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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 26, 2023 (NIV)

Zechariah 9

Judgment on Israel's Enemies

9 The oracle of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach
and (A)Damascus is its resting place.
For the Lord has an eye on mankind
and on all the tribes of Israel,[a]
2 (B)and on Hamath also, which borders on it,
(C)Tyre and (D)Sidon, though (E)they are very wise.
3 Tyre has built herself (F)a rampart
and (G)heaped up silver like dust,
and fine gold like the mud of the streets.
4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions
and strike down (H)her power on the sea,
and (I)she shall be devoured by fire.

5 (J)Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;
Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;
Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.
The king shall perish from Gaza;
Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;
6 (K)a mixed people[b] shall dwell in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
7 I will take away (L)its blood from its mouth,
and (M)its abominations from between its teeth;
(N)it too shall be a remnant for our God;
it shall be like (O)a clan in Judah,
and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.
8 Then (P)I will encamp at my house as a guard,
(Q)so that none shall march to and fro;
(R)no oppressor shall again march over them,
(S)for now I see with my own eyes.

The Coming King of Zion

9 (T)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
(U)Behold, (V)your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
(W)humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 (X)I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and (Y)the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and (Z)he shall speak peace to the nations;
(AA)his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from (AB)the River[c] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of (AC)the blood of my covenant with you,
(AD)I will set your prisoners free from (AE)the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O (AF)prisoners of hope;
today I declare that (AG)I will restore to you double.
13 For (AH)I have bent Judah as my bow;
I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, (AI)O Greece,
and wield you like a warrior's sword.

The Lord Will Save His People

14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and (AJ)his arrow will go forth like lightning;
(AK)the Lord God will sound the trumpet
and will march forth in (AL)the whirlwinds (AM)of the south.
15 The Lord of hosts (AN)will protect them,
and (AO)they shall devour, (AP)and tread down the sling stones,
and (AQ)they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched (AR)like the corners of the altar.

16 On that day the Lord their God will save them,
as (AS)the flock of his people;
for (AT)like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
17 (AU)For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
(AV)Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the young women.

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord
  2. Zechariah 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard
  3. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates

Cross references:

  1. Zechariah 9:1 : See Isa. 17:1
  2. Zechariah 9:2 : Jer. 49:23; See 1 Kgs. 8:65
  3. Zechariah 9:2 : Josh. 19:28, 29; Isa. 23:1, 2
  4. Zechariah 9:2 : Josh. 19:28, 29; Isa. 23:1, 2
  5. Zechariah 9:2 : See Ezek. 28:3-5
  6. Zechariah 9:3 : [Josh. 19:29]
  7. Zechariah 9:3 : Ezek. 28:4, 5
  8. Zechariah 9:4 : Ezek. 26:17
  9. Zechariah 9:4 : Ezek. 28:18
  10. Zechariah 9:5 : See Zeph. 2:4
  11. Zechariah 9:6 : [Deut. 23:2]
  12. Zechariah 9:7 : See Lev. 3:17
  13. Zechariah 9:7 : [Isa. 66:17]
  14. Zechariah 9:7 : [Isa. 14:1]
  15. Zechariah 9:7 : ch. 12:5, 6
  16. Zechariah 9:8 : [ch. 2:5]
  17. Zechariah 9:8 : ch. 7:14
  18. Zechariah 9:8 : ch. 10:4; [Isa. 60:17]
  19. Zechariah 9:8 : [ch. 12:4]
  20. Zechariah 9:9 : See Zeph. 3:14
  21. Zechariah 9:9 : Cited Matt. 21:5; [John 12:15]
  22. Zechariah 9:9 : See Jer. 23:5
  23. Zechariah 9:9 : [Matt. 11:29]
  24. Zechariah 9:10 : See Hos. 1:7
  25. Zechariah 9:10 : See Mic. 5:10
  26. Zechariah 9:10 : See Mic. 5:5
  27. Zechariah 9:10 : Ps. 72:8
  28. Zechariah 9:10 : See Ex. 23:31
  29. Zechariah 9:11 : Ex. 24:8
  30. Zechariah 9:11 : Isa. 42:7; 51:14; 61:1
  31. Zechariah 9:11 : [Gen. 37:24; Jer. 38:6]
  32. Zechariah 9:12 : [Jer. 31:17]
  33. Zechariah 9:12 : Isa. 61:7
  34. Zechariah 9:13 : [ch. 10:3, 4]
  35. Zechariah 9:13 : Gen. 10:2; Ezek. 27:13
  36. Zechariah 9:14 : See 2 Sam. 22:15
  37. Zechariah 9:14 : [Isa. 27:13]
  38. Zechariah 9:14 : Isa. 21:1
  39. Zechariah 9:14 : [ch. 6:6]
  40. Zechariah 9:15 : ch. 12:8; [ch. 10:5]
  41. Zechariah 9:15 : ch. 12:6
  42. Zechariah 9:15 : [ch. 10:5]
  43. Zechariah 9:15 : ch. 10:7
  44. Zechariah 9:15 : [Lev. 4:18, 25]
  45. Zechariah 9:16 : Ps. 100:3
  46. Zechariah 9:16 : Isa. 62:3; [Mal. 3:17]
  47. Zechariah 9:17 : [Isa. 62:3, 4]
  48. Zechariah 9:17 : [Isa. 62:8, 9; Jer. 31:12]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

