Old Testament (GOD'S WORD)
1 Chronicles 5:1-3 (GOD'S WORD)
1 These are the sons of Reuben,
Israel’s firstborn. (Although he was the firstborn, his rights as
firstborn were given to his nephews, Joseph’s sons,
because he dishonored his father’s bed. However, Joseph couldn’t be
listed in the genealogy as the firstborn son. 2Even
though Judah was more
prominent than his brothers and the prince was to come from him, Joseph
received the rights as firstborn.)
3The sons
of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
1 Chronicles 23:3-5 (GOD'S WORD)
3Every male Levite who was
at
least 30 years of was counted. There were 38,000.
4Of these, 24,000 were appointed to supervise the work
on the LORD'S temple, 6,000 were appointed to be officers and judges, 54,000
were appointed to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 were appointed to praise
the
LORD with the instruments David had made for praising God.
1 Chronicles 24:3-5 (GOD'S WORD)
3David, Eleazar's
descendant
Zadok, and Ithamar's descendant Ahimelech divided Aaron's descendants
into
groups for service. 4Since
Eleazar's
descendants had more men who were family heads than Ithamar's
descendants,
they were divided so that Eleazar's descendants had 16 family leaders
and
Ithamar's descendants had 8 family leaders. 5Both
groups were divided impartially by drawing lots so that there were
officers
for the holy place and officers for god among both Eleazar's and
Ithamar's
descendants.
1 Chronicles 29:1-9 (GOD'S WORD)
1Then King David said to the whole
assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and
inexperienced. Yet, the work is important because this palace is not
for a person but for the LORD God. 2With
all my might I gathered bthe materialsn for the temple of my God: gold
for gold objects, silver for silver objects, bronze for bronze objects,
iron for iron objects, wood for wooden objects, onyx stones and
settings, black stones, stones of different colors, gems, and marble. 3Moreover, I delight in the temple of my
God. I have a personal treasury of gold and silver that I’m giving to
my God’s temple in addition to everything else I gathered for
the holy temple. 4There are
225,000 pounds of gold from Ophir and 525,000 pounds of refined silver.
They are to be used to cover the walls of the buildings, 5to make gold objects, silver objects, and
everything else the craftsmen will make. Who else is willing to make an
offering and dedicate himself to the LORD today?”
6Then the
leaders of the families, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the
commanders of regiments and battalions, and the officials in charge of
the king’s work gave generously. 7They
gave 375,186 pounds of gold, 750,000 pounds of silver, 135,000 pounds
of bronze, and 7,500,000 pounds of iron for the work on God’s temple. 8Whoever happened to have precious stones
gave them to Jehiel, Gershon’s descendant, for the treasury of the
LORD’s
temple.
9The people
were overjoyed that the leaders gave so generously and wholeheartedly
to the LORD.
2 Chronicles 5:11-14 (GOD'S WORD)
11All
the priests who were present had performed the ceremonies to make
themselves holy to God without regard to staying in their divisions. 12All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph,
Heman, Jeduthun, their sons, and their relatives—were dressed in fine
linen and stood east of the altar with cymbals, harps, and lyres. With
the musicians were 120 priests blowing trumpets. When the priests left
the holy place, 13the
trumpeters and singers praised and thanked the LORD in unison.
Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, they
sang in praise to the LORD: “He is good; his mercy endures forever.”
Then the LORD’s temple was filled with a cloud. 14The priests couldn’t
serve because of the cloud. The LORD’s glory filled God’s temple.
2 Chronicles 8:11 (GOD'S WORD)
11 Solomon brought
Pharaoh’s daughter from the City of David to a palace he had built for
her. He said, “My wife will not live in the palace of King David of
Israel because these places where the LORD’s ark has come are holy.”
2 Chronicles 9:1-12 (GOD'S WORD)
1 The queen of Sheba heard
about Solomon’s reputation. So she came to Jerusalem to test him with
riddles. She arrived with a large group of servants, with camels
carrying spices, a large quantity of gold, and precious stones. When
she came to Solomon, she talked to him about everything she had on her
mind. 2Solomon answered all
her questions. No question was
too difficult for Solomon to answer.
3When the
queen of Sheba saw Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he built, 4the food on his table, his officers’
seating arrangement, the organization of his officials and the uniforms
they wore, his cupbearers and their uniforms, and the burnt offerings
that he sacrificed at the LORD’s temple, she was breathless. 5She told the king, “What I heard in my
country about your words and your wisdom is true! 6But I didn’t believe the reports until I
came and saw it with my own eyes. I wasn’t even told about half of the
extent of your wisdom. You’ve surpassed the stories I’ve heard. 7How blessed your men must be! How blessed
these servants of yours must be because they are always stationed in
front of you and listen to your wisdom! 8Thank
the LORD your God, who is pleased with you. He has put you on his
throne to be king on behalf of the LORD your God. Because of your God’s
love for the people of Israel, he has established them permanently and
made you king over them so that you would maintain justice and
righteousness.”
9She gave
the king 9,000 pounds of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and
precious stones. Never was there such a large quantity of spices [in
Israel] as those that the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.
10Huram’s
servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir also
brought sandalwood and precious stones. 11With
the sandalwood the king made gateways to the LORD’s temple and the
royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers. No one had ever seen
anything like them in Judah.
12King
Solomon gave the queen of Sheba anything she wanted, whatever she asked
for, more than what she had brought him. Then she and her servants went
back to her country.
2 Chronicles 12:1-14 (GOD'S WORD)
1When Rehoboam had
established
his kingdom and made himself strong, he and all Israel abandoned the
LORD'S
teachings. 2In the fifth year
of
Rehoboam reign, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. This happened
because all Israel was not loyal to the LORD. 3Shishak
had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and an army of countless Libyans,
Sukkites,
and Sudanese from Egypt.
4He
captured
the fortified cities in Judah and then came to Jerusalem.
5The
prophet
Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered in
Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, "This is what the
LORD says: You have abandoned me, so I will abandon you. I will hand
you
over to Shishak." 6Then the
commanders
of Israel and the king humbled themselves. "The LORD is right!"
they
said.
7When
the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, he spoke his word to
Shemaiah:
"They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them. In a little
while
I will give them an escape. I will not use Shishak to pour my anger on
Jerusalem. 8But they will become his servants so that
they can learn the difference between serving me and serving foreign
kings."
9King
Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took the treasures from the
LORD'S
temple and the royal palace. He took them all. He took the gold shields
Solomon had made. 10So King
Rehoboam
made bronze shields to replace them by the entrance to the royal
palace,
where the captains of the guards were stationed. 11Whenever
the king went into the LORD'S temple, guards carried the shields and
then
returned them to the guardroom.
12After
Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD was no longer angry with him and
didn't
completely destroy him. So things went well in Judah
13King
Rehoboam strengthened his position in Jerusalem and ruled. He was
41 years old when he began to rule. He ruled for 17 years in Jerusalem,
the city that the LORD chose from all the tribes of Israel, the city
where
the LORD put his name. (Rehoboam's mother was an Ammonite woman named
Naamah.)
14He
did evil things because he was not serious about dedicating himself to
serving the LORD.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (GOD'S WORD)
9The LORD'S
eyes
scan the whole world to find those whose hearts are committed to him
and
to strengthen them. You acted foolishly in this matter. So from now on,
you will have to fight wars."
