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The Lord’s Victory Throughout the Earth

6 I looked up again and saw four chariots going out from between the two mountains. They were mountains of bronze. ² The first chariot had red horses. The second had black horses. ³ The third had white horses. And the fourth had strong, spotted horses. ⁴ I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What do these horses mean, sir?”

⁵ The angel answered, “They are the four spirits of heaven. They are going out after standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. ⁶ The chariot with the black horses is going toward the north, and the white horses are following them. The spotted ones are going toward the south.”

⁷ When these strong horses went out, they were eager to patrol the earth.

He said, “Go, patrol the earth!” And they patrolled the earth.

⁸ Then he called out to me, “Look! Those who went to the north have made my Spirit rest in the north.”

Priest and King

⁹ The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, ¹⁰ “Take an offering from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. This same day go to the house of Josiah, son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Take the silver and gold, make a crown, and put it on the head of Chief Priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak. ¹² Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is the man whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is, and he will rebuild the Lord’s temple. ¹³ He will rebuild the Lord’s temple and receive royal honor. He will sit and rule from his throne. He will be a priest on his throne. There will be a peaceful understanding between them. ¹⁴ The crown will be a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen (son of Zephaniah) in the Lord’s temple. ¹⁵ Those who are far away will come and rebuild the Lord’s temple. Then you will know the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen if you obey the Lord your God completely.’”

You Should Have Obeyed the Lord’s Prophets

7 On the fourth day of the ninth month (the month of Chislev) in Darius’ fourth year as king, the Lord spoke his word to Zechariah. ² Now, the people from Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech with their men^[a] to ask the Lord for a blessing. ³ They asked the priests from the house of the Lord of Armies as well as the prophets, “Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done for so many years?”

⁴ Then the Lord of Armies spoke his word to me. He said, ⁵ “Tell all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these past 70 years, did you really do it for me? ⁶ When you ate and drank, didn’t you do it to benefit yourselves? ⁷ Aren’t these the same words that the Lord announced through the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem and its surrounding cities were inhabited and undisturbed and the Negev and the foothills were still inhabited?’”

⁸ Then the Lord spoke his word to Zechariah. He said, ⁹ “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Administer real justice, and be compassionate and kind to each other. ¹⁰ Don’t oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And don’t even think of doing evil to each other.

¹¹ “But people refused to pay attention. They shrugged their shoulders at me and shut their ears so that they couldn’t hear. ¹² They made their hearts as hard as flint so that they couldn’t hear the Lord’s teachings, the words that the Lord of Armies had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord of Armies became very angry.

¹³ “When I called, they wouldn’t listen. So now when they call, I won’t listen, says the Lord of Armies. ¹⁴ I used a windstorm to scatter them among all the nations, nations they hadn’t even heard of. They left behind a land so ruined that no one is able to travel through it. They have turned a pleasant land into a wasteland.”

Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

15 I saw another sign in heaven. It was spectacular and amazing. There were seven angels with the last seven plagues which are the final expression of God’s anger.

² Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who had won the victory over the beast, its statue, and the number of its name were standing on the glassy sea. They were holding God’s harps ³ and singing the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb. They sang,

⁵ After these things I looked, and I saw that the temple of the tent containing the words of God’s promise was open in heaven. ⁶ The seven angels with the seven plagues came out of the temple wearing clean, shining linen with gold belts around their waists. ⁷ One of the four living creatures gave seven gold bowls full of the anger of God, who lives forever and ever, to the seven angels. ⁸ The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and his power. No one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels came to an end.

Psalm 144

By David.

Four Things That Are Small—Yet Smart and Strong

The Lord’s House Will Be Rebuilt

4 The angel who was speaking with me returned and woke me up as one might wake up someone who is sleeping. ² He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lamp stand with a bowl on top and seven lamps on it. There are seven spouts for each lamp that is on top of it. ³ There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

⁴ I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What do these things mean, sir?”

⁵ Then the angel asked me, “Don’t you know what they mean?”

“No, sir,” I answered.