17 Then (A)one of the seven angels who had (B)the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of (C)the great prostitute (D)who is seated on many waters, 2 (E)with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and (F)with the wine of whose sexual immorality (G)the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And (H)he carried me away in the Spirit (I)into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on (J)a scarlet beast that was full of (K)blasphemous names, and (L)it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman (M)was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned (N)with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand (O)a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of (P)mystery: (Q)“Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk (R)with the blood of the saints, the blood of (S)the martyrs of Jesus.[a]

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you (T)the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw (U)was, and is not, and (V)is about to rise from (W)the bottomless pit[b] and (X)go to destruction. And (Y)the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in (Z)the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because (AA)it was and is not and is to come. 9 (AB)This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast (AC)that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And (AD)the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings (AE)for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They (AF)will make war on the Lamb, and (AG)the Lamb will conquer them, for he is (AH)Lord of lords and (AI)King of kings, and those with him are (AJ)called and chosen and faithful.”

15 And the angel[c] said to me, (AK)“The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And (AL)the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast (AM)will hate the prostitute. They will make her (AN)desolate and (AO)naked, and (AP)devour her flesh and (AQ)burn her up with fire, 17 for (AR)God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and (AS)handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is (AT)the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 17:6 Greek the witnesses to Jesus
  2. Revelation 17:8 Greek the abyss
  3. Revelation 17:15 Greek he

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 17:1 : ch. 21:9
  2. Revelation 17:1 : ch. 15:7
  3. Revelation 17:1 : ch. 19:2; Nah. 3:4; [Isa. 1:21; Jer. 2:20]
  4. Revelation 17:1 : ver. 15; [Jer. 51:13]
  5. Revelation 17:2 : ch. 18:3, 9; [Isa. 23:17]
  6. Revelation 17:2 : ch. 14:8; Jer. 51:7
  7. Revelation 17:2 : See ch. 3:10
  8. Revelation 17:3 : ch. 21:10
  9. Revelation 17:3 : ch. 12:6, 14
  10. Revelation 17:3 : [ch. 12:3]
  11. Revelation 17:3 : ch. 13:1
  12. Revelation 17:3 : ver. 7, 9, 12
  13. Revelation 17:4 : ch. 18:16
  14. Revelation 17:4 : Dan. 11:38
  15. Revelation 17:4 : Jer. 51:7; [ch. 18:6]
  16. Revelation 17:5 : ver. 7; 2 Thess. 2:7
  17. Revelation 17:5 : See ch. 14:8
  18. Revelation 17:6 : ch. 16:6; [ch. 13:15]
  19. Revelation 17:6 : ch. 2:13
  20. Revelation 17:7 : ver. 5
  21. Revelation 17:8 : ver. 11; [ch. 1:4; 13:3]
  22. Revelation 17:8 : ch. 11:7
  23. Revelation 17:8 : See ch. 9:1
  24. Revelation 17:8 : ch. 13:10
  25. Revelation 17:8 : See ch. 3:10
  26. Revelation 17:8 : See ch. 3:5
  27. Revelation 17:8 : ver. 11; [ch. 1:4; 13:3]
  28. Revelation 17:9 : [ch. 13:18]
  29. Revelation 17:11 : ver. 8; [ch. 11:17]
  30. Revelation 17:12 : ver. 16; Dan. 7:24; [ch. 13:1; Zech. 1:18-21]
  31. Revelation 17:12 : [ch. 18:10, 17, 19]
  32. Revelation 17:14 : See ch. 16:14
  33. Revelation 17:14 : See ch. 3:21
  34. Revelation 17:14 : ch. 19:16; Deut. 10:17; Ps. 136:3; Dan. 2:47; 1 Tim. 6:15; [ch. 1:5; Matt. 28:18; Acts 10:36]
  35. Revelation 17:14 : ch. 19:16; Deut. 10:17; Ps. 136:3; Dan. 2:47; 1 Tim. 6:15; [ch. 1:5; Matt. 28:18; Acts 10:36]
  36. Revelation 17:14 : See ch. 2:10; Luke 18:7 (Gk.); Rom. 1:6
  37. Revelation 17:15 : ver. 1; [Isa. 8:7]
  38. Revelation 17:16 : See ver. 12
  39. Revelation 17:16 : [Jer. 50:41, 42]
  40. Revelation 17:16 : ch. 18:17, 19
  41. Revelation 17:16 : Ezek. 16:37, 39
  42. Revelation 17:16 : [ch. 19:18]
  43. Revelation 17:16 : ch. 18:8; [Lev. 21:9]
  44. Revelation 17:17 : 2 Cor. 8:16
  45. Revelation 17:17 : [2 Thess. 2:11]
  46. Revelation 17:18 : ch. 16:19
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 145