2 Chronicles 18:18 (GOD'S WORD)
18Micaiah
added, “Then hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his
throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing on his right and his
left.
2 Chronicles 21:11-15 (GOD'S WORD)
11Jehoram made illegal places of worship in
the hills of Judah. This caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase
after foreign gods as if they were prostitutes. So he led Judah astray.
12Then a letter came to him from the prophet
Elijah. It read, “This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David
says: You haven’t followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the
ways of King Asa of Judah. 13Instead, you have followed the ways of the
kings of Israel. You, like Ahab’s family, have caused Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase after foreign gods as if they
were prostitutes. You have killed your brothers, your father’s family.
Your brothers were better than you. 14The LORD will strike a great blow to your
people, your sons, your wives, and all your property because you did
this. 15You will suffer from a chronic intestinal
disease until your intestines come out.”
2 Chronicles 35:20-27 (GOD'S WORD)
20After all
this, when Josiah had repaired the temple, King Neco of Egypt came to
fight a battle at Carchemish at the Euphrates River. Josiah went to
attack him. 21But Neco sent messengers to Josiah to say,
“What’s your quarrel with me, king of Judah? I’m not attacking you.
I’ve come to fight those who are at war with me. God told me to hurry.
God is with me, so stop now or else he will destroy you.”
22But Josiah would not stop his attack. He
disguised himself as he went into battle. He refused to listen to
Neco’s words, which came from God, and he went to fight in the valley
of Megiddo.
23Some archers shot King Josiah. The king
told his officers, “Take me away because I’m badly wounded.”
24His officers took him out of the chariot
and brought him to Jerusalem in his other chariot. He died and was
buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned
for Josiah. 25Jeremiah sang a funeral song about Josiah.
All the male and female singers still sing funeral songs about Josiah
today. This became a tradition in Israel. They are written in bthe Book
ofn the Funeral Songs.
26Everything else about Josiah—including his
devotion to God by following what is written in the LORD’s Teachings 27and his acts
from first to last—are written in the records of the kings of Israel
and Judah.
2 Chronicles 36:1-21 (GOD'S WORD)
1 Then people of the land took Josiah’s son
Jehoahaz and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. 2Jehoahaz was
23 years old when he became king, and he was king in Jerusalem for 3
months. 3The king of Egypt removed him from office
in Jerusalem and fined the country 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds
of gold. 4The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother
Eliakim king of Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to
Jehoiakim. Neco took Jehoahaz away to Egypt.
5Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he began to
rule, and he ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what the LORD his
God considered evil. 6King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked
Jehoiakim and put him in bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar
also brought some of the utensils of the LORD’s temple to Babylon. He
put them in his palace in Babylon. 8Everything else about Jehoiakim—the
disgusting things he did and all the charges against him—is written in
the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiakin succeeded
him as king.
9Jehoiakin was eight years old when he began
to rule as king. He was king for three months and ten days in
Jerusalem. He did what the LORD considered evil. 10In the
spring King Nebuchadnezzar sent for Jehoiakin and brought him to
Babylon with the valuable utensils from the LORD’s temple.
Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiakin’s uncle Zedekiah king of Judah and
Jerusalem.
11Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to
rule, and he ruled for 11 years in Jerusalem. 12He did what
the LORD his God considered evil and didn’t humble himself in front of
the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke for the LORD. 13Zedekiah
also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had made
Zedekiah swear an oath of allegiance to him in God’s name. But Zedekiah
became so stubborn and so impossible to deal with that he refused to
turn back to the LORD God of Israel.
14All the officials, the priests, and the
people became increasingly unfaithful and followed all the disgusting
practices of the nations. Although the LORD had made the temple in
Jerusalem holy, they made the temple unclean. 15The LORD God
of their ancestors repeatedly sent messages through his messengers
because he wanted to spare his people and his dwelling place. 16But they
mocked God’s messengers, despised his words, and made fun of his
prophets until the LORD became angry with his people. He could no
longer heal them.
17So he had the Babylonian king attack them
and execute their best young men in their holy temple. He didn’t spare
the best men or the unmarried
women, the old people or the sick people. God handed all of them over
to him. 18He brought to Babylon each of the utensils
from God’s temple, the treasures from the LORD’s temple, and the
treasures of the king and his officials. 19They burned God’s temple, tore down
Jerusalem’s walls, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed
everything of value. 20The king of Babylon took those who weren’t
executed to Babylon to be slaves for him and his sons. They remained
captives until the Persian Empire began to rule. 21This
happened so that the LORD’s words spoken through Jeremiah would be
fulfilled. The land had its years of rest and was made acceptable
{again} . While it lay in ruins, {the land had its} 70 years of rest.
Amos 2:10-11 (GOD'S WORD)
10
I brought you out of Egypt.
I led you through
the desert for 40 years
so that you could take possession of the land of the Amorites.
11
I also sent you prophets from among your children
and Nazirites from among your youths.
Isn't that so, people of
Israel?
Amos 3:1-8 (GOD'S WORD)
1 Listen to this message which I,
the LORD, have spoken against you Israelites, against your whole family
that I brought out of Egypt.
2 Out of
all the families on earth, I have known no one else but you.
That is why I am going to punish you
for all your sins.
3 Do two
people ever walk together without meeting first?
4 Does a
lion roar in the forest if it has no prey?
Does a young lion growl in its den
unless it has caught something?
5 Does a
bird land in a trap on the ground if there’s no bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
unless it has caught something?
6 If a
ram’s horn sounds an alarm in a city, won’t the people be alarmed?
If there is a disaster in a city,
hasn’t the LORD done it?
7
Certainly, the Almighty LORD doesn’t do anything
unless he [first] reveals his secret to his servants
the prophets.
8
The lion has roared. Who isn’t afraid?
The Almighty LORD has spoken. Who can keep from
prophesying?
Amos 5:4-7 (GOD'S WORD)
4 This
is what the LORD says to the nation of Israel:
Search for me
and live!
5
But don’t search {for me} at
Bethel.
Don’t go to Gilgal.
Don’t travel to Beersheba.
Gilgal will certainly go into exile.
Bethel
will come to nothing.
6
Search for the LORD and live!
If you don’t,
he will spread like a fire through the house of Joseph
and burn it down.
Bethel will have no one to put it
out.
7
You, Israel, turn justice into poison
and throw righteousness on the ground.
Amos 6:1-14 (GOD'S WORD)
1
How horrible it will be for those who are at ease in Zion, for those
who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, and for the heads of the
leading nations,
to whom the nation of Israel comes.
2 Go to
Calneh and look. Go from there to the great city of Hamath. Then go to
Gath, the city of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms?
Is their territory larger than yours?
3 How
horrible it will be for those who think that a day of disaster is far
away. They bring the reign of violence closer.
4 How
horrible it will be for those who sleep on ivory beds. They sprawl out
on their couches and eat lambs from their flocks and calves from their
stalls.
5 How
horrible it will be for those who make up songs as they strum a harp.
Like David, they write all kinds of songs for themselves.
6 How
horrible it will be for those who drink wine by the jugful. They rub
the finest oils all over themselves and are not sorry for the ruin bof
the descendants of Joseph.