⁶ Then he replied, “This is the word Yahweh spoke to Zerubbabel: You won’t succeed by might or by power, but by my Ruach, says Yahweh Tsebaoth. ⁷ What a high mountain you are! In front of Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the topmost stone with shouts of ‘Blessings, blessings on it!’”

⁸ Then Yahweh spoke his word to me. He said, ⁹ “Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that Yahweh Tsebaoth has sent me to you. ¹⁰ Who despised the day when little things began to happen? They will be delighted when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. (These seven eyes of Yahweh roam over all the earth.)”

¹¹ I asked the angel, “What do these two olive trees at the right and the left of the lamp stand mean?” ¹² Again I asked him, “What is the meaning of the two branches from the olive trees next to the two golden pipes that are pouring out gold?”

¹³ He asked me, “Don’t you know what these things mean?”

“No, sir,” I answered.

¹⁴ So he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing beside the Adonay of the whole earth.”

Sinners Will Be Separated from the Lord’s People

5 I looked up again and saw a flying scroll.

² The angel asked me, “What do you see?”

“I see a flying scroll,” I answered. “It’s 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”

³ Then he said to me, “This is a curse that will go out all over the earth. The one side of the scroll says that every thief will be forced away. The other side of the scroll says that everyone who takes an oath will be forced away. ⁴ I will send out a curse, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth, and it will enter the houses of thieves and the houses of those who take oaths in my name. It will stay in their houses and destroy the timber and stone.”

Wickedness Will Be Removed from the Land

⁵ The angel who was speaking with me came forward. He said, “Look up, and see what’s coming.”

⁶ “What is it?” I asked.

“A basket is coming,” he said. Then he added, “This is what the people’s sins look like all over the earth.”^{[a] 7} A lead cover on the basket was raised, and a woman was sitting in the basket. ⁸ The angel said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and forced the lead cover down on top of it.

⁹ I looked up and saw two women coming forward with wind in their wings. They had wings like those of a stork. They carried the basket into the sky.

¹⁰ I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the basket?”

¹¹ He answered me, “They are going to build a house for it in Shinar [Babylonia]. When the house is ready, they will set the basket there on a stand.”

The New Song on Mount Zion

14 I looked, and the lamb was standing on Mount Zion. There were 144,000 people with him who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. ² Then I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of raging water and the noise of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like the music played by harpists. ³ They were singing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the leaders. Only the 144,000 people who had been bought on earth could learn the song.

⁴ These 144,000 virgins are pure. They follow the lamb wherever he goes. They were bought from among humanity as the first ones offered to God and to the lamb. ⁵ They’ve never told a lie. They are blameless.

The Harvest of the Earth

⁶ I saw another angel flying overhead with the everlasting Good News to spread to those who live on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ⁷ The angel said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the time has come for him to judge. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs.”

⁸ Another angel, a second one, followed him, and said, “Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has made all the nations drink the wine of her passionate sexual sins.”

⁹ Another angel, a third one, followed them, and said in a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast or its statue, whoever is branded on his forehead or his hand, ¹⁰ will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured unmixed into the cup of God’s anger. Then he will be tortured by fiery sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb. ¹¹ The smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast or its statue, or for anyone branded with its name.” ¹² In this situation God’s holy people, who obey his commands and keep their faith in Yeshua, need endurance.

¹³ I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: From now on those who die believing in the Lord are blessed.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit. “Let them rest from their hard work. What they have done goes with them.”

¹⁴ Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and on the cloud sat someone who was like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Another angel came out of the temple. He cried out in a loud voice to the one who sat on the cloud, “Swing your sickle, and gather the harvest. The time has come to gather it, because the harvest on the earth is overripe.”

¹⁶ The one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the harvesting of the earth was completed.

¹⁷ Another angel came out of the temple in heaven. He, too, had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Yet another angel came from the altar with authority over fire. This angel called out in a loud voice to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle, and gather the bunches of grapes from the vine of the earth, because those grapes are ripe.” ¹⁹ The angel swung his sickle on the earth and gathered the grapes from the vine of the earth. He threw them into the winepress of God’s anger. ²⁰ The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city. Blood flowed out of the winepress as high as a horse’s bridle for 1,600 stadia.^[a]

Psalm 142

A maskil^[a] by David when he was in the cave; a prayer.

