Zechariah 9; Zechariah 10; Zechariah 11; Zechariah 12; Revelation 20

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Zechariah 9

1 This is the LORD's message against the land of Hadrach. He will judge Damascus. That's because all of the tribes of Israel look to him. So do other people.
2 The LORD will judge Hamath too. It's next to Damascus. He will also punish Tyre and Sidon even though they are very clever.
3 Tyre's people have built a fort for themselves. They've piled up silver like dust. They have as much gold as the dirt in the streets.
4 But the Lord will take away everything they have. He'll destroy their power on the Mediterranean Sea. And Tyre will be completely burned up.
5 Ashkelon will see it and become afraid. Gaza will groan with pain. So will Ekron. Its hope will vanish. Gaza will no longer have a king. Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 Strangers will take over Ashdod. The LORD says, "I will take away everything the Philistines are so proud of.
7 They will no longer drink the blood of their animal sacrifices. I will remove the 'unclean' food from between their teeth. The Philistines who are left will belong to our God. They will become leaders in Judah. And Ekron will be like the Jebusites. So the Philistines will become part of Israel.
8 But I will guard my temple against enemy armies. No one will ever crush my people again. I will make sure it does not happen.
9 "City of Zion, be full of joy! People of Jerusalem, shout! See, your king comes to you. He always does what is right. He has the power to save. He is gentle and riding on a donkey. He is sitting on a donkey's colt.
10 I will take the chariots away from Ephraim. I will remove the war horses from Jerusalem. I will break the bows that are used in battle. Your king will announce peace to the nations. He will rule from ocean to ocean. His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
11 I will set your prisoners free from where their enemies are keeping them. I will do it because of the blood that put my covenant with you into effect.
12 Return to your place of safety, you prisoners who still have hope. Even now I announce that I will give you back much more than you had before.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow. I will make Ephraim's people my arrows. Zion, I will stir up your sons. Greece, they will attack your sons. My people, I will use you as my sword."
14 Then the LORD will appear over his people. His arrows will flash like lightning. The LORD and King will blow the trumpet of his thunder. He'll march out like a storm in the south.
15 The LORD who rules over all will be like a shield to his people. They will destroy their enemies. They'll use slings to throw stones at them. They'll drink the blood of their enemies as if it were wine. They'll be full like the bowl that is used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.
16 The LORD their God will save his people on that day. They will be like sheep that belong to his flock. They will gleam in his land like jewels in a crown.
17 How very beautiful they will be! Grain and fresh wine will make the young men and women strong.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.

Zechariah 10

1 People of Judah, ask the LORD to send rain in the spring. He is the one who makes the storm clouds. He sends down showers of rain on all people. He gives everyone the plants in the fields.
2 Other gods tell lies. Those who practice magic see visions that aren't true. They tell dreams that fool people. They give comfort that doesn't do any good. So the people wander around like sheep. They are crushed because they don't have a shepherd.
3 The LORD who rules over all says, "My anger burns against the shepherds. I will punish the leaders. I will take care of my flock. They are the people of Judah. I will make them like a proud horse in battle.
4 The most important building stone will come from the tribe of Judah. The tent stake will also come from it. And the bow that is used in battle will come from it. In fact, every ruler will come from it.
5 Together they will be like soldiers in battle. They will fight their way through the muddy streets. I will be with them. So they will fight against the horsemen and destroy them.
6 "I will make the family of Judah strong. I will save the people of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have tender love for them. It will be as if I had not sent them away. I am the LORD their God. I will help them.
7 The people of Ephraim will become like mighty men. Their hearts will be glad as if they were drinking wine. Their children will see it and be filled with joy. I will make their hearts glad.
8 I will whistle for my people and gather them in. I will set them free. There will be as many of them as before.
9 I have scattered them among the nations. But in lands far away they will remember me. They and their children will be kept alive. And they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt. I will gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon. There will not be enough room for them.
11 They will pass through a sea of trouble. The stormy sea will calm down. All of the deep places in the Nile River will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down. Egypt's right to rule will disappear.
12 I will make my people strong. They will worship and obey me," announces the Lord.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.

