ESV: Digging Deep into the Bible

ESV: Digging Deep into the Bible

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ESV: Digging Deep into the Bible episodes

  • January 1: Ecclesiastes 3:1–8; Genesis 1; 1 Chronicles 1; Luke 1:1–25
    • Psalms and Wisdom: Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
    • Pentateuch and History: Genesis 1
    • Chronicles and Prophets: 1 Chronicles 1
    • Gospels and Epistles: Luke 1:1–25
      Psalms and Wisdom: Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

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      Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
      A Time for Everything

      3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

        a time to be born, and a time to die;
        a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
        a time to kill, and a time to heal;
        a time to break down, and a time to build up;
        a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
        a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
        a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
        a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
        a time to seek, and a time to lose;
        a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
        a time to tear, and a time to sew;
        a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
        a time to love, and a time to hate;
        a time for war, and a time for peace.

      (ESV)

      Pentateuch and History: Genesis 1 Genesis 1

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      Genesis 1
      The Creation of the World

      1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

      And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

      And God said, “Let there be an expanseOr a canopy; also verses 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 20">1 in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God madeOr fashioned; also verse 16">2 the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven.Or Sky; also verses 9, 14, 15, 17, 20, 26, 28, 30; 2:1">3 And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

      And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth,Or Land; also verses 11, 12, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30; 2:1">4 and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

      And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plantsOr small plants; also verses 12, 29">5 yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

      And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,Or appointed times">6 and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

      And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birdsOr flying things; see Leviticus 11:19–20">7 fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

      And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

      Then God said, “Let us make manThe Hebrew word for man (adam) is the generic term for mankind and becomes the proper name Adam">8 in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

        So God created man in his own image,
          in the image of God he created him;
          male and female he created them.

      And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

      Footnotes

      [1] 1:6 Or a canopy; also verses 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 20


      [2] 1:7 Or fashioned; also verse 16

      [3] 1:8 Or Sky; also verses 9, 14, 15, 17, 20, 26, 28, 30; 2:1

      [4] 1:10 Or Land; also verses 11, 12, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30; 2:1

      [5] 1:11 Or small plants; also verses 12, 29

      [6] 1:14 Or appointed times

      [7] 1:20 Or flying things; see Leviticus 11:19–20

      [8] 1:26 The Hebrew word for man (adam) is the generic term for mankind and becomes the proper name Adam

      (ESV)

      Chronicles and Prophets: 1 Chronicles 1 1 Chronicles 1

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      1 Chronicles 1
      From Adam to Abraham

      1 Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

      The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath,Septuagint; Hebrew Diphath">1 and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

      The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man.Or He began to be a mighty man on the earth">2

      Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

      Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

      The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. And the sons of Aram:Septuagint; Hebrew lacks And the sons of Aram">3 Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was PelegPeleg means division">4 (for in his days the earth was divided), and his brother's name was Joktan. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal,Septuagint, Syriac (compare Genesis 10:28); Hebrew Ebal">5 Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.

      Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah; Eber, Peleg, Reu; Serug, Nahor, Terah; Abram, that is, Abraham.

      From Abraham to Jacob

      The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the descendants of Keturah.

      Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and of Timna,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:12); Hebrew lacks and of">6 Amalek. The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

      The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. The sons of Lotan: Hori and Hemam;Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:22); Hebrew Homam">7 and Lotan's sister was Timna. The sons of Shobal: Alvan,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Alian">8 Manahath, Ebal, Shepho,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Shephi">9 and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. The sonHebrew sons">10 of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:26); Hebrew Hamran">11 Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:27); Hebrew Jaakan">12 The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

      These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city being Dinhabah. Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the EuphratesHebrew the River">13 reigned in his place. Shaul died, and Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, reigned in his place. Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. And Hadad died.

      The chiefs of Edom were: chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom.

      Footnotes

      [1] 1:6 Septuagint; Hebrew Diphath


      [2] 1:10 Or He began to be a mighty man on the earth

      [3] 1:17 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks And the sons of Aram

      [4] 1:19 Peleg means division

      [5] 1:22 Septuagint, Syriac (compare Genesis 10:28); Hebrew Ebal

      [6] 1:36 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:12); Hebrew lacks and of

      [7] 1:39 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:22); Hebrew Homam

      [8] 1:40 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Alian

      [9] 1:40 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Shephi

      [10] 1:41 Hebrew sons

      [11] 1:41 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:26); Hebrew Hamran

      [12] 1:42 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:27); Hebrew Jaakan

      [13] 1:48 Hebrew the River

      (ESV)

      Gospels and Epistles: Luke 1:1–25 Luke 1:1–25

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      Luke 1:1–25
      Dedication to Theophilus

      1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

      Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

      In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,Greek Zacharias">1 of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

      Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

      And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

      After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

      Footnotes

      [1] 1:5 Greek Zacharias

      (ESV)

      15 min
    • December 31: Psalm 90; Job 42:7–17; Isaiah 66; Revelation 22:6–21
      • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 90
      • Pentateuch and History: Job 42:7–17
      • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 66
      • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 22:6–21
        Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 90 Psalm 90

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        Psalm 90
        Book Four
        From Everlasting to Everlasting
        A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

        90   Lord, you have been our dwelling placeSome Hebrew manuscripts (compare Septuagint) our refuge">1
            in all generations.
          Before the mountains were brought forth,
            or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
            from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
          You return man to dust
            and say, “Return, O children of man!”Or of Adam">2
          For a thousand years in your sight
            are but as yesterday when it is past,
            or as a watch in the night.
          You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
            like grass that is renewed in the morning:
          in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
            in the evening it fades and withers.
          For we are brought to an end by your anger;
            by your wrath we are dismayed.
          You have set our iniquities before you,
            our secret sins in the light of your presence.
          For all our days pass away under your wrath;
            we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
          The years of our life are seventy,
            or even by reason of strength eighty;
          yet their spanOr pride">3 is but toil and trouble;
            they are soon gone, and we fly away.
          Who considers the power of your anger,
            and your wrath according to the fear of you?
          So teach us to number our days
            that we may get a heart of wisdom.
          Return, O LORD! How long?
            Have pity on your servants!
          Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
            that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
          Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
            and for as many years as we have seen evil.
          Let your work be shown to your servants,
            and your glorious power to their children.
          Let the favorOr beauty">4 of the Lord our God be upon us,
            and establish the work of our hands upon us;
            yes, establish the work of our hands!

        Footnotes

        [1] 90:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts (compare Septuagint) our refuge


        [2] 90:3 Or of Adam

        [3] 90:10 Or pride

        [4] 90:17 Or beauty

        (ESV)

        Pentateuch and History: Job 42:7–17 Job 42:7–17

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        Job 42:7–17
        The Lord Rebukes Job's Friends

        After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.

        The Lord Restores Job's Fortunes

        And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evilOr disaster">1 that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of moneyHebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value">2 and a ring of gold.

        And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. And Job died, an old man, and full of days.

        Footnotes

        [1] 42:11 Or disaster


        [2] 42:11 Hebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value

        (ESV)

        Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 66 Isaiah 66

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        Isaiah 66
        The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

        66   Thus says the LORD:
          “Heaven is my throne,
            and the earth is my footstool;
          what is the house that you would build for me,
            and what is the place of my rest?
          All these things my hand has made,
            and so all these things came to be,
              declares the LORD.
          But this is the one to whom I will look:
            he who is humble and contrite in spirit
            and trembles at my word.
          “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
            he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck;
          he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood;
            he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
          These have chosen their own ways,
            and their soul delights in their abominations;
          I also will choose harsh treatment for them
            and bring their fears upon them,
          because when I called, no one answered,
            when I spoke, they did not listen;
          but they did what was evil in my eyes
            and chose that in which I did not delight.”
          Hear the word of the LORD,
            you who tremble at his word:
          “Your brothers who hate you
            and cast you out for my name's sake
          have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified,
            that we may see your joy’;
            but it is they who shall be put to shame.
          “The sound of an uproar from the city!
            A sound from the temple!
          The sound of the LORD,
            rendering recompense to his enemies!

        Rejoice with Jerusalem

          “Before she was in labor
            she gave birth;
          before her pain came upon her
            she delivered a son.
          Who has heard such a thing?
            Who has seen such things?
          Shall a land be born in one day?
            Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
          For as soon as Zion was in labor
            she brought forth her children.
          Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”
            says the LORD;
          “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”
            says your God.
          “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
            all you who love her;
          rejoice with her in joy,
            all you who mourn over her;
          that you may nurse and be satisfied
            from her consoling breast;
          that you may drink deeply with delight
            from her glorious abundance.”Or breast">1
          For thus says the LORD:
          “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
            and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
          and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
            and bounced upon her knees.
          As one whom his mother comforts,
            so I will comfort you;
            you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
          You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
            your bones shall flourish like the grass;
          and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants,
            and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

        Final Judgment and Glory of the Lord

          “For behold, the LORD will come in fire,
            and his chariots like the whirlwind,
          to render his anger in fury,
            and his rebuke with flames of fire.
          For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment,
            and by his sword, with all flesh;
            and those slain by the LORD shall be many.

