The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the CEB. Switch to the CEB to read along with the audio.
The Golden Lampstand and Olive Trees
4 Then (A)the angel who was speaking with me returned and (B)roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep. 2 He said to me, “(C)What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a (D)lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its (E)seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3 also (F)two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” 4 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, (G)my lord?” 5 So (H)the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “(I)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he [a]said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to (J)Zerubbabel saying, ‘(K)Not by might nor by power, but by My (L)Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. 7 ‘What are you, O great (M)mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with (N)shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”
8 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have (O)laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will (P)finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to [b]you. 10 For who has despised the day of (Q)small things? [c]But these (R)seven will be glad when they see the [d](S)plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the (T)eyes of the Lord which (U)range to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 Then I said to him, “What are these (V)two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive [e]branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “(W)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, (X)my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two [f](Y)anointed ones who are (Z)standing by the (AA)Lord of the whole earth.”
The Flying Scroll
5 Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying (AB)scroll. 2 And he said to me, “(AC)What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty [g]cubits and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the (AD)curse that is going forth over the face of the whole [h]land; surely everyone who (AE)steals will be purged away according to [i]the writing on one side, and everyone who (AF)swears will be purged away according to [j]the writing on the other side. 4 I will (AG)make it go forth,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and it will (AH)enter the house of the (AI)thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and (AJ)consume it with its timber and stones.”
5 Then (AK)the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth.” 6 I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is the [k](AL)ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their [l]appearance in all the [m]land 7 (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” 8 Then he said, “This is (AM)Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its [n]opening. 9 Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a (AN)stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a [o]temple for her in the land of (AO)Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”
The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion
14 Then I looked, and behold, (A)the Lamb was standing on (B)Mount Zion, and with Him (C)one hundred and forty-four thousand, having (D)His name and the (E)name of His Father written (F)on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like (G)the sound of many waters and like the (H)sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of (I)harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they *[a]sang (J)a new song before the throne and before the (K)four living creatures and the (L)elders; and (M)no one could learn the song except the (N)one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been (O)purchased from the earth. 4 (P)These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they [b]have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who (Q)follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been (R)purchased from among men (S)as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And (T)no lie was found in their mouth; they are (U)blameless.
Vision of the Angel with the Gospel
6 And I saw another angel flying in (V)midheaven, having (W)an eternal gospel to preach to (X)those who [c]live on the earth, and to (Y)every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, “(Z)Fear God, and (AA)give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who (AB)made the heaven and the earth and sea and (AC)springs of waters.”
8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “[d](AD)Fallen, fallen is (AE)Babylon the great, she who has (AF)made all the nations drink of the (AG)wine of the [e]passion of her immorality.”
Doom for Worshipers of the Beast
9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone (AH)worships the beast and his (AI)image, and receives a (AJ)mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the (AK)wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed [f]in full strength (AL)in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with (AM)fire and [g]brimstone in the presence of the (AN)holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the (AO)smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; (AP)they have no rest day and night, those who (AQ)worship the beast and his (AR)image, and [h]whoever receives the (AS)mark of his name.” 12 Here is (AT)the [i]perseverance of the [j]saints who (AU)keep the commandments of God and [k](AV)their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘(AW)Blessed are the dead who (AX)die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” (AY)says the Spirit, “so that they may (AZ)rest from their labors, for their (BA)deeds follow with them.”
The Reapers
14 Then I looked, and behold, a (BB)white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one (BC)like [l]a son of man, having a golden (BD)crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel (BE)came out of the [m]temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “[n](BF)Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the (BG)harvest of the earth [o]is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud [p]swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel (BH)came out of the [q]temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, (BI)the one who has power over fire, came out from (BJ)the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “[r](BK)Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters [s]from the vine of the earth, (BL)because her grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel [t]swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into (BM)the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And (BN)the wine press was trodden (BO)outside the city, and (BP)blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, [u]for a distance of [v]two hundred miles.
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (A)cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I (B)make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit [c]was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (G)no one who regards me;
[d]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 “(M)Give heed to my cry,
For I am (N)brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too (O)strong for me.
7 “(P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (Q)deal bountifully with me.”
21 Under three things the earth quakes,
And under four, it cannot bear up:
22 Under a (A)slave when he becomes king,
And a fool when he is satisfied with food,
23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.