The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 I saw another (A)strong angel (B)coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the (C)rainbow was on his head, and (D)his face was like the sun, and his (E)feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a (F)little scroll, which was open. He placed (G)his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, (H)as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the (I)seven peals of thunder [a]uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, (J)I was about to write; and I (K)heard a voice from heaven, saying, “(L)Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them.” Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land (M)raised his right hand to heaven, (N)and swore by (O)Him who lives forever and ever, (P)who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that (Q)there will no longer be a delay, but in the days of the voice of the (R)seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then (S)the mystery of God is finished, as He announced to His servants the prophets.

Then (T)the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take (U)the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who (V)stands on the sea and on the land.” And I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little scroll. And he *said to me, “(W)Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 And (X)they *said to me, “You must (Y)prophesy again concerning (Z)many peoples, nations, languages, and (AA)kings.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 10:3 Or spoke

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel(A) coming down from heaven.(B) He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow(C) above his head; his face was like the sun,(D) and his legs were like fiery pillars.(E) He was holding a little scroll,(F) which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,(G) and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.(H) When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders(I) spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write;(J) but I heard a voice from heaven(K) say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”(L)

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land(M) raised his right hand to heaven.(N) And he swore(O) by him who lives for ever and ever,(P) who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,(Q) and said, “There will be no more delay!(R) But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet,(S) the mystery(T) of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”(U)

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven(V) spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll(W) that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a](X) 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,(Y) but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy(Z) again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”(AA)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

148 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord (A)from the heavens;
Praise Him (B)in the heights!
Praise Him, (C)all His angels;
Praise Him, (D)all His heavenly armies!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
Praise Him, [c](E)highest heavens,
And the (F)waters that are above the heavens!
They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For (G)He commanded and they were created.
He has also (H)established them forever and ever;
He has made a (I)decree, and it will not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
(J)Sea monsters, and all the ocean (K)depths;
(L)Fire and hail, (M)snow and (N)clouds;
(O)Stormy wind, (P)fulfilling His word;
(Q)Mountains and all hills;
Fruit (R)trees and all cedars;
10 (S)Animals and all cattle;
(T)Crawling things and winged fowl;
11 (U)Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Rulers and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.

13 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For His (V)name alone is exalted;
His (W)majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 And He has (X)lifted up a horn for His people,
(Y)Praise for all His godly ones,
For the sons of Israel, a people (Z)near to Him.
[d]Praise [e]the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Or Hallelujah!
  2. Psalm 148:1 Heb Yah
  3. Psalm 148:4 Lit heavens of heavens
  4. Psalm 148:14 Or Hallelujah!
  5. Psalm 148:14 Heb Yah

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(D)
Praise him, sun(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(F)
    and you waters above the skies.(G)

Let them praise the name(H) of the Lord,
    for at his command(I) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree(J) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(L) and all ocean depths,(M)
lightning and hail,(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(O)
you mountains and all hills,(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
    old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(T) is above the earth and the heavens.(U)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[b](V)
    the praise(W) of all his faithful servants,(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(Y)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  2. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Jonah’s Displeasure Rebuked

But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became (A)angry. Then he (B)prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was this not [a]what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I (C)fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a (D)gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster. So now, Lord, please (E)take my [b]life from me, for death is (F)better to me than life.” But the Lord said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?”

Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of [c]it. There he made a shelter for himself and (G)sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city. So the Lord God designated a [d]plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to [e]relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah [f]was overjoyed about the plant. But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it (H)withered. And when the sun came up God designated a scorching (I)east wind, and the (J)sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “(K)Death is better to me than life!”

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death!” 10 Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which [g]came up overnight and perished [h]overnight. 11 Should I not also (L)have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not (M)know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many (N)animals?”

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 4:2 Lit my word
  2. Jonah 4:3 Lit soul
  3. Jonah 4:5 Lit the city
  4. Jonah 4:6 Prob. a castor oil plant, and so throughout the ch
  5. Jonah 4:6 Lit save him from
  6. Jonah 4:6 Lit rejoiced with great joy
  7. Jonah 4:10 Lit was a son of a night
  8. Jonah 4:10 Lit a son of a night

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.(A) He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew(B) that you are a gracious(C) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,(D) a God who relents(E) from sending calamity.(F) Now, Lord, take away my life,(G) for it is better for me to die(H) than to live.”(I)

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”(J)

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided(K) a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.(L) When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die,(M) and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”(N)

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern(O) for the great city of Nineveh,(P) in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 4:6 The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10.