7 That is
why they will now be the first to go into exile. The celebrating of
those sprawled around the banquet table will stop.
8 The
Almighty LORD has sworn an oath on himself. The LORD God of Armies
declares: I am disgusted with Jacob’s pride, and I hate his palaces.
So I will hand over the city and everything in it.
9 If ten
people are left in one house, they will die.
10 If a
relative or a mortician comes to take the dead bodies out of the house
and asks someone who is inside the house, “Is there anyone else with
you?” that person will answer, “No.”
“Hush,” he will add. “We shouldn’t mention the name of the LORD!”
11 The LORD
is going to give the command to level big houses and flatten little
houses.12
Do
horses run on rocks? Does a farmer plow the sea with
oxen?
Yet, you have
turned justice into something deadly and what is righteous into poison.
13 How
horrible it will be for those who rejoice over Lo Debar and who say,
“We were strong enough to capture Karnaim by ourselves.”
14 I am
going to lead a nation to attack you, nation of Israel, declares the
LORD God of the Armies of the Nations.
They will oppress you from the
border of Hamath to the valley
of Arabah.
Amos 7:7-9 (GOD'S WORD)
7 This
is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall built with the
use of a plumb line, and he had a plumb line in his hand. 8He asked me,
“What do you see, Amos?”
I answered, “A
plumb line.”
Then the Lord
said, “I’m going to hold a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will no longer overlook
what they have done. 9The worship sites of Isaac will be
destroyed, and the holy places of Israel will be in ruins. I will
attack Jeroboam’s heirs with my sword.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (GOD'S WORD)
13After
having heard it all, this is the conclusion: Fear God, and keep his
commands, because this applies to everyone. 14God
will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every
secret thing, whether it is good or bad.
Esther 9:20-28 (GOD'S WORD)
20Now, Mordecai
wrote these things down and sent official letters to all the Jews in
all the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far. 21He established the fourteenth and
fifteenth days of the month of Adar as days they must observe every
year. 22They were to observe
them just like the days when the Jews freed themselves from their
enemies. In that month their grief turned to joy and their mourning
into a holiday. He declared that these days are to be days for feasting
and celebrating and for sending gifts of food to one another,
especially gifts to the poor.
23So the
Jews accepted as tradition what they had begun, as Mordecai had written
to them. 24It was because
Haman, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to
destroy them. (Haman was the son of Hammedatha and was from Agag.)
Haman had the Pur (which means the lot) thrown {in order to determine
when} to crush and destroy them. 25But
when this came to the king’s
attention, he ordered, in the well-known letter, that the evil plan
Haman had plotted against the Jews should turn back on his own head. As
a result, they hung Haman and his sons on poles.
26So the Jews called these days Purim, based
on the word Pur. Therefore, because of everything that was said in this
letter—both what they had seen and what had happened to them— 27the Jews
established a tradition for themselves and their descendants and for
anyone who would join them. The tradition was that a person should
never fail to observe these two days every year, as they were described
and at their appointed time. 28So these days must be remembered and
observed in every age, family, province, and city. These days of Purim
must not be ignored among the Jews, and the importance of these days
must never be forgotten by the generations to come.
Ezra 3:10-11 (GOD'S WORD)
10 The builders
laid the foundation of the Lord's temple. Then the priests who were
dressed in their robes took their places with trumpets, and the Levites
who were Asaph's descendants took their places with cymbals to praise
the Lord according to the instructions of King David of Israel. 11As
they praised and gave thanks to the Lord, they sang antiphonally:
"He is good;
his mercy toward Israel endures forever."
Then all the people shouted, "Praise the Lord," because the foundation
for the house of the Lord had been laid.
Habakkuk 1:5-11 (GOD'S WORD)
5 Look among the nations and watch.
Be amazed and astonished.
I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe even
if it were reported to you.
6
I am going to send the Babylonians,
that fierce and
reckless nation.
They will march throughout the earth
to take
possession of lands that don’t belong to them.
7
They will be terrifying and fearsome.
They will carry out their own kind of
justice and honor.
8
Their horses will be faster than
leopards
and quicker than wolves in the evening.
Their riders will gallop
along proudly.
Their riders will
come from far away.
They will fly like an eagle that swoops
down for its prey.
9
They will all come for violence.
Every face
will be directed forward.
They will gather prisoners like sand.
10
They will make fun of kings and treat rulers as a joke.
They will laugh at every fortified city
and build a
dirt ramp to capture it.
11
They will move quickly and pass through like the wind.
So they will
be guilty,
because their own strength is their god.
Habakkuk 2:18-20 (GOD'S WORD)
18 “What benefit is there in a carved idol when
its maker has carved it?
What benefit is there in a molded statue, a teacher of lies, when its
maker has molded it?
The one who formed it trusts himself to make worthless idols that
cannot speak.
19 ‘How
horrible it will be for the one who says to a piece of wood, “Wake up!”
and to a stone that cannot talk, “Get up!’ ”
Can that thing teach banyonen ? Just look at it! It’s covered with gold
and silver, but there’s absolutely no life in it.”
20The LORD
is in his holy temple. All the earth
should be silent in his presence.
Habakkuk 3:1-7 (GOD'S WORD)
1A prayer of the
prophet Habakkuk; according to shigionoth.
2
LORD, I have heard the report about you.
LORD, I fear
our work.
In the course of the years, renew it.
In the course of the years, reveal it.
In all this chaos, remember to be merciful.
3
God comes from Teman.
The Holy One comes from Mount Paran.
His splendor covers the heavens.
His praise fills the earth.
4
His brightness is like the sunlight.
Rays of light {stream} from his hand.
That is where his power is hidden.
5
Diseases go ahead of him.
Plagues follow after him.
6
He stands and shakes the earth.
He casts
a glance and startles the nations.
The oldest mountains break apart.
The ancient hills sink.
The ancient paths belong to him.
7
I see trouble in the tents of Cushan.
I see
trembling
in the tents of Midian.
Habakkuk 3:8-15 (GOD'S WORD)
8 The
Lord is not angry with the rivers, is he?
If you
are angry with the rivers,
if you are
furious with the sea,
[why] do you ride your horses,
your chariots of salvation?
9
You get your bow ready for action,
for the
arrows [you] promised.
You split the land with
rivers.
10
The mountains look at you. They writhe in pain.
Floodwaters pass by.
The deep ocean roars. Its
waves rise up high.
11
The sun and the moon stand still.
They scatter
at the light of your arrow,
at the bright lightning of your spear.
12
You march through the earth with fury.
You trample the nations in
anger.
13
You go out to save your people
to save your
anointed.
You crush the leader of
the wicked household,
stripping him
bare from head to toe.
14
You pierce the leader of his gang with his own arrows.
His soldiers
come like a violent storm to scatter me.
They are
arrogant like those who secretly eat up the poor.
15
You march with your horses into the sea,
into the
mighty raging waters.
Haggai 2:1-9 (GOD'S WORD)
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh
month, the Lord spoke his word through the prophet Haggai. He said, 2
"Now, speak to Zerubbabel (who is the son of Shealtiel and is governor
of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who is the son of Jehozadak), and
the faithful few who returned from Babylon. 3 Ask them, 'Is there
anyone among the faithful few who saw this house in its former glory?
How does it look to you now? Doesn't it seem like nothing to you?'
