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Daily Bible Reading

December 12 - Old & New Testament
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Jump to: Zechariah 13,14 • Revelation 3,4

Zechariah 13,14

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Cleansing From Sin

¹ "On that day a fountain^(a) will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse^(b) them from sin and impurity.

² "On that day, I will banish the names of the idols^(c) from the land, and they will be remembered no more,"^(d) declares the Lord Almighty. "I will remove both the prophets^(e) and the spirit of impurity from the land. ³ And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies^(f) in the Lord 's name.' Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.^(g)

⁴ "On that day every prophet will be ashamed^(h) of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet's garment⁽ⁱ⁾ of hair^(j) in order to deceive.^(k) ⁵ Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.^[a]'^(l) ⁶ If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body^[b]?' they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.'

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

⁷ "Awake, sword,^(m) against my shepherd,⁽ⁿ⁾
     against the man who is close to me!"
     declares the Lord Almighty.
"Strike the shepherd,
     and the sheep will be scattered,^(o)
     and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
⁸ In the whole land," declares the Lord ,
     "two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
     yet one-third will be left in it.^(p)
⁹ This third I will put into the fire;^(q)
     I will refine them like silver^(r)
     and test them like gold.^(s)
They will call^(t) on my name^(u)
     and I will answer^(v) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,'^(w)
     and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.^(x)'"

The Lord Comes and Reigns

¹ A day of the Lord ^(a) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions^(b) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

² I will gather all the nations^(c) to Jerusalem to fight against it;^(d) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.^(e) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.^(f) ³ Then the Lord will go out and fight^(g) against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.^(h) ⁴ On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,⁽ⁱ⁾ east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split^(j) in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. ⁵ You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake^[a]^(k) in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come,^(l) and all the holy ones with him.^(m)

⁶ On that day there will be neither sunlight⁽ⁿ⁾ nor cold, frosty darkness. ⁷ It will be a unique^(o) day—a day known only to the Lord —with no distinction between day and night.^(p) When evening comes, there will be light.^(q)

⁸ On that day living water^(r) will flow^(s) out from Jerusalem, half of it east^(t) to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.^(u)

⁹ The Lord will be king^(v) over the whole earth.^(w) On that day there will be one Lord , and his name the only name.^(x)

¹⁰ The whole land, from Geba^(y) to Rimmon,^(z) south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up^(aa) high from the Benjamin Gate^(ab) to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate,^(ac) and from the Tower of Hananel^(ad) to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.^(ae) ¹¹ It will be inhabited;^(af) never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.^(ag)

¹² This is the plague with which the Lord will strike^(ah) all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.^(ai) ¹³ On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic.^(aj) They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.^(ak) ¹⁴ Judah^(al) too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected^(am)—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. ¹⁵ A similar plague^(an) will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

¹⁶ Then the survivors^(ao) from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship^(ap) the King,^(aq) the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.^(ar) ¹⁷ If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship^(as) the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.^(at) ¹⁸ If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord ^[b] will bring on them the plague^(au) he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.^(av) ¹⁹ This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.^(aw)

²⁰ On that day holy to the Lord ^(ax) will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots^(ay) in the Lord 's house will be like the sacred bowls^(az) in front of the altar. ²¹ Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy^(ba) to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day^(bb) there will no longer be a Canaanite^[c]^(bc) in the house^(bd) of the Lord Almighty.^(be)

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Revelation 3,4

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To the Church in Sardis

¹ "To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis^(a) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^[b]^(b) of God and the seven stars.^(c) I know your deeds;^(d) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.^(e) ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.^(f) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,^(g) and you will not know at what time^(h) I will come to you.

⁴ Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.⁽ⁱ⁾ They will walk with me, dressed in white,^(j) for they are worthy. ⁵ The one who is victorious^(k) will, like them, be dressed in white.^(l) I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life,^(m) but will acknowledge that name before my Father⁽ⁿ⁾ and his angels. ⁶ Whoever has ears, let them hear^(o) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷ "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia^(p) write:

These are the words of him who is holy^(q) and true,^(r) who holds the key of David.^(s) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸ I know your deeds.^(t) See, I have placed before you an open door^(u) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.^(v) ⁹ I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,^(w) who claim to be Jews though they are not,^(x) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet^(y) and acknowledge that I have loved you.^(z) ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you^(aa) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world^(ab) to test^(ac) the inhabitants of the earth.^(ad)

¹¹ I am coming soon.^(ae) Hold on to what you have,^(af) so that no one will take your crown.^(ag) ¹² The one who is victorious^(ah) I will make a pillar^(ai) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God^(aj) and the name of the city of my God,^(ak) the new Jerusalem,^(al) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. ¹³ Whoever has ears, let them hear^(am) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴ "To the angel of the church in Laodicea^(an) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,^(ao) the ruler of God's creation.^(ap) ¹⁵ I know your deeds,^(aq) that you are neither cold nor hot.^(ar) I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'^(as) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.^(at) ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,^(au) so you can become rich; and white clothes^(av) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;^(aw) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.^(ax) So be earnest and repent.^(ay) ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door^(az) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,^(ba) I will come in^(bb) and eat with that person, and they with me.

²¹ To the one who is victorious,^(bc) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,^(bd) just as I was victorious^(be) and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Whoever has ears, let them hear^(bf) what the Spirit says to the churches."

The Throne in Heaven

¹ After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open^(a) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet^(b) said, "Come up here,^(c) and I will show you what must take place after this."^(d) ² At once I was in the Spirit,^(e) and there before me was a throne in heaven^(f) with someone sitting on it. ³ And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper^(g) and ruby.^(h) A rainbow⁽ⁱ⁾ that shone like an emerald^(j) encircled the throne. ⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.^(k) They were dressed in white^(l) and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.^(m) In front of the throne, seven lamps⁽ⁿ⁾ were blazing. These are the seven spirits^[a]^(o) of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,^(p) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,^(q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.^(r) ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.^(s) ⁸ Each of the four living creatures^(t) had six wings^(u) and was covered with eyes all around,^(v) even under its wings. Day and night^(w) they never stop saying:

"‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,'^[b]^(x)

who was, and is, and is to come."^(y)

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne^(z) and who lives for ever and ever,^(aa) ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders^(ab) fall down before him^(ac) who sits on the throne^(ad) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹ "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
     to receive glory and honor and power,^(ae)
for you created all things,
     and by your will they were created
     and have their being."^(af)