoral passion.”^[x]

⁹A^[y] third angel^[z] followed the first two,^[aa] declaring^[ab] in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, ¹⁰that person^[ac] will also drink of the wine of God’s anger^[ad] that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur^[ae] in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. ¹¹And the smoke from their^[af] torture will go up^[ag] forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have^[ah] no rest day or night, along with^[ai] anyone who receives the mark of his name.” ¹²This requires^[aj] the steadfast endurance^[ak] of the saints—those who obey^[al] God’s commandments and hold to^[am] their faith in Jesus.^[an]

¹³Then^[ao] I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this:

‘Blessed are the dead,
those who die in the Lord from this moment on!’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they can rest from their hard work,^[ap] because their deeds will follow them.”^[aq]

¹⁴Then^[ar] I looked, and a white cloud appeared,^[as] and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man!^[at] He had^[au] a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵Then^[av] another angel came out of the temple, shouting in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use^[aw] your sickle and start to reap,^[ax] because the time to reap has come, since the earth’s harvest is ripe!” ¹⁶So^[ay] the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

¹⁷Then^[az] another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸Another^[ba] angel, who was in charge of^[bb] the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to the angel^[bc] who had the sharp sickle, “Use^[bd] your sharp sickle and gather^[be] the clusters of grapes^[bf] off the vine of the earth,^[bg] because its grapes^[bh] are now ripe.”^[bi] ¹⁹So^[bj] the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard^[bk] of the earth and tossed them into the great^[bl] winepress of the wrath of God. ²⁰Then^[bm] the winepress was stomped^[bn] outside the city, and blood poured out of the winepress up to the height of horses’ bridles^[bo] for a distance of almost 200 miles.^[bp]

Footnotes:

