Revelation 8; Nehemiah 11; Psalms 103

Revelation 8

1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God; seven trumpets were given to them.

3 Another angel, with a gold incense burner, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the gold altar in front of the throne.

4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up in the presence of God from the angel's hand.

5 The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; there were thunders, rumblings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

7 The first [angel] blew his trumpet, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth. So a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. So a third of the sea became blood,

9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water.

11 The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter.

12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day was without light, and the night as well.

13 I looked, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid-heaven, saying in a loud voice, "Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound!"

Nehemiah 11

1 Now the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns.

2 The people praised all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

3 These are the heads of the province who stayed in Jerusalem (but in the villages of Judah each lived on his own property in their towns-the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants-

4 while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem): Judah's descendants: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of Perez's descendants;

5 and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, a descendant of the Shilonite.

6 The total number of Perez's descendants, who settled in Jerusalem, was 468 capable men.

7 These were Benjamin's descendants: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah,

8 and after him Gabbai [and] Sallai: 928.

9 Joel son of Zichri was the officer over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.

10 The priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, and

11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief official of God's house,

12 and their relatives who did the work at the temple: 822. Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah

13 and his relatives, the leaders of families: 242. Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,

14 and their relatives, capable men: 128. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim, was their chief.

15 The Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who supervised the work outside the house of God;

17 Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving in prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his relatives; and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.

18 All the Levites in the holy city: 284.

19 The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, who guarded the gates: 172.

20 The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inherited property.

21 The temple servants lived on Ophel; Ziha and Gishpa supervised the temple servants.

22 The leader of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the descendants of Asaph, who were singers for the service of God's house.

23 For there was a command of the king regarding them, and an ordinance regulating the singers' daily tasks.

24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's agent in every matter concerning the people.

25 As for the farming settlements with their fields: Some of Judah's descendants lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, Dibon and its villages, and Jekabzeel and its villages,

26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet,

27 Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba and its villages;

28 in Ziklag and Meconah and its villages,

29 in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, and

30 Zanoah and Adullam with their villages; in Lachish with its fields and Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beer-sheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

31 Benjamin's descendants: from Geba, Michmash, Aija, and Bethel-and its villages,

32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of the craftsmen.

36 Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.

Psalms 103

1 My soul, praise the Lord, and all that is within me, praise His holy name.

2 My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits.

3 He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases.

4 He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.

5 He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The Lord executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He revealed His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and full of faithful love.

9 He will not always accuse [us] or be angry forever.

10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

14 For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass- he blooms like a flower of the field;

16 when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known.

17 But from eternity to eternity the Lord's faithful love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward the grandchildren

18 of those who keep His covenant, who remember to observe His instructions.

19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, [all] His angels of great strength, who do His word, obedient to His command.

21 Praise the Lord, all His armies, His servants who do His will.

22 Praise the Lord, all His works in all the places where He rules. My soul, praise the Lord!