John 19:38–42; Revelation 16; Job 38:1–21; Zephaniah 1–2

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John 19:38–42

Jesus Is Buried

38 sAfter these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly tfor fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 uNicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus1 by night, came vbringing a mixture of wmyrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds2 in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and xbound it in ylinen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a zgarden, and ain the garden a new tomb bin which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish cday of Preparation, dsince the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.


Revelation 16

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling pthe seven angels, Go and qpour out on the earth rthe seven bowls of the wrath of God.

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful ssores came upon the people who bore tthe mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and uit became like the blood of a corpse, and vevery living thing died that was in the sea.

The third angel poured out his bowl into wthe rivers and the springs of water, and xthey became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters1 say,

yJust are you, zO Holy One, awho is and who was,

for you brought these judgments.

For bthey have shed the blood of csaints and prophets,

and dyou have given them blood to drink.

It is what they deserve!

And I heard ethe altar saying,

Yes, Lord God the Almighty,

ftrue and just are your judgments!

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people gwith fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and hthey cursed2 the name of God who had power over these plagues. iThey did not repent jand give him glory.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on kthe throne of the beast, and lits kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed mthe God of heaven for their pain and nsores. oThey did not repent of their deeds.

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on pthe great river Euphrates, and qits water was dried up, rto prepare the way for the kings sfrom the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of tthe dragon and out of the mouth of uthe beast and out of the mouth of vthe false prophet, three wunclean spirits like xfrogs. 14 For they are ydemonic spirits, zperforming signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, ato assemble them for battle on bthe great day of God the Almighty. 15 (Behold, cI am coming like a thief! dBlessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, ethat he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!) 16 And fthey assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called gArmageddon.

The Seventh Bowl

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into hthe air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, iIt is done! 18 And there were jflashes of lightning, rumblings,3 peals of thunder, and ka great earthquake lsuch as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 mThe great city nwas split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God oremembered pBabylon the great, qto make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And revery island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And sgreat hailstones, about one hundred pounds4 each, fell from heaven on people; and tthey cursed God for uthe plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.


Job 38:1–21

The Lord Answers Job

Then the Lord qanswered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

Who is this that rdarkens counsel by words swithout knowledge?

tDress for action1 like a man;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.

Where were you when I ulaid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurementssurely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,

or who laid its cornerstone,

when the morning stars vsang together

and all wthe sons of God xshouted for joy?

Or who yshut in the sea with doors

when it burst out from the womb,

when I made clouds its garment

and zthick darkness its swaddling band,

10  and prescribed alimits for it

and set bars and doors,

11  and said, Thus far shall you come, and no farther,

and here shall your bproud waves be stayed?

12  Have you ccommanded the morning since your days began,

and caused the dawn to know its place,

13  that it might take hold of dthe skirts of the earth,

and the wicked be eshaken out of it?

14  It is changed like clay under the seal,

and its features stand out like a garment.

15  From the wicked their flight is withheld,

and gtheir uplifted arm is broken.

16  Have you hentered into the springs of the sea,

or walked in the recesses of the deep?

17  Have ithe gates of death been revealed to you,

or have you seen the gates of jdeep darkness?

18  Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?

Declare, if you know all this.

19  Where is the way to the dwelling of light,

and where is the place of darkness,

20  that you may take it to its territory

and that you may discern kthe paths to its home?

21  You know, for lyou were born then,

and the number of your days is great!


Zephaniah 1–2

The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, ain the days of bJosiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

The Coming Judgment on Judah

cI will utterly sweep away everything

from the face of the earth, declares the Lord.

I will sweep away dman and beast;

I will sweep away the birds of the heavens

and dthe fish of the sea,

and ethe rubble1 with the wicked.

I will fcut off mankind

from the face of the earth, declares the Lord.

I will stretch out my hand against Judah

and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

gand I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal

and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,

hthose who bow down on the roofs

to the host of the heavens,

ithose who bow down and swear to the Lord

and yet swear by jMilcom,2

kthose who have turned back from following the Lord,

lwho do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.