4 "But now, Zerubbabel, be strong," declares
the
Lord. "Chief Priest Joshua (Son of Jehozadak), be strong. Everyone in
the land, be strong," declares the Lord. "Work, because I am with you,"
declares the Lord of Armies. 5 "This is the promise I made to you when
you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains with you. Don't be afraid.
6 "This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Once again,
in a little while, I am going to shake the sky and the earth, the sea
and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the one
whom all
the nations desire will come. Then I will fill this house with glory,
says the Lord of Armies. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,
declares the Lord of Armies. 9 This new house will be more glorious
than the former, declares the Lord of Armies. And in this place I will
give [them] peace, declares the Lord of Armie
10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month
in Darius’ second year as king, the LORD spoke his word to the prophet
Haggai. He said, 11“This is what the LORD of Armies says: Ask
the priests for a decision. 12Suppose a person carries meat set aside for
a holy purpose and he folds it up in his clothes. If his clothes touch
bread, boiled food, wine, oil, or any kind of food, does that make
the food holy?” The priests answered, “No.” 13Haggai asked, “Suppose a person becomes
uncleanb by touching a corpse. If he touches any of these things, does
that make them unclean?”
The priests answered, “That makes them unclean.”
14Then Haggai answered, “In the same way, I
have decided that these people are unclean, and so is this nation,
declares the LORD. So is everything they do.
Whatever offering they bring is unclean.
15“And from now on, carefully consider this.
Consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the
temple of the LORD. 16When anyone came to a pile of grain bto
getn 20 measures, there would be only 10. And when anyone came to a
wine vat to draw out 50 measures, there would be only 20 in it. 17I infested
all your work with blight and mildew and struck it with hail. But you
didn’t come back to me, declares the LORD. 18Carefully consider from now on, from the
twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundation
of the house of the LORD was laid.
Carefully consider:
19Is there any seed left in the barn? The
vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still haven’t
produced. But from now on I will bless you.”
20The LORD spoke his word to Haggai a second
time on the twenty-fourth day of the month. He said, 21“Say to
Zerubbabel (governor of Judah), ‘I am going to shake the heavens and
the earth. 22I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms
and destroy the power of nations. I will overthrow chariots and their
riders, and the horses will fall along with their riders. They will
kill one another
with swords. 23On that day, declares the LORD of Armies, I
will take you, my servant Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel), declares the
LORD. I will make you like a signet ring,
because I have chosen you, declares the LORD of Armies.’ ”
Hosea 2:14-23 (GOD'S WORD)
THE LORD CONTINUES TO LOVE ISRAEL
14 “That
is why I’m going to win her back. I will lead her into the desert. I
will speak tenderly to her.
15 I will
give her vineyards there. I will make the valley of Achor [Disaster] a
door of hope. Then she will respond as she did when she was young,
as she did when she came out of Egypt.
16 “On
that day she will call me her husband,” declares the LORD. “She will no
longer call me her master.b
17 I won’t
allow her to say the names of other gods called Baal. She will never
again call out their names.
18 “On
that day I will make an arrangement with the wild animals, the birds,
and the animals that crawl on the ground. I will destroy all the bows,
swords, and weapons of war, so people can live safely
19
“Israel, I will make you my wife forever. I will be honest and faithful
to you. I will show you my love and compassion.
20 I will
be true to you, my wife. Then you will know the LORD.
21 “On
that day I will answer your bprayersn ,” declares the LORD. “I will
speak to the sky, it will speak to the earth,
22 and the
earth will produce grain, new wine, and olive oil. You will produce
many crops, Jezreel.
23 I will
plant my people in the land. Those who are not loved I will call my
loved ones. Those who are not my people I will call my people.
Then they will say, ‘You are our God!’ ”
Hosea 4:15-19 (GOD'S WORD)
15
“Israel, you act like a prostitute.
Don’t let Judah become guilty too.
Don’t go to Gilgal.
Don’t go to
Beth Aven.
Don’t take the oath, ‘As the LORD lives . . .’
16 “The
people of Israel are as stubborn as a bull.
How can the
LORD feed them like lambs in an open pasture?
17 The
people of Ephraim have chosen to worship idols.
Leave them
alone!
18
When they’re done drinking their wine,
they continue to have sex with the prostitutes.
Their rulers dearly love to act
shamefully.
19
The wind will
carry them away in its wings,
and their
sacrifices will bring them shame.
Hosea 6:4-11 (GOD'S WORD)
4 “What
should I do with you, Ephraim?
What should I do with you,
Judah?
Your love is like fog in the morning.
It disappears as quickly as the
morning dew.
5
That is why I cut {you} down by sending the prophets.
I killed you with the words from my mouth.
My judgments shined on you like
light.
6
I want your loyalty, not your sacrifices.
I want you to know me, not
to give me burnt offerings.
7
“Like Adam, you rejected the promise.
You were unfaithful to me.
8
Gilead is a city filled with troublemakers.
It is stained with bloody footprints.
9
The priests are like gangs of robbers who lie in
ambush for a person.
They murder on the road to Shechem.
Certainly, they have committed a
crime.
10
“I have seen horrible things in the nation of Israel.
Ephraim is acting like a
prostitute,
and Israel is
unclean.
11
“Yet, Judah, I have set a harvest time for you
when I bring my people back from
captivity
Hosea 11:10-12 (GOD'S WORD)
10
“My people will follow me when I roar like a lion.
When I roar, my children will come trembling from
the west.
11
They will come
trembling like birds from Egypt
and like doves
from Assyria.
I will settle them in their own homes,”
declares the LORD.
12
“Ephraim surrounds me with lies.
The nation of
Israel surrounds me with deceit.”
Judah rebels against God, against
the Holy One who is faithful.
Joel 1:2-7 (GOD'S WORD)
JUDAH IS PLAGUED WITH LOCUSTS AND FAMINE
2
Listen to this, you leaders!
Open your ears, all
inhabitants of this land!
Nothing
like this has ever happened in your lifetime
or in your ancestors’ lifetime.
3
Tell your children about it.
Have your children tell
their children.
Have your grandchildren
tell their children.
4
What young locusts leave, mature locusts will eat.
What
mature locusts leave, adult locusts will eat.
What
adult locusts leave, grasshoppers will eat.
5
Wake up and cry, you drunks!
Cry loudly, you wine drinkers!
New wine has
been taken away from you.
6
A strong nation attacked my land.
It has too
many soldiers to count.
They have teeth like lions.
They have fangs like grown lions.
7
They
destroyed my grapevines.
They ruined my fig trees.
They stripped
off what they could eat,
threw the rest away,
and left the branches bare.
Joel 2 (GOD'S WORD)
1 Blow
the ram's horn in Zion.
Sound the alarm on my holy
mountain.
Everyone who
lives in the land should tremble,
because the day of the Lord is coming.
Certainly, it is near.
2
It is a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and overcast skies.
A large and mighty army
will spread over the mountains like the dawn.
Nothing like this has ever
happened.
Nothing like this will
every happen again.
3
In front of this army a fire burns.
Behind it
flames are blazing.
In front of it the land is
like the garden of Eden.
Behind it the
land is like a barren desert.
Nothing escapes it!
4
The soldiers look like horses.
They run like
war horses.
