The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NIV. Switch to the NIV to read along with the audio.
The Coming of the True King
9 This is an oracle,[a] the Lord’s message concerning the land of Hadrach,[b] with its focus on Damascus:[c]
The eyes of all humanity,[d] especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord, 2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, Tyre and Sidon, though they consider themselves to be very wise. 3 Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets. 4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications[e] into the sea—she will be consumed by fire. 5 Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up.[f] Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited. 6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. 7 I will take away their abominable religious practices;[g] then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God,[h] like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. 8 Then I will surround my temple[i] to protect it like a guard[j] from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.
9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you:
He is legitimate[k] and victorious,[l]
humble and riding on a donkey[m]—
on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
10 I will remove[n] the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be removed.
Then he will announce peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River[o] to the ends of the earth.
11 Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. 12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you. 13 I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow.[p] I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and I will make you, Zion,[q] like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Sovereign Lord will blow the trumpet and will proceed[r] in the southern storm winds. 15 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will guard them, and they will prevail and overcome with sling stones. Then they will drink and will become noisy like drunkards,[s] full like the sacrificial basin or like the corners of the altar.[t] 16 On that day the Lord their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land. 17 How precious and fair![u] Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.
The Great Prostitute and the Beast
17 Then[a] one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me.[b] “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment[c] of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”[d] 3 So[e] he carried me away in the Spirit[f] to a wilderness,[g] and there[h] I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 Now[i] the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing,[j] and adorned with gold,[k] precious stones, and pearls. She held[l] in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality.[m] 5 On[n] her forehead was written a name, a mystery:[o] “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus.[p] I[q] was greatly astounded[r] when I saw her. 7 But[s] the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret[t] for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss[u] and then go to destruction. The[v] inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that[w] the beast was, and is not, but is to come. 9 (This requires[x] a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains[y] the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: 10 five have fallen; one is,[z] and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. 11 The[aa] beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. 12 The[ab] ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority[ac] as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These kings[ad] have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying[ae] the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”
15 Then[af] the angel[ag] said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes,[ah] nations, and languages. 16 The[ai] ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They[aj] will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire.[ak] 17 For God has put into their minds[al] to carry out his purpose[am] by making[an] a decision[ao] to give their royal power[ap] to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.[aq] 18 As for[ar] the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”
Psalm 145[a]
A psalm of praise; by David.
145 I will extol you, my God, O King.
I will praise your name continually.[b]
2 Every day I will praise you.
I will praise your name continually.[c]
3 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise.
No one can fathom his greatness.[d]
4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and tell about your mighty acts.[e]
5 I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor,
and your amazing deeds.[f]
6 They will proclaim[g] the power of your awesome acts.
I will declare your great deeds.
7 They will talk about the fame of your great kindness,[h]
and sing about your justice.[i]
8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient[j] and demonstrates great loyal love.[k]
9 The Lord is good to all,
and has compassion on all he has made.[l]
10 All your works will give thanks to you, Lord.
Your loyal followers will praise you.
11 They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom;
they will tell about your power,
12 so that mankind[m] might acknowledge your mighty acts,
and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom,[n]
and your dominion endures through all generations.
14 [o] The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over.[p]
15 Everything looks to you in anticipation,[q]
and you provide them with food on a regular basis.[r]
16 You open your hand,
and fill every living thing with the food it desires.[s]
17 The Lord is just in all his actions,[t]
and exhibits love in all he does.[u]
18 The Lord is near all who cry out to him,
all who cry out to him sincerely.[v]
19 He satisfies the desire[w] of his loyal followers;[x]
he hears their cry for help and delivers them.
20 The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.
21 My mouth will praise the Lord.[y]
Let all who live[z] praise his holy name forever.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.