Destruction in Israel and Judah

The (A)word of the Lord which came to (B)Micah of Moresheth in the days of (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz, and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and which he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear, you peoples, all of [a]you;
(F)Listen carefully, earth and [b]all it contains,
And may the Lord [c]God be a (G)witness against you,
The Lord from His holy temple.
For behold, the Lord is (H)coming forth from His place.
He will come down and (I)tread on the high places of the [d]earth.
(J)The mountains will melt under Him
And the valleys will be split,
Like wax before the fire,
Like water poured down a steep place.
All this is due to the [e]wrongdoing of Jacob
And the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the (K)[f]wrongdoing of Jacob?
Is it not (L)Samaria?
What is the (M)high [g]place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?
For I will make Samaria a (N)heap of ruins [h]in the open country,
(O)Planting places for a vineyard.
I will (P)hurl her stones down into the valley,
And (Q)lay bare her foundations.
All of her (R)idols will be crushed,
All of her earnings will be burned with fire,
And all of her images I will make desolate;
For she collected them from a (S)prostitute’s earnings,
And to the earnings of a prostitute they will return.

Because of this I must mourn and wail,
I must go (T)barefoot and naked;
I must do mourning like the (U)jackals,
And a mourning like the ostriches.
For her (V)wound is incurable,
For (W)it has come to Judah;
It has reached the (X)gate of my people,
Even to Jerusalem.
10 (Y)Do not tell it in Gath,
Do not weep at all.
At [i]Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust in mourning.
11 [j]Go on your way, inhabitant of [k]Shaphir, in (Z)shameful nakedness.
The inhabitant of [l](AA)Zaanan does not [m]escape.
The mourning of [n]Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its [o]support.”
12 For the inhabitant of [p]Maroth
[q](AB)Waits for something good,
Because a disaster has come down from the Lord
To the (AC)gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,
You inhabitant of (AD)Lachish—
She was the beginning of sin
To the daughter of Zion—
Because in you were found
The (AE)rebellious acts of Israel.
14 Therefore you will give parting (AF)gifts
In behalf of Moresheth-gath;
The houses of (AG)Achzib will become a [r](AH)deception
To the kings of Israel.
15 Moreover, I will bring on you
The one who takes possession,
You inhabitant of [s](AI)Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will enter (AJ)Adullam.
16 Shave yourself (AK)bald, yes, cut off your hair,
Because of the children of your delight;
Extend your baldness like the eagle,
For they will (AL)go from you into exile.

Woe to Oppressors

Woe to those who (AM)devise wrongdoing,
Who practice evil on their beds!
[t](AN)When morning comes, they do it,
Because it is in the (AO)power of their hands.
They (AP)covet fields, so they (AQ)seize them;
And houses, so they take them.
They [u](AR)exploit a man and his house,
A person and his inheritance.

Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“Behold, I am (AS)planning against this (AT)family a catastrophe
From which you (AU)cannot remove your necks;
And you will not walk (AV)haughtily,
For it will be an (AW)evil time.
On that day they will (AX)take up against you a [v]song of mocking
And [w](AY)utter a song of mourning and say,
‘We are completely (AZ)destroyed!
He exchanges the share of my people;
How He removes it from me!
To the apostate He (BA)apportions our fields.’
Therefore you will have no one [x](BB)applying a measuring line
For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

(BC)Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy.
But if [y]they do (BD)not prophesy about these things,
(BE)Insults will not be turned back.
Is it being said, house of Jacob:
‘Is the Spirit of the Lord (BF)impatient?
Are these His works?’
Do My words not (BG)do good
For the one (BH)walking rightly?
[z]Recently My people have arisen as an (BI)enemy—
You (BJ)strip the robe off the garment
From (BK)unsuspecting passers-by,
From those returned from war.
You (BL)evict the women of My people,
Each one from her pleasant house.
From her children you take My (BM)splendor forever.
10 Arise and go,
For this is no place (BN)of rest
Because of the (BO)uncleanness that brings on destruction,
A painful destruction.
11 If someone walking after wind and (BP)falsehood
Had lied and said,
‘I will prophesy to you about (BQ)wine and liquor,’
He would become a prophet to (BR)this people.