5
As they leap on mountaintops,
they sound
like rattling chariots,
like crackling fire burning up straw,
and like a mighty army prepared for battle.
6
People are terrified in their presence.
Every face
turns pale.
7
They run like warriors.
They climb walls like
soldiers.
They march
straight ahead.
They do not
leave their places.
8
They do not crowd one another.
They keep in
their own lines.
Even when they break through the defenses,
they do not break their ranks.
9
They
rush into the city.
They run along the wall.
They climb into houses.
They enter through windows like
thieves.
10
The earth quakes in their presence,
and the sky shakes.
The sun and the moon turn dark,
and the stars no longer shine.
11
The Lord shouts out orders to his army.
His forces are very large.
The troops that carry out his commands are
might.
The day of the Lord
is extremely terrifying.
Who can endure it?
THE LORD INVITES THE PEOPLE TO RETURN TO HIM
12 “But
even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me
with all your heart—
with fasting, crying, and mourning.”
13 Tear
your hearts, not your clothes.
Return to the
LORD your God.
He is merciful and compassionate,
patient, and always ready to
forgive
and to change
his plans about disaster.
14 Who
knows?
He may
reconsider and change his plan
and leave a blessing for you.
Then you could
give grain offerings and wine offerings
to the LORD your God.
15 Blow
the ram’s horn in Zion.
Schedule a
time to fast.
Call for an
assembly.
16
Gather the people.
Prepare them for a holy meeting.
Assemble the leaders.
Gather the children, even the nursing infants.
Grooms leave their rooms.
Brides leave their chambers.
17
The priests who serve the LORD cry
between the altar and the entrance to the temple.
They say,
“Spare your people, O LORD.
Don’t let the people who belong
to you become a disgrace.
Don’t let the nations ridicule
them.
Why should people ask, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
THE LORD WILL GIVE EARTHLY BLESSINGS TO HIS PEOPLE
18
Then the LORD became concerned about his land,
and he had pity on his people.
19
The LORD said to his people,
“I am going to send grain, new wine, and olive oil
to you.
You will be satisfied with them.
I will no
longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
20 “I will
keep the northern {army} far from you,
and I will
force it into a dry and barren land.
The soldiers in front will be forced into the
eastern sea.
The soldiers in back will be forced into the western
sea.
A foul odor will rise from the
dead bodies.
They will
stink.”
He has done great things!
21
Land, do not be afraid.
Be glad and rejoice.
The LORD has done great things!
22
Wild animals, do not be afraid.
The pastures in the wilderness have turned green.
The trees have produced their fruit.
There are plenty of figs and
grapes.
23
People of Zion, be glad and find joy in the LORD
your God.
The LORD has given you the Teacher of Righteousness.
He has sent the autumn rain and
the spring rain as before.
24
The threshing floors will be filled with grain.
The vats will
overflow with new wine and olive oil.
25
“Then I will repay you for the years
that the mature locusts, the adult locusts,
the grasshoppers, and the young
locusts ate your crops.
(They are the large army that I
sent against you.)
26
You will have plenty to eat, and you will be full.
You will praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has performed miracles for
you.
My people will
never be ashamed again.
27
You will know that I am in Israel.
I am the LORD
your God, and there is no other.
My people will never be ashamed again.
THE LORD WILL POUR HIS SPIRIT ON
ALL PEOPLE
28 "After
this, I will pour my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams.
Your young men will see visions.
29
In those days I will pour my Spirit on servants,
on both men
and women.
30
I will work miracles in the sky and on the
earth:
blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31
The
sun will become dark,
and
the moon will become as red as blood
before the terrifying day of the Lord comes."
32
Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Those who escape will be on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.
Among the survivors will be those whom the Lord calls,
as the Lord has promised.
Joel 3:9-16 (GOD'S WORD)
9 Announce this among the nations:
Prepare yourselves for war.
Wake up the
warriors.Have
all the warriors come near and attack.
10 Hammer
your plowblades into swords and your pruning shears into spears.
Weaklings
should say that they are warriors.
11 Hurry
from every direction, and gather there, all you nations.
O LORD,
bring your soldiers.
12 Wake up, you
nations.
Come to
the valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will sit to judge all the
surrounding nations.
13 Cut
them down like grain. The harvest is ripe.
Stomp on
them as you would stomp on grapes.
The winepress is full. The vats overflow.
The nations are very wicked.
14 There
are many, many people in the valley of decision.
The day of the
LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15
The sun and the moon will
turn dark.
The stars will no longer shine.
16
The LORD will roar from Zion, and his voice
will thunder from Jerusalem.
The sky and the
earth will shake.
The LORD will be a
refuge for his people.
He will be a stronghold
for the people of Israel.
Jonah 1:17 (GOD'S WORD)
17 The
LORD sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for
three days and three nights.
Jude 8-9 (GOD'S WORD)
8 Yet,
in a similar way,
the people who slipped in among you are dreamers. They contaminate
their bodies with sin, reject the Lord’s authority, and insult his
glory. 9When the archangel
Michael argued with the devil, they were arguing over the body of
Moses. But Michael didn’t dare to hand down a judgmentagainst the
devil. Instead, Michael said, “May the Lord reprimand you!”
Lamentations 1:1-11 (GOD'S WORD)
1 “Look how
deserted Jerusalem is!
Once the city
was crowded with people.
Once it was
important among the nations.
Now it is a widow.
Once it was a
princess among the provinces.
Now it does forced labor.
2
Jerusalem cries bitterly at night with tears running down its cheeks.
Out of all
those who love the city, no one offers it comfort.
All of
Jerusalem’s friends have betrayed it and become its enemies.
3 “Judah
has been exiled after bmuchn suffering and harsh treatment.
Its [people]
live among the nations; they find no rest.
Those who chased them caught up with them
in places where there was no way
out.
4 “The
roads to Zion are deserted.
No one comes
to the annual festivals.
No one passes
through any of its gates.
Its priests are groaning.
Its young women are made to suffer.
Zion is bitter.
5
Its
opponents are now in control.
Its enemies have no worries.
The LORD made Zion suffer for its many
rebellious acts.
Its children go ahead of
their opponents into captivity.
6 All
splendor has abandoned the people of Zion.
Its
influential people were like deer that couldn’t find any pasture.
They ran without any strength ahead of the hunters.
7 “Now,
during its suffering and oppression,
Jerusalem
remembers all the treasures it had from ancient times,
when its people fell into the power of their enemies
with no one to help them.
Their
opponents looked on, and they laughed at Jerusalem’s downfall.
8 Jerusalem
has sinned so much that it has become a filthy thing.
Everyone who
used to honor it now despises it.
They’ve seen it naked.
Jerusalem groans and turns away.
9
Jerusalem’s own filth [covers] its clothes.
It gave no
thought to its future.
Its downfall
was shocking.
No one offers it comfort.
‘O LORD, look at my suffering,
because my
enemies have triumphed.’
10 The
enemies laid their hands on all of the city’s treasures.
Jerusalem has
seen the nations enter the holy place.
‘O Lord, they are the same people
you have forbidden to enter your
congregation.’
11 All the
people are groaning as they beg for bread.
They trade
their treasures for food to keep themselves alive.
‘O LORD, look and see how despised I am!’ ”
Lamentations 2:1-13 (GOD'S WORD)
1
“Look how the Lord has covered the people of Zion with the cloud of his
anger!
