Today our passages are Zechariah 6:1–7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; and Proverbs 30:24-28. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal.
Zechariah 8:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)
Zechariah 8
The LORD's Promises to Zion
1The LORD All-Powerful said to me:
2I love Zion so much that her enemies make me angry. 3I will return to Jerusalem and live there on Mount Zion. Then Jerusalem will be known as my faithful city, and Zion will be known as my holy mountain.
4Very old people with walking sticks will once again sit around in Jerusalem, 5while boys and girls play in the streets. 6This may seem impossible for my people who are left, but it isn't impossible for me, the LORD All-Powerful. 7I will save those who were taken to lands in the east and the west,8and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, faithful to bring about justice.
9I am the LORD All-Powerful! So don't give up. Think about the message my prophets spoke when the foundation of my temple was laid. 10Before that time, neither people nor animals were rewarded for their work, and no one was safe anywhere, because I had turned them against each other.
11My people, only a few of you are left, and I promise not to punish you as I did before. 12Instead, I will make sure that your crops are planted in peace and your vineyards are fruitful, that your fields are fertile and the dew falls from the sky. 13People of Judah and Israel, you have been a curse to the nations, but I will save you and make you a blessing to them. So don't be afraid or lose courage.
14When your ancestors made me angry, I decided to punish you with disasters, and I didn't hold back. 15Now you no longer need to be afraid. I have decided to treat Jerusalem and Judah with kindness. 16But you must be truthful with each other, and in court you must give fair decisions that lead to peace. 17Don't ever plan evil things against others or tell lies under oath. I, the LORD, hate such things.
A Time of Celebration
18The LORD All-Powerful told me to say:
19People of Judah, I, the LORD, demand that whenever you go without food as a way of worshiping me, it should become a time of celebration. No matter if it's the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, or the tenth month, you should have a joyful festival. So love truth and live at peace.
20I tell you that people will come here from cities everywhere. 21Those of one town will go to another and say, "We're going to ask the LORD All-Powerful to treat us with kindness. Come and join us."
22Many people from strong nations will come to Jerusalem to worship me and to ask me to treat them with kindness. 23When this happens, ten people from nations with different languages will grab a Jew by his clothes and say, "Let us go with you. We've heard that God is on your side." I, the LORD All-Powerful, have spoken!
Revelation 16:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)
Revelation 16
The Bowls of God's Anger
1From the temple I heard a voice shout to the seven angels, "Go and empty the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth."
2The first angel emptied his bowl on the earth. At once ugly and painful sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped the idol.
3The second angel emptied his bowl on the sea. Right away the sea turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
4The third angel emptied his bowl into the rivers and streams. At once they turned to blood. 5Then I heard the angel, who has power over water, say,
"You have always been,
and you always will be
the holy God.
You had the right
to judge in this way.
6They poured out the blood a] of your people
and your prophets.
So you gave them blood
to drink,
as they deserve!"
7After this, I heard
the altar shout,
"Yes, Lord God All-Powerful,
your judgments are honest
and fair."
8The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire. 9Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.
10The fifth angel emptied his bowl on the throne of the beast. At once darkness covered its kingdom, and its people began biting their tongues in pain. 11And because of their painful sores, they cursed the God who rules in heaven. But still they did not stop doing evil things.
12The sixth angel emptied his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it completely dried up to make a road for the kings from the east. 13An evil spirit that looked like a frog came out of the mouth of the dragon. One also came out of the mouth of the beast, and another out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14These evil spirits had the power to work miracles. They went to every king on earth, to bring them together for a war against God All-Powerful. But that will be the day of God's great victory.
15Remember that Christ says, "When I come, it will surprise you like a thief! But God will bless you, if you are awake and ready. Then you won't have to walk around naked and be ashamed."
16Those armies came together in a place that in Hebrew is called Armagedon. b] 17As soon as the seventh angel emptied his bowl in the air, a loud voice from the throne in the temple shouted, "It's done!" 18There were flashes of lightning, roars of thunder, and the worst earthquake in all history. 19The great city of Babylon split into three parts, and the cities of other nations fell. So God made Babylon drink from the wine cup that was filled with his anger. 20Every island ran away, and the mountains disappeared. 21Hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from the sky on people. Finally, the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible.
Footnotes:
- Revelation 16:6 They poured out the blood: A way of saying, "They murdered."
- Revelation 16:16 Armagedon: The Hebrew form of the name would be "Har Megiddo," meaning "Hill of Megiddo," where many battles were fought in ancient times (see Judges 5.19; 2 Kings 23.29,30).
Psalm 144:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 144
(By David.)
A Prayer for the Nation
1I praise you, LORD!
You are my mighty rock, a] and you teach me
how to fight my battles.
2You are my friend,
and you are my fortress
where I am safe.
You are my shield,
and you made me the ruler
of our people. b] 3Why do we humans mean anything
to you, our LORD?
Why do you care about us?
4We disappear like a breath;
we last no longer
than a faint shadow.
5Open the heavens like a curtain
and come down, LORD.
Touch the mountains
and make them send up smoke.
6Use your lightning as arrows
to scatter my enemies
and make them run away.
7Reach down from heaven
and set me free.
Save me from the mighty flood
8of those lying foreigners
who can't tell the truth.
9In praise of you, our God,
I will sing a new song,
while playing my harp.
10By your power, kings win wars,
and your servant David is saved
from deadly swords.
11Won't you keep me safe
from those lying foreigners
who can't tell the truth?
12Let's pray that our young sons
will grow like strong plants
and that our daughters
will be as lovely
as columns
in the corner of a palace.
13May our barns be filled
with all kinds of crops.
May our fields be covered
with sheep by the thousands,
14and every cow have calves. c] Don't let our city be captured
or any of us be taken away,
and don't let cries of sorrow
be heard in our streets.
15Our LORD and our God,
you give these blessings
to all who worship you.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 144:1 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
- Psalm 144:2 of our people: Some Hebrew manuscripts and ancient translations have " of the nations."
- Psalm 144:14 have calves: Or " grow fat."
Proverbs 30:29-31 (Contemporary English Version)
29Three or four creatures
really strut around:
30Those fearless lions
who rule the jungle,
31those proud roosters,
those mountain goats,
and those rulers
who have no enemies. a]
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 30:31 enemies: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 31.
Verse of the Day
“[A Child Has Been Born]A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.” - Isaiah 9:6
Thought for the Day
Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current Prime Minister of Canada, as well as the Leader of the Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau wrote, “On this day, Christians reflect on their faith and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This occasion inspires families and communities to come together, share what they have, and give back to those less fortunate. May we take this time to reflect on our many blessings, and remind our loved ones how much they mean to us.”
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