Great Is the Lord

[a] A Song of Praise. Of David.

145 (A)I will extol you, my God and (B)King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
(C)and praise your name forever and ever.
3 (D)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his (E)greatness is unsearchable.

4 (F)One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On (G)the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of (H)the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your (I)abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is (J)gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is (K)good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 (L)All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your (M)saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to (N)make known to the children of man your[b] (O)mighty deeds,
and (P)the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 (Q)Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.][c]
14 The Lord (R)upholds all who are falling
and (S)raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all (T)look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You (U)open your hand;
you (V)satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is (W)righteous in all his ways
and (X)kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is (Y)near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him (Z)in truth.
19 He (AA)fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also (AB)hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord (AC)preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and (AD)let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
  2. Psalm 145:12 Hebrew his; also next line
  3. Psalm 145:13 These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll)

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 145:1 : Ps. 99:5, 9
  2. Psalm 145:1 : Ps. 98:6
  3. Psalm 145:2 : [Ps. 146:2]
  4. Psalm 145:3 : Ps. 48:1
  5. Psalm 145:3 : Job 5:9; [Isa. 40:28]
  6. Psalm 145:4 : Isa. 38:19
  7. Psalm 145:5 : ver. 12
  8. Psalm 145:6 : [Ps. 78:4]
  9. Psalm 145:7 : Isa. 63:7
  10. Psalm 145:8 : See Ps. 86:5, 15
  11. Psalm 145:9 : See Ps. 100:5
  12. Psalm 145:10 : [Ps. 19:1; 103:22]
  13. Psalm 145:10 : [Ps. 132:9, 16]
  14. Psalm 145:12 : Ps. 105:1
  15. Psalm 145:12 : ver. 4; Ps. 150:2; Deut. 3:24
  16. Psalm 145:12 : ver. 5
  17. Psalm 145:13 : See Ps. 10:16
  18. Psalm 145:14 : [Ps. 37:17, 24]
  19. Psalm 145:14 : Ps. 146:8
  20. Psalm 145:15 : Ps. 104:27
  21. Psalm 145:16 : Ps. 104:28
  22. Psalm 145:16 : [Ps. 104:21; 147:8]
  23. Psalm 145:17 : See Ps. 116:5
  24. Psalm 145:17 : Ps. 18:25; Jer. 3:12
  25. Psalm 145:18 : [Ps. 34:18; 119:151; Deut. 4:7]
  26. Psalm 145:18 : John 4:23, 24
  27. Psalm 145:19 : Prov. 10:24; [John 9:31]
  28. Psalm 145:19 : Ps. 31:22
  29. Psalm 145:20 : See Ps. 97:10
  30. Psalm 145:21 : [Ps. 150:6]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 30:32

32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
(A)put your hand on your mouth.

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 30:32 : Mic. 7:16; See Job 21:5
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.