He has thrown down Israel’s beauty from heaven to earth.
He didn’t [even] remember his footstool on the day of his anger.
2 The Lord
swallowed up all of Jacob’s pastures without any pity.
He tore down the fortified cities of Judah in his fury.
He brought the kingdom bof Judahn and its leaders down to the
ground in dishonor.
3 In his
burning anger he cut off all of Israel’s strength.
He withdrew his right hand when they faced their enemy.
He burned like a raging fire in [the land of] Jacob,
destroying everything around him.
4 Like an
enemy he bent his bow. Like an opponent his right hand held the arrow
steady. He killed all the beautiful people. He poured out his fury like
fire on the tent of Zion’s people.
5 The Lord
became an enemy. He swallowed up Israel. He swallowed up all of its
palaces.
He destroyed its strongholds.
He made the people of Judah mourn and moan.
6 He
stripped his own booth as if it were a garden and destroyed his own
festivals.
The LORD wiped out the memory of festivals and days of worship in Zion.
He expelled kings and priests because of his fierce anger.
7The Lord
rejected his altar and disowned his holy
place.
He handed the walls of Zion’s palaces over to its
enemies.
The enemies made noise in the
LORD’s temple
as though it
were a festival day.
8
The LORD planned to destroy the wall of Zion’s
people.
He marked it off with a line.
He didn’t take his hand away until he had swallowed
it up.
He made the towers and walls mourn.
They are completely dejected.
9
“[Zion’s] gates have sunk into the ground.
[The LORD] destroyed and shattered the bars across its [gates].
Its king and influential people are [scattered] among the nations.
There is no longer any instruction [from Moses’ Teachings].
Its prophets can find no visions from the LORD.
10 The
respected leaders of Zion’s people sit silently on the ground.
They throw dirt on their heads and put on sackcloth.
The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground.
11 My eyes
are worn out with tears.
My stomach is churning.
My heart is poured out on the ground
because of the destruction of my people.
Little children and infants faint in the city streets.
12 They’re
asking their mothers for some bread and wine
as they faint like wounded people in the city streets.
Their lives dwindle away in their mothers’ arms.
13 “What
example can I give you?
What parallel can I show you, people of Jerusalem?
What comparison can I make that will comfort you, beloved people of
Zion?
Your wounds are as deep as the sea.
Who can heal you?
Lamentations 3:1-20 (GOD'S WORD)
1
“I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod
of God’s fury.
2
God has driven me away
and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
3
He beat me again and again all
day long.
4
He has made my flesh and my skin
waste away.
He has
broken my bones.
5
He has attacked me and surrounded
me with bitterness
and hardship.
6
He has made me live in darkness,
like those who died a long time
ago.
7
He has blocked me so that I can’t
get out.
He has
put heavy chains on me.
8
Even when I cry and call for help, he shuts out my
prayer.
9
He has blocked my way with cut
stones
and made my paths crooked.
10
He is like a bear waiting to ambush me,
like a lion in hiding.
11
He has forced me off the road I was
taking, torn me to pieces,
and left me with nothing.
12
He has drawn his bow and made me the
target for his arrows.
13
He has shot the arrows from his quiver
into my heart.
14
I have become a laughingstock to all my people.
All day long bthey make fun of men with their songs.
15
He has filled me with bitterness.
He has made me drink wormwood.
16
He has ground my teeth with gravel.
He has trampled me into the dust.
17
“My soul has been kept from enjoying peace.
I have forgotten what happiness
is.
18 I
said, ‘I’ve lost my strength {to live} and my hope in the LORD.’
19
Remember my suffering and my {aimless} wandering,
the wormwood
and poison.
20 My soul
continues to remember {these things} and is so discouraged.
Lamentations 3:40-54 (GOD'S WORD)
40 Let us
look closely at our ways and examine them and then return to the LORD.
41 Let us
raise our hearts and hands to God in heaven.
42 “We
have been disobedient and rebellious. You haven’t forgiven us.
43 You
covered yourself with anger and pursued us. You killed without pity.
44 You
covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer could get through it.
45 You made
us the scum and trash of the nations.
46 All
our enemies gawk at us.
47 Panic
and pitfalls have found us, so have devastation and destruction.
48 “Streams
of tears run down from my eyes over the ruin of my dear people.
49 My eyes
will keep flowing without stopping for a moment
50 until
the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
51 What I
see with my eyes disturbs me deeply because of all the young women in
my city.
52 “Those
who were my enemies for no reason hunted me like a bird.
53 They
threw me alive into a pit and threw rocks at me.
54 Water
flowed over my head. I thought I was finished.
Lamentations 4:1-12 (GOD'S WORD)
1
"Look how the gold has become tarnished!
The fine gold has changed!
The sacred stones are scattered at every street corner.
2
"Zion's precious children, who are worth their weight in fine gold,
are now treated like clay pots,
like those made by a potter's hands.
3
Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young.
but the women of my people are as cruel as
wild ostriches.
4
The tongues of nursing infants stick to the roofs of their mouths
because of their thirst.
Little children beg for
bread,
but no one will break off a piece for them.
5
Those who used to eat delicacies are now destitute in the streets.
Those who used to wear
expensive clothes now pick through piles of garbage.
6
The punishment for my people's wickedness has been more severe
than the punishment for the sins of Sodom.
Sodom was destroyed instantly, without one
human hand touching it.
7
Zion's princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk.
Their bodies were more pink than coral.
Their hair was like sapphires.
8
Their faces are [now] blacker
than soot.
No one recognizes them on
the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones.
It has become as dry as
bark.
9
Those who were killed with swords are better off
than those who are dying from starvation.
Those who were
bled to death.
The others are dying because there is nothing
in the fields to eat.
10
The hands of loving mothers cooked their own children.
The children were used for food by my people
when they were being destroyed [by a blockade],
11
The Lord's fury has accomplished his purpose.
He unleashed his burning anger.
He started a fire in Zion that even burned its foundation.
12
Neither the kings of the earth nor anyone living on earth could believe
that enemies or invaders would ever get through the gates of Jerusalem.
Lamentations 5:1-18 (GOD'S WORD)
1
"Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us.
Take a look at our disgrace!
2
"The land we inherited has been turned over to strangers.
Our homes have been turned
over to foreigners.
3
We are orphans without a father.
Our mothers are like
widows.
4
We have to pay to drink our own water.
We have to pay to chop our
own wood.
5
[Our enemies] are breathing down our necks.
We are worn out [and] not
permitted to rest.
6
We had to beg Egypt and Assyria for food.
7
Our ancestors sinned.
Now they are
gone,
[but] we have to take the punishment for their wickedness.
8
Slaves rule us.
There is no
one to rescue us from them.
9
To get our food, we have to risk our lives
in the heat
of the desert.
10
Our skin is as hot as an oven from the burning heat of starvation.
11
Women in Zion are raped, so are the girls in the cities of Judah.
12
[Our] leaders are hung by their hands.
[Our] older leaders are
shown no respect.
13
[Our] young men work at the mill,
and [our] boys stagger under loads of wood.
14
[Our] older leaders have stopped meeting at the city gate,
and [our] young men no longer play their music.
15
There is no joy left in our hearts.
