The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 30, 2017 (NIV)

Malachi 1-2

“I Loved Jacob, but Esau I Hated”

This is a divine revelation. The Lord spoke his word to Israel through Malachi.

“I loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How did you love us?’

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals in the desert.

“The descendants of Esau may say, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.’

“Yet, this is what the Lord of Armies says: They may rebuild, but I will tear it down. They will be called ‘the Wicked Land’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is always angry.’ You will see these things with your own eyes and say, ‘Even outside the borders of Israel the Lord is great.’

The Priests Offer Unacceptable Sacrifices to the Lord

“This is what the Lord of Armies says: A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name.

“But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’

“You offer contaminated food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘Then how have we contaminated you?’

“When you say that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you bring a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that wrong? When you bring a lame or a sick animal, isn’t that wrong? Try offering it to your governor. Would he accept it from you? Would he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.

“Now try asking God to be kind to you. This is what you are doing! Will he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.

10 “I wish one of you would shut the doors to my house so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.

11 “From the nations where the sun rises to the nations where the sun sets, my name will be great. Incense and pure offerings will be offered everywhere in my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of Armies. 12 “But you dishonor it when you say that the Lord’s table may be contaminated and that its food may be despised.

13 “You say, ‘Oh what a nuisance it is,’ and you sniff at it in disgust,” says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen, lame, and sick animals. When you bring such offerings, should I accept them from you?” asks the Lord.

14 “Cheaters are under a curse. They have male animals in their flocks that they vow to give as a sacrifice. But they sacrifice second-rate ones to the Lord instead. I am a great king,” says the Lord of Armies. “Among the nations my name is respected.

The Priests Do Not Teach the Lord’s Word Correctly

“And now, you priests, this warning is for you. If you won’t listen and if you won’t consider giving honor to my name,” says the Lord of Armies, “then I’ll send a curse on you, and I’ll curse the blessings you give. Yes, I’ve already cursed them because you don’t carefully consider this.

“I’m going to punish your descendants. I’m going to spread excrement on your faces, the excrement from your festival sacrifices. You will be discarded with it. Then you will know that I sent you this warning so that my promise[a] to Levi will continue,” says the Lord of Armies. “I promised Levi life and peace. I gave them to him so that he would respect me. He respected me and stood in awe of my name. The teaching that came from his mouth was true. Nothing unjust was found on his lips. He lived with me in peace and honesty and turned many people away from sin.

“A priest’s lips should preserve knowledge. Then, because he is the messenger for the Lord of Armies, people will seek instruction from his mouth.

“But you have turned from the correct path and caused many to stumble over my teachings. You have corrupted the promise made to Levi,” says the Lord of Armies. “So I have made you disgusting, and I have humiliated you in front of all the people, because you have not followed my ways. You have been unfair when applying my teachings.”

The People Break Their Marriage Vows

10 Don’t all of us have the same father? Hasn’t the same God created us? Why are we unfaithful to each other? And why do we dishonor the promise given to our ancestors? 11 Judah has been unfaithful! A disgusting thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. Judah has dishonored the holy place that the Lord loves and has married a woman who worships a foreign god. 12 May the Lord exclude anyone who does this, whoever he may be. May he exclude them from Jacob’s tents and from bringing offerings to the Lord of Armies.

13 Here is another thing you do: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears. You moan and groan because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them from you.

14 But you ask, “Why aren’t our offerings accepted?” It is because the Lord is a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been unfaithful. Yet, she is your companion, the wife of your marriage vows. 15 Didn’t God make you one? Your flesh and spirit belong to him. And what does the same God look for but godly descendants? So be careful not to be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.[b]

16 “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel. “I hate the person who covers himself with violence,” says the Lord of Armies. “Be careful not to be unfaithful.”

17 You have tried the patience of the Lord with your words.

But you ask, “How have we tried his patience?”

When you say, “Everyone who does evil is considered good by the Lord. He is pleased with them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”

Footnotes:

  1. Malachi 2:4 Or “covenant.”
  2. Malachi 2:15 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Revelation 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.”

The one sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” He said, “Write this: ‘These words are faithful and true.’” He said to me, “It has happened! I am the A and the Z,[a] the beginning and the end. I will give a drink from the fountain filled with the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. It won’t cost anything. Everyone who wins the victory will inherit these things. I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowardly, unfaithful, and detestable people, murderers, sexual sinners, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

A New Jerusalem

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the last seven plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” 10 He carried me by his power away to a large, high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. 11 It had the glory of God. Its light was like a valuable gem, like gray quartz, as clear as crystal. 12 It had a large, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates. The names of the 12 tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb were written on them.

15 The angel who was talking to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city was square. It was as wide as it was long. He measured the city with the stick. It was 12,000 stadia[b] long. Its length, width, and height were the same. 17 He measured its wall. According to human measurement, which the angel was using, it was 144 cubits. [c] 18 Its wall was made of gray quartz. The city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were beautifully decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation was gray quartz, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth red quartz, the seventh yellow quartz, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth green quartz, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The 12 gates were 12 pearls. Each gate was made of one pearl. The street of the city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.

22 I did not see any temple in it, because the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. 23 The city doesn’t need any sun or moon to give it light because the glory of God gave it light. The lamb was its lamp. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will be open all day. They will never close because there won’t be any night there. 26 They will bring the glory and wealth of the nations into the holy city. 27 Nothing unclean,[d] no one who does anything detestable, and no liars will ever enter it. Only those whose names are written in the lamb’s Book of Life will enter it.

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 21:6 Or “the Alpha and the Omega.”
  2. Revelation 21:16 One stadion is equivalent to 607 feet.
  3. Revelation 21:18 One cubit is equivalent to 21 inches.
  4. Revelation 21:27 “Unclean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Psalm 149

Psalm 149

Hallelujah!

Sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing his praise in the assembly of godly people.
Let Israel find joy in their creator.
Let the people of Zion rejoice over their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing.
Let them make music to him with tambourines and lyres,
because the Lord takes pleasure in his people.
He crowns those who are oppressed with victory.
Let godly people triumph in glory.
Let them sing for joy on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands
to take vengeance on the nations,
to punish the people of the world,
to put their kings in chains
and their leaders in iron shackles,
to carry out the judgment that is written against them.
This is an honor that belongs to all his godly ones.

Hallelujah!

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

Proverbs 31:10-24

A Poem in Hebrew Alphabetical Order

10 “Who can find a wife with a strong character?
She is worth far more than jewels.
11 Her husband trusts her with all his heart,
and he does not lack anything good.
12 She helps him and never harms him all the days of her life.

13 “She seeks out wool and linen with care
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like merchant ships.
She brings her food from far away.
15 She wakes up while it is still dark
and gives food to her family
and portions of food to her female slaves.

16 “She picks out a field and buys it.
She plants a vineyard from the profits she has earned.
17 She puts on strength like a belt
and goes to work with energy.
18 She sees that she is making a good profit.
Her lamp burns late at night.

19 “She puts her hands on the distaff,
and her fingers hold a spindle.
20 She opens her hands to oppressed people
and stretches them out to needy people.
21 She does not fear for her family when it snows
because her whole family
has a double layer of clothing.
22 She makes quilts for herself.
Her clothes are made of linen and purple cloth.

23 “Her husband is known at the city gates
when he sits with the leaders of the land.

24 “She makes linen garments and sells them
and delivers belts to the merchants.

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group