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Future Deliverance for Jerusalem

12 This^[a] message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord: “This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. ² I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. ³ On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.

⁴ “On that day,” says the Lord, “I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies. ⁵ And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, their God.’

⁶ “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.

⁷ “The Lord will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. ⁸ On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the Lord who goes before them! ⁹ For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

¹⁰ “Then I will pour out a spirit^[b] of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. ¹¹ The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

¹² “All Israel will mourn, each clan by itself, and with the husbands separate from their wives. The clan of David will mourn alone, as will the clan of Nathan, ¹³ the clan of Levi, and the clan of Shimei. ¹⁴ Each of the surviving clans from Judah will mourn separately, and with the husbands separate from their wives.

A Fountain of Cleansing

13 “On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.

² “And on that day,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them. ³ If anyone continues to prophesy, his own father and mother will tell him, ‘You must die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the Lord.’ And as he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him.

⁴ “On that day people will be ashamed to claim the prophetic gift. No one will pretend to be a prophet by wearing prophet’s clothes. ⁵ He will say, ‘I’m no prophet; I’m a farmer. I began working for a farmer as a boy.’ ⁶ And if someone asks, ‘Then what about those wounds on your chest?^[c]’ he will say, ‘I was wounded at my friends’ house!’

The Scattering of the Sheep

Songs of Victory in Heaven

19 After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting,

³ And again their voices rang out:

⁴ Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

⁵ And from the throne came a voice that said,

⁶ Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:

⁹ And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

¹⁰ Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters^[c] who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.^[d]”

The Rider on the White Horse

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. ¹² His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. ¹³ He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. ¹⁶ On his robe at his thigh^[e] was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. ¹⁸ Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. ²⁰ And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

Psalm 147

The Sayings of King Lemuel

31 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message,^[a] which his mother taught him.

The Lord Will Restore His People

The Good and Evil Shepherds

⁴ This is what the Lord my God says: “Go and care for the flock that is intended for slaughter. ⁵ The buyers slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers say, ‘Praise the Lord! Now I’m rich!’ Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. ⁶ Likewise, 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.”

⁷ So 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. ⁸ I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month.

But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too. ⁹ So 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!”

¹⁰ Then 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. ¹¹ That 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.

¹² And 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.

¹³ And 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.

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

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to me, “Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. ¹⁶ This 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.

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. ² He gave a mighty shout:

⁴ Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,

⁹ And 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. ¹⁰ They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,

¹¹ The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. ¹² She 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. ¹³ She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.

¹⁵ The 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,

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

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

Psalm 146

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, ² as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, Tyre and Sidon, though they consider themselves to be very wise. ³ Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets. ⁴ Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications^[e] into the sea—she will be consumed by fire. ⁵ Ashkelon 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. ⁶ A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. ⁷ I 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. ⁸ Then 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.

¹¹ Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. ¹² Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you. ¹³ I 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.

¹⁴ Then 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. ¹⁵ The 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] 16} On 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. ¹⁷ How precious and fair!^[u] Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

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, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”^{[d] 3} So^[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. ⁴ Now^[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] 5} On^[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.” ⁶ I 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. ⁷ But^[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. ⁸ The 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: ¹⁰ five 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. ¹¹ The^[aa] beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. ¹² The^[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. ¹³ These kings^[ad] have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They 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.”

¹⁵ Then^[af] the angel^[ag] said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes,^[ah] nations, and languages. ¹⁶ The^[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] 17} For 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] 18} As for^[ar] the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”

Psalm 145^[a]

A psalm of praise; by David.

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.’ ³ The 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.”’ ⁴ Moreover, 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. ⁵ And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing.^{[b] 6} And,’ 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. ⁸ And 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. ¹⁰ Before 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. ¹¹ But 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. ¹³ And 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, ¹⁵ so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah—do not fear! ¹⁶ These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.^{[g] 17} Do 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.”

¹⁸ The 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.’ ²⁰ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people—residents of many cities—will come. ²¹ The 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.”’ ²² Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask his favor. ²³ The 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]

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] 2} So^[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.

³ Next,^[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.

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

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

⁸ Then^[t] the fourth angel^[u] poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people^[v] with fire. ⁹ Thus^[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.

¹⁰ Then^[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. ¹¹ They 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.

¹² Then^[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] 13} Then^[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. ¹⁴ For 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]

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

¹⁷ Finally^[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!” ¹⁸ Then^[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. ¹⁹ The^[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] 20} Every^[bn] island fled away^[bo] and no mountains could be found.^{[bp] 21} And 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]

Psalm 144^[a]

By David.

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.’ ³ The 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.”’ ⁴ Moreover, 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. ⁵ And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing.^{[b] 6} And,’ 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. ⁸ And 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. ¹⁰ Before 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. ¹¹ But 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. ¹³ And 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, ¹⁵ so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah—do not fear! ¹⁶ These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.^{[g] 17} Do 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.”

¹⁸ The 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.’ ²⁰ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people—residents of many cities—will come. ²¹ The 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.”’ ²² Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask his favor. ²³ The 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]

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] 2} So^[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.

³ Next,^[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.

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

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

⁸ Then^[t] the fourth angel^[u] poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people^[v] with fire. ⁹ Thus^[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.

