Daily Readings for December 25

Daily Readings for December 25
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Job 34

1.Moreover Elihu answered, 2."Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge. 3.For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food. 4.Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good. 5.For Job has said, 'I am righteous, God has taken away my right: 6.Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.' 7.What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water, 8.Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men? 9.For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.'

10."Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. 11.For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. 12.Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice. 13.Who put him in charge of the earth? or who has appointed him over the whole world? 14.If he set his heart on himself, If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath, 15.all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.

16."If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words. 17.Shall even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty?-- 18.Who says to a king, 'Vile!' or to nobles, 'Wicked!'? 19.Who doesn't respect the persons of princes, nor respects the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands. 20.In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.

21."For his eyes are on the ways of a man. He sees all his goings. 22.There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. 23.For he doesn't need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. 24.He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place. 25.Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed. 26.He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others; 27.because they turned aside from following him, and wouldn't pay attention to any of his ways, 28.so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted. 29.When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether to a nation, or to a man, 30.that the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people.

31."For has any said to God, 'I am guilty, but I will not offend any more. 32.Teach me that which I don't see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'? 33.Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know. 34.Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me: 35.'Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.' 36.I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men. 37.For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God."

Zechariah 10

1.Ask of Yahweh rain in the spring time, Yahweh who makes storm clouds, and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field. 2.For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd. 3.My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; For Yahweh of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle. 4.From him will come forth the cornerstone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. 5.They shall be as mighty men, treading down muddy streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Yahweh is with them; and the riders on horses will be confounded. 6."I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back; for I have mercy on them; and they will be as though I had not cast them off: for I am Yahweh their God, and I will hear them. 7.Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their heart will rejoice as through wine; yes, their children will see it, and rejoice. Their heart will be glad in Yahweh. 8.I will signal for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they will increase as they have increased. 9.I will sow them among the peoples; and they will remember me in far countries; and they will live with their children, and will return. 10.I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and there won't be room enough for them. 11.He will pass through the sea of affliction, and will strike the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile will dry up; and the pride of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt will depart. 12.I will strengthen them in Yahweh; and they will walk up and down in his name," says Yahweh.

Revelation 10

1.I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2.He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land. 3.He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. 4.When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don't write them."

5.The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky, 6.and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, 7.but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets. 8.The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."

9.I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book.

He said to me, "Take it, and eat it up. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

10.I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11.They told me, "You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings."

Revelation 11

1.A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, "Rise, and measure God's temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2.Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don't measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. 3.I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4.These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, standing before the Lord of the earth. 5.If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6.These have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. 7.When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. 8.Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9.From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10.Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11.After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12.I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" They went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13.In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14.The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.

15.The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!"

16.The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God's throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17.saying: "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was³⁰; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. 18.The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

19.God's temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord's covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.