Revelation 14:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 14:1 tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
Revelation 14:2 tn Or “a voice” (cf. Rev 1:15), but since in this context nothing is mentioned as the content of the voice, it is preferable to translate φωνή (phōnē) as “sound” here.
Revelation 14:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new topic.
Revelation 14:3 tn Grk “elders, and no one.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but because of the length and complexity of the sentence a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Revelation 14:4 tn The aorist passive verb is rendered as a reflexive (“defiled themselves”) by BDAG 657 s.v. μολύνω 2.
Revelation 14:5 tn Grk “in their mouth was not found a lie.”
Revelation 14:5 tc Several mss (P⁴⁷ א 1 1006 1611 2351 M^K) have the conjunction “for” (γάρ, gar) here so that the phrase reads: “for they are blameless.” Other significant mss (A C P 1854 2053 al lat) lack the word. The shorter reading is to be preferred since the scribes were more likely to make the connection explicit through the addition of “for” than they would have been to omit the conjunction. As it is, the passage without the conjunction makes good sense and evokes a very somber tone.
Revelation 14:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 14:6 tc Most mss (P47 א* M sa) lack ἄλλον (allon, “another”) here, but the support for it is stronger (P^115vid א² A C P 051 1006 1611 1841 2053 2329 al latt sy bo). The problem that its inclusion represents is that there is no reference to any other angel in the immediate context (the last mention was in 11:15). In this instance, the longer reading is harder. The word was probably intentionally omitted in order to resolve the tension; less likely, it might have been accidentally omitted since its spelling is similar to “angel” (ἄγγελος, angelos).
Revelation 14:6 tn L&N 1.10 states, “a point or region of the sky directly above the earth—‘high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.’”
Revelation 14:6 tn Grk “having.”
Revelation 14:6 tn Or “an eternal gospel to announce as good news.”
Revelation 14:6 tn Grk “to those seated on the earth.”
Revelation 14:6 tn Grk “and tribe,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
Revelation 14:7 tn Grk “people, saying.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence. For the translation of λέγω (legō) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.
Revelation 14:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 14:8 tc There are several different variants comprising a textual problem involving “second” (δεύτερος, deuteros). First, several mss (A 1 2329 M^K) read “another, a second angel” (ἄλλος δεύτερος ἄγγελος, allos deuteros angelos). Second, other mss (P⁴⁷ א* 1006 1841 1854) read just “another, a second” (ἄλλος δεύτερος). Third, the reading “another angel” (ἄλλος ἄγγελος) is supported by a few Greek mss and some versional evidence (69 ar vg). Fourth, several mss (א² [C reads δεύτερον instead of δεύτερος] 051 1611 2053 2344 M^A) support the reading “another, a second angel” (ἄλλος ἄγγελος δεύτερος). The reading that most likely gave rise to the others is the fourth. The first reading attempts to smooth out the grammar by placing the adjective in front of the noun. The second reading may have dropped out the “angel” on the basis of its similarity to “another” (ἄλλος). The third reading either intentionally or accidentally left out the word “second.” In any event, this is weakly attested and should not be given much consideration. (If, however, this reading had had good support, with “second” floating, and with “third” in the text in 14:9, one could possibly see δεύτερος as a motivated reading. But without sufficient support for the third reading, the one thing that is most certain is that δεύτερος was part of the initial text here.) It is difficult to account for the rise of the other readings if “second” is not original. And the undisputed use of “third” (τρίτος, tritos) in 14:9 may be another indicator that the adjective “second” was in the autographic text. Finally, the fourth reading is the most difficult and therefore, in this case, to be accepted as the progenitor of the others.
Revelation 14:8 tn Grk “And another angel, a second.”
Revelation 14:8 tn The words “the first” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Revelation 14:8 tn For the translation of λέγω (legō) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.
Revelation 14:8 sn The fall of Babylon the great city is described in detail in Rev 18:2-24.
Revelation 14:8 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
Revelation 14:8 tn Grk “of the wine of the passion of the sexual immorality of her.” Here τῆς πορνείας (tēs porneias) has been translated as an attributive genitive. In an ironic twist of fate, God will make Babylon drink her own mixture, but it will become the wine of his wrath in retribution for her immoral deeds (see the note on the word “wrath” in 16:19).
Revelation 14:9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 14:9 tn Grk “And another angel, a third.”
Revelation 14:9 tn Grk “followed them.”
Revelation 14:9 tn For the translation of λέγω (legō) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.
Revelation 14:10 tn Grk “he himself.”
Revelation 14:10 tn The Greek word for “anger” here is θυμός (thumos), a wordplay on the “passion” (θυμός) of the personified city of Babylon in 14:8.
Revelation 14:10 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
Revelation 14:11 tn The Greek pronoun is plural here even though the verbs in the previous verse are singular.
Revelation 14:11 tn The present tense ἀναβαίνει (anabainei) has been translated as a futuristic present (ExSyn 535-36). This is also consistent with the future passive βασανισθήσεται (basanisthēsetai) in v. 10.
Revelation 14:11 tn The present tense ἔχουσιν (echousin) has been translated as a futuristic present to keep the English tense consistent with the previous verb (see note on “will go up” earlier in this verse).
