2 Chronicles 33

• 1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years.
• 2. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
• 3. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
• 4. He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever."
• 5. In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts.
• 6. He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
• 7. He took the carved image he had made and put it in God's temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever.
• 8. I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and ordinances given through Moses."
• 9. But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.
• 10. The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
• 11. So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.
• 12. In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
• 13. And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.
• 14. Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.
• 15. He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the LORD, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city.
• 16. Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.
• 17. The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
• 18. The other events of Manasseh's reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel.
• 19. His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself-all are written in the records of the seers.
• 20. Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.
• 21. Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years.
• 22. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made.
• 23. But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the LORD; Amon increased his guilt.
• 24. Amon's officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace.
• 25. Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

Revelation 19

• 1. After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
• 2. for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
• 3. And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever."
• 4. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"
• 5. Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!"
• 6. Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
• 7. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
• 8. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
• 9. Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
• 10. At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
• 11. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.
• 12. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
• 13. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
• 14. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
• 15. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
• 16. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
• 17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
• 18. so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great."
• 19. Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies 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 who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
• 21. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Malachi 1

• 1. An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
• 2. "I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?'"Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob,
• 3. but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals."
• 4. Edom may say, "Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins." But this is what the LORD Almighty says: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD.
• 5. You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the LORD -even beyond the borders of Israel!'
• 6. "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
• 7. "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible.
• 8. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
• 9. "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.
• 10. "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.
• 11. My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
• 12. "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.'
• 13. And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD.
• 14. "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

New International Version

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