Four Things That Are Intolerable

The Lord Will Choose Jerusalem

2 ^[a]I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. ² I asked him, “Where are you going?”

He answered, “I am going to measure Jerusalem to see how wide and how long it is.”

³ Then the angel who was speaking with me left. Another angel came out to meet him ⁴ and said to him, “Run, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited like an unwalled village because it will have so many people and animals in it. ⁵ I will be a wall of fire around it, declares Yahweh. I will be the glory within it.’

⁶ “Hurry, hurry! Flee from the land of the north, declares Yahweh. I’ve scattered you to the four winds of heaven. ⁷ Hurry, Zion! Escape, you inhabitants of Babylon! ⁸ This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Afterwards, the Glory sent me to the nations who looted you. Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. ⁹ I’m going to shake my fist at the nations, and their own slaves will loot them. Then you will know that Yahweh Tsebaoth has sent me. ¹⁰ Sing for joy and rejoice, people of Zion. I’m going to come and live among you, declares Yahweh. ¹¹ On that day many nations will join Yahweh and become my people. I will live among you. Then you will know that Yahweh Tsebaoth has sent me to you. ¹² Yahweh will claim Judah as his own in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.

¹³ “Everyone be silent in the presence of Yahweh. He is waking up and setting out from his holy dwelling place.”

The Lord Will Send His Servant, the Branch

3 Then he showed me Joshua, the chief priest, standing in front of the Messenger of Yahweh. Satan the Accuser was standing at Joshua’s right side to accuse him. ² Yahweh said to Satan, “I, Yahweh, silence you, Satan! I, Yahweh, who has chosen Jerusalem, silence you! Isn’t this man like a burning log snatched from a fire?”

³ Joshua was wearing filthy clothes and was standing in front of the Messenger. ⁴ The Messenger said to those who were standing in front of him, “Remove Joshua’s filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken your sin away from you, and I will dress you in fine clothing.”

⁵ So I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” They put a clean turban on his head and dressed him while the Messenger of Yahweh was standing there.

⁶ The Messenger of Yahweh advised Joshua, ⁷ “This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: If you live according to my ways and follow my requirements, you will govern my temple and watch over my courtyards. Then I will give you free access to walk among those standing here.

⁸ “Listen, Chief Priest Joshua and your friends sitting with you. These men are a sign of things to come: I’m going to bring my servant, the Branch.

⁹ “Look at the stone I have set in front of Joshua. That one stone has seven eyes.^[b] I am engraving an inscription on it,” declares Yahweh Tsebaoth. “I will remove this land’s sin in a single day. ¹⁰ On that day,” declares Yahweh Tsebaoth, “each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree.”

The Beast from the Sea

13 I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns on its horns. There were insulting names on its heads. ² The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear’s feet. Its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The serpent gave its power, kingdom, and far-reaching authority to the beast. ³ One of the beast’s heads looked like it had a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed.

All the people of the world were amazed and followed the beast. ⁴ They worshiped the serpent because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, “Who is like the beast? Who can fight a war with it?” ⁵ The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and insulting things. It was given authority to act for 42 months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to insult God, to insult his name and his tent—those who are living in heaven. ⁷ It was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. ⁸ Everyone living on earth will worship it, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life. That book belongs to the lamb who was slaughtered before the creation of the world.

⁹ If anyone has ears, let him listen:

In this situation God’s holy people need endurance and confidence.

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹ I saw another beast come from the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb. It talked like a serpent. ¹² The second beast uses all the authority of the first beast in its presence. The second beast makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. ¹³ The second beast performs spectacular signs. It even makes fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people. ¹⁴ It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do in front of the first beast. It tells those living on earth to make a statue for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.

¹⁵ The second beast was allowed to put breath into the statue of the first beast. Then the statue of the first beast could talk and put to death whoever would not worship it. ¹⁶ The second beast forces all people—important and unimportant people, rich and poor people, free people and slaves—to be branded on their right hands or on their foreheads. ¹⁷ It does this so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the brand, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name.