Revelation 14:11 tn Grk “and.”
Revelation 14:12 tn Grk “Here is.”
Revelation 14:12 tn Or “the perseverance.”
Revelation 14:12 tn Grk “who keep.”
Revelation 14:12 tn The words “hold to” are implied as a repetition of the participle translated “keep” (οἱ τηροῦντες, hoi tērountes).
Revelation 14:12 tn Grk “faith of Jesus.” The construction may mean either “faith in Jesus” or “faithful to Jesus.” Either translation implies that ᾿Ιησοῦ (Iēsou) is to be taken as an objective genitive; the difference is more lexical than grammatical because πίστις (pistis) can mean either “faith” or “faithfulness.”
Revelation 14:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 14:13 tn Or “from their trouble” (L&N 22.7).
Revelation 14:13 tn Grk “their deeds will follow with them.”
Revelation 14:14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 14:14 tn Grk “and behold, a white cloud.”
Revelation 14:14 tn This phrase constitutes an allusion to Dan 7:13. Concerning υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (huios tou anthrōpou), BDAG 1026 s.v. υἱός 2.d.γ says: “ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου lit. ‘the son of the man’…‘the human being, the human one, the man’…On Israelite thought contemporary w. Jesus and alleged knowledge of a heavenly being looked upon as a ‘Son of Man’ or ‘Man’, who exercises Messianic functions such as judging the world (metaph., pictorial passages in En 46-48; 4 Esdr 13:3, 51f)…Outside the gospels: Ac 7:56…Rv 1:13; 14:14 (both after Da 7:13…).” The term “son” here in this expression is anarthrous and as such lacks specificity. Some commentators and translations take the expression as an allusion to Daniel 7:13 and not to “the son of man” found in gospel traditions (e.g., Mark 8:31; 9:12; cf. D. E. Aune, Revelation [WBC], 2:800-801; cf. also NIV). Other commentators and versions, however, take the phrase “son of man” as definite, involving allusions to Dan 7:13 and “the son of man” gospel traditions (see G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 771-72; NRSV).
Revelation 14:14 tn Grk “like a son of man, having.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence.
Revelation 14:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 14:15 tn Grk “Send out.”
Revelation 14:15 tn The aorist θέρισον (therison) has been translated ingressively.
Revelation 14:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.
Revelation 14:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 14:18 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Revelation 14:18 tn Grk “who had authority over.” This appears to be the angel who tended the fire on the altar.
Revelation 14:18 tn Grk “to the one having the sharp sickle”; the referent (the angel in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Revelation 14:18 tn Grk “Send.”
Revelation 14:18 tn On this term BDAG 1018 s.v. τρυγάω states: “‘gather in’ ripe fruit, esp. harvest (grapes) w. acc. of the fruit (POslo. 21, 13 [71 ad]; Jos., Ant. 4, 227) Lk 6:44; Rv 14:18 (in imagery, as in the foll. places)…W. acc. of that which bears the fruit gather the fruit of the vine…or the vineyard (s. ἄμπελος a) Rv 14:19.”
Revelation 14:18 tn On this term BDAG 181 s.v. βότρυς states, “bunch of grapes Rv 14:18…The word is also found in the Phrygian Papias of Hierapolis, in a passage in which he speaks of the enormous size of the grapes in the new aeon (in the Lat. transl. in Irenaeus 5, 33, 2f.): dena millia botruum Papias (1:2). On this see Stephan. Byz. s.v. Εὐκαρπία: Metrophanes says that in the district of Εὐκαρπία in Phrygia Minor the grapes were said to be so large that one bunch of them caused a wagon to break down in the middle.”
Revelation 14:18 tn The genitive τῆς γῆς (tēs gēs), taken symbolically, could be considered a genitive of apposition.
Revelation 14:18 tn Or perhaps, “its bunches of grapes” (a different Greek word from the previous clause). L&N 3.38 states, “the fruit of grapevines (see 3.27)—‘grape, bunch of grapes.’ τρύγησον τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἤκμασαν αἱ σταφυλαὶ αὐτῆς ‘cut the grapes from the vineyard of the earth because its grapes are ripe’ Re 14:18. Some scholars have contended that βότρυς means primarily a bunch of grapes, while σταφυλή designates individual grapes. In Re 14:18 this difference might seem plausible, but there is scarcely any evidence for such a distinction, since both words may signify grapes as well as bunches of grapes.”
Revelation 14:18 tn On the use of ἥκμασαν (ēkmasan) BDAG 36 s.v. ἀκμάζω states, “to bloom…of grapes…Rv 14:18.”
Revelation 14:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.
Revelation 14:19 tn Or “vine.” BDAG 54 s.v. ἄμπελος a states, “τρυγᾶν τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀ. τῆς γῆς to harvest the grapes fr. the vine of the earth (i.e., fr. the earth, symbol. repr. as a grapevine) Rv 14:18f; but ἀ may be taking on the meaning of ἀμπελών, as oft. in pap., possibly PHib. 70b, 2 [III bc].” The latter alternative has been followed in the translation (ἀμπελών = “vineyard”).
Revelation 14:19 tn Although the gender of μέγαν (megan, masc.) does not match the gender of ληνόν (lēnon, fem.) it has been taken to modify that word (as do most English translations).
Revelation 14:20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 14:20 sn The winepress was stomped. See Isa 63:3, where Messiah does this alone (usually several individuals would join in the process).
Revelation 14:20 tn L&N 6.7 states, “In Re 14:20 the reference to a bit and bridle is merely an indication of measurement, that is to say, the height of the bit and bridle from the ground, and one may reinterpret this measurement as ‘about a meter and a half’ or ‘about five feet.’”
Revelation 14:20 tn Grk “1,600 stades.” A stade was a measure of length about 607 ft (185 m). Thus the distance here would be 184 mi or 296 km.

