The Daily Audio Bible
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The Vision of the Measuring Line
2 Then I looked up. And I saw a man holding a line for measuring things. 2 I asked him, “Where are you going?”
He said to me, “I am going to measure Jerusalem. I will see how wide and how long it is.”
3 Then the angel who was talking with me left. And another angel came out to meet him. 4 The second angel said to him, “Run and tell that young man this: ‘Jerusalem will become a city without walls because there will be so many people and cattle in it. 5 I will be a wall of fire around it,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will be the glory within it.’
6 “Hurry! Run away from Babylon. I have scattered you in all directions,” says the Lord.
7 “Hurry, people of Jerusalem! Escape from Babylon.” 8 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Whoever hurts you hurts what is precious to me.”
So the Lord will honor me. And he will send me to speak against those nations who scattered you. 9 “I will raise my hand against them. Their slaves will rob them.”
Then you will know that the Lord of heaven’s armies sent me.
10 “Shout and be glad, Jerusalem. I am coming, and I will live among you,” says the Lord. 11 “At that time people from many nations will come to the Lord. And they will become my people. I will live among you. And you will know that the Lord of heaven’s armies has sent me to you. 12 Judah will be the Lord’s special part of the holy land. And Jerusalem will be his chosen city again. 13 Be silent, everyone. The Lord is coming out of the holy place where he lives.”
The Vision of the High Priest
3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest. He was standing in front of the Lord’s angel. And Satan was standing by Joshua’s right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord says you are guilty, Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem says you are guilty. This man was like a burning stick pulled from the fire.”
3 Joshua was standing in front of the angel. And Joshua was wearing dirty clothes. 4 Then the angel spoke to those standing near him. He said, “Take those dirty clothes off Joshua.”
Then the angel said to Joshua, “Look, I have taken away your sin. And I am giving you new clothes.”
5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head. They also dressed him while the Lord’s angel stood there.
6 Then the Lord’s angel said to Joshua, “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: 7 ‘Do as I tell you and serve me. Then you will be in charge of my Temple. You will take care of my courtyards. And I will let you be with these angels who are standing here.
8 “‘Listen, high priest Joshua and the people with you. You stand for things that will happen. I am going to bring my servant called the Branch. 9 Look, I put this stone in front of Joshua. The stone has seven sides. I will carve a message on it,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies. ‘And in one day I will take away the sin of this land.’
10 “The Lord of heaven’s armies says, ‘In that day, each of you will invite your neighbor to join you. And you will sit together under your own grapevine and under your own fig tree.’”
The Two Beasts
13 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. There was a crown on each horn. A name against God was written on each head. 2 This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear’s feet. He had a mouth like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast all of his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been wounded and killed. But this death wound was healed. The whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given his power to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast. They asked, “Who is as powerful as the beast? Who can make war against him?”
5 The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God. He was allowed to use his power for 42 months. 6 He used his mouth to speak against God. He spoke against God’s name, against the place where God lives, and against all those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against God’s holy people and to defeat them. He was given power over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 All who live on earth will worship the beast. These are all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the One who was killed.
9 If anyone has ears, he should listen:
10 If anyone is to be a prisoner,
then he will be a prisoner.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
then he will be killed with the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must have patience and faith.
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he talked like a dragon. 12 This beast stands before the first beast and uses the same power that the first beast has. He uses this power to make everyone living on earth worship the first beast. The first beast was the one that had the death wound that was healed. 13 The second one does great miracles. He even makes fire come down from heaven to earth while people are watching. 14 This second beast fools those who live on earth. He fools them by the miracles he has been given the power to do. He does these miracles to serve the first beast. The second beast ordered people to make an idol to honor the first beast. This was the one that was wounded by the sword but did not die. 15 The second beast was given power to give life to the idol of the first one. Then the idol could speak and order all who did not worship it to be killed. 16 The second animal also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17 No one could buy or sell without this mark. This mark is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Whoever has understanding can find the meaning of the number. This requires wisdom. This number is the number of a man. His number is 666.[a]
A Prayer Not to Sin
A song of David.
141 Lord, I call to you. Come quickly.
Listen to me when I call to you.
2 Let my prayer be like incense placed before you.
Let my praise be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, help me control my tongue.
Help me be careful about what I say.
4 Don’t let me want to do evil
or join others in doing wrong.
Don’t let me eat
with those who do evil.
5 If a good man punished me, that would be kind.
If he corrected me,
that would be like having perfumed oil on my head.
I shouldn’t refuse it.
But I pray against those who do evil.
6 Let their leaders be thrown down the cliffs.
Then people will know that I have spoken the truth:
7 “The ground is plowed and broken up.
In the same way, our bones have been scattered at the grave.”
8 Lord God, I look to you for help.
I trust in you. Don’t let me die.
9 Protect me from the traps they set for me
and from the net evil people have spread.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own pits.
And let me pass by safely.
18 “There are three things that are too hard for me.
There are really four that I don’t understand:
19 the way an eagle flies in the sky,
the way a snake slides over a rock,
the way a ship sails on the sea
and the way a man acts with a girl.
20 “This is the way a woman who takes part in adultery acts:
She sins and doesn’t care.
She says, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.