Zechariah 11

1 Lebanon, open your doors! Then fire can burn up your cedar trees.
2 Pine trees, cry out! The cedar trees have fallen down. The majestic trees are destroyed. Cry out, you oak trees of Bashan! The thick forest has been cut down.
3 Listen to the shepherds cry out! Their rich grasslands are destroyed. Listen to the lions roar! The trees and bushes along the Jordan River are gone.
4 The LORD my God says, "Take care of the sheep that are set apart to be sacrificed.
5 Those who buy them kill them. And they are not punished for it. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the Lord! We're rich!' And their own shepherds do not spare them.
6 "I will no longer have pity on the people in the land," announces the Lord. "I will hand all of them over to their neighbors and their king. They will crush the people in the land. And I will not save them from their powerful hands."
7 So I took care of the sheep set apart to be sacrificed. I took special care of those that had been crushed. Then I got two shepherd's staffs. I called one of them Favor. I called the other one Union. And I took care of the flock.
8 In one month I got rid of three worthless shepherds. The sheep hated me. And I got tired of them.
9 So I said, "I won't be your shepherd anymore. Let those of you who are dying die. Let those who are passing away pass away. Let those who are left eat one another up."
10 Then I got my staff called Favor. I broke it. That meant the covenant the LORD had made with all of the nations was broken.
11 It happened that very day. The sheep that had been crushed were watching me. They knew it was the LORD's message.
12 I told them, "If you think it is best, give me my pay. But if you don't think so, you keep it." So they paid me 30 silver coins.
13 The LORD said to me, "Throw the coins to the potter." What a good price they had set for me! So I threw the 30 silver coins to the potter in the LORD's temple.
14 Then I broke my second staff called Union. That broke the union between Judah and Israel.
15 The LORD said to me, "Now pretend to be a foolish shepherd. Get the things you need.
16 I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land. He will not take care of those that are wounded. He will not look for the young ones. He will not heal those that are hurt. He will not feed the healthy ones. Instead, he will eat the best sheep. He will even tear their hoofs off.
17 "How terrible it will be for that worthless shepherd! He deserts the flock. May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his powerful arm become weak! May his right eye be totally blinded!"
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.

Zechariah 12

1 This is the LORD's message about Israel. The LORD spread out the heavens. He laid the foundation of the earth. He created the spirits of all men. He says,
2 "Jerusalem will be like a cup in my hand. It will make all of the surrounding nations drunk from the wine of my anger. Judah will be attacked by its enemies. So will Jerusalem.
3 "At that time all of the nations on earth will gather together against Jerusalem. Then it will become like a rock that can't be moved. All of the nations that try to move it will only hurt themselves.
4 On that day I will fill every horse with panic. I will make every rider crazy," announces the Lord. "I will watch over the people of Judah. But I will make all of the horses of the nations blind.
5 "Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong. That's because the LORD who rules over all is their God.'
6 "At that time Judah's leaders will be like a fire pot in a pile of wood. They will be like a burning torch among bundles of grain. They will destroy all of the surrounding nations on every side. But Jerusalem will remain unharmed in its place.
7 "I will save the houses in Judah first. The honor of David's family line is great. So is the honor of those who live in Jerusalem. But their honor will not be greater than the honor of the rest of Judah.
8 "At that time I will be like a shield to those who live in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest among them will be great warriors like David. And David's family line will be like the Angel of the LORD who leads them.
9 On that day I will begin to destroy all of the nations that attack Jerusalem.
10 "I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on David's family line. I will also send it on those who live in Jerusalem. They will look to me. I am the one they have pierced. They will sob over me as someone sobs over an only child who has died. They will be full of sorrow over me, just like someone who is full of sorrow over an oldest son.
11 "At that time there will be a lot of crying in Jerusalem. It will sound like the sobs of the people at Hadad Rimmon over Josiah's death in the Valley of Megiddo.
12 Everyone in the land will sob. Each family will cry by themselves and their wives by themselves. That will include the family lines of David, Nathan,
13 Levi, Shimei and
14 all of the others.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.

Revelation 20

1 I saw an angel coming down out of heaven. He had the key to the Abyss. In his hand he held a heavy chain.
2 He grabbed the dragon, that old serpent. The serpent is also called the devil, or Satan. The angel put him in chains for 1,000 years.
3 Then he threw him into the Abyss. He locked it and sealed him in. This was to keep Satan from fooling the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones. Those who had been given authority to judge were sitting on them. I also saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because they had given witness for Jesus and because of God's word. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue. They had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years.
5 This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended.
6 Blessed and holy are those who take part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years.
7 When the 1,000 years are over, Satan will be set free from his prison.
8 He will go out to fool the nations. He will gather them from the four corners of the earth. He will bring Gog and Magog together for battle. Their troops are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore.
9 They marched across the whole earth. They surrounded the place where God's people were camped. It was the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and burned them up.
10 The devil, who fooled them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. That is where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will all suffer day and night for ever and ever.
11 I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. When the earth and sky saw his face, they ran away. There was no place for them.
12 I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened. Then another book was opened. It was the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what they had done. The things they had done were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it. And Death and Hell gave up their dead. Each of the dead was judged by what he had done.
14 Then Death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
15 Anyone whose name was not written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.