Month: November 2023

“Search the book of the Lord and see what He will do. None of these birds and animals will be missing, and none will lack a mate, for the Lord has promised this. His Spirit will make all of this come true. He has surveyed and divided the land and deeded it over to those creatures. The will possess it forever, from generation to generation. (vv. 16-17, NLT)

“Though the Lord is very great and lives in heaven, He will make Jerusalem His home of justice and righteousness. In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.” (vv. 5-6, NLT)

“Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement and to do wrong – these are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will see the King in all His splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.” (vv. 15-17, NLT)

“For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our King. H will care for us and save us. The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share! The people of Israel will no longer say, ‘We are sick and helpless,’ for the Lord will forgive their sins.” (vv. 22-24, NLT)

“Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under Him. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind, and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.

Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected. Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. The deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just. But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.” (vv. 1-8, NLT)

“So the Lord must wait for your to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if You ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, He will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say,’this is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, ‘Good riddance!’ (vv. 18-22, NLT)

“In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation. Open the gates to all who are righteous; all the faithful to enter. You will keep perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to dust. The poor will trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it.

But for those who are righteous, the way is not too steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and You smooth out the path ahead of them. Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify Your name.” (vv. 1-8 NLT)

“Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from You. O Lord, our God, others have ruled over us, but you alone are the one we worship.”(vv. 12-13, NLT)

Restoration for Israel

“Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see.” (vv. 20-21, NLT)

“O Lord, I will honor and praise Your name, for You are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now You have accomplished them. You turned mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore , strong nations will declare Your glory; ruthless nations will fear you.” (vv. 1-3, NLT)

“In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. There He will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hands over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery agains His land and people. The Lord has spoken! (vv. 6-8, NLT)

“But all who are left shout and sing for joy. Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty. In the eastern lands, give glory to the Lord. In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. We hear sons of praise from the ends of the earth, songs that give glory to the Righteous One! But my heart is heave with grief. Weep for me, for I wither away. Deceit still prevails, and treachery is everywhere. Terror and traps and snares will be your lot, you people of the earth. Thos who flee in terror will fall into a trap, and those who escape the trap will be caught in a snare.

Destruction falls like falls like rain from the heavens; the foundation of the earth shake. The earth has broken up. It has utterly collapsed; it is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunk. It trembles like a tent in a storm. It falls and will not rise again, for the guild of its rebellion is very heavy.

In that day, the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison and will finally be punished. Then the glory of the moon will wane, and the brightness of the sun will face, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion. He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem, in the sight of all the leaders of His people.” (vv. 14-23, NLT)

“The earth mourns and dries up, and the crops waste away and wither. Even the greatest people on earth waste away. The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated His laws, and broken His everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin. They are destroyed by fire, and only a few are left alive. The grapevines waste away, and there is no new wine. All merrymakers sigh and mourn. The cheerful sounds of tambourines is stilled; the happy cries of celebration are heard no more. The melodious chords of the harp are silent. Gone are the joes of wine and song; alcoholic drink turns bitter in the mouth. The city writhes in chaos; every home is locked to keep out intruders. Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has turned to gloom. Gladness has been banished from the land. The city is left in ruins, its gates battered down. Throughout the earth the story is the same – only a remnant is left, like the stray olives left on the tree or a few grapes left in the vine after harvest.” (vv. 4-13,NLT)