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Yahweh’s Promise to Jerusalem
8 And the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion;[a] I am jealous for it with great wrath.’ 3 Thus says Yahweh: ‘I have returned to Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be called the faithful city,[b] and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts will be called the holy mountain.’ 4 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand[c] because of great age.[d] 5 And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its public squares.’ 6 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Even if it seems impossible[e] to the remnant[f] of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible[g] to me?’[h] declares[i] Yahweh of hosts. 7 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Look! I am going to save my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the west, 8 and I will bring them and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will be their God in faithfulness[j] and in righteousness.’
9 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you[k] who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of Yahweh of hosts.[l] 10 For before those days there was no wage for people or for animals, and there was no safety from the enemy for those who went out or those who came in, and I sent each person against one another.[m] 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days,’[n] declares[o] Yahweh of hosts. 12 ‘For there will be a sowing of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the soil will give its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13 And then,[p] just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. You must not be afraid; let your hands be strong!’”
14 For thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Just as I planned to bring disaster[q] on you when your ancestors[r] provoked me to anger,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and I did not regret it, 15 so again I have planned[s] in these days to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not be afraid! 16 These are the things that you must do: speak truth, each of you, with his neighbor; practice trustworthy judgment and peace in your gates. 17 Do not devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love a false oath,[t] because all these are things I hate,” declares[u] Yahweh.
18 And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying 19 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, and the tenth month will be for the house of Judah jubilation and joy and merry festivals; therefore love truth and peace.’ 20 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘It will happen again that nations and the inhabitants of many cities will come. 21 And the inhabitants of one city will go to another city, saying, “Let us go immediately to entreat the favor of[v] Yahweh, to seek Yahweh of hosts—I also will go!” 22 And many peoples and powerful[w] nations will come to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of[x] Yahweh.’ 23 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from all the nations of every language[y] will take hold of the hem of a Judean man,[z] saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!”’”
The Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God
16 And I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” 2 And the first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and there was an evil and painful sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
3 And the second poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood, like that of a dead person, and every living thing that was in the sea died.
4 And the third poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying,
“You are righteous, the one who is and the one who was, the Holy One,
because you have judged these things,
6 because they have poured out the blood of the saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink;
they are deserving!”
7 And I heard the altar saying,
“Yes, Lord God All-Powerful,
true and righteous are your judgments.”
8 And the fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was granted to it to burn up people with fire. 9 And people were burned up by the great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give him glory.
10 And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened, and they began chewing their tongues because of the pain. 11 And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and because of their sores, and they did not repent of their deeds.
12 And the sixth poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, in order that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east[a]. 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are the spirits of demons performing signs that go out to the kings of the whole inhabited world, to gather them for the battle of the great day of God the All-Powerful. 15 (Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is on the alert and who keeps his clothing, so that he does not walk around naked and they see his shamefulness!) 16 And he gathered them to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.
17 And the seventh poured out his bowl on the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were lightnings and sounds and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, as has not happened from the time humanity has been on the earth—so great in this way was the earthquake. 19 And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of his furious wrath.[b] 20 And every island fled, and mountains were not found. 21 And large hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds,[c] came down from the sky upon people, and the people blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, because the plague of it was very great.
A Prayer for National Safety
Of David.[a]
144 Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
the one who trains my hands for battle,
my fingers for war—
2 my loyal love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, and one in whom I take refuge,
the one who subdues peoples[b] under me.
3 O Yahweh, what is humankind that you take knowledge of him,
or the son of man that you take thought of him?
4 Humankind is like a breath,
his days like a passing shadow.
5 O Yahweh, bow the heavens and come down;
touch the mountains so that they smoke.
6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
dispatch your arrows and rout them.
7 Stretch out your hands from on high;
Rescue me and deliver me from many waters,
from the hand of foreigners,
8 whose mouth speaks falsely,
and their right hand is a false right hand.
9 O God, I will sing a new song to you.
With a lyre of ten strings I will sing praise to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who rescues David his servant
from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouth speaks falsely,
and whose right hand is a false right hand,
12 that our sons may be like plants,
full grown in their youth,
our daughters like corner pillars,
carved in the style of a palace,
13 that our granaries may be full,
providing produce of all kinds,[c]
that our sheep may produce by the thousands,
by the tens of thousands in our open fields,
14 that our cattle may be pregnant;
that there be no breach in our walls,
and no going out in exile,
and no outcry in our plazas.
15 Blessed are the people who have it thus.
Blessed are the people whose God is Yahweh.
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