Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

¹⁰ In that day^(A) the Root of Jesse^(B) will stand as a banner^(C) for the peoples; the nations^(D) will rally to him,^(E) and his resting place^(F) will be glorious.^{(G) 11} In that day^(H) the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant^(I) of his people from Assyria,^(J) from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt,^(K) from Cush,^[a](L) from Elam,^(M) from Babylonia,^[b] from Hamath^(N) and from the islands^(O) of the Mediterranean.^(P)

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne^(A) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(B) and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(C) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(D) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(E) The dead were judged^(F) according to what they had done^(G) as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(H) gave up the dead^(I) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^{(J) 14} Then death^(K) and Hades^(L) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(M) The lake of fire is the second death.^{(N) 15} Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(O) was thrown into the lake of fire.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a](P) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,^(Q) and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City,^(R) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,^(S) prepared as a bride^(T) beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.^(U) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.^{(V) 4} ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.^(W) There will be no more death’^[b](X) or mourning or crying or pain,^(Y) for the old order of things has passed away.”^(Z)

⁵ He who was seated on the throne^(AA) said, “I am making everything new!”^(AB) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”^(AC)

⁶ He said to me: “It is done.^(AD) I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(AE) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost^(AF) from the spring of the water of life.^{(AG) 7} Those who are victorious^(AH) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.^{(AI) 8} But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars^(AJ)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.^(AK) This is the second death.”^(AL)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea^(A) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;^(B) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.^{(C) 7} But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸ Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,^{(D) 9} he was chosen by lot,^(E) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.^{(F) 10} And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.^(G)

¹¹ Then an angel^(H) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.^{(I) 12} When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.^{(J) 13} But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^(K) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^{(L) 14} He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^{(M) 15} for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(N) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(O) even before he is born.^{(P) 16} He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord,^(Q) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(R) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(S) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(T)

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(U) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(V)

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(W) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak^(X) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs^(Y) to them but remained unable to speak.

²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace^(Z) among the people.”