2 Chronicles 18

• 1. Now Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he arranged for his son to marry the daughter of King Ahab of Israel.
• 2. A few years later, he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep and oxen for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to attack Ramoth-gilead.
• 3. "Will you join me in fighting against Ramoth-gilead?" Ahab asked. And Jehoshaphat replied, "Why, of course! You and I are brothers, and my troops are yours to command. We will certainly join you in battle."
• 4. Then Jehoshaphat added, "But first let's find out what the LORD says."
• 5. So King Ahab summoned his prophets, four hundred of them, and asked them, "Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead or not?" They all replied, "Go ahead, for God will give you a great victory!"
• 6. But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the LORD around, too? I would like to ask him the same question."
• 7. King Ahab replied, "There is still one prophet of the LORD, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.You shouldn't talk like that," Jehoshaphat said. "Let's hear what he has to say."
• 8. So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Quick! Go and get Micaiah son of Imlah."
• 9. King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab's prophets were prophesying there in front of them.
• 10. One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, "This is what the LORD says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!"
• 11. All the other prophets agreed. "Yes," they said, "go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious. The LORD will give you a glorious victory!"
• 12. Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, "Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success."
• 13. But Micaiah replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what my God tells me to say."
• 14. When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead or not?" And Micaiah replied, "Go right ahead! It will be a glorious victory!"
• 15. But the king replied sharply, "How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth when you speak for the LORD?"
• 16. So Micaiah told him, "In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, `Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.'"
• 17. "Didn't I tell you?" the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat. "He does it every time. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me."
• 18. Then Micaiah continued, "Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven on his right and on his left.
• 19. And the LORD said, `Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so that he can be killed there?' There were many suggestions,
• 20. until finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, `I can do it!'" `How will you do this?' the LORD asked.
• 21. "And the spirit replied, `I will go out and inspire all Ahab's prophets to speak lies.'" `You will succeed,' said the LORD. `Go ahead and do it.'
• 22. "So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the LORD has determined disaster for you."
• 23. Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. "When did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" he demanded.
• 24. And Micaiah replied, "You will find out soon enough, when you find yourself hiding in some secret room!"
• 25. King Ahab of Israel then ordered, "Arrest Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash.
• 26. Give them this order from the king: `Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!'"
• 27. But Micaiah replied, "If you return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me!" Then he added to those standing around, "Take note of what I have said."
• 28. So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead.
• 29. Now King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes." So Ahab disguised himself, and they went into battle.
• 30. Now the king of Aram had issued these orders to his charioteers: "Attack only the king of Israel!"
• 31. So when the Aramean charioteers saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. "There is the king of Israel!" they shouted. But Jehoshaphat cried out to the LORD to save him, and God helped him by turning the attack away from him.
• 32. As soon as the charioteers realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
• 33. An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops, and the arrow hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. "Get me out of here!" Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. "I have been badly wounded!"
• 34. The battle raged all that day, and Ahab propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then, just as the sun was setting, he died.

Revelation 7

• 1. Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds from blowing upon the earth. Not a leaf rustled in the trees, and the sea became as smooth as glass.
• 2. And I saw another angel coming from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted out to those four angels who had been given power to injure land and sea,
• 3. "Wait! Don't hurt the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants."
• 4. And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God. There were 144,000 who were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
• 5. from Judah......... 12,000 from Reuben........ 12,000 from Gad........... 12,000
• 6. from Asher......... 12,000 from Naphtali....... 12,000 from Manasseh...... 12,000
• 7. from Simeon....... 12,000 from Levi........... 12,000 from Issachar........ 12,000
• 8. from Zebulun....... 12,000 from Joseph......... 12,000 from Benjamin...... 12,000
• 9. After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands.
• 10. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, "Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!"
• 11. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell face down before the throne and worshiped God.
• 12. They said, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever. Amen!"
• 13. Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, "Who are these who are clothed in white? Where do they come from?"
• 14. And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
• 15. That is why they are standing in front of the throne of God, serving him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will live among them and shelter them.
• 16. They will never again be hungry or thirsty, and they will be fully protected from the scorching noontime heat.
• 17. For the Lamb who stands in front of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away all their tears."

Zechariah 3

• 1. Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. Satan was there at the angel's right hand, accusing Jeshua of many things.
• 2. And the LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from a fire."
• 3. Jeshua's clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel.
• 4. So the angel said to the others standing there, "Take off his filthy clothes." And turning to Jeshua he said, "See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes."
• 5. Then I said, "Please, could he also have a clean turban on his head?" So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the LORD stood by.
• 6. Then the angel of the LORD spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said,
• 7. "This is what the LORD Almighty says: If you follow my ways and obey my requirements, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk in and out of my presence along with these others standing here.
• 8. Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of the good things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.
• 9. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD Almighty, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.
• 10. And on that day, says the LORD Almighty, each of you will invite your neighbor into your home to share your peace and prosperity."

New Living Translation: 350 of 365 days.