¹⁸ In this situation wisdom is needed. Let the person who has insight figure out the number of the beast, because it is a human number.^[a] The beast’s number is 666.

Psalm 141

A psalm by David.

Four Things of Intrigue

About the Woman Who Commits Adultery

Turn from Your Evil Ways

1 In the eighth month of Darius’ second year as king, Yahweh spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo. He said, ² “Yahweh was very angry with your ancestors. ³ Tell the people, ‘This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Return to me, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth, and I will return to you, says Yahweh Tsebaoth.’ ⁴ Don’t be like your ancestors, who heard the earlier prophets preach to them, ‘This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’ But they didn’t listen or pay attention to me, declares Yahweh. ⁵ Your ancestors—where are they now? And the prophets—are they still alive? ⁶ Didn’t my warnings and my laws, which I’ve commanded my servants the prophets to preach, finally catch up with your ancestors? Then your ancestors turned away from their sins and said, ‘Yahweh Tsebaoth has done to us what he had planned to do. He has dealt with us as our ways and deeds deserve.’”

The Lord Will Comfort Zion

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat) in Darius’ second year as king, Yahweh spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.

⁸ During that night I saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, chestnut, and white horses.

⁹ “What do these horses mean, sir?” I asked.

The angel who was speaking with me answered, “I will show you what they mean.”

¹⁰ The man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They’re the horses Yahweh has sent to patrol the earth.” ¹¹ Then they reported to the Messenger of Yahweh standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth. The whole world is at rest and in peace.”

¹² Then the Messenger of Yahweh said, “Yahweh Tseboath, how much longer until you show compassion to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You’ve been angry with them for 70 years.” ¹³ Yahweh responded to the angel who was speaking with me, using kind and comforting words.

¹⁴ The angel who was speaking with me said, “Announce: This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: I’m very jealous about Jerusalem and Zion, ¹⁵ and I’m very angry with the nations who think they are at ease. I was only a little angry, but they made things worse. ¹⁶ This is what Yahweh says: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My house will be rebuilt in it, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth. A measuring line will be used to rebuild Jerusalem.

¹⁷ “Announce again: This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: My cities will overflow with prosperity once more. Yahweh will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem.”^[a]

Punishment for the Nations That Scattered Judah

¹⁸ I looked up and saw four animal horns. ¹⁹ So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What do these horns mean?”

He said to me, “These are the horns of the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

²⁰ Then Yahweh showed me four craftsmen. ²¹ I asked, “What are they going to do?”

He answered, “Those horns scattered Judah so widely that no one could lift up his head. But the craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations. The nations raised their horns to scatter the land of Judah.”

Two Signs

12 A spectacular sign appeared in the sky: There was a woman who was dressed in the sun, who had the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head. ² She was pregnant. She cried out from labor pains and the agony of giving birth.

³ Another sign appeared in the sky: a huge fiery red serpent with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky and threw them down to earth. The serpent stood in front of the woman who was going to give birth so that it could devour her child when it was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a boy, who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne. ⁶ Then the woman fled into the wilderness where God had prepared a place for her so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

⁷ Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels had to fight a war with the serpent. The serpent and its angels fought. ⁸ But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹ The huge serpent was thrown down. That ancient snake, named Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to earth. Its angels were thrown down with it.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

¹³ When the serpent saw that it had been thrown down to earth, it persecuted the woman who had given birth to the boy. ¹⁴ The woman was given the two wings of the large eagle in order to fly away from the snake to her place in the wilderness, where she could be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time. ¹⁵ The snake’s mouth poured out a river of water behind the woman in order to sweep her away. ¹⁶ The earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river which had poured out of the serpent’s mouth. ¹⁷ The serpent became angry with the woman. So it went away to fight with her other children, the ones who keep God’s commands and hold on to the testimony of Yeshua.

Psalm 140

For the choir leader; a psalm by David.

Disrespectful Children—Their Punishment

A Call to Rebuild the Lord’s House

1 On the first day of the sixth month in Darius’ second year as king, Yahweh spoke his word through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel and was governor of Judah) and to the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak). He said, ² “This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: These people say it’s not the right time to rebuild the house of Yahweh.”