Our dancing has turned into mourning.
16
The crown has fallen from our head.
Because we have sinned, it has been disastrous for us.
17
This is why we feel sick.
This is why our eyes see less and less.
18
Foxes roam around on Mount Zion, which lies in ruins.
Malachi 1:6-14 (GOD'S WORD)
THE PRIESTS OFFER UNACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES TO THE LORD
6“This
is what the LORD of Armies says: A son honors his father, and a servant
honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a
master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7“You
offer contaminated food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘Then how have we contaminated
you?’
“When you say that the LORD’s table may
be despised. 8When you bring
a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that wrong? When you bring a lame or
a sick animal, isn’t that wrong? Try offering it to your governor.
Would he accept it from you? Would he welcome you?” asks the LORD of
Armies.
9 “Now
try asking God to be kind to you. This is what you are doing! Will he
welcome you?” asks the LORD of Armies.
10“I
wish one of you would shut the doors [to my house] so that you could
not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,”
says the LORD of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.
11“From
the nations where the sun rises to the nations where the sun sets, my
name will be great. Incense and pure offerings will be offered
everywhere in my name, because my name will be great among the
nations,” says the LORD of Armies. 12“But
you dishonor it when you say that the Lord’s table may be contaminated
and that its food may be despised.
13“You
say, ‘Oh what a nuisance it is,’ and you sniff at it in disgust,” says
the LORD of Armies. “You bring stolen, lame, and sick animals. When you
bring such offerings, should I accept them from you?” asks the LORD.
14“Cheaters
are under a curse. They have male animals in their flocks that they vow
to give [as a sacrifice]. But they sacrifice second-rate ones to the
Lord instead. I am a great king,” says the LORD of Armies. “Among the
nations my name is respected.
Malachi 3:1-5 (GOD'S WORD)
1 "I'm going
to send my messenger, and he will clear the way ahead of me. Then the
Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The
messenger of the promise will come. He is the one you want," says the
Lord of Armies.
2 But who
will be able to endure the day he comes? Who will be able to survive on
the day he appears? He is like a purifying fire and like a cleansing
soap. 3 He will act like a
refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify Levi's sons and refine
them like gold and silver. Then they will bring acceptable offerings to
the Lord. 4 The offerings
from Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the past,
as in years long ago.
5 "I will
come to judge you. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,
adulterers, lying witnesses, and those who cheat workers out of their
wages and oppress widows and orphans. I will also testify against those
who deprive foreigners of their rights. None of them fear me," says the
Lord of Armies.
Malachi 3:16-18 (GOD'S WORD)
16Then those
who
feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord paid attention and
listened.
A book was written in his presence to be a reminder to those who feared
the Lord and respected his name.
17"They
will be mine," says the Lord of Armies. "On that day I will make them
my
special possession. I will spare them as a man spares his own son who
serves
him. 18Then you will again
see the
difference between righteous people and wicked people, between the one
who serves God and the one who doesn't serve him.
Malachi 4:1-3 (GOD'S WORD)
1"Certainly
the
day is coming! It will burn like a furnace. All arrogant people and all
evildoers will be [like] straw. The day that is coming will burn them
up
completely," says the Lord of Armies. "It won't leave a single root or
branch.
2"The
Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings for you people
who fear my name. You will go out and leap like calves let out of a
stall.
3You
will trample on wicked people, because on the day I act they will be
ashes
under the soles of your feet," says the Lord of Armies.
Micah 4:1-5 (GOD'S WORD)
1
In the last days the mountain of the Lord's house
will be established as the highest of the mountains
and raised above the hills.
People will stream to it.
2
Then many nations will come and say,
"Let's go to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them."
The teachings
will go out from Zion.
The word
of the Lord will go out from Jerusalem.
3
Then he will judge disputes between many people
and settle arguments between many nations far and wide.
They will hammer their swords into plowblades
and their spears into pruning shears.
Nations will never fight against each other,
and they will never train for war again.
4
They will sit under their grapevines and their fig trees,
and no one will make them afraid.
The Lord of Armies has spoken.
5
All the nations live by the names of their gods,
but we will live by the name of the Lord God forever.
Micah 4:6-13 (GOD'S WORD)
6
“When that day comes,” declares the LORD,
“I will gather those who are lame.
I will bring together those who are scattered
and those whom I have injured.
7
I will change those
who are lame into a faithful people.
I will change those who are
forced away into a strong nation.”
The LORD will rule them on Mount
Zion now and forever.
8
You, Jerusalem, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold of
the people of Zion,
your former government will come back to you.
The kingdom will return to the
people of Jerusalem.
9
Now why are you crying so loudly?
Don’t you have
a king?
Has your counselor died?
Pain grips you like a woman in
labor.
10
Daughter of Zion, writhe in pain and groan like a woman in labor.
Now you will leave the city,
live in the
open fields,
and go to Babylon.
There you will be rescued.
There the LORD will reclaim you
from your enemies.
Micah 5:1-6 (GOD'S WORD)
1
Now, gather your troops, you city of troops.
We are under attack.
Enemies will strike the
judge of Israel on the cheek with a stick.
THE LORD’S LEADER FOR ISRAEL
2 You,
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are too small
to be included among Judah’s cities.
Yet, from you Israel’s future ruler will come for me.
His origins go back to the
distant past, to days long ago.
3 That is
why the LORD will abandon Israel
until the time
a mother has a child.
Then the rest of the LORD’s people will
return to the people of Israel.
4
The child will become the shepherd of his flock.
[He will lead them]
with the strength of the LORD,
with the majestic name of the LORD his God.
They will live
in safety
because his greatness will reach the ends of the
earth.
5
This man will
be their peace.
When the Assyrians invade our
land and trample our palaces,
we will attack
them with seven shepherds and eight leaders.
6
They will rule Assyria with their
swords
and the country of Nimrod with
drawn swords.
They
will rescue us from the Assyrians
when they come into our land
and walk
within our territory.
Micah 7:2-6 (GOD'S WORD)
2
Faithful people are gone from the earth,
and no one is
decent.
All people lie in ambush
to commit murder.
They trap
each other with nets.
3
Their hands are skilled in doing
evil.
Officials ask for gifts.
Judges accept bribes.
Powerful people dictate what they want.
So they scheme together.
4
The best of them is like a briar.
The most decent person is
sharper than thornbushes.
The day you
thought you would be punished has come.
Now is the time you will be confused.
5
Don't trust your neighbors.
Don't have confidence in
[your] friends.
Keep your
mouth shut even when a woman is lying in your arms.
6
A son treats his father with contempt.
A daughter rebels against
her mother.
A daughter-in-law rebels
against her mother-in-law.
People's
enemies are the members of their own families.
Micah 7:14-20 (GOD'S WORD)
14 With your
shepherd’s staff, take care of your people,
the sheep that belong to you.
They live alone in the woods, in
fertile pastures.
Let them feed
in Bashan and Gilead like before.
15 Let us see miracles
like the time you came out of Egypt.
16 Nations will see this and
be ashamed in spite of all their strength.
They will put their hands over their mouths.
Their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like
snakes,
like animals that crawl on the ground.
They will come out of their hiding places trembling.
They will turn away from your presence in fear, O
LORD our God.
They will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you?