12 “I will certainly (BS)assemble all of you, Jacob,
I will certainly gather the (BT)remnant of Israel.
I will put them together like sheep in the fold;
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture
They will be noisy with people.
13 The one who breaks through goes up before them;
They break through, pass through the gate, and go out by it.
So their king passes on before them,
And the Lord at their head.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:2 Lit them
  2. Micah 1:2 Lit its fullness
  3. Micah 1:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Micah 1:3 Or land
  5. Micah 1:5 Or rebellion
  6. Micah 1:5 Or rebellion
  7. Micah 1:5 Lit places
  8. Micah 1:6 Lit of the field
  9. Micah 1:10 I.e., house of dust
  10. Micah 1:11 I.e., Go into captivity
  11. Micah 1:11 I.e., pleasantness
  12. Micah 1:11 I.e., going out
  13. Micah 1:11 Lit go out
  14. Micah 1:11 I.e., the house beside
  15. Micah 1:11 Lit standing place
  16. Micah 1:12 I.e., bitterness
  17. Micah 1:12 Or possibly has been in agony for
  18. Micah 1:14 Heb achzab, wordplay on Achzib
  19. Micah 1:15 I.e., possession
  20. Micah 2:1 Lit In the light of the morning
  21. Micah 2:2 Or oppress
  22. Micah 2:4 Or proverb
  23. Micah 2:4 Lit lament
  24. Micah 2:5 Lit casting
  25. Micah 2:6 I.e., God’s prophets
  26. Micah 2:8 Lit And yesterday

The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(A) during the reigns of Jotham,(B) Ahaz(C) and Hezekiah,(D) kings of Judah(E)—the vision(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear,(G) you peoples, all of you,(H)
    listen, earth(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(J) against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.(K)

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
    he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
    and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
    because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
    Is it not Samaria?(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
    a place for planting vineyards.(S)
I will pour her stones(T) into the valley
    and lay bare her foundations.(U)
All her idols(V) will be broken to pieces;(W)
    all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
    I will destroy all her images.(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(Y)
    as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

Because of this I will weep(Z) and wail;
    I will go about barefoot(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
    and moan like an owl.
For Samaria’s plague(AB) is incurable;(AC)
    it has spread to Judah.(AD)
It has reached the very gate(AE) of my people,
    even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[a];
    weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[b]
    roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(AF) and in shame,
    you who live in Shaphir.[c]
Those who live in Zaanan[d]
    will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
    it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[e] writhe in pain,
    waiting for relief,(AG)
because disaster(AH) has come from the Lord,
    even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(AI)
    harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(AJ) began,
    for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(AK)
    to Moresheth(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib[f](AM) will prove deceptive(AN)
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
    who live in Mareshah.[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
    will flee to Adullam.(AP)
16 Shave(AQ) your head in mourning
    for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
    for they will go from you into exile.(AR)

Human Plans and God’s Plans

Woe to those who plan iniquity,
    to those who plot evil(AS) on their beds!(AT)
At morning’s light they carry it out
    because it is in their power to do it.
They covet fields(AU) and seize them,(AV)
    and houses, and take them.
They defraud(AW) people of their homes,
    they rob them of their inheritance.(AX)

Therefore, the Lord says:

“I am planning disaster(AY) against this people,
    from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(AZ)
    for it will be a time of calamity.
In that day people will ridicule you;
    they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;(BA)
    my people’s possession is divided up.(BB)
He takes it from me!
    He assigns our fields to traitors.’”

Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord
    to divide the land(BC) by lot.(BD)

False Prophets

“Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
    “Do not prophesy about these things;
    disgrace(BE) will not overtake us.(BF)
You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
    “Does the Lord become[h] impatient?
    Does he do such things?”

“Do not my words do good(BG)
    to the one whose ways are upright?(BH)
Lately my people have risen up
    like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
    from those who pass by without a care,
    like men returning from battle.
You drive the women of my people
    from their pleasant homes.(BI)
You take away my blessing
    from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
    For this is not your resting place,(BJ)
because it is defiled,(BK)
    it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver(BL) comes and says,
    ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’(BM)
    that would be just the prophet for this people!(BN)

Deliverance Promised

12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
    I will surely bring together the remnant(BO) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture;
    the place will throng with people.(BP)
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before(BQ) them;
    they will break through the gate(BR) and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
    the Lord at their head.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
  2. Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
  3. Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
  4. Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
  5. Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
  6. Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
  7. Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
  8. Micah 2:7 Or Is the Spirit of the Lord