John 21:15-25
[15]
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon,
son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes,
Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” [16]
He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He
said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him,
“Tend my sheep.” [17] He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of
John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the
third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know
everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my
sheep. [18] Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to
dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you
will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you
where you do not want to go.” [19] (This he said to show by what kind of
death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him,
“Follow me.”
[20]
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the
one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said,
“Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” [21] When Peter saw him,
he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” [22] Jesus said to him,
“If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You
follow me!” [23] So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that
this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was
not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is
that to you?”
[24]
This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who
has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
[25]
Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of
them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain
the books that would be written.
Revelation 22
[1]
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as
crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [2] through the
middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the
tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each
month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [3]
No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of
the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. [4] They will
see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5] And night
will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord
God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
[6]
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord,
the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his
servants what must soon take place.”
[7] “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
[8]
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard
and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed
them to me, [9] but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow
servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who
keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
[10]
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this
book, for the time is near. [11] Let the evildoer still do evil, and the
filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy
still be holy.”
[12]
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay
each one for what he has done. [13] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
[14]
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right
to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. [15]
Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and
murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
[16]
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for
the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright
morning star.”
[17]
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say,
“Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires
take the water of life without price.
[18]
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if
anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this
book, [19] and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the
holy city, which are described in this book.
[20] He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
[21] The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Job 42
[1] Then Job answered the LORD and said:
[2] “I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
[3] ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
[4] ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
[5] I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
[6] therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
[7] After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to
Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two
friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job
has. [8] Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my
servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant
Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with
you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is
right, as my servant Job has.” [9] So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad
the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had
told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.
[10]
And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his
friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. [11] Then
came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him
before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him
sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought
upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.
[12]
And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.
And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000
female donkeys. [13] He had also seven sons and three daughters. [14]
And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of
the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. [15] And in
all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And
their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. [16] And
after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons,
four generations. [17] And Job died, an old man, and full of days.
Malachi 1
[1] The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
[2]
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved
us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved
Jacob [3] but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and
left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” [4] If Edom says, “We are
shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They
may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked
country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” [5]
Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD
beyond the border of Israel!”
[6]
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a
father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says
the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say,
‘How have we despised your name?’ [7] By offering polluted food upon my
altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the
LORD’s table may be despised. [8] When you offer blind animals in
sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or
sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept
you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. [9] And now entreat the
favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your
hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. [10] Oh
that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might
not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the
LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. [11]
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great
among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my
name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations,
says the LORD of hosts. [12] But you profane it when you say that the
Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be
despised. [13] But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at
it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence
or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept
that from your hand? says the LORD. [14] Cursed be the cheat who has a
male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is
blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name
will be feared among the nations.
Malachi 2
[1]
“And now, O priests, this command is for you. [2] If you will not
listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says
the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse
your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not
lay it to heart. [3] Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread
dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken
away with it. [4] So shall you know that I have sent this command to
you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. [5]
My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him.
It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name.
[6] True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his
lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many
from iniquity. [7] For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and
people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger
of the LORD of hosts. [8] But you have turned aside from the way. You
have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the
covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, [9] and so I make you despised
and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways
but show partiality in your instruction.”
[10]
Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we
faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? [11]
Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel
and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD,
which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. [12] May
the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who
does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts!
[13]
And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD’s altar with tears,
with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or
accepts it with favor from your hand. [14] But you say, “Why does he
not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your
youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and
your wife by covenant. [15] Did he not make them one, with a portion of
the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly
offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be
faithless to the wife of your youth. [16] “For the man who does not love
his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his
garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in
your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
[17]
You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we
wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of
the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of
justice?”
Malachi 3
[1]
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.
And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the
messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming,
says the LORD of hosts. [2] But who can endure the day of his coming,
and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and
like fullers’ soap. [3] He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and
silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. [4]
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as
in the days of old and as in former years.
[5]
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness
against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear
falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the
widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner,
and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.
[6]
“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are
not consumed. [7] From the days of your fathers you have turned aside
from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return
to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ [8]
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we
robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. [9] You are cursed with a
curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. [10] Bring the
full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And
thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open
the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until
there is no more need. [11] I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that
it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field
shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. [12] Then all nations
will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD
of hosts.
[13]
“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How
have we spoken against you?’ [14] You have said, ‘It is vain to serve
God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in
mourning before the LORD of hosts? [15] And now we call the arrogant
blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and
they escape.’”
[16]
Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid
attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before
him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. [17] “They shall
be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured
possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves
him. [18] Then once more you shall see the distinction between the
righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does
not serve him.
Malachi 4
[1]
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the
arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall
set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them
neither root nor branch. [2] But for you who fear my name, the sun of
righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out
leaping like calves from the stall. [3] And you shall tread down the
wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day
when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
[4] “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
[5]
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and
awesome day of the LORD comes. [6] And he will turn the hearts of
fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers,
lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