        “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD.

        “For I knowSeptuagint, Syriac; Hebrew lacks know">2 their works and their thoughts, and the time is comingHebrew and it is coming">3 to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.

          “For as the new heavens and the new earth
            that I make
          shall remain before me, says the LORD,
            so shall your offspring and your name remain.
          From new moon to new moon,
            and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
          all flesh shall come to worship before me,
          declares the LORD.

        “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

        Footnotes

        [1] 66:11 Or breast


        [2] 66:18 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew lacks know

        [3] 66:18 Hebrew and it is coming

        (ESV)

        Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 22:6–21 Revelation 22:6–21

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        Revelation 22:6–21
        Jesus Is Coming

        And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

        “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

        I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

        And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

        “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

        Blessed are those who wash their robes,Some manuscripts do his commandments">1 so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

        “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

        The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

        I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

        He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

        The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.Some manuscripts all the saints">2 Amen.

        Footnotes

        [1] 22:14 Some manuscripts do his commandments


        [2] 22:21 Some manuscripts all the saints

        (ESV)

        12 min
      • December 30: Psalm 150; Job 40:6–42:6; Isaiah 65; Revelation 21–22:5
        • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 150
        • Pentateuch and History: Job 40:6–42:6
        • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 65
        • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 21–22:5
          Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 150 Psalm 150

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          Psalm 150
          Let Everything Praise the Lord

          150   Praise the LORD!
            Praise God in his sanctuary;
              praise him in his mighty heavens!Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8)">1
            Praise him for his mighty deeds;
              praise him according to his excellent greatness!
            Praise him with trumpet sound;
              praise him with lute and harp!
            Praise him with tambourine and dance;
              praise him with strings and pipe!
            Praise him with sounding cymbals;
              praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
            Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
            Praise the LORD!

          Footnotes

          [1] 150:1 Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8)

          (ESV)

          Pentateuch and History: Job 40:6–42:6 Job 40:6–42:6

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          Job 40:6–42:6
          The Lord Challenges Job

          Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

            “Dress for actionHebrew Gird up your loins">1 like a man;
              I will question you, and you make it known to me.
            Will you even put me in the wrong?
              Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
            Have you an arm like God,
              and can you thunder with a voice like his?
            “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
              clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
            Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
              and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
            Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
              and tread down the wicked where they stand.
            Hide them all in the dust together;
              bind their faces in the world below.Hebrew in the hidden place">2
            Then will I also acknowledge to you
              that your own right hand can save you.
            “Behold, Behemoth,A large animal, exact identity unknown">3
              which I made as I made you;
              he eats grass like an ox.
            Behold, his strength in his loins,
              and his power in the muscles of his belly.
            He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
              the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
            His bones are tubes of bronze,
              his limbs like bars of iron.
            “He is the first of the worksHebrew ways">4 of God;
              let him who made him bring near his sword!
            For the mountains yield food for him
              where all the wild beasts play.
            Under the lotus plants he lies,
              in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
            For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
              the willows of the brook surround him.
            Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
              he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
            Can one take him by his eyes,Or in his sight">5
              or pierce his nose with a snare?
          41   Ch 40:25 in Hebrew">6 “Can you draw out LeviathanA large sea animal, exact identity unknown">7 with a fishhook
              or press down his tongue with a cord?
            Can you put a rope in his nose
              or pierce his jaw with a hook?
            Will he make many pleas to you?
              Will he speak to you soft words?
            Will he make a covenant with you
              to take him for your servant forever?
            Will you play with him as with a bird,
              or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
            Will traders bargain over him?
              Will they divide him up among the merchants?
            Can you fill his skin with harpoons
              or his head with fishing spears?
            Lay your hands on him;
              remember the battle—you will not do it again!
            Ch 41:1 in Hebrew">8 Behold, the hope of a man is false;
              he is laid low even at the sight of him.
            No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
              Who then is he who can stand before me?
            Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
              Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
            “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
              or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
            Who can strip off his outer garment?
              Who would come near him with a bridle?
            Who can open the doors of his face?
              Around his teeth is terror.
            His back is made ofOr His pride is in his">9 rows of shields,
              shut up closely as with a seal.
            One is so near to another
              that no air can come between them.
            They are joined one to another;
              they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
            His sneezings flash forth light,
              and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
            Out of his mouth go flaming torches;
              sparks of fire leap forth.
            Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,
              as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
            His breath kindles coals,
              and a flame comes forth from his mouth.
            In his neck abides strength,
              and terror dances before him.
            The folds of his flesh stick together,
              firmly cast on him and immovable.
            His heart is hard as a stone,
              hard as the lower millstone.
            When he raises himself up, the mightyOr gods">10 are afraid;
              at the crashing they are beside themselves.
            Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,
              nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
            He counts iron as straw,
              and bronze as rotten wood.
            The arrow cannot make him flee;
              for him, sling stones are turned to stubble.
            Clubs are counted as stubble;
              he laughs at the rattle of javelins.
            His underparts are like sharp potsherds;
              he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
            He makes the deep boil like a pot;
              he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
            Behind him he leaves a shining wake;
              one would think the deep to be white-haired.
            On earth there is not his like,
              a creature without fear.
            He sees everything that is high;
              he is king over all the sons of pride.”

          Job's Confession and Repentance

          42 Then Job answered the LORD and said:

            “I know that you can do all things,
              and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
            ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
            Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
              things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
            ‘Hear, and I will speak;
              I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
            I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
              but now my eye sees you;
            therefore I despise myself,
              and repentOr and am comforted">11 in dust and ashes.”

          Footnotes

          [1] 40:7 Hebrew Gird up your loins


          [2] 40:13 Hebrew in the hidden place

          [3] 40:15 A large animal, exact identity unknown

          [4] 40:19 Hebrew ways

          [5] 40:24 Or in his sight

          [6] 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Hebrew

          [7] 41:1 A large sea animal, exact identity unknown

          [8] 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Hebrew

          [9] 41:15 Or His pride is in his

          [10] 41:25 Or gods

          [11] 42:6 Or and am comforted

          (ESV)

          Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 65 Isaiah 65

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          Isaiah 65
          Judgment and Salvation

          65   I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
              I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
            I said, “Here I am, here I am,”
              to a nation that was not called byOr that did not call upon">1 my name.
            I spread out my hands all the day
              to a rebellious people,
            who walk in a way that is not good,
              following their own devices;
            a people who provoke me
              to my face continually,
            sacrificing in gardens
              and making offerings on bricks;
            who sit in tombs,
              and spend the night in secret places;
            who eat pig's flesh,
              and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;
            who say, “Keep to yourself,
              do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”
            These are a smoke in my nostrils,
              a fire that burns all the day.
            Behold, it is written before me:
              “I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
            I will indeed repay into their lap
              both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together,
                says the LORD;
            because they made offerings on the mountains
              and insulted me on the hills,
            I will measure into their lap
              payment for their former deeds.”Or I will first measure their payment into their lap">2
            Thus says the LORD:
            “As the new wine is found in the cluster,
              and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,
              for there is a blessing in it,’
            so I will do for my servants' sake,
              and not destroy them all.
            I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,
              and from Judah possessors of my mountains;
            my chosen shall possess it,
              and my servants shall dwell there.
            Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,
              and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
              for my people who have sought me.
            But you who forsake the LORD,
              who forget my holy mountain,
            who set a table for Fortune
              and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
            I will destine you to the sword,
              and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,
            because, when I called, you did not answer;
              when I spoke, you did not listen,
            but you did what was evil in my eyes
              and chose what I did not delight in.”
            Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
            “Behold, my servants shall eat,
              but you shall be hungry;
            behold, my servants shall drink,
              but you shall be thirsty;
            behold, my servants shall rejoice,
              but you shall be put to shame;
            behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,
              but you shall cry out for pain of heart
              and shall wail for breaking of spirit.
            You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,
              and the Lord GOD will put you to death,
              but his servants he will call by another name,
            so that he who blesses himself in the land
              shall bless himself by the God of truth,
            and he who takes an oath in the land
              shall swear by the God of truth;
            because the former troubles are forgotten
              and are hidden from my eyes.

