Psalm 116

I love the Lord,(A) for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry(B) for mercy.(C)
Because he turned his ear(D) to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death(E) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name(F) of the Lord:
    Lord, save me!(G)

The Lord is gracious and righteous;(H)
    our God is full of compassion.(I)
The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low,(J) he saved me.(K)

Return to your rest,(L) my soul,
    for the Lord has been good(M) to you.

For you, Lord, have delivered me(N) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord(O)
    in the land of the living.(P)

10 I trusted(Q) in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;(R)
11 in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”(S)

12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness(T) to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name(U) of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows(V) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight(W) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.(X)
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;(Y)
    I serve you just as my mother did;(Z)
    you have freed me from my chains.(AA)

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering(AB) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows(AC) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts(AD) of the house of the Lord
    in your midst, Jerusalem.(AE)

Praise the Lord.[a]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

116 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.

12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

16 O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

19 In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

The Man Among the Myrtle Trees

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.(A)

During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red(B) horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.(C)

I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel(D) who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.”(E)

10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”(F)

11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord(G) who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”(H)

12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long(I) will you withhold mercy(J) from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah,(K) which you have been angry with these seventy(L) years?” 13 So the Lord spoke(M) kind and comforting words(N) to the angel who talked with me.(O)

14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous(P) for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.(Q) I was only a little angry,(R) but they went too far with the punishment.’(S)

16 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return(T) to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line(U) will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.(V)

17 “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort(W) Zion and choose(X) Jerusalem.’”(Y)

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Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

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The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open(A) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet(B) said, “Come up here,(C) and I will show you what must take place after this.”(D) At once I was in the Spirit,(E) and there before me was a throne in heaven(F) with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper(G) and ruby.(H) A rainbow(I) that shone like an emerald(J) encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.(K) They were dressed in white(L) and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.(M) In front of the throne, seven lamps(N) were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a](O) of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,(P) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,(Q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.(R) The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.(S) Each of the four living creatures(T) had six wings(U) and was covered with eyes all around,(V) even under its wings. Day and night(W) they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’[b](X)

who was, and is, and is to come.”(Y)

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne(Z) and who lives for ever and ever,(AA) 10 the twenty-four elders(AB) fall down before him(AC) who sits on the throne(AD) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,(AE)
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”(AF)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
  2. Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

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43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.(A) That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(B)

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother(C) and brothers(D) stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven(E) is my brother and sister and mother.”

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43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

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