³ Then Yahweh spoke his word through the prophet Haggai. He said, ⁴ “Is it time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? ⁵ Now, this is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Carefully consider your ways! ⁶ You planted a lot, but you harvested little. You eat, but you’re never full. You drink, but you’re still thirsty.^[a] You wear clothing, but you never have enough to keep you warm. You spend money as fast as you earn it. ⁷ This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Carefully consider your ways!

⁸ “Go to the mountains, get lumber, and build the house. I will be pleased with it, and I will be honored,” declares Yahweh.

⁹ “You expected a lot, but you received a little. When you bring something home, I blow it away. Why?” declares Yahweh Tsebaoth. “It’s because my house lies in ruins while each of you is busy working on your own house. ¹⁰ It is because of you that the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. ¹¹ I called for a drought on the land, the hills, and on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and whatever the ground produces, on humans and animals, and on all your hard work.”

The Work on the House Resumes

¹² Then Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel), the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon obeyed Yahweh their Elohim. They also obeyed the words of the prophet Haggai because Yahweh their Elohim had sent him and because the people feared Yahweh.

¹³ Then Haggai, the messenger of Yahweh who had received Yahweh’s message, said to the people, “I am with you, declares Yahweh.”

¹⁴ Yahweh inspired them to rebuild his house. So Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel and was governor of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon began working on the house of Yahweh Tsebaoth, their Elohim. ¹⁵ They began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in Darius’ second year as king.

The New House Will Be Greater Than the Old One

2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, Yahweh spoke his word through the prophet Haggai. He said, ² “Now, speak to Zerubbabel (who is the son of Shealtiel and is governor of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who is the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon. ³ Ask them, ‘Is there anyone among the faithful few who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?’

⁴ “But now, Zerubbabel, be strong,” declares Yahweh. “Chief Priest Joshua (son of Jehozadak), be strong. Everyone in the land, be strong,” declares Yahweh. “Work, because I am with you,” declares Yahweh Tsebaoth. ⁵ “This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains with you. Don’t be afraid.

⁶ “This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Once again, in a little while,^[b] I am going to shake the sky and the earth, the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all the nations, and the one whom all the nations desire will come. Then I will fill this house with glory, says Yahweh Tsebaoth. ⁸ The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth. ⁹ This new house will be more glorious than the former, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth. And in this place I will give them peace, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth.”

Though the People Are Sinful, the Lord Will Bless Them

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in Darius’ second year as king, Yahweh spoke his word to the prophet Haggai. He said, ¹¹ “This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Ask the priests for a decision. ¹² Suppose a person carries meat set aside for a holy purpose and he folds it up in his clothes. If his clothes touch bread, boiled food, wine, oil, or any kind of food, does that make the food holy?”

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³ Haggai asked, “Suppose a person becomes unclean^[c] by touching a corpse. If he touches any of these things, does that make them unclean?”

The priests answered, “That makes them unclean.”

¹⁴ Then Haggai answered, “In the same way, I have decided that these people are unclean, and so is this nation, declares Yahweh. So is everything they do. Whatever offering they bring is unclean.

¹⁵ “And from now on, carefully consider this. Consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the temple of Yahweh. ¹⁶ When anyone came to a pile of grain to get 20 measures, there would be only 10. And when anyone came to a wine vat to draw out 50 measures, there would be only 20 in it. ¹⁷ I infested all your work with blight and mildew and struck it with hail. But you didn’t come back to me, declares Yahweh. ¹⁸ Carefully consider from now on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid. Carefully consider: ¹⁹ Is there any seed left in the barn? The vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still haven’t produced. But from now on I will bless you.”

A Promise to Zerubbabel

²⁰ Yahweh spoke his word to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month. He said, ²¹ “Say to Zerubbabel (governor of Judah), ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. ²² I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of nations. I will overthrow chariots and their riders, and the horses will fall along with their riders. They will kill one another with swords. ²³ On that day, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth, I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel), declares Yahweh. I will make you like a signet ring, because I have chosen you, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth.’”