          New Heavens and a New Earth

            “For behold, I create new heavens
              and a new earth,
            and the former things shall not be remembered
              or come into mind.
            But be glad and rejoice forever
              in that which I create;
            for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
              and her people to be a gladness.
            I will rejoice in Jerusalem
              and be glad in my people;
            no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
              and the cry of distress.
            No more shall there be in it
              an infant who lives but a few days,
              or an old man who does not fill out his days,
            for the young man shall die a hundred years old,
              and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
            They shall build houses and inhabit them;
              they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
            They shall not build and another inhabit;
              they shall not plant and another eat;
            for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
              and my chosen shall long enjoyHebrew shall wear out">3 the work of their hands.
            They shall not labor in vain
              or bear children for calamity,Or for sudden terror">4
            for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,
              and their descendants with them.
            Before they call I will answer;
              while they are yet speaking I will hear.
            The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
              the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
              and dust shall be the serpent's food.
            They shall not hurt or destroy
              in all my holy mountain,”
                says the LORD.

          Footnotes

          [1] 65:1 Or that did not call upon


          [2] 65:7 Or I will first measure their payment into their lap

          [3] 65:22 Hebrew shall wear out

          [4] 65:23 Or for sudden terror

          (ESV)

          Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 21–22:5 Revelation 21–22:5

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          Revelation 21–22:5
          The New Heaven and the New Earth

          21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling placeOr tabernacle">1 of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,Some manuscripts peoples">2 and God himself will be with them as their God.Some manuscripts omit as their God">3 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

          And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

          The New Jerusalem

          Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

          And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters">4 Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubitsA cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters">5 by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

          And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

          The River of Life

          22 Then the angelGreek he">6 showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of lifeOr the Lamb. In the midst of the street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life">7 with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

          Footnotes

          [1] 21:3 Or tabernacle


          [2] 21:3 Some manuscripts peoples

          [3] 21:3 Some manuscripts omit as their God

          [4] 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

          [5] 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

          [6] 22:1 Greek he

          [7] 22:2 Or the Lamb. In the midst of the street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life

          (ESV)

          17 min
        • December 29: Psalm 149; Job 39–40:5; Isaiah 63–64; Revelation 20
          • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 149
          • Pentateuch and History: Job 39–40:5
          • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 63–64
          • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 20
            Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 149 Psalm 149

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            Psalm 149
            Sing to the Lord a New Song

            149   Praise the LORD!
              Sing to the LORD a new song,
                his praise in the assembly of the godly!
              Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
                let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
              Let them praise his name with dancing,
                making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
              For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
                he adorns the humble with salvation.
              Let the godly exult 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 execute vengeance on the nations
                and punishments on the peoples,
              to bind their kings with chains
                and their nobles with fetters of iron,
              to execute on them the judgment written!
                This is honor for all his godly ones.
              Praise the LORD!

            (ESV)

            Pentateuch and History: Job 39–40:5 Job 39–40:5

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            Job 39–40:5

            39   “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
                Do you observe the calving of the does?
              Can you number the months that they fulfill,
                and do you know the time when they give birth,
              when they crouch, bring forth their offspring,
                and are delivered of their young?
              Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
                they go out and do not return to them.
              “Who has let the wild donkey go free?
                Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
              to whom I have given the arid plain for his home
                and the salt land for his dwelling place?
              He scorns the tumult of the city;
                he hears not the shouts of the driver.
              He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
                and he searches after every green thing.
              “Is the wild ox willing to serve you?
                Will he spend the night at your manger?
              Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes,
                or will he harrow the valleys after you?
              Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
                and will you leave to him your labor?
              Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
                and gather it to your threshing floor?
              “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
                but are they the pinions and plumage of love?The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">1
              For she leaves her eggs to the earth
                and lets them be warmed on the ground,
              forgetting that a foot may crush them
                and that the wild beast may trample them.
              She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
                though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
              because God has made her forget wisdom
                and given her no share in understanding.
              When she rouses herself to flee,The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">2
                she laughs at the horse and his rider.
              “Do you give the horse his might?
                Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
              Do you make him leap like the locust?
                His majestic snorting is terrifying.
              He pawsHebrew They paw">3 in the valley and exults in his strength;
                he goes out to meet the weapons.
              He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
                he does not turn back from the sword.
              Upon him rattle the quiver,
                the flashing spear, and the javelin.
              With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
                he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
              When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’
                He smells the battle from afar,
                the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
              “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
                and spreads his wings toward the south?
              Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
                and makes his nest on high?
              On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
                on the rocky crag and stronghold.
              From there he spies out the prey;
                his eyes behold it from far away.
              His young ones suck up blood,
                and where the slain are, there is he.”

            40 And the LORD said to Job:

              “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
                He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

            Job Promises Silence

            Then Job answered the LORD and said:

              “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
                I lay my hand on my mouth.
              I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
                twice, but I will proceed no further.”

            Footnotes

            [1] 39:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain


            [2] 39:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

            [3] 39:21 Hebrew They paw

            (ESV)

            Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 63–64 Isaiah 63–64

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            Isaiah 63–64
            The Lord's Day of Vengeance

            63   Who is this who comes from Edom,
                in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
              he who is splendid in his apparel,
                marching in the greatness of his strength?
              “It is I, speaking in righteousness,
                mighty to save.”
              Why is your apparel red,
                and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
              “I have trodden the winepress alone,
                and from the peoples no one was with me;
              I trod them in my anger
                and trampled them in my wrath;
              their lifebloodOr their juice; also verse 6">1 spattered on my garments,
                and stained all my apparel.
              For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
                and my year of redemptionOr the year of my redeemed">2 had come.
              I looked, but there was no one to help;
                I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
              so my own arm brought me salvation,
                and my wrath upheld me.
              I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
                I made them drunk in my wrath,
                and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

            The Lord's Mercy Remembered

              I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD,
                the praises of the LORD,
              according to all that the LORD has granted us,
                and the great goodness to the house of Israel
              that he has granted them according to his compassion,
                according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
              For he said, “Surely they are my people,
                children who will not deal falsely.”
                And he became their Savior.
              In all their affliction he was afflicted,Or he did not afflict">3
                and the angel of his presence saved them;
              in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
                he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
              But they rebelled
                and grieved his Holy Spirit;
              therefore he turned to be their enemy,
                and himself fought against them.
              Then he remembered the days of old,
                of Moses and his people.Or Then his people remembered the days of old, of Moses">4
              Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
                with the shepherds of his flock?
              Where is he who put in the midst of them
                his Holy Spirit,
              who caused his glorious arm
                to go at the right hand of Moses,
              who divided the waters before them
                to make for himself an everlasting name,
                who led them through the depths?
              Like a horse in the desert,
                they did not stumble.
              Like livestock that go down into the valley,
                the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
              So you led your people,
                to make for yourself a glorious name.

            Prayer for Mercy

              Look down from heaven and see,
                from your holy and beautifulOr holy and glorious">5 habitation.
              Where are your zeal and your might?
                The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
                are held back from me.
              For you are our Father,
                though Abraham does not know us,
                and Israel does not acknowledge us;
              you, O LORD, are our Father,
                our Redeemer from of old is your name.
              O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways
                and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
              Return for the sake of your servants,
                the tribes of your heritage.
              Your holy people held possession for a little while;Or They have dispossessed your holy people for a little while">6
                our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
              We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
                like those who are not called by your name.
            64   Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
                that the mountains might quake at your presence—
              Ch 64:1 in Hebrew">7 as when fire kindles brushwood
                and the fire causes water to boil—
              to make your name known to your adversaries,
                and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
              When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
                you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
              From of old no one has heard
                or perceived by the ear,
              no eye has seen a God besides you,
                who acts for those who wait for him.
              You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
                those who remember you in your ways.
              Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
                in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?Or in your ways is continuance, that we might be saved">8
              We have all become like one who is unclean,
                and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
              We all fade like a leaf,
                and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
              There is no one who calls upon your name,
                who rouses himself to take hold of you;
              for you have hidden your face from us,
                and have made us melt inMasoretic Text; Septuagint, Syriac, Targum have delivered us into">9 the hand of our iniquities.
              But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
                we are the clay, and you are our potter;
                we are all the work of your hand.
              Be not so terribly angry, O LORD,
                and remember not iniquity forever.
                Behold, please look, we are all your people.
              Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
                Zion has become a wilderness,
                Jerusalem a desolation.
              Our holy and beautifulOr holy and glorious">10 house,
                where our fathers praised you,
              has been burned by fire,
                and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
              Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD?
                Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

            Footnotes

            [1] 63:3 Or their juice; also verse 6


            [2] 63:4 Or the year of my redeemed

            [3] 63:9 Or he did not afflict

            [4] 63:11 Or Then his people remembered the days of old, of Moses

            [5] 63:15 Or holy and glorious

            [6] 63:18 Or They have dispossessed your holy people for a little while

            [7] 64:2 Ch 64:1 in Hebrew

            [8] 64:5 Or in your ways is continuance, that we might be saved

            [9] 64:7 Masoretic Text; Septuagint, Syriac, Targum have delivered us into

            [10] 64:11 Or holy and glorious

            (ESV)

            Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 20 Revelation 20

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            Revelation 20
            The Thousand Years

            20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pitGreek the abyss; also verse 3">1 and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

            Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

            The Defeat of Satan

            And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heavenSome manuscripts from God, out of heaven, or out of heaven from God">2 and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

            Judgment Before the Great White Throne

            Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

            Footnotes

            [1] 20:1 Greek the abyss; also verse 3


            [2] 20:9 Some manuscripts from God, out of heaven, or out of heaven from God

            (ESV)

            13 min
          • December 23: Psalm 143; Job 32; Isaiah 55; Revelation 14
            • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 143
            • Pentateuch and History: Job 32
            • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 55
            • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 14
              Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 143 Psalm 143

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              Psalm 143
              My Soul Thirsts for You
              A Psalm of David.

