Day 359 of 365

Zeph 2:1–3:20

2:1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame,

2:2 before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes on you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes on you.

2:3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.

2:4 For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.

2:5 Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you, that there will be no inhabitant.

2:6 The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.

2:7 The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for the Lord, their God, will visit them, and restore them.

2:8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

2:9 Therefore as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

2:10 This they will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

2:11 The Lord will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations.

2:12 You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword.

2:13 He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.

2:14 Herds will lie down in the midst of her, all the animals of the nations. Both the pelican and the porcupine will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams.

2:15 This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is none besides me." How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down in! Everyone who passes by her will hiss, and shake their fists.

3:1 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city!

3:2 She did not obey the voice. She did not receive correction. She did not trust in the Lord. She did not draw near to her God.

3:3 Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day.

3:4 Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.

3:5 The Lord, in the midst of her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He doesn't fail, but the unjust know no shame.

3:6 I have cut off nations. Their battlements are desolate. I have made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.

3:7 I said, "Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won't be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her." But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

3:8 "Therefore wait for me," says the Lord, "until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

3:9 For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of the Lord, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.

3:10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering.

3:11 In that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings, in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be haughty in my holy mountain.

3:12 But I will leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.

3:13 The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid."

3:14 Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.

3:15 The Lord has taken away your judgments. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in the midst of you. You will not be afraid of evil any more.

3:16 In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, "Do not be afraid, Zion. Do not let your hands be weak."

3:17 The Lord, your God, is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.

3:18 I will remove those who grieve about the appointed feasts from you. They are a burden and a reproach to you.

3:19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you, and I will save those who are lame, and gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and honor, whose shame has been in all the earth.

3:20 At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

Rev 17:1–18

1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters,

2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality."

3 He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

5 And on her forehead a name was written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

6 I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.

7 The angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

8 The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come.

9 Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits.

10 They are seven kings. Five have fallen, the one is, the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must continue a little while.

11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goes to destruction.

12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour.

13 These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

14 These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. They also will overcome who are with him, called and chosen and faithful."

15 He said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

16 The ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute, and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and will burn her utterly with fire.

17 For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.

18 The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."

Job 41:9–26

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won't one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?

11 Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.

12 "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.

13 Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.

15 Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.

16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another. They stick together, so that they can't be pulled apart.

18 His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap forth.

20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

21 His breath kindles coals. A flame goes forth from his mouth.

22 There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can't be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.

25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.

26 If one attacks him with the sword, it can't prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.