You forgive sin
and overlook the rebellion of
your faithful people.
You will not be angry forever,
because you would rather show
mercy.
19 You will again have
compassion on us.
You will overcome our wrongdoing.
You will throw all our sins into the deep sea.
20 You will be faithful to
Jacob.
You will have mercy on Abraham
as you swore by an oath to our ancestors long ago.
Nahum 1:1-11 (GOD'S WORD)
1 This is a revelation from the Lord about
Nineveh. This book contains the vision of Nahum from Elkosh.
2 God does not tolerate rivals.
The Lord takes revenge.
The Lord takes revenge and
is full of anger.
The Lord takes revenge
against his enemies
and holds a grudge against his foes.
3 The Lord is patient and has
great strength.
The Lord will never let
the guilty go unpunished.
Raging winds and storms
mark his path,
and clouds are the dust from his feet.
4 He yells at the sea and makes
it dry.
He dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither.
The flowers of Lebanon wither.
5 The mountains quake because of
him.
The hills melt.
The earth draws back in his presence.
The world and all
who live in it draw back as well.
6 Who can stand in the presence
of his rage?
Who can oppose his burning
anger?
He pours out his rage like
fire
and smashes the rocky cliffs.
7 The Lord is good.
[He is] a fortress in the day of trouble.
He knows those who seek shelter in him.
8
He will put an end to Nineveh
with a devastating flood.
He will pursue his enemies with darkness.
9 What do you think about the
Lord?
He is the one who will bring Nineveh to an end.
This trouble will never happen again.
10 [The
people of Nineveh will be] like tangled thorns
and like people drunk on their own drink.
They will be
completely burned up like very dry straw.
11 From you, Nineveh, a person
who plans evil against the Lord sets out.
His advice is wicked.
Haggai 2:20-23 (GOD'S WORD)
20The Lord spoke his word to Haggai a second
time on the twenty-fourth day of the month. He said, 21"Say to
Zerubbabel (governor of Judah), 'I am going to shake the heavens and
the earth. 22I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the
power of nations. I will overthrow chariots and their riders, and the
horses will fall along with their riders. They will kill one another
with swords. 23On that day, declares the Lord of Armies, I will take
you, my servant Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel), declares the Lord. I
will make you like a signet ring, because I have chosen you, declares
the Lord of Armies.'"
Hosea 4:1-3 (GOD'S WORD)
1 Listen to the word of the LORD, you
Israelites. The LORD has brought these charges against those who live
in the land:
“There is no
faith, no love, and no knowledge of God in the land.
2
There is cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery.
People break {my laws} , and
there is one murder after another.
3 That is why the land is
drying up,
and everyone
who lives in it is passing away.
Wild animals, birds, and fish are dying.
Hosea 10:8-10 (GOD'S WORD)
8 The illegal worship sites of Aven will be
destroyed.
Israel sins
there.
Thorns and
weeds will grow over those altars.
People will say to the mountains, "Cover us!"
and to the hills, "Fall on us!"
9 Israel, you have sinned ever since the
incident at Gibeah.
You never
change.
War will overtake the wicked people in Gibeah.
10 "I will punish them when I'm ready.
Armies will gather to attack them.
They will be punished for their many sins.
Song of Songs 5:10 (GOD'S WORD)
10
My beloved is dazzling yet ruddy.
He stands out among 10,000 men.
Nehemiah 8:1-12 (GOD'S WORD)
1When the seventh month came, all the people
gathered together in the courtyard in front of Water Gate. They told
Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord
had commanded Israel to follow . 2Then Ezra the priest brought the Teachings
in front of the assembly. This included men, women, and any bchildrenn
who could understand what they heard. This took place on the first day
of the seventh month. 3From daybreak until noon, he read from it
in the courtyard in front of Water Gate to the men, women, and children
who could understand it. All the people listened to the Book of Moses’
Teachings.
4Ezra the scribe stood on a raised wooden
platform made for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah,
Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right. Pedaiah, Mishael,
Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam stood beside
him on his left. 5Ezra, standing higher than all the other
people, opened the book in front of all the people. As he opened it, all
the people stood up. 6Ezra thanked the LORD, the great God. All
the people responded, “Amen! Amen!” as they raised their hands and then
bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the LORD. 7The
Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah,
Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—explained the
Teachings to the people while
they were standing there. 8They read the Book of God’s Teachings
clearly and explained the meaning so that the people could understand
what was read.
9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest
and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people told them, “This is a
holy day for the LORD your God. Don’t mourn or cry.” All the people
were crying as they listened to the reading of God’s Teachings. 10Then he
told them, “Go, eat rich foods, drink sweet drinks, and send portions
to those who cannot provide for themselves. Today
is a holy day for the Lord. Don’t be sad because the joy you have in
the LORD is your strength.” 11So the Levites calmed all the people by
saying, “Listen. Today is a holy day. Don’t be sad.”
12Then all the people went to eat and drink
and to send portions. They had a big, joyful celebration because they
understood the words that had been explained to them.
Zechariah 3 (GOD'S WORD)
1Then he
showed me Joshua, the chief priest, standing in front of the Messenger
of the Lord. Satan the Accuser was standing at Joshua's right side to
accuse him. 2The Lord said to Satan,
"I, the Lord, silence you, Satan! I, the Lord, who has chosen
Jerusalem, silence you! Isn't this man like a burning log snatched from
a fire?"
3Joshua was
wearing filthy clothes and was standing in front of the Messenger. 4The
Messenger said to those who were standing in front of him, "Remove
Joshua's filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken
your sin away from you, and I will dress you in fine clothing"
5So I said, "Put a
clean turban on his head." They put a clean turban on his head and
dressed him while the Messenger of the Lord was standing there.
6The Messenger of
the Lord advised Joshua, 7"This is
what the Lord of Armies says: If you live according to my ways and
follow my requirements, you will govern my temple and watch over my
courtyards. Then I will give you free access to walk among those
standing here.
8"Listen, Chief
Priest Joshua and your friends sitting with you. These men are a sign
of things to come: I'm going to bring my servant, the Branch.
9"Look at the
stone I have set in front of Joshua. That one stone has seven eyes. I
am engraving an inscription on it," declares the Lord of Armies. "I
will remove this land's sin in a single day. 10On
that day," declares the Lord of Armies, "each of you will invite your
neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree."
Zechariah 4:8-10 (GOD'S WORD)
8Then the Lord
spoke his word to me. He said, 9"Zerubbabel's
hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish
it. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. 10Who
despised the day when little things began to happen? They will be
delighted when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand. (These
seven eyes of the Lord roam over all the earth.)"
Zephaniah 1:14-18 (GOD'S WORD)
14 The
frightening day of the Lord is near.
It is near
and coming very quickly.
Listen! Warriors will cry out bitterly
on the day of the Lord.
15
That day will be a day of overflowing fury,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of devastation and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and overcast skies,
16
a day of rams' horns and battle cries
against the fortified cities
and against the high corner
towers.
17
"I will bring such distress on humans that they will walk like they are
blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord."
Their blood will be
poured out like dust
and their intestines like manure.
18
Their silver and their gold will not be able to rescue them
on the day of the Lord's overflowing fury.
The whole earth will
be consumed by his fiery anger,
because he will put an end, a frightening end,
to those who live on earth.