              143   Hear my prayer, O LORD;
                  give ear to my pleas for mercy!
                  In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
                Enter not into judgment with your servant,
                  for no one living is righteous before you.
                For the enemy has pursued my soul;
                  he has crushed my life to the ground;
                  he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
                Therefore my spirit faints within me;
                  my heart within me is appalled.
                I remember the days of old;
                  I meditate on all that you have done;
                  I ponder the work of your hands.
                I stretch out my hands to you;
                  my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
                Answer me quickly, O LORD!
                  My spirit fails!
                Hide not your face from me,
                  lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
                Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
                  for in you I trust.
                Make me know the way I should go,
                  for to you I lift up my soul.
                Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD!
                  I have fled to you for refuge.One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered">1
                Teach me to do your will,
                  for you are my God!
                Let your good Spirit lead me
                  on level ground!
                For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life!
                  In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
                And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
                  and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
                  for I am your servant.

              Footnotes

              [1] 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered

              (ESV)

              Pentateuch and History: Job 32 Job 32

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              Job 32
              Elihu Rebukes Job's Three Friends

              32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. He burned with anger also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.

              And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said:

                “I am young in years,
                  and you are aged;
                therefore I was timid and afraid
                  to declare my opinion to you.
                I said, ‘Let days speak,
                  and many years teach wisdom.’
                But it is the spirit in man,
                  the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.
                It is not the oldHebrew many [in years]">1 who are wise,
                  nor the aged who understand what is right.
                Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
                  let me also declare my opinion.’
                “Behold, I waited for your words,
                  I listened for your wise sayings,
                  while you searched out what to say.
                I gave you my attention,
                  and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job
                  or who answered his words.
                Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom;
                  God may vanquish him, not a man.’
                He has not directed his words against me,
                  and I will not answer him with your speeches.
                “They are dismayed; they answer no more;
                  they have not a word to say.
                And shall I wait, because they do not speak,
                  because they stand there, and answer no more?
                I also will answer with my share;
                  I also will declare my opinion.
                For I am full of words;
                  the spirit within me constrains me.
                Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent;
                  like new wineskins ready to burst.
                I must speak, that I may find relief;
                  I must open my lips and answer.
                I will not show partiality to any man
                  or use flattery toward any person.
                For I do not know how to flatter,
                  else my Maker would soon take me away.

              Footnotes

              [1] 32:9 Hebrew many [in years]

              (ESV)

              Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 55 Isaiah 55

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              Isaiah 55
              The Compassion of the Lord

              55   “Come, everyone who thirsts,
                  come to the waters;
                and he who has no money,
                  come, buy and eat!
                Come, buy wine and milk
                  without money and without price.
                Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
                  and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
                Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
                  and delight yourselves in rich food.
                Incline your ear, and come to me;
                  hear, that your soul may live;
                and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
                  my steadfast, sure love for David.
                Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
                  a leader and commander for the peoples.
                Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
                  and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
                because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
                  for he has glorified you.
                “Seek the LORD while he may be found;
                  call upon him while he is near;
                let the wicked forsake his way,
                  and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
                let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
                  and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
                For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
                  neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
                For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
                  so are my ways higher than your ways
                  and my thoughts than your thoughts.
                “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
                  and do not return there but water the earth,
                making it bring forth and sprout,
                  giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
                so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
                  it shall not return to me empty,
                but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
                  and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
                “For you shall go out in joy
                  and be led forth in peace;
                the mountains and the hills before you
                  shall break forth into singing,
                  and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
                Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
                  instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
                and it shall make a name for the LORD,
                  an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

              (ESV)

              Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 14 Revelation 14

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              Revelation 14
              The Lamb and the 144,000

              14 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

              The Messages of the Three Angels

              Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

              Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passionOr wrath">1 of her sexual immorality.”

              And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

              Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.Greek and the faith of Jesus">2

              And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

              The Harvest of the Earth

              Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

              Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters">3

              Footnotes

              [1] 14:8 Or wrath


              [2] 14:12 Greek and the faith of Jesus

              [3] 14:20 About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

              (ESV)

              11 min
            • December 22: Psalm 142; Job 31; Isaiah 54; Revelation 13
              • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 142
              • Pentateuch and History: Job 31
              • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 54
              • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 13
                Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 142 Psalm 142

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                Psalm 142
                You Are My Refuge
                A MaskilProbably a musical or liturgical term">1 of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

                142   With my voice I cry out to the LORD;
                    with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.
                  I pour out my complaint before him;
                    I tell my trouble before him.
                  When my spirit faints within me,
                    you know my way!
                  In the path where I walk
                    they have hidden a trap for me.
                  Look to the right and see:
                    there is none who takes notice of me;
                  no refuge remains to me;
                    no one cares for my soul.
                  I cry to you, O LORD;
                    I say, “You are my refuge,
                    my portion in the land of the living.”
                  Attend to my cry,
                    for I am brought very low!
                  Deliver me from my persecutors,
                    for they are too strong for me!
                  Bring me out of prison,
                    that I may give thanks to your name!
                  The righteous will surround me,
                    for you will deal bountifully with me.

                Footnotes

                [1] 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

                (ESV)

                Pentateuch and History: Job 31 Job 31

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                Job 31
                Job's Final Appeal

                31   “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
                    how then could I gaze at a virgin?
                  What would be my portion from God above
                    and my heritage from the Almighty on high?
                  Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
                    and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
                  Does not he see my ways
                    and number all my steps?
                  “If I have walked with falsehood
                    and my foot has hastened to deceit;
                  (Let me be weighed in a just balance,
                    and let God know my integrity!)
                  if my step has turned aside from the way
                    and my heart has gone after my eyes,
                    and if any spot has stuck to my hands,
                  then let me sow, and another eat,
                    and let what grows for meOr let my descendants">1 be rooted out.
                  “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
                    and I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
                  then let my wife grind for another,
                    and let others bow down on her.
                  For that would be a heinous crime;
                    that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
                  for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon,
                    and it would burn to the root all my increase.
                  “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
                    when they brought a complaint against me,
                  what then shall I do when God rises up?
                    When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
                  Did not he who made me in the womb make him?
                    And did not one fashion us in the womb?
                  “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
                    or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
                  or have eaten my morsel alone,
                    and the fatherless has not eaten of it
                  (for from my youth the fatherlessHebrew he">2 grew up with me as with a father,
                    and from my mother's womb I guided the widowHebrew her">3),
                  if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
                    or the needy without covering,
                  if his body has not blessed me,Hebrew if his loins have not blessed me">4
                    and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
                  if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
                    because I saw my help in the gate,
                  then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
                    and let my arm be broken from its socket.
                  For I was in terror of calamity from God,
                    and I could not have faced his majesty.
                  “If I have made gold my trust
                    or called fine gold my confidence,
                  if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
                    or because my hand had found much,
                  if I have looked at the sunHebrew the light">5 when it shone,
                    or the moon moving in splendor,
                  and my heart has been secretly enticed,
                    and my mouth has kissed my hand,
                  this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
                    for I would have been false to God above.
                  “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
                    or exulted when evil overtook him
                  (I have not let my mouth sin
                    by asking for his life with a curse),
                  if the men of my tent have not said,
                    ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’
                  (the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
                    I have opened my doors to the traveler),
                  if I have concealed my transgressions as others doOr as Adam did">6
                    by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
                  because I stood in great fear of the multitude,
                    and the contempt of families terrified me,
                    so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
                  Oh, that I had one to hear me!
                    (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)
                    Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!
                  Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
                    I would bind it on me as a crown;
                  I would give him an account of all my steps;
                    like a prince I would approach him.
                  “If my land has cried out against me
                    and its furrows have wept together,
                  if I have eaten its yield without payment
                    and made its owners breathe their last,
                  let thorns grow instead of wheat,
                    and foul weeds instead of barley.”