¹⁰ Then^[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. ¹¹ They 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.

¹² Then^[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] 13} Then^[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. ¹⁴ For 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]

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

¹⁷ Finally^[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!” ¹⁸ Then^[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. ¹⁹ The^[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] 20} Every^[bn] island fled away^[bo] and no mountains could be found.^{[bp] 21} And 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]

Psalm 144^[a]

By David.

Vision Eight: The Chariots

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

A Concluding Oracle

⁹ The 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] 11} Then 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. ¹² Then 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. ¹³ Indeed, 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. ¹⁴ The 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. ¹⁵ Then 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. ² Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their companions to seek the Lord’s favor ³ by 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?” ⁴ The 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? ⁶ And now when you eat and drink, are you not doing so for yourselves? ⁷ Should 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?’”

⁸ Again 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. ¹⁰ You 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. ¹² Indeed, 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.”

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).

² Then^[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] 3} They^[i] sang the song of Moses the servant^[j] of God and the song of the Lamb:^[k]

⁵ After^[s] these things I looked, and the temple (the tent^[t] of the testimony)^[u] was opened in heaven, ⁶ and 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. ⁷ Then^[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, ⁸ and 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.

Psalm 143^[a]

A psalm of David.

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. ² He 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. ³ There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the receptacle and the other on the left.”^{[d] 4} Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, “What are these,^[e] sir?” ⁵ He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” So I responded, “No, sir.” ⁶ Therefore 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.” ⁸ Moreover, 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. ¹⁰ For 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.”

¹¹ Next I asked the messenger, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the menorah?” ¹² Before 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?” ¹³ He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” And I said, “No, sir.” ¹⁴ So 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! ² Someone asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a flying scroll 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”^{[o] 3} The 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

⁵ After this the angelic messenger^[r] who had been speaking to me went out and said, “Look, see what is leaving.” ⁶ I 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.” ⁷ Then a round lead cover was raised up, revealing a woman sitting inside the basket. ⁸ He then said, “This woman represents wickedness,” and he pushed her down into the basket and placed the lead cover on top. ⁹ Then 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. ¹⁰ I asked the messenger who was speaking to me, “Where are they taking the basket?” ¹¹ He 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.”

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. ² I 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, ³ and 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.

⁴ These 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, ⁵ and no lie was found on their lips;^[g] they^[h] are blameless.

Three Angels and Three Messages

⁶ Then^[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. ⁷ He 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!”

⁸ A^[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]

⁹ A^[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, ¹⁰ that 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. ¹¹ And 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.” ¹² This 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]

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

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

¹⁴ Then^[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. ¹⁵ Then^[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!” ¹⁶ So^[ay] the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

¹⁷ Then^[az] another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Another^[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] 19} So^[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. ²⁰ Then^[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]

Psalm 142^[a]

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

Vision Three: The Surveyor

2 (2:5) I looked again, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. ² I asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To measure Jerusalem in order to determine its width and its length.” ³ At this point the angelic messenger^[a] who spoke to me went out, and another messenger came to meet him ⁴ and said to him, “Hurry, speak to this young man^[b] as follows: ‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls^[c] because of the multitude of people and animals there. ⁵ But I,’ the Lord says, ‘will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem^[d] and the source of glory in her midst.’”

⁶ “You there!^[e] Flee from the northland!” says the Lord, “for like the four winds of heaven^[f] I have scattered you,” says the Lord. ⁷ “Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!”^{[g] 8} For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “For his own glory^[h] he has sent me to the nations that plundered you—for anyone who touches you touches the pupil^[i] of his^[j] eye. ⁹ Yes, look here, I am about to punish them^[k] so that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.

¹⁰ “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter!^[l] For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord. ¹¹ “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on the day of salvation,^[m] and they will also be my^[n] people. Indeed, I will settle in the midst of you all. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. ¹² The Lord will take possession of^[o] Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again. ¹³ Be silent in the Lord’s presence, all people everywhere,^[p] for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place.”^[q]

Vision Four: The Priest

3 Next I saw Joshua the high priest^[r] standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan^[s] standing at his right hand to accuse him. ² The Lord^[t] said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Isn’t this man like a burning stick snatched from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes^[u] as he stood there before the angel. ⁴ The angel^[v] spoke up to those standing all around, “Remove his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua,^[w] “I have freely forgiven your iniquity and will dress you^[x] in fine clothing.” ⁵ Then I spoke up, “Let a clean turban be put on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood nearby. ⁶ Then the angel of the Lord exhorted Joshua solemnly: ⁷ “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘If you follow^[y] my ways and keep my requirements, you will be able to preside over my temple^[z] and attend to my courtyards, and I will allow you to come and go among these others who are standing by you. ⁸ Listen now, Joshua the high priest, both you and your colleagues who are sitting before you, all of you^[aa] are a symbol that I am about to introduce my servant, the Branch.^{[ab] 9} As for the stone^[ac] I have set before Joshua—on the one stone there are seven eyes.^[ad] I am about to engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘to the effect that I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.^{[ae] 10} In that day,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘everyone will invite his friend to fellowship under his vine and under his fig tree.’”^[af]