Revelation 19; Isaiah 5; Isaiah 6; Psalms 109:20-31

Revelation 19

1 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying: Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,

2 because His judgments are true and righteous, because He has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and He has avenged the blood of His servants that was on her hands.

3 A second time they said: Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends forever and ever!

4 Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!

5 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 something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: Hallelujah-because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign!

7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.

8 She was permitted to wear fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!" He also said to me, "These words of God are true."

10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself.

13 He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is called the Word of God.

14 The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen.

15 From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.

16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great."

19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against His army.

20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with him the false prophet, who had performed signs on his authority, by which he deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Isaiah 5

1 I will sing about the one I love, a song about my loved one's vineyard: The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.

2 He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even hewed out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes.

3 So now, residents of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between Me and My vineyard.

4 What more could I have done for My vineyard than I did? Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes?

5 Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled.

6 I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness.

8 Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field until there is no more room and you alone are left in the land.

9 In my hearing the Lord of Hosts [has taken an oath]: Indeed, many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants.

10 For a ten-acre vineyard will yield only six gallons, and 10 bushels of seed will yield only [one] bushel.

11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of beer, who linger into the evening, inflamed by wine.

12 At their feasts they have lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the Lord's actions, and they do not see the work of His hands.

13 Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge; the dignitaries are starving, and the masses are parched with thirst.

14 Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion's dignitaries, her masses, her crowds, and those who carouse in her!

15 Humanity is brought low, man is humbled, and haughty eyes are humbled.

16 But the Lord of Hosts is exalted by His justice, and the holy God is distinguished by righteousness.

17 Lambs will graze as [if in] their own pastures, and strangers will eat [among] the ruins of the rich.

18 Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and [pull] sin along with cart ropes,

19 to those who say: "Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we can see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so that we can know it!"

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight.

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are fearless at mixing beer,

23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.

24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Hosts, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore the Lord's anger burns against His people. He raised His hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised [to strike].

26 He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look-how quickly and swiftly they come!

27 None of them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose, and no sandal strap broken.

28 Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows strung. Their horses' hooves are like flint; their [chariot] wheels are like a whirlwind.

29 Their roaring is like a lion's; they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry [it] off, and no one can rescue [it].

30 On that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. When one looks at the land, there will be darkness and distress; light will be obscured by clouds.

Isaiah 6

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple.

2 Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth.

4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 Then I said: Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and] because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs.

7 He touched my mouth [with it] and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, and your sin is atoned for.

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Who should I send? Who will go for Us? I said: Here I am. Send me.

9 And He replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive.

10 Dull the minds of these people; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed.

11 Then I said, "Until when, Lord?" And He replied: Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, houses are without people, the land is ruined and desolate,

12 and the Lord drives the people far away, leaving great emptiness in the land.

13 Though a tenth will remain in the land, it will be burned again. Like the terebinth or the oak, which leaves a stump when felled, the holy seed is the stump.

Psalms 109:20-31

20 Let this be the Lord's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me.

21 But You, God my Lord, deal [kindly] with me because of Your name; deliver me because of the goodness of Your faithful love.

22 For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me.

23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.

24 My knees are weak from fasting, and my body is emaciated.

25 I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads [in scorn].

26 Help me, Lord my God; save me according to Your faithful love

27 so they may know that this is Your hand and that You, Lord, have done it.

28 Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.

29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace; they will wear their shame like a cloak.

30 I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth; I will praise Him in the presence of many.

31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who would condemn him.