                The words of Job are ended.

                Footnotes

                [1] 31:8 Or let my descendants


                [2] 31:18 Hebrew he

                [3] 31:18 Hebrew her

                [4] 31:20 Hebrew if his loins have not blessed me

                [5] 31:26 Hebrew the light

                [6] 31:33 Or as Adam did

                (ESV)

                Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 54 Isaiah 54

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                Isaiah 54
                The Eternal Covenant of Peace

                54   “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
                    break forth into singing and cry aloud,
                    you who have not been in labor!
                  For the children of the desolate one will be more
                    than the children of her who is married,” says the LORD.
                  “Enlarge the place of your tent,
                    and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
                  do not hold back; lengthen your cords
                    and strengthen your stakes.
                  For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
                    and your offspring will possess the nations
                    and will people the desolate cities.
                  “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
                    be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
                  for you will forget the shame of your youth,
                    and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
                  For your Maker is your husband,
                    the LORD of hosts is his name;
                  and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
                    the God of the whole earth he is called.
                  For the LORD has called you
                    like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
                  like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
                    says your God.
                  For a brief moment I deserted you,
                    but with great compassion I will gather you.
                  In overflowing anger for a moment
                    I hid my face from you,
                  but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
                    says the LORD, your Redeemer.
                  “This is like the days of NoahSome manuscripts For this is as the waters of Noah">1 to me:
                    as I swore that the waters of Noah
                    should no more go over the earth,
                  so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
                    and will not rebuke you.
                  For the mountains may depart
                    and the hills be removed,
                  but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
                    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
                    says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
                  “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
                    behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
                    and lay your foundations with sapphires.Or lapis lazuli">2
                  I will make your pinnacles of agate,Or jasper, or ruby">3
                    your gates of carbuncles,Or crystal">4
                    and all your wall of precious stones.
                  All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
                    and great shall be the peace of your children.
                  In righteousness you shall be established;
                    you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
                    and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
                  If anyone stirs up strife,
                    it is not from me;
                  whoever stirs up strife with you
                    shall fall because of you.
                  Behold, I have created the smith
                    who blows the fire of coals
                    and produces a weapon for its purpose.
                  I have also created the ravager to destroy;
                    no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
                    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
                  This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD
                    and their vindicationOr righteousness">5 from me, declares the LORD.”

                Footnotes

                [1] 54:9 Some manuscripts For this is as the waters of Noah


                [2] 54:11 Or lapis lazuli

                [3] 54:12 Or jasper, or ruby

                [4] 54:12 Or crystal

                [5] 54:17 Or righteousness

                (ESV)

                Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 13 Revelation 13

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                Revelation 13
                The First Beast

                13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

                And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,Or tabernacle">1 that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.Some manuscripts omit this sentence">2 And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

                  If anyone is to be taken captive,
                    to captivity he goes;
                  if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
                    with the sword must he be slain.

                Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

                The Second Beast

                Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,Or on its behalf">3 and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence ofOr on behalf of">4 the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface">5 to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.Some manuscripts 616">6

                Footnotes

                [1] 13:6 Or tabernacle


                [2] 13:7 Some manuscripts omit this sentence

                [3] 13:12 Or on its behalf

                [4] 13:14 Or on behalf of

                [5] 13:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

                [6] 13:18 Some manuscripts 616

                (ESV)

                11 min
              • December 21: Psalm 141; Job 30; Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Revelation 12
                • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 141
                • Pentateuch and History: Job 30
                • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 52:13–53:12
                • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 12
                  Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 141 Psalm 141

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                  Psalm 141
                  Give Ear to My Voice
                  A Psalm of David.

                  141   O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!
                      Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
                    Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
                      and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
                    Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
                      keep watch over the door of my lips!
                    Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
                      to busy myself with wicked deeds
                    in company with men who work iniquity,
                      and let me not eat of their delicacies!
                    Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
                      let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
                      let my head not refuse it.
                    Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
                    When their judges are thrown over the cliff,Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock">1
                      then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
                    As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
                      so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain">2
                    But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord;
                      in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!">3
                    Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
                      and from the snares of evildoers!
                    Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
                      while I pass by safely.

                  Footnotes

                  [1] 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock


                  [2] 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain

                  [3] 141:8 Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!

                  (ESV)

                  Pentateuch and History: Job 30 Job 30

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                  Job 30

                  30   “But now they laugh at me,
                      men who are younger than I,
                    whose fathers I would have disdained
                      to set with the dogs of my flock.
                    What could I gain from the strength of their hands,
                      men whose vigor is gone?
                    Through want and hard hunger
                      they gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation;
                    they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes,
                      and the roots of the broom tree for their food.Or warmth">1
                    They are driven out from human company;
                      they shout after them as after a thief.
                    In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell,
                      in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
                    Among the bushes they bray;
                      under the nettles they huddle together.
                    A senseless, a nameless brood,
                      they have been whipped out of the land.
                    “And now I have become their song;
                      I am a byword to them.
                    They abhor me; they keep aloof from me;
                      they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me.
                    Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me,
                      they have cast off restraintHebrew the bridle">2 in my presence.
                    On my right hand the rabble rise;
                      they push away my feet;
                      they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
                    They break up my path;
                      they promote my calamity;
                      they need no one to help them.
                    As through a wide breach they come;
                      amid the crash they roll on.
                    Terrors are turned upon me;
                      my honor is pursued as by the wind,
                      and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.
                    “And now my soul is poured out within me;
                      days of affliction have taken hold of me.
                    The night racks my bones,
                      and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest.
                    With great force my garment is disfigured;
                      it binds me about like the collar of my tunic.
                    GodHebrew He">3 has cast me into the mire,
                      and I have become like dust and ashes.
                    I cry to you for help and you do not answer me;
                      I stand, and you only look at me.
                    You have turned cruel to me;
                      with the might of your hand you persecute me.
                    You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it,
                      and you toss me about in the roar of the storm.
                    For I know that you will bring me to death
                      and to the house appointed for all living.
                    “Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
                      and in his disaster cry for help?The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">4
                    Did not I weep for him whose day was hard?
                      Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
                    But when I hoped for good, evil came,
                      and when I waited for light, darkness came.
                    My inward parts are in turmoil and never still;
                      days of affliction come to meet me.
                    I go about darkened, but not by the sun;
                      I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
                    I am a brother of jackals
                      and a companion of ostriches.
                    My skin turns black and falls from me,
                      and my bones burn with heat.
                    My lyre is turned to mourning,
                      and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.

                  Footnotes

                  [1] 30:4 Or warmth


                  [2] 30:11 Hebrew the bridle

                  [3] 30:19 Hebrew He

                  [4] 30:24 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

                  (ESV)

                  Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 52:13–53:12 Isaiah 52:13–53:12

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                  Isaiah 52:13–53:12
                  He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions

                    Behold, my servant shall act wisely;Or shall prosper">1
                      he shall be high and lifted up,
                      and shall be exalted.
                    As many were astonished at you—
                      his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
                      and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
                    so shall he sprinkleOr startle">2 many nations.
                      Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
                    for that which has not been told them they see,
                      and that which they have not heard they understand.
                  53   Who has believed what he has heard from us?Or Who has believed what we have heard?">3
                      And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
                    For he grew up before him like a young plant,
                      and like a root out of dry ground;
                    he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
                      and no beauty that we should desire him.
                    He was despised and rejectedOr forsaken">4 by men,
                      a man of sorrowsOr pains; also verse 4">5 and acquainted withOr and knowing">6 grief;Or sickness; also verse 4">7
                    and as one from whom men hide their facesOr as one who hides his face from us">8
                      he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
                    Surely he has borne our griefs
                      and carried our sorrows;
                    yet we esteemed him stricken,
                      smitten by God, and afflicted.
                    But he was pierced for our transgressions;
                      he was crushed for our iniquities;
                    upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
                      and with his wounds we are healed.
                    All we like sheep have gone astray;
                      we have turned—every one—to his own way;
                    and the LORD has laid on him
                      the iniquity of us all.
                    He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
                      yet he opened not his mouth;
                    like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
                      and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
                      so he opened not his mouth.
                    By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
                      and as for his generation, who considered
                    that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
                      stricken for the transgression of my people?
                    And they made his grave with the wicked
                      and with a rich man in his death,
                    although he had done no violence,
                      and there was no deceit in his mouth.
                    Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
                      he has put him to grief;Or he has made him sick">9
                    when his soul makesOr when you make his soul">10 an offering for guilt,
                      he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
                    the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
                    Out of the anguish of his soul he shall seeMasoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll he shall see light">11 and be satisfied;
                    by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
                      make many to be accounted righteous,
                      and he shall bear their iniquities.
                    Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,Or with the great">12
                      and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,Or with the numerous">13
                    because he poured out his soul to death
                      and was numbered with the transgressors;
                    yet he bore the sin of many,
                      and makes intercession for the transgressors.