The Day of the Lord Is Near

mBe silent before the Lord God!

For nthe day of the Lord is near;

othe Lord has prepared a sacrifice

and pconsecrated his guests.

And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice

qI will punish the officials and the king’s sons

and rall who array themselves in foreign attire.

On that day I will punish

everyone swho leaps over the threshold,

and those who fill their master’s3 house

with violence and fraud.

10  On that day, declares the Lord,

a cry will be heard from tthe Fish Gate,

ua wail from vthe Second Quarter,

a loud crash from the hills.

11  wWail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!

For all the traders4 are no more;

all who weigh out silver are cut off.

12  At that time xI will search Jerusalem with lamps,

and I will punish the men

ywho are complacent,5

zthose who say in their hearts,

The Lord will not do good,

nor will he do ill.

13  Their goods shall be aplundered,

and their houses laid waste.

bThough they build houses,

they shall not inhabit them;

cthough they plant vineyards,

they shall not drink wine from them.

14  dThe great day of the Lord is near,

near and hastening fast;

the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;

ethe mighty man cries aloud there.

15  fA day of wrath is that day,

a day of distress and anguish,

a day of gruin and devastation,

ha day of darkness and gloom,

ha day of clouds and thick darkness,

16  ia day of trumpet blast and battle cry

jagainst the fortified cities

and against the lofty battlements.

17  kI will bring distress on mankind,

so that they shall walk llike the blind,

because they have sinned against the Lord;

mtheir blood shall be poured out like dust,

and their flesh nlike dung.

18  oNeither their silver nor their gold

shall be able to deliver them

on the day of the wrath of the Lord.

pIn the fire of his jealousy,

qall the earth shall be consumed;

rfor a full and sudden end

he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Judgment on Judah’s Enemies

Gather together, yes, gather,

O sshameless nation,

tbefore the decree takes effect6

before the day passes away ulike chaff

vbefore there comes upon you

the burning anger of the Lord,

before there comes upon you

the day of the anger of the Lord.

wSeek the Lord, xall you humble of the land,

who do his just commands;7

yseek righteousness; seek humility;

yperhaps zyou may be hidden

on the day of the anger of the Lord.

aFor Gaza shall be deserted,

and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;

Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon,

and Ekron shall be uprooted.

Woe to byou inhabitants of the seacoast,

you nation of cthe Cherethites!

dThe word of the Lord is against you,

eO Canaan, land of the Philistines;

and I will destroy you funtil no inhabitant is left.

gAnd you, O seacoast, hshall be pastures,

with meadows8 for shepherds

and folds for flocks.

iThe seacoast shall become the possession

of jthe remnant of the house of Judah,

hon which they shall graze,

and in the houses of Ashkelon

they shall lie down at evening.

For the Lord their God kwill be mindful of them

and lrestore their fortunes.

I have heard mthe taunts of Moab

and nthe revilings of the Ammonites,

how they have taunted my people

and made boasts oagainst their territory.

Therefore, pas I live, declares the Lord of hosts,

the God of Israel,

Moab shall become qlike Sodom,

and the Ammonites qlike Gomorrah,

a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,

and a waste forever.

The remnant of my people shall plunder them,

and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.

10  This shall be their lot in return rfor their pride,

because they taunted and boasted

against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11  The Lord will be awesome against them;

sfor he will famish all the gods of the earth,

and tto him shall bow down,

each in its place,

all uthe lands of the nations.

12  vYou also, O Cushites,

shall be slain by my sword.

13  And he will stretch out his hand against the north

wand destroy Assyria,

and he xwill make Nineveh a desolation,

a dry waste like the desert.

14  yHerds shall lie down in her midst,

all kinds of beasts;9

zeven the owl and the hedgehog10

shall lodge in her capitals;

a voice shall hoot in the window;

devastation will be on the threshold;

for aher cedar work will be laid bare.

15  This is the exultant city

bthat lived securely,

that said in her heart,

I am, and there is no one else.

What a desolation she has become,

ca lair for wild beasts!

dEveryone who passes by her

hisses and eshakes his fist.