God’s Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given a stick like a measuring stick. I was told, “Stand up and measure the temple of God and the altar. Count those who worship there. ² But do not measure the temple courtyard. Leave that out, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. ³ I will allow my two witnesses who wear sackcloth to speak what God has revealed. They will speak for 1,260 days.”

⁴ These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing in the presence of the Lord of the earth. ⁵ If anyone wants to hurt them, fire comes out of the witnesses’ mouths and burns up their enemies. If anyone wants to hurt them, he must be killed the same way. ⁶ These witnesses have authority to shut the sky in order to keep rain from falling during the time they speak what God has revealed. They have authority to turn water into blood and to strike the earth with any plague as often as they want.

⁷ When the witnesses finish their testimony, the beast which comes from the bottomless pit will fight them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the important city where their Lord was crucified. The spiritual names of that city are Sodom and Egypt. ⁹ For 3½ days some members of the people, tribes, languages, and nations will look at the witnesses’ dead bodies and will not allow anyone to bury them. ¹⁰ Those living on earth will gloat over the witnesses’ death. They will celebrate and send gifts to each other because these two prophets had tormented those living on earth.

¹¹ After 3½ days the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who watched them. ¹² The witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven calling to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. ¹³ At that moment a powerful earthquake struck. One-tenth of the city collapsed, 7,000 people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest were terrified. They gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second catastrophe is over. The third catastrophe will soon be here.

¹⁵ When the seventh angel blew his trumpet, there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

¹⁶ Then the 24 leaders, who were sitting on their thrones in God’s presence, immediately bowed, worshiped God, ¹⁷ and said,

¹⁹ God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his promise was seen inside his temple. There was lightning, noise, thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Psalm 139

For the choir director; a psalm by David.

Human Bloodsuckers

Four Things That Are Never Satisfied

Zephaniah’s Prophecy

1 This is the word that Yahweh spoke to Zephaniah, who was the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. The Lord spoke his word in the days of Judah’s King Josiah, son of Amon.

The Lord Will Judge the Earth

The Lord Will Judge Judah

The Day of the Lord

A Call for Judah to Turn Away from Sin

The Lord Will Judge His People’s Enemies

Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed

Israel Will Turn Away from Sin

Israel’s Joyful Song

Israel Will Return Home

John Eats a Small Scroll

10 I saw another powerful angel come down from heaven. He was dressed in a cloud, and there was a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet were like columns of fire. ² He held a small, opened scroll in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. ³ Then he shouted in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he shouted, the seven thunders spoke with voices of their own. ⁴ When the seven thunders spoke, I was going to write it down. I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and don’t write it down.”

⁵ The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ He swore an oath by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. ⁷ In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be completed, as he had made this Good News known to his servants, the prophets.” ⁸ The voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again. It said, “Take the opened scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

¹⁰ I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it was bitter in my stomach. ¹¹ The seven thunders told me, “Again you must speak what God has revealed in front of many people, nations, languages, and kings.”

Psalm 138

By David.

Four Kinds of People

Habakkuk’s Vision

1 The divine revelation that the prophet Habakkuk saw.

Habakkuk’s Question

The Lord’s Answer

Habakkuk’s Question

Habakkuk Waits for the Lord’s Answer

The Lord’s Answer

A Psalm

3 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk; according to shigionoth.^[b]

The Fifth and Sixth Angels Blow Their Trumpets

9 When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky. The star was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. ² It opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke came out of the shaft like the smoke from a large furnace. The smoke darkened the sun and the air. ³ Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth, and they were given power like the power of earthly scorpions. ⁴ They were told not to harm any grass, green plant, or tree on the earth. They could harm only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were not allowed to kill them. They were only allowed to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion’s sting. ⁶ At that time people will look for death and never find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them.

⁷ The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They seemed to have crowns that looked like gold on their heads. Their faces were like human faces. ⁸ They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like lions’ teeth. ⁹ They had breastplates like iron. The noise from their wings was like the roar of chariots with many horses rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They had tails and stingers like scorpions. They had the power to hurt people with their tails for five months. ¹¹ The king who ruled them was the angel from the bottomless pit. In Hebrew he is called Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

¹² The first catastrophe is over. After these things there are two more catastrophes yet to come.