                  Footnotes

                  [1] 52:13 Or shall prosper


                  [2] 52:15 Or startle

                  [3] 53:1 Or Who has believed what we have heard?

                  [4] 53:3 Or forsaken

                  [5] 53:3 Or pains; also verse 4

                  [6] 53:3 Or and knowing

                  [7] 53:3 Or sickness; also verse 4

                  [8] 53:3 Or as one who hides his face from us

                  [9] 53:10 Or he has made him sick

                  [10] 53:10 Or when you make his soul

                  [11] 53:11 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll he shall see light

                  [12] 53:12 Or with the great

                  [13] 53:12 Or with the numerous

                  (ESV)

                  Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 12 Revelation 12

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                  Revelation 12
                  The Woman and the Dragon

                  12 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to ruleGreek shepherd">1 all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

                  Satan Thrown Down to Earth

                  Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothersOr brothers and sisters">2 has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

                  And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stoodSome manuscripts And I stood, connecting the sentence with 13:1">3 on the sand of the sea.

                  Footnotes

                  [1] 12:5 Greek shepherd


                  [2] 12:10 Or brothers and sisters

                  [3] 12:17 Some manuscripts And I stood, connecting the sentence with 13:1

                  (ESV)

                  11 min
                • December 20: Psalm 140; Job 29; Isaiah 51–52:12; Revelation 11
                  • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 140
                  • Pentateuch and History: Job 29
                  • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 51–52:12
                  • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 11
                    Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 140 Psalm 140

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                    Psalm 140
                    Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
                    To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

                    140   Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
                        preserve me from violent men,
                      who plan evil things in their heart
                        and stir up wars continually.
                      They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's,
                        and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
                      Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
                        preserve me from violent men,
                        who have planned to trip up my feet.
                      The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
                        and with cords they have spread a net;Or they have spread cords as a net">1
                        beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah
                      I say to the LORD, You are my God;
                        give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!
                      O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
                        you have covered my head in the day of battle.
                      Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
                        do not further theirHebrew his">2 evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah
                      As for the head of those who surround me,
                        let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
                      Let burning coals fall upon them!
                        Let them be cast into fire,
                        into miry pits, no more to rise!
                      Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
                        let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
                      I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
                        and will execute justice for the needy.
                      Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
                        the upright shall dwell in your presence.

                    Footnotes

                    [1] 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net


                    [2] 140:8 Hebrew his

                    (ESV)

                    Pentateuch and History: Job 29 Job 29

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                    Job 29
                    Job's Summary Defense

                    29 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

                      “Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
                        as in the days when God watched over me,
                      when his lamp shone upon my head,
                        and by his light I walked through darkness,
                      as I was in my prime,Hebrew my autumn days">1
                        when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
                      when the Almighty was yet with me,
                        when my children were all around me,
                      when my steps were washed with butter,
                        and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
                      When I went out to the gate of the city,
                        when I prepared my seat in the square,
                      the young men saw me and withdrew,
                        and the aged rose and stood;
                      the princes refrained from talking
                        and laid their hand on their mouth;
                      the voice of the nobles was hushed,
                        and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
                      When the ear heard, it called me blessed,
                        and when the eye saw, it approved,
                      because I delivered the poor who cried for help,
                        and the fatherless who had none to help him.
                      The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
                        and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
                      I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
                        my justice was like a robe and a turban.
                      I was eyes to the blind
                        and feet to the lame.
                      I was a father to the needy,
                        and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
                      I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
                        and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
                      Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,
                        and I shall multiply my days as the sand,
                      my roots spread out to the waters,
                        with the dew all night on my branches,
                      my glory fresh with me,
                        and my bow ever new in my hand.’
                      “Men listened to me and waited
                        and kept silence for my counsel.
                      After I spoke they did not speak again,
                        and my word dropped upon them.
                      They waited for me as for the rain,
                        and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
                      I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
                        and the light of my face they did not cast down.
                      I chose their way and sat as chief,
                        and I lived like a king among his troops,
                        like one who comforts mourners.

                    Footnotes

                    [1] 29:4 Hebrew my autumn days

                    (ESV)

                    Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 51–52:12 Isaiah 51–52:12

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                    Isaiah 51–52:12
                    The Lord's Comfort for Zion

                    51   “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
                        you who seek the LORD:
                      look to the rock from which you were hewn,
                        and to the quarry from which you were dug.
                      Look to Abraham your father
                        and to Sarah who bore you;
                      for he was but one when I called him,
                        that I might bless him and multiply him.
                      For the LORD comforts Zion;
                        he comforts all her waste places
                      and makes her wilderness like Eden,
                        her desert like the garden of the LORD;
                      joy and gladness will be found in her,
                        thanksgiving and the voice of song.
                      “Give attention to me, my people,
                        and give ear to me, my nation;
                      for a lawOr for teaching; also verse 7">1 will go out from me,
                        and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
                      My righteousness draws near,
                        my salvation has gone out,
                        and my arms will judge the peoples;
                      the coastlands hope for me,
                        and for my arm they wait.
                      Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
                        and look at the earth beneath;
                      for the heavens vanish like smoke,
                        the earth will wear out like a garment,
                        and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;Or will die like gnats">2
                      but my salvation will be forever,
                        and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
                      “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
                        the people in whose heart is my law;
                      fear not the reproach of man,
                        nor be dismayed at their revilings.
                      For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
                        and the worm will eat them like wool,
                      but my righteousness will be forever,
                        and my salvation to all generations.”
                      Awake, awake, put on strength,
                        O arm of the LORD;
                      awake, as in days of old,
                        the generations of long ago.
                      Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
                        who pierced the dragon?
                      Was it not you who dried up the sea,
                        the waters of the great deep,
                      who made the depths of the sea a way
                        for the redeemed to pass over?
                      And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
                        and come to Zion with singing;
                      everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
                        they shall obtain gladness and joy,
                        and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
                      “I, I am he who comforts you;
                        who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
                        of the son of man who is made like grass,
                      and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker,
                        who stretched out the heavens
                        and laid the foundations of the earth,
                      and you fear continually all the day
                        because of the wrath of the oppressor,
                      when he sets himself to destroy?
                        And where is the wrath of the oppressor?
                      He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;
                        he shall not die and go down to the pit,
                        neither shall his bread be lacking.
                      I am the LORD your God,
                        who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
                        the LORD of hosts is his name.
                      And I have put my words in your mouth
                        and covered you in the shadow of my hand,
                      establishingOr planting">3 the heavens
                        and laying the foundations of the earth,
                        and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
                      Wake yourself, wake yourself,
                        stand up, O Jerusalem,
                      you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD
                        the cup of his wrath,
                      who have drunk to the dregs
                        the bowl, the cup of staggering.
                      There is none to guide her
                        among all the sons she has borne;
                      there is none to take her by the hand
                        among all the sons she has brought up.
                      These two things have happened to you—
                        who will console you?—
                      devastation and destruction, famine and sword;
                        who will comfort you?Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic Text how shall I comfort you">4
                      Your sons have fainted;
                        they lie at the head of every street
                        like an antelope in a net;
                      they are full of the wrath of the LORD,
                        the rebuke of your God.
                      Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,
                        who are drunk, but not with wine:
                      Thus says your Lord, the LORD,
                        your God who pleads the cause of his people:
                      “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;
                      the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more;
                      and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,
                        who have said to you,
                        ‘Bow down, that we may pass over’;
                      and you have made your back like the ground
                        and like the street for them to pass over.”

                    The Lord's Coming Salvation

                    52   Awake, awake,
                        put on your strength, O Zion;
                      put on your beautiful garments,
                        O Jerusalem, the holy city;
                      for there shall no more come into you
                        the uncircumcised and the unclean.
                      Shake yourself from the dust and arise;
                        be seated, O Jerusalem;
                      loose the bonds from your neck,
                        O captive daughter of Zion.

