Zechariah 2-3
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.”
Footnotes:
- Zechariah 2:1 Zechariah 2:1–13 in English Bibles is Zechariah 2:5–17 in the Hebrew Bible.
- Zechariah 3:9 Or “facets.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Revelation 13
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:
10 If anyone is taken prisoner, he must go to prison.
If anyone is killed with a sword, with a sword he must be killed.
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.
Footnotes:
- Revelation 13:18 Or “it is the number of a human.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Psalm 141
Psalm 141
A psalm by David.
1 O Yahweh, I cry out to you, “Come quickly.”
Open your ears to me when I cry out to you.
2 Let my prayer be accepted
as sweet-smelling incense in your presence.
Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted
as an evening sacrifice.
3 O Yahweh, set a guard at my mouth.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let me be persuaded to do anything evil
or to become involved with wickedness,
with people who are troublemakers.
Do not let me taste their delicacies.
5 A righteous person may strike me or correct me out of kindness.
It is like lotion for my head.
My head will not refuse it,
because my prayer is directed against evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown off a cliff,
they will listen to what I have to say.
It will sound pleasant to them.
7 As someone plows and breaks up the ground,
so our bones will be planted at the mouth of the grave.[a]
8 My eyes look to you, Yahweh Adonay.
I have taken refuge in you.
Do not leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me away from the trap they set for me
and from the traps set by troublemakers.
10 Let wicked people fall into their own nets,
while I escape unharmed.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 141:7 Hebrew meaning of verses 5–7 uncertain.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Proverbs 30:18-20
Four Things of Intrigue
18 Three things are too amazing to me,
even four that I cannot understand:
19 an eagle making its way through the sky,
a snake making its way over a rock,
a ship making its way through high seas,
a man making his way with a virgin.
About the Woman Who Commits Adultery
20 This is the way of a woman who commits adultery:
She eats, wipes her mouth,
and says, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.