New English Translation (NET)

Psalm 142

Psalm 142^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by David, when he was in the cave;^[c] a prayer.

142 To the Lord I cry out;^[d]
to the Lord I plead for mercy.^[e]
²I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about^[f] my troubles.
³Even when my strength leaves me,^[g]
you watch my footsteps.^[h]
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see.
No one cares about me.^[i]
I have nowhere to run;^[j]
no one is concerned about my life.^[k]
⁵I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security^[l] in the land of the living.”
⁶Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble.^[m]
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
⁷Free me^[n] from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble,^[o]
for you will vindicate me.^[p]

Footnotes:

Psalm 142:1 sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
Psalm 142:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
Psalm 142:1 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.
Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”
Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”
Psalm 142:2 tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “you know my path.”
Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”
Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
Psalm 142:5 tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.
Psalm 142:6 tn Heb “for I am very low.”
Psalm 142:7 tn Heb “bring out my life.”
Psalm 142:7 tn Or “gather around.”
Psalm 142:7 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ʿal) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.

New English Translation (NET)

Proverbs 30:21-23

²¹Under three things the earth has trembled,^[a]
and under four things it cannot bear up:
²²under a servant^[b] who becomes king,
under a fool who becomes stuffed with food,^[c]
²³under an unloved woman^[d] who becomes married,
and under a female servant who dispossesses^[e] her mistress.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:21 sn The Hebrew verb means “to rage; to quake; to be in tumult.” The sage is using humorous and satirical hyperbole to say that the changes described in the following verses shake up the whole order of life. The sayings assume that the new, elevated status of the individuals was not accompanied by a change in nature. For example, it was not completely unknown in the ancient world for a servant to become king, and in the process begin to behave like a king.
Proverbs 30:22 sn A servant coming to power could become a tyrant if he is unaccustomed to the use of such power, or he might retain the attitude of a servant and be useless as a leader.
Proverbs 30:22 tn Heb “filled with food” (so ASV); NASB “satisfied with food”; NAB, NRSV “glutted with food”; CEV “who eats too much”; NLT “who prospers.”sn The expression stuffed with food probably represents prosperity in general. So the line portrays someone who suddenly comes into wealth, but continues to be boorish and irreligious.
Proverbs 30:23 tn The Hebrew word is a feminine passive participle from שָׂנֵא (saneʾ), “to hate.” The verb can mean “to reject” or “to dislike, disregard” on various levels. Based on cognate use some have speculated that she might be odious (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB) or unattractive. An ancient Jewish Aramaic cognate uses this root to refer to divorce (Hoftijzer, DISO 311). In contrast to “loved/preferred,” שָׂנֵא (saneʾ) can be relative “less beloved, neglected, scorned,” (Jenni, TLOT, 1278). The passive participle is used this way in situations where there are two wives (e.g., Gen 29:31, 33, of Jacob’s reaction to Leah, and Deut 21:15). Part of the difficulty in understanding this proverb is that the main verb is a Hebrew imperfect, and like all the verbs in this series refers to what she does, in this case “becomes married,” after having the status, in this case being שְׂנוּאָה (s^enuʾah) “unloved, hateful.” The passive participle more often refers to having received or bearing the imprint of the action, so perhaps she could be a rejected or unpreferred woman heading into an arranged marriage. Yet the problem behavior in each of the other parts of the proverb belongs to person who is the subject of the verb, i.e., what the servant, fool, and female servant do or are implied to do. The parallels do not direct us to see the “unloved” woman as a victim in this marriage but as a cause of difficulty. The LXX inferred a contrast with the husband translating “when a hateful woman obtains a good husband.” Here it is taken to mean she has some hateful quality (e.g. being contentious, controlling, selfish).
Proverbs 30:23 tn The verb יָרַשׁ (yarash) means either (1) “to possess; to inherit” or (2) “to dispossess.” Often the process of possessing meant the dispossessing of those already there (e.g., Hagar and Sarah in Gen 16:5; 21:10); another example is the Israelites’ wars against the Canaanites.

New English Translation (NET)

Zechariah 10-11

The Lord Will Restore His People

The Good and Evil Shepherds

Footnotes:

Revelation 18

The Fall of Babylon

Footnotes:

Psalm 146

Psalm 146

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:33

Zechariah 9

The Coming of the True King

Footnotes:

Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

Footnotes:

Psalm 145

Psalm 145[a]

A psalm of praise; by David.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:32

Footnotes:

Zechariah 8

The Blessing of True Fasting

Footnotes:

Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

Footnotes:

Psalm 144

Psalm 144[a]

By David.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:29-31

Footnotes:

Zechariah 8

The Blessing of True Fasting

Footnotes:

Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

Footnotes:

Psalm 144

Psalm 144[a]

By David.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:29-31

Footnotes:

Zechariah 6-7

Vision Eight: The Chariots

A Concluding Oracle

The Hypocrisy of False Fasting

Footnotes:

Revelation 15

The Final Plagues

Footnotes:

Psalm 143

Psalm 143[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:24-28

Footnotes:

Zechariah 4-5

Vision Five: The Menorah

Oracle of Response

Vision Six: The Flying Scroll

Vision Seven: The Ephah

Footnotes:

Revelation 14

An Interlude: The Song of the 144,000

Three Angels and Three Messages

Footnotes:

Psalm 142

Psalm 142[a]

A well-written song[b] by David, when he was in the cave;[c] a prayer.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 30:21-23

Footnotes:

Psalm 145^[a]

Psalm 144^[a]

Psalm 144^[a]

Psalm 143^[a]

Psalm 142^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by David, when he was in the cave;^[c] a prayer.