                    For thus says the LORD: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” For thus says the Lord GOD: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing.Or the Assyrian has oppressed them of late">5 Now therefore what have I here,” declares the LORD, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the LORD, “and continually all the day my name is despised. Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

                      How beautiful upon the mountains
                        are the feet of him who brings good news,
                      who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
                        who publishes salvation,
                        who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
                      The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
                        together they sing for joy;
                      for eye to eye they see
                        the return of the LORD to Zion.
                      Break forth together into singing,
                        you waste places of Jerusalem,
                      for the LORD has comforted his people;
                        he has redeemed Jerusalem.
                      The LORD has bared his holy arm
                        before the eyes of all the nations,
                      and all the ends of the earth shall see
                        the salvation of our God.
                      Depart, depart, go out from there;
                        touch no unclean thing;
                      go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves,
                        you who bear the vessels of the LORD.
                      For you shall not go out in haste,
                        and you shall not go in flight,
                      for the LORD will go before you,
                        and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

                    Footnotes

                    [1] 51:4 Or for teaching; also verse 7


                    [2] 51:6 Or will die like gnats

                    [3] 51:16 Or planting

                    [4] 51:19 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic Text how shall I comfort you

                    [5] 52:4 Or the Assyrian has oppressed them of late

                    (ESV)

                    Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 11 Revelation 11

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                    Revelation 11
                    The Two Witnesses

                    11 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

                    These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pitOr the abyss">1 will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolicallyGreek spiritually">2 is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

                    The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

                    The Seventh Trumpet

                    Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,

                      “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
                        who is and who was,
                      for you have taken your great power
                        and begun to reign.
                      The nations raged,
                        but your wrath came,
                        and the time for the dead to be judged,
                      and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
                        and those who fear your name,
                        both small and great,
                      and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

                    Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,Or voices, or sounds">3 peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

                    Footnotes

                    [1] 11:7 Or the abyss


                    [2] 11:8 Greek spiritually

                    [3] 11:19 Or voices, or sounds

                    (ESV)

                    14 min
                  • December 19: Psalm 139; Job 28; Isaiah 50; Revelation 10
                    • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 139
                    • Pentateuch and History: Job 28
                    • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 50
                    • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 10
                      Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 139 Psalm 139

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                      Psalm 139
                      Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
                      To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

                      139   O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
                        You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
                          you discern my thoughts from afar.
                        You search out my path and my lying down
                          and are acquainted with all my ways.
                        Even before a word is on my tongue,
                          behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
                        You hem me in, behind and before,
                          and lay your hand upon me.
                        Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
                          it is high; I cannot attain it.
                        Where shall I go from your Spirit?
                          Or where shall I flee from your presence?
                        If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
                          If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
                        If I take the wings of the morning
                          and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
                        even there your hand shall lead me,
                          and your right hand shall hold me.
                        If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
                          and the light about me be night,”
                        even the darkness is not dark to you;
                          the night is bright as the day,
                          for darkness is as light with you.
                        For you formed my inward parts;
                          you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
                        I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Or for I am fearfully set apart">1
                        Wonderful are your works;
                          my soul knows it very well.
                        My frame was not hidden from you,
                        when I was being made in secret,
                          intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
                        Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
                        in your book were written, every one of them,
                          the days that were formed for me,
                          when as yet there was none of them.
                        How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
                          How vast is the sum of them!
                        If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
                          I awake, and I am still with you.
                        Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
                          O men of blood, depart from me!
                        They speak against you with malicious intent;
                          your enemies take your name in vain.Hebrew lacks your name">2
                        Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
                          And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
                        I hate them with complete hatred;
                          I count them my enemies.
                        Search me, O God, and know my heart!
                          Try me and know my thoughts!Or cares">3
                        And see if there be any grievous way in me,
                          and lead me in the way everlasting!Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)">4

                      Footnotes

                      [1] 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart


                      [2] 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name

                      [3] 139:23 Or cares

                      [4] 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)

                      (ESV)

                      Pentateuch and History: Job 28 Job 28

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                      Job 28
                      Job Continues: Where Is Wisdom?

                      28   “Surely there is a mine for silver,
                          and a place for gold that they refine.
                        Iron is taken out of the earth,
                          and copper is smelted from the ore.
                        Man puts an end to darkness
                          and searches out to the farthest limit
                          the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
                        He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;
                          they are forgotten by travelers;
                          they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.
                        As for the earth, out of it comes bread,
                          but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
                        Its stones are the place of sapphires,Or lapis lazuli; also verse 16">1
                          and it has dust of gold.
                        “That path no bird of prey knows,
                          and the falcon's eye has not seen it.
                        The proud beasts have not trodden it;
                          the lion has not passed over it.
                        “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock
                          and overturns mountains by the roots.
                        He cuts out channels in the rocks,
                          and his eye sees every precious thing.
                        He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,
                          and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
                        “But where shall wisdom be found?
                          And where is the place of understanding?
                        Man does not know its worth,
                          and it is not found in the land of the living.
                        The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
                          and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
                        It cannot be bought for gold,
                          and silver cannot be weighed as its price.
                        It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
                          in precious onyx or sapphire.
                        Gold and glass cannot equal it,
                          nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
                        No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
                          the price of wisdom is above pearls.
                        The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
                          nor can it be valued in pure gold.
                        “From where, then, does wisdom come?
                          And where is the place of understanding?
                        It is hidden from the eyes of all living
                          and concealed from the birds of the air.
                        Abaddon and Death say,
                          ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
                        “God understands the way to it,
                          and he knows its place.
                        For he looks to the ends of the earth
                          and sees everything under the heavens.
                        When he gave to the wind its weight
                          and apportioned the waters by measure,
                        when he made a decree for the rain
                          and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
                        then he saw it and declared it;
                          he established it, and searched it out.
                        And he said to man,
                        ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
                          and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

                      Footnotes

                      [1] 28:6 Or lapis lazuli; also verse 16

                      (ESV)

                      Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 50 Isaiah 50

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                      Isaiah 50
                      Israel's Sin and the Servant's Obedience

                      50   Thus says the LORD:
                        “Where is your mother's certificate of divorce,
                          with which I sent her away?
                        Or which of my creditors is it
                          to whom I have sold you?
                        Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,
                          and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
                        Why, when I came, was there no man;
                          why, when I called, was there no one to answer?
                        Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
                          Or have I no power to deliver?
                        Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,
                          I make the rivers a desert;
                        their fish stink for lack of water
                          and die of thirst.
                        I clothe the heavens with blackness
                          and make sackcloth their covering.”
                        The Lord GOD has given me
                          the tongue of those who are taught,
                        that I may know how to sustain with a word
                          him who is weary.
                        Morning by morning he awakens;
                          he awakens my ear
                          to hear as those who are taught.
                        The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
                          and I was not rebellious;
                          I turned not backward.
                        I gave my back to those who strike,
                          and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
                        I hid not my face
                          from disgrace and spitting.
                        But the Lord GOD helps me;
                          therefore I have not been disgraced;
                        therefore I have set my face like a flint,
                          and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
                          He who vindicates me is near.
                        Who will contend with me?
                          Let us stand up together.
                        Who is my adversary?
                          Let him come near to me.
                        Behold, the Lord GOD helps me;
                          who will declare me guilty?
                        Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
                          the moth will eat them up.
                        Who among you fears the LORD
                          and obeys the voice of his servant?
                        Let him who walks in darkness
                          and has no light
                        trust in the name of the LORD
                          and rely on his God.
                        Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
                          who equip yourselves with burning torches!
                        Walk by the light of your fire,
                          and by the torches that you have kindled!
                        This you have from my hand:
                          you shall lie down in torment.

                      (ESV)

                      Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 10 Revelation 10

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                      Revelation 10
                      The Angel and the Little Scroll

                      10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

                      Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

                      (ESV)

                      10 min
                    • December 18: Psalm 138; Job 27; Isaiah 48–49; Revelation 8:6–9:21
                      • Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 138
                      • Pentateuch and History: Job 27
                      • Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 48–49
                      • Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 8:6–9:21
                        Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 138 Psalm 138

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                        Psalm 138
                        Give Thanks to the Lord
                        Of David.

                        138   I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
                            before the gods I sing your praise;
                          I bow down toward your holy temple
                            and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
                            for you have exalted above all things
                            your name and your word.Or you have exalted your word above all your name">1
                          On the day I called, you answered me;
                            my strength of soul you increased.Hebrew you made me bold in my soul with strength">2
                          All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
                            for they have heard the words of your mouth,
                          and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
                            for great is the glory of the LORD.
                          For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
                            but the haughty he knows from afar.
                          Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
                            you preserve my life;
                          you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
                            and your right hand delivers me.
                          The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
                            your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
                            Do not forsake the work of your hands.

