The Daily Audio Bible
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Jerusalem Will Be Saved
12 This message is the word of the Lord to Israel. The Lord stretched out the skies. He laid the foundations of the earth. He put man’s spirit in him. And the Lord says this: 2 “I will make Jerusalem like a cup of poison to the nations around her. They will come and attack Jerusalem and Judah. 3 One day all the nations on earth will come together to attack Jerusalem. But I will make Jerusalem like a heavy rock. Anyone who tries to move it will get hurt. 4 At that time I will scare every horse. And its rider will panic,” says the Lord. “I will watch over Judah. But I will blind all the horses of the enemies. 5 Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong. This is because the Lord of heaven’s armies is their God.’
6 “At that time I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire burning a stack of wood. They will be like a fire burning straw. They will destroy all the people around them left and right. But Jerusalem will remain safe.
7 “The Lord will save the people of Judah first. Then the people in Jerusalem, David’s city, won’t have more honor than Judah. 8 At that time the Lord will protect the people in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest of them will be strong like David. And the family of David will be like God. They will be like an angel of the Lord leading the people. 9 At that time I will go to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
Crying for the One They Stabbed
10 “I will give David’s family and people in Jerusalem a spirit of kindness and mercy. They will look at me, the one they have stabbed. And they will cry like someone crying over the death of an only child. They will be as sad as someone who has lost a firstborn son. 11 At that time there will be much crying in Jerusalem. It will be like the crying for Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will cry. Each family will cry alone. The family of David and their wives will cry. The family of Nathan and their wives will cry. 13 The family of Levi and their wives will cry. The family of Shimei and their wives will cry. 14 And all the rest of the families and their wives will cry.
13 “At that time a fountain will be opened. It will be for David’s descendants and for the people of Jerusalem. It will cleanse them of their sins and wrongs.”
2 The Lord of heaven’s armies says, “At that time I will get rid of the names of the idols from the land. No one will remember them anymore. I will also remove the prophets and unclean spirits. 3 A person might continue to prophesy. If he does, his own father and mother will tell him, ‘You have told lies using the Lord’s name. So you must die.’ When he prophesies, his own parents should stab him.
4 “At that time the prophets will be ashamed of their visions and prophecies. They won’t wear the prophet’s clothes made of hair to trick people. 5 They will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer. I have been a farmer since I was young.’ 6 But someone will ask, ‘What are the deep cuts on your body?’ And he will answer, ‘I was hurt at my friend’s house.’
The Shepherd Is Killed
7 “Sword, hit the shepherd.
Attack the man who is my friend,”
says the Lord of heaven’s armies.
“Kill the shepherd,
and the sheep will scatter.
I will punish the little ones.”
8 The Lord says, “Two-thirds of the people
through all the land will die.
And one-third will be left.
9 I will test the ones left with fire.
I will purify them like silver.
I will test them like gold.
Then they will call on me.
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘You are my people.’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
People in Heaven Praise God
19 After this I heard what sounded like a great many people in heaven. They were saying:
“Hallelujah![a]
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God.
2 His judgments are true and right.
Our God has punished the prostitute.
She is the one who made the earth evil with her sexual immorality.
God has punished the prostitute to pay her back for the death of his servants.”
3 Again they said:
“Hallelujah!
She is burning, and her smoke will rise forever and ever.”
4 Then the 24 elders[b] and the four living things bowed down. They worshiped God, who sits on the throne. They said:
“Amen, Hallelujah!”
5 Then a voice came from the throne:
“Praise our God, all you who serve him!
Praise our God, all you who honor him, both small and great!”
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great many people. It sounded like the noise of flooding water and like loud thunder. The people were saying:
“Hallelujah!
Our Lord God rules. He is the All-Powerful.
7 Let us rejoice and be happy
and give God glory!
Give God glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come.
And the Lamb’s bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen was given to the bride for her to wear.
The linen was bright and clean.”
(The fine linen means the good things done by God’s holy people.)
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Those who are invited to the wedding meal of the Lamb are happy!” Then the angel said, “These are the true words of God.”
10 Then I bowed down at the angel’s feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not worship me! I am a servant like you and your brothers who have the truth of Jesus. Worship God! Because the truth about Jesus is the spirit that gives all prophecy.”
The Rider on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven open. There before me was a white horse. The rider on the horse is called Faithful and True. He is right when he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like burning fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, but he is the only one who knows the name. No other person knows the name. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. His name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him on white horses. They were dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 A sharp sword comes out of the rider’s mouth. He will use this sword to defeat the nations. He will rule them with a scepter of iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible anger of God All-Powerful. 16 On his robe and on his leg was written this name: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. The angel called with a loud voice to all the birds flying in the sky, “Come together for the great feast of God. 18 Come together so that you can eat the bodies of kings and generals and famous men. Come to eat the bodies of the horses and their riders and the bodies of all people—free, slave, small, and great.”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth. Their armies were gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet. This false prophet was the one who did the miracles for the beast. The false prophet had used these miracles to trick those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his idol. The false prophet and the beast were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 Their armies were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. All the birds ate the bodies until they were full.
Praise God Who Helps His People
147 Praise the Lord!
It is good to sing praises to our God.
It is good and pleasant to praise him.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem.
He brings back the scattered Israelites who were taken captive.
3 He heals the brokenhearted.
He bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars
and names each one.
5 Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to what he knows.
6 The Lord defends those who are not proud.
But he throws the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing praises to the Lord.
Praise our God with harps.
8 He fills the sky with clouds.
He sends rain to the earth.
He makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives food to cattle
and to the little birds that call.
10 He is not pleased by the strength of a horse
or the power of a man.
11 The Lord is pleased with those who fear him,
with those who trust his love.
12 Jerusalem, praise the Lord.
Jerusalem, praise your God.
13 He makes your city gates strong.
He blesses the people inside.
14 He brings peace to your country.
He fills you with the finest grain.
15 He gives a command to the earth,
and it quickly obeys him.
16 He spreads the snow like wool.
He scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He throws down hail like rocks.
No one can stand the cold he sends.
18 Then he gives a command, and it melts.
He sends the breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He gave his word to Jacob.
He gave his laws and demands to Israel.
20 He didn’t do this for any other nation.
They don’t know his laws.
Praise the Lord!
Wise Words of King Lemuel
31 These are the words of King Lemuel. This is the message his mother taught him:
2 “My son, I gave birth to you.
You are the son I prayed for.
3 Don’t waste your strength on women.
Don’t waste your time on those who ruin kings.
4 “Kings should not drink wine, Lemuel.
Rulers should not desire beer.
5 If they drink, they might forget the law.
They might keep the needy from getting their rights.
6 Give beer to people who are dying.
And give wine to those who are sad.
7 Let them drink and forget their need.
Then they won’t remember their misery anymore.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.