Revelation 11

New King James Version

The Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given ^(A)a reed like a measuring rod. ^[a]And the angel stood, saying, ^(B)“Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. ²But leave out ^(C)the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, ^(D)for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will ^(E)tread the holy city underfoot for ^(F)forty-two months. ³And I will give power to my two ^(G)witnesses, ^(H)and they will prophesy ^(I)one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

⁴These are the ^(J)two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the ^[b]God of the earth. ⁵And if anyone wants to harm them, ^(K)fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. ^(L)And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. ⁶These ^(M)have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

The Witnesses Killed

⁷When they ^(N)finish their testimony, ^(O)the beast that ascends ^(P)out of the bottomless pit ^(Q)will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. ⁸And their dead bodies will lie in the street of ^(R)the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, ^(S)where also ^[c]our Lord was crucified. ⁹^(T)Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations ^[d]will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, ^(U)and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. ¹⁰^(V)And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, ^(W)and send gifts to one another, ^(X)because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

The Witnesses Resurrected

¹¹^(Y)Now after the three-and-a-half days ^(Z)the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹²And ^[e]they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” ^(AA)And they ascended to heaven ^(AB)in a cloud, ^(AC)and their enemies saw them. ¹³In the same hour ^(AD)there was a great earthquake, ^(AE)and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid ^(AF)and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴^(AG)The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed

¹⁵Then ^(AH)the seventh angel sounded: ^(AI)And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ^(AJ)“The ^[f]kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, ^(AK)and He shall reign forever and ever!” ¹⁶And ^(AL)the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and ^(AM)worshiped God, ¹⁷saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One ^(AN)who is and who was ^[g]and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power ^(AO)and reigned.
¹⁸The nations were ^(AP)angry, and Your ^[h]wrath has come,
And the time of the ^(AQ)dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹Then ^(AR)the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of ^[i]His covenant was seen in His temple. And ^(AS)there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, ^(AT)and great hail.

Footnotes

Revelation 11:1 NU, M omit And the angel stood
Revelation 11:4 NU, M Lord
Revelation 11:8 NU, M their
Revelation 11:9 NU, M see . . . and will not allow
Revelation 11:12 M I
Revelation 11:15 NU, M kingdom . . . has become the kingdom
Revelation 11:17 NU, M omit and who is to come
Revelation 11:18 anger
Revelation 11:19 M the covenant of the Lord

Esther 1

New King James Version

The King Dethrones Queen Vashti

1 Now it came to pass in the days of ^(A)Ahasuerus^[a] (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned ^(B)over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, ^(C)from India to Ethiopia), ²in those days when King Ahasuerus ^(D)sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in ^(E)Shushan^[b] the ^[c]citadel, ³that in the third year of his reign he ^(F)made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him— ⁴when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all.

⁵And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in ^[d]Shushan the ^[e]citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. ⁶There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the ^(G)couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble. ⁷And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, ^(H)according to the ^[f]generosity of the king. ⁸In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure.

⁹Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

¹⁰On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, ^(I)Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, ¹¹to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. ¹²But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.

¹³Then the king said to the ^(J)wise men ^(K)who understood the times (for this was the king’s manner toward all who knew law and justice, ¹⁴those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the ^(L)seven princes of Persia and Media, ^(M)who had access to the king’s presence, and who ^[g]ranked highest in the kingdom): ¹⁵“What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs?”

¹⁶And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: “Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. ¹⁷For the queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will ^(N)despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’ ¹⁸This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the king’s officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath. ¹⁹If it pleases the king, let a royal ^[h]decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will ^(O)not ^[i]be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. ²⁰When the king’s decree which he will make is proclaimed throughout all his empire (for it is great), all wives will ^(P)honor their husbands, both great and small.”

²¹And the reply pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan. ²²Then he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, ^(Q)to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, that each man should ^(R)be master in his own house, and speak in the language of his own people.

Footnotes

Esther 1:1 Generally identified with Xerxes I (485–464 b.c.)
Esther 1:2 Or Susa
Esther 1:2 Or fortified palace, and so elsewhere in the book
Esther 1:5 Or Susa
Esther 1:5 palace
Esther 1:7 Lit. hand
Esther 1:14 Lit. sat in first place
Esther 1:19 Lit. word
Esther 1:19 pass away

Psalm 105:1-25

New King James Version

The Eternal Faithfulness of the Lord^(A)

105 Oh, ^(B)give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
^(C)Make known His deeds among the peoples!
²Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
^(D)Talk of all His wondrous works!
³Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
⁴Seek the Lord and His strength;
^(E)Seek His face evermore!
⁵^(F)Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
⁶O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

⁷He is the Lord our God;
^(G)His judgments are in all the earth.
⁸He ^(H)remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
⁹^(I)The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
¹⁰And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
¹¹Saying, ^(J)“To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
¹²^(K)When they were few in number,
Indeed very few, ^(L)and strangers in it.

¹³When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
¹⁴^(M)He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, ^(N)He rebuked kings for their sakes,
¹⁵Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”

¹⁶Moreover ^(O)He called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the ^(P)provision of bread.
¹⁷^(Q)He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who ^(R)was sold as a slave.
¹⁸^(S)They hurt his feet with fetters,
^[a]He was laid in irons.
¹⁹Until the time that his word came to pass,
^(T)The word of the Lord tested him.
²⁰^(U)The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
²¹^(V)He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
²²To ^[b]bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.

²³^(W)Israel also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt ^(X)in the land of Ham.
²⁴^(Y)He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
²⁵^(Z)He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.