                        Footnotes

                        [1] 138:2 Or you have exalted your word above all your name


                        [2] 138:3 Hebrew you made me bold in my soul with strength

                        (ESV)

                        Pentateuch and History: Job 27 Job 27

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                        Job 27
                        Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity

                        27 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

                          “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
                            and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
                          as long as my breath is in me,
                            and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
                          my lips will not speak falsehood,
                            and my tongue will not utter deceit.
                          Far be it from me to say that you are right;
                            till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
                          I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
                            my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
                          “Let my enemy be as the wicked,
                            and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
                          For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
                            when God takes away his life?
                          Will God hear his cry
                            when distress comes upon him?
                          Will he take delight in the Almighty?
                            Will he call upon God at all times?
                          I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
                            what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
                          Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
                            why then have you become altogether vain?
                          “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
                            and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
                          If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
                            and his descendants have not enough bread.
                          Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
                            and his widows do not weep.
                          Though he heap up silver like dust,
                            and pile up clothing like clay,
                          he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
                            and the innocent will divide the silver.
                          He builds his house like a moth's,
                            like a booth that a watchman makes.
                          He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;
                            he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
                          Terrors overtake him like a flood;
                            in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
                          The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
                            it sweeps him out of his place.
                          ItOr He (that is, God); also verse 23">1 hurls at him without pity;
                            he flees from itsOr his; also verse 23">2 power in headlong flight.
                          It claps its hands at him
                            and hisses at him from its place.

                        Footnotes

                        [1] 27:22 Or He (that is, God); also verse 23


                        [2] 27:22 Or his; also verse 23

                        (ESV)

                        Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 48–49 Isaiah 48–49

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                        Isaiah 48–49
                        Israel Refined for God's Glory

                        48   Hear this, O house of Jacob,
                            who are called by the name of Israel,
                            and who came from the waters of Judah,
                          who swear by the name of the LORD
                            and confess the God of Israel,
                            but not in truth or right.
                          For they call themselves after the holy city,
                            and stay themselves on the God of Israel;
                            the LORD of hosts is his name.
                          “The former things I declared of old;
                            they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
                            then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
                          Because I know that you are obstinate,
                            and your neck is an iron sinew
                            and your forehead brass,
                          I declared them to you from of old,
                            before they came to pass I announced them to you,
                          lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,
                            my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’
                          “You have heard; now see all this;
                            and will you not declare it?
                          From this time forth I announce to you new things,
                            hidden things that you have not known.
                          They are created now, not long ago;
                            before today you have never heard of them,
                            lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
                          You have never heard, you have never known,
                            from of old your ear has not been opened.
                          For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,
                            and that from before birth you were called a rebel.
                          “For my name's sake I defer my anger;
                            for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
                            that I may not cut you off.
                          Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
                            I have triedOr I have chosen">1 you in the furnace of affliction.
                          For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
                            for how should my nameHebrew lacks my name">2 be profaned?
                            My glory I will not give to another.

                        The Lord's Call to Israel

                          “Listen to me, O Jacob,
                            and Israel, whom I called!
                          I am he; I am the first,
                            and I am the last.
                          My hand laid the foundation of the earth,
                            and my right hand spread out the heavens;
                          when I call to them,
                            they stand forth together.
                          “Assemble, all of you, and listen!
                            Who among them has declared these things?
                          The LORD loves him;
                            he shall perform his purpose on Babylon,
                            and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.
                          I, even I, have spoken and called him;
                            I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way.
                          Draw near to me, hear this:
                            from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,
                            from the time it came to be I have been there.”
                          And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.
                          Thus says the LORD,
                            your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
                          “I am the LORD your God,
                            who teaches you to profit,
                            who leads you in the way you should go.
                          Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!
                            Then your peace would have been like a river,
                            and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;
                          your offspring would have been like the sand,
                            and your descendants like its grains;
                          their name would never be cut off
                            or destroyed from before me.”
                          Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea,
                            declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it,
                          send it out to the end of the earth;
                            say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!”
                          They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;
                            he made water flow for them from the rock;
                            he split the rock and the water gushed out.
                          “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”

                        The Servant of the Lord

                        49   Listen to me, O coastlands,
                            and give attention, you peoples from afar.
                          The LORD called me from the womb,
                            from the body of my mother he named my name.
                          He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
                            in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
                          he made me a polished arrow;
                            in his quiver he hid me away.
                          And he said to me, “You are my servant,
                            Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”Or I will display my beauty">3
                          But I said, “I have labored in vain;
                            I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
                          yet surely my right is with the LORD,
                            and my recompense with my God.”
                          And now the LORD says,
                            he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
                          to bring Jacob back to him;
                            and that Israel might be gathered to him—
                          for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD,
                            and my God has become my strength—
                          he says:
                          “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
                            to raise up the tribes of Jacob
                            and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
                          I will make you as a light for the nations,
                            that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
                          Thus says the LORD,
                            the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
                          to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
                            the servant of rulers:
                          “Kings shall see and arise;
                            princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
                          because of the LORD, who is faithful,
                            the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

                        The Restoration of Israel

                          Thus says the LORD:
                          “In a time of favor I have answered you;
                            in a day of salvation I have helped you;
                          I will keep you and give you
                            as a covenant to the people,
                          to establish the land,
                            to apportion the desolate heritages,
                          saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
                            to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
                          They shall feed along the ways;
                            on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
                          they shall not hunger or thirst,
                            neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
                          for he who has pity on them will lead them,
                            and by springs of water will guide them.
                          And I will make all my mountains a road,
                            and my highways shall be raised up.
                          Behold, these shall come from afar,
                            and behold, these from the north and from the west,Hebrew from the sea">4
                            and these from the land of Syene.”Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Sinim">5
                          Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
                            break forth, O mountains, into singing!
                          For the LORD has comforted his people
                            and will have compassion on his afflicted.
                          But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
                            my Lord has forgotten me.”
                          “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
                            that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
                          Even these may forget,
                            yet I will not forget you.
                          Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
                            your walls are continually before me.
                          Your builders make haste;Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Your children make haste">6
                            your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.
                          Lift up your eyes around and see;
                            they all gather, they come to you.
                          As I live, declares the LORD,
                            you shall put them all on as an ornament;
                            you shall bind them on as a bride does.
                          “Surely your waste and your desolate places
                            and your devastated land—
                          surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants,
                            and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
                          The children of your bereavement
                            will yet say in your ears:
                          ‘The place is too narrow for me;
                            make room for me to dwell in.’
                          Then you will say in your heart:
                            ‘Who has borne me these?
                          I was bereaved and barren,
                            exiled and put away,
                            but who has brought up these?
                          Behold, I was left alone;
                            from where have these come?’”
                          Thus says the Lord GOD:
                          “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations,
                            and raise my signal to the peoples;
                          and they shall bring your sons in their arms,Hebrew in their bosom">7
                            and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
                          Kings shall be your foster fathers,
                            and their queens your nursing mothers.
                          With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,
                            and lick the dust of your feet.
                          Then you will know that I am the LORD;
                            those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”
                          Can the prey be taken from the mighty,
                            or the captives of a tyrantDead Sea Scroll, Syriac, Vulgate (see also verse 25); Masoretic Text of a righteous man">8 be rescued?
                          For thus says the LORD:
                          “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,
                            and the prey of the tyrant be rescued,
                          for I will contend with those who contend with you,
                            and I will save your children.
                          I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,
                            and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.
                          Then all flesh shall know
                            that I am the LORD your Savior,
                            and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

                        Footnotes

                        [1] 48:10 Or I have chosen


                        [2] 48:11 Hebrew lacks my name

                        [3] 49:3 Or I will display my beauty

                        [4] 49:12 Hebrew from the sea

                        [5] 49:12 Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Sinim

                        [6] 49:17 Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Your children make haste

                        [7] 49:22 Hebrew in their bosom

                        [8] 49:24 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac, Vulgate (see also verse 25); Masoretic Text of a righteous man

                        (ESV)

                        Gospels and Epistles: Revelation 8:6–9:21 Revelation 8:6–9:21

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                        Revelation 8:6–9:21
                        The Seven Trumpets

                        Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

                        The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

                        The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

                        The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood.Wormwood is the name of a plant and of the bitter-tasting extract derived from it">1 A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

                        The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

                        Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

                        9 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.Greek the abyss; also verses 2, 11">2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

                        In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.Abaddon means destruction; Apollyon means destroyer">3

                        The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.

                        Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphireGreek hyacinth">4 and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.

                        The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

                        Footnotes

                        [1] 8:11 Wormwood is the name of a plant and of the bitter-tasting extract derived from it


                        [2] 9:1 Greek the abyss; also verses 2, 11

                        [3] 9:11 Abaddon means destruction; Apollyon means destroyer

                        [4] 9:17 Greek hyacinth

                        (ESV)

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