The Daily Audio Bible
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Third Vision: A Measuring Line
2 This time I saw someone holding a measuring line, 2 and I asked, “Where are you going?”
“To measure Jerusalem,” was the answer. “To find out how wide and long it is.”
3 The angel who had spoken to me came toward me, when another angel came up to him 4 and said, “Hurry! Tell that man with the measuring line that Jerusalem won't have any boundaries. It will be too full of people and animals even to have a wall. 5 The Lord himself has promised to be a protective wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem, and he will be its shining glory in the heart of the city.”
A Call to Action
6 The Lord says to his people, “Run! Escape from the land in the north, where I scattered you to the four winds. 7 Leave Babylonia and hurry back to Zion.”
8 Then the glorious Lord All-Powerful ordered me to say to the nations that had raided and robbed Zion:
Zion is as precious to the Lord as are his eyes. Whatever you do to Zion, you do to him. 9 And so, he will put you in the power of your slaves, and they will raid and rob you. Then you will know that I am a prophet of the Lord All-Powerful.
10 City of Zion, sing and celebrate! The Lord has promised to come and live with you. 11 When he does, many nations will turn to him and become his people. At that time you will know that I am a prophet of the Lord All-Powerful. 12 Then Judah will be his part of the holy land, and Jerusalem will again be his chosen city.
13 Everyone, be silent!
The Lord is present
and moving about
in his holy place.
Fourth Vision: Joshua and Satan
3 (A) I was given another vision. This time Joshua the high priest was standing in front of the Lord's angel. And there was Satan, standing at Joshua's right side, ready to accuse him. 2 (B) But the Lord said, “Satan, you are wrong. Jerusalem is my chosen city, and this man was rescued like a stick from a flaming fire.”
3 Joshua's clothes were filthy. 4 So the angel told some of the people to remove Joshua's filthy clothes. Then he said to Joshua, “This means you are forgiven. Now I will dress you in priestly clothes.”
5 I spoke up and said, “Also put a clean priestly turban on his head.” Then they dressed him in priestly clothes and put the turban on him, while the Lord's angel stood there watching.
6 After this, the angel encouraged Joshua by telling him that the Lord All-Powerful had promised:
7 If you truly obey me, I will put you in charge of my temple, including the courtyard around it, and you will be allowed to speak at any time with the angels standing beside me.[a] 8 (C) Listen carefully, High Priest Joshua and all of you other priests. You are a sign of things to come, because I am going to bring my servant, the Chosen King.[b]
9 Joshua, I have placed in front of you a stone with seven sides.[c] I will engrave something on that stone, and in a single day I will forgive this guilty country. 10 (D) Then each of you will live at peace and entertain your friends in your own vineyard and under your own fig trees.
The Two Beasts
13 (A) I looked and saw a beast coming up from the sea. This one had ten horns and seven heads, and a crown was on each of its ten horns. On each of its heads were names that were an insult to God. 2 (B) The beast I saw had the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. The dragon handed over its own power and throne and great authority to this beast. 3 One of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but now it was well. Everyone on earth marveled at this beast, 4 and they worshiped the dragon who had given its authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, “No one is like this beast! No one can fight against it.”
5 (C) The beast was allowed to brag and claim to be God, and for 42 months it was allowed to rule. 6 The beast cursed God, and it cursed the name of God. It even cursed the place where God lives, as well as everyone who lives in heaven with God. 7 (D) It was allowed to fight against God's people and defeat them. It was also given authority over the people of every tribe, nation, language, and race. 8 (E) The beast was worshiped by everyone whose name wasn't written before the time of creation in the book of the Lamb who was killed.[a]
9 If you have ears,
then listen!
10 (F) If you are doomed
to be captured,
you will be captured.
If you are doomed
to be killed by a sword,
you will be killed
by a sword.
This means God's people must learn to endure and be faithful!
11 I now saw another beast. This one came out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12 It worked for the beast whose fatal wound had been healed. And it used all its authority to force the earth and its people to worship that beast. 13 It worked mighty miracles, and while people watched, it even made fire come down from the sky.
14 This second beast fooled people on earth by working miracles for the first one. Then it talked them into making an idol in the form of the beast that did not die after being wounded by a sword. 15 It was allowed to put breath into the idol, so it could speak. Everyone who refused to worship the idol of the beast was put to death. 16 (G) All people were forced to put a mark on their right hand or forehead. Whether they were powerful or weak, rich or poor, free people or slaves, 17 they all had to have this mark, or else they could not buy or sell anything. This mark stood for the name of the beast and for the number of its name.
18 You need wisdom to understand the number of the beast! But if you are smart enough, you can figure this out. Its number is 666, and it stands for a person.
(A psalm by David.)
A Prayer for the Lord's Protection
1 I pray to you, Lord!
Please listen when I pray
and hurry to help me.
2 (A) Think of my prayer
as sweet-smelling incense,
and think of my lifted hands
as an evening sacrifice.
3 Help me to guard my words
whenever I say something.
4 Don't let me want to do evil
or waste my time doing wrong
with wicked people.
Don't let me even taste
the good things they offer.
5 Let your faithful people
correct and punish me.
My prayers condemn the deeds
of those who do wrong,
so don't let me be friends
with any of them.
6 Everyone will admit
that I was right
when their rulers are thrown
down a rocky cliff,
7 and their bones lie scattered
like crushed rocks
on top of a grave.[a]
8 You are my Lord and God,
and I look to you for safety.
Don't let me be harmed.
9 Protect me from the traps
of those violent people,
10 and make them fall
into their own traps
while you help me escape.
18 There are three or four things
I cannot understand:
19 (A) How eagles fly so high
or snakes crawl on rocks,
how ships sail the ocean
or people fall in love.
20 An unfaithful wife says,
“Sleeping with another man
is as natural as eating.”
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.