Day 349 of 365

Hos 13:1–14:9

13:1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but when he became guilty in Baal, he died.

13:2 Now they sin more and more, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, 'They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.'

13:3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, and like the dew that passes away early, like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, and like the smoke out of the chimney.

13:4 "Yet I am the Lord your God [that establishes the heaven, and creates the earth, whose hands have framed the whole host of heaven. But I did not show them to you that you should go after them, but I brought you up] from the land of Egypt; and you shall acknowledge no god but me, and besides me there is no savior.

13:5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.

13:7 Therefore I am like a lion to them. Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.

13:8 I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs, and will tear the covering of their heart. There I will devour them like a lioness. The wild animal will tear them.

13:9 You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your help.

13:10 Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes?'

13:11 I have given you a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.

13:12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up. His sin is stored up.

13:13 The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him. He is an unwise son; for when it is time, he doesn't come to the opening of the womb.

13:14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your sting? "Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.

13:15 Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come, the breath of the Lord coming up from the wilderness; and his spring will become dry, and his fountain will be dried up. He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.

13:16 Samaria will bear her guilt; for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open."

14:1 Israel, return to the Lord your God; for you have fallen because of your sin.

14:2 Take words with you, and return to the Lord. Tell him, "Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good: so we offer our lips like bulls.

14:3 Assyria can't save us. We won't ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, 'Our gods!' for in you the fatherless finds mercy."

14:4 "I will heal their waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from him.

14:5 I will be like the dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, and send down his roots like Lebanon.

14:6 His branches will spread, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon.

14:7 Men will dwell in his shade. They will revive like the grain, and blossom like the vine. Their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon.

14:8 Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? I answer, and will take care of him. I am like a green fir tree; from me your fruit is found."

14:9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them; But the rebellious stumble in them.

Joel 1:1–20

1 The Word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.

2 Hear this, you elders, And listen, all you inhabitants of the land. Has this ever happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers?

3 Tell your children about it, and have your children tell their children, and their children, another generation.

4 What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten.

5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

6 For a nation has come up on my land, strong, and without number. His teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a lioness.

7 He has laid my vine waste, and stripped my fig tree. He has stripped its bark, and thrown it away. Its branches are made white.

8 Mourn like a virgin dressed in sackcloth for the husband of her youth!

9 The meal offering and the drink offering are cut off from the Lord's house. The priests, the Lord's ministers, mourn.

10 The field is laid waste. The land mourns, for the grain is destroyed, The new wine has dried up, and the oil languishes.

11 Be confounded, you farmers! Wail, you vineyard keepers; for the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field has perished.

12 The vine has dried up, and the fig tree withered; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all of the trees of the field are withered; for joy has withered away from the sons of men.

13 Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God's house.

14 Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of the Lord, your God, and cry to the Lord.

15 Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

16 Isn't the food cut off before our eyes; joy and gladness from the house of our God?

17 The seeds rot under their clods. The granaries are laid desolate. The barns are broken down, for the grain has withered.

18 How the animals groan! The herds of livestock are perplexed, because they have no pasture. Yes, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

19 The Lord, I cry to you, For the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the field.

20 Yes, the animals of the field pant to you, for the water brooks have dried up, And the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Rev 7:1–17

1 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.

2 I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea,

3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!"

4 I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:

5 of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,

7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

10 They shouted with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

11 All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne, and worshiped God,

12 saying, "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

13 One of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?"

14 So I said to him, "My lord, you know." He said to me, "These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb's blood.

15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them.

16 They will hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither will the sun beat on them, nor any heat;

17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shepherds them, and leads them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Ps 145:1–21

1 ALEPH I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you. I will extol your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation will commend your works to another, and will declare your mighty acts.

5 Of the glorious majesty of your honor, of your wondrous works, I will meditate.

6 Men will speak of the might of your awesome acts. I will declare your greatness.

7 They will utter the memory of your great goodness, and will sing of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.

9 The Lord is good to all. His tender mercies are over all his works.

10 All your works will give thanks to you, Lord. Your holy ones will extol you.

11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk about your power;

12 to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Your dominion endures throughout all generations. the Lord is faithful in all his words, and loving in all his deeds.

14 The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.

16 You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works.

18 The Lord is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

20 The Lord preserves all those who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord. Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.