¹³ When the sixth angel blew his trumpet, I heard a voice from the four horns of the gold altar in front of God. ¹⁴ The voice said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are held at the great Euphrates River.” ¹⁵ The four angels who were ready for that hour, day, month, and year were released to kill one-third of humanity. ¹⁶ The soldiers on horses numbered 20,000 times 10,000. I heard how many there were.

¹⁷ In the vision that I had, the horses and their riders looked like this: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, pale blue, and yellow. The horses had heads like lions. Fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. ¹⁸ These three plagues—the fire, smoke, and sulfur which came out of their mouths—killed one-third of humanity. ¹⁹ The power of these horses is in their mouths and their tails. (Their tails have heads like snakes which they use to hurt people.)

²⁰ The people who survived these plagues still did not turn to me and change the way they were thinking and acting. If they had, they would have stopped worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. ²¹ They did not turn away from committing murder, practicing witchcraft, sinning sexually, or stealing.

Psalm 137

Against Slander

[To the audience]

Nahum’s Vision

1 This is a revelation from the Lord about Nineveh. This book contains the vision of Nahum from Elkosh.

Who Can Withstand the Lord’s Anger?

Why Does Nineveh Oppose the Lord?

Nineveh Will Fall

An Army Will Conquer Nineveh

Nineveh’s Treasures Will Be Taken

Nineveh Will Be Destroyed

Nineveh’s Punishment for Sin

Nineveh Will Not Escape Punishment

Nineveh’s Strength Will Not Save Her

The Lamb Opens the Seventh Seal

8 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets

² Then I saw the seven angels who stand in God’s presence, and they were given seven trumpets. ³ Another angel came with a gold incense burner and stood at the altar. He was given a lot of incense to offer on the gold altar in front of the throne. He offered it with the prayers of all of God’s people. ⁴ The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God along with the prayers of God’s people. ⁵ The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth. Then there was thunder, noise, lightning, and an earthquake.

⁶ The seven angels who had the seven trumpets got ready to blow them.

The First Four Angels Blow Their Trumpets

⁷ When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire were mixed with blood, and were thrown on the earth. One-third of the earth was burned up, one-third of the trees was burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸ When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a huge mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ one-third of the creatures that were living in the sea died, and one-third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ When the third angel blew his trumpet, a huge star flaming like a torch fell from the sky. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs. ¹¹ That star was named Wormwood. One-third of the water turned into wormwood, and many people died from this water because it had turned bitter.

¹² When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, one-third of the sun, one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars were struck so that one-third of them turned dark. There was no light for one-third of the day and one-third of the night.

¹³ I saw an eagle flying overhead, and I heard it say in a loud voice, “Catastrophe, catastrophe, catastrophe for those living on earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts which the three angels are about to blow.”

Psalm 136

A Prayer

[To God]

From Defeated Ruler to Conquering King

The Glorious and Purified Remnant

God’s Lawsuit against Judah

6 Now listen to what the Lord is saying:

Verdict of Judgment

Israel’s Moral Decline

Zion’s Vindication

Micah’s Prayer Answered

The Sealed of Israel

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,^(A) restraining the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel, who had the seal of the living God rise up from the east. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were empowered^[a] to harm the earth and the sea: ³ “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the slaves of our God on their foreheads.” ⁴ And I heard the number of those who were sealed:

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people robed in white, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir,^[c] you know.”

Then he told me:

Psalm 135

Yahweh Is Great

1 The word of the Lord that came^(A) to Micah^(B) the Moreshite^(C)—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham,^(D) Ahaz,^(E) and Hezekiah,^(F) kings of Judah.

Coming Judgment on Israel

Micah’s Lament

Oppressors Judged

³ Therefore, the Lord says:

God’s Word Rejected

The Remnant Regathered

Unjust Leaders Judged

False Prophets Judged

Zion’s Destruction

The Lord’s Rule from Restored Zion

From Exile to Victory