The Daily Audio Bible
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God’s Favor to Zion
2 And I looked up, and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 and he said to the second angel, “Run, speak to that young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited [like villages] without walls [spreading out into the open country] because of the great number of people and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her [protecting her from enemies], and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
6 “[a]Hear this! Flee from [Babylon] the land of the north [which shall come under judgment],” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. 7 “Hear, Zion (Jerusalem)! Escape, [b]you who are living with the daughter of Babylon!” 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After [c]glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you—for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. 9 Behold, I will wave my hand over them and they shall become plunder for their own slaves. Then you shall know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. 10 Sing for joy and rejoice, O Daughter of Zion; for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day and shall be My people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.(A) 12 The Lord will take possession of Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.
13 “Be still before the Lord, all mankind; for He is roused (raised up) from His holy habitation [in response to His persecuted people].”(B)
Joshua, the High Priest
3 Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the [d]Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Even the Lord, who [now and ever] has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a [e]log snatched and rescued from the fire?”(C) 3 Now Joshua was clothed with [f]filthy (nauseatingly vile) garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord]. 4 He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And He said to Joshua, “See, I have caused your wickedness to be taken away from you, and I will clothe and beautify you with rich robes [of forgiveness].” 5 And I (Zechariah) said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.
6 And the Angel of the Lord [solemnly and earnestly] admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways [that is, remain faithful] and perform My service, then you will also govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you free access [to My presence] among these who are standing here.
The Branch
8 Now listen, Joshua, the high priest, you and your colleagues who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol [of what is to come]—for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the [g]Branch [in Messianic glory].(D) 9 For behold, the [h]stone which I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes (symbolizing infinite intelligence, omniscience). Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the wickedness and guilt of this land in a single day.(E) 10 In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and his fig tree [enjoying peace and prosperity in the kingdom].’”(F)
The Beast from the Sea
13 And the [a]dragon (Satan) stood on the sandy shore of the sea.(A)
Then I saw a [vicious] beast coming up out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten royal [b]crowns (diadems), and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast that I saw resembled a [c]leopard, but his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth was like that of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads which seemed to have a fatal wound, but his fatal wound was healed; and the entire earth followed after the beast in amazement. 4 They fell down and worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like (as great as) the beast, and who is able to wage war against him?” 5 And the beast was given a mouth (the power of speech), uttering great things and arrogant and blasphemous words, and he was given freedom and authority to act and to do as he pleased for [d]forty-two months (three and a half years).(B) 6 And he opened his mouth to speak blasphemies (abusive speech, slander) against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, and those who live in heaven.
7 He was also [e]permitted to wage war against the saints (God’s people) and to overcome them, and authority and power over every tribe and people and language and nation.(C) 8 All the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain [as a willing sacrifice]. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is destined for captivity, he will go into captivity; if anyone kills with a sword, he must be killed with a sword. Here is [the call for] the patient endurance and the faithfulness of the saints [which is seen in the response of God’s people to difficult times].(D)
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw [f]another beast rising up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.(E) 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence [when the two are together]. And he makes the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs (awe-inspiring acts), even making fire fall from the sky to the earth, right before peoples’ eyes. 14 And he deceives those [unconverted ones] who inhabit the earth [into believing him] because of the signs which he is given [by Satan] to perform in the presence of the [first] beast, telling those who inhabit the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded [fatally] by the sword and has come back to life.(F) 15 And he is given power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast will even [appear to] speak, and cause those who do not bow down and worship the image of the beast to be put to death.(G) 16 Also he compels all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead [signifying allegiance to the beast], 17 and that no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let the person who has enough insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the [imperfect] number of a man; [g]and his number is [h]six hundred and sixty-six.
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 Lord, I call upon You; hurry to me.
Listen to my voice when I call to You.
2
Let my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.(A)
3
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].
4
Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing,
Or to practice deeds of wickedness
With men who plan and do evil;
And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain).
5
Let the righteous [thoughtfully] strike (correct) me—it is a kindness [done to encourage my spiritual maturity].
It is [the choicest anointing] oil on the head;
Let my head not refuse [to accept and acknowledge and learn from] it;
For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.(B)
6
Their [wicked, godless] judges are thrown down the sides of the rocky cliff,
And they [who followed them] will hear my words, for they are pleasant (just).
7
As when the one plows and breaks open the ground [and the soil scatters behind him],
Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol [by the injustices of the wicked].(C)
8
For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not pour out my life nor leave me defenseless.
9
Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the snares of those who do evil.
10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I pass by and safely escape [from danger].
18
There are three things which are too astounding and unexpectedly wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:
19
The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
And the way of a man with a maid.
20
This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
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