John 20:1–9; Revelation 17; Job 38:22–41; Zephaniah 3

red bookmark icon blue bookmark icon gold bookmark icon
John 20:1–9

The Resurrection

eNow on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that fthe stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, gthe one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and hwe do not know where they have laid him. iSo Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw jthe linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and kthe face cloth, which had been on Jesus’1 head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, lwho had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet mthey did not understand the Scripture, nthat he must rise from the dead.


Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

Then vone of the seven angels who had wthe seven bowls came and said to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of xthe great prostitute ywho is seated on many waters, zwith whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and awith the wine of whose sexual immorality bthe dwellers on earth have become drunk. And che carried me away in the Spirit dinto a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on ea scarlet beast that was full of fblasphemous names, and git had seven heads and ten horns. The woman hwas arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned iwith gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand ja golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of kmystery: lBabylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations. And I saw the woman, drunk mwith the blood of the saints, the blood of nthe martyrs of Jesus.1

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, Why do you marvel? I will tell you othe mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw pwas, and is not, and qis about to rise from rthe bottomless pit2 and sgo to destruction. And tthe dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in uthe book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because pit was and is not and is to come. vThis calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast wthat was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And xthe ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings yfor one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They zwill make war on the Lamb, and athe Lamb will conquer them, for he is bLord of lords and bKing of kings, and those with him are ccalled and chosen and faithful.

15 And the angel3 said to me, dThe waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And ethe ten horns that you saw, they and the beast fwill hate the prostitute. They will make her gdesolate and hnaked, and idevour her flesh and jburn her up with fire, 17 for kGod has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and lhanding over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is mthe great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.


Job 38:22–41

22  Have you entered mthe storehouses of the snow,

or have you seen mthe storehouses of the hail,

23  which I have reserved nfor the time of trouble,

nfor the day of battle and war?

24  What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,

or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

25  Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain

and oa way for the thunderbolt,

26  to bring rain on pa land where no man is,

on qthe desert in which there is no man,

27  to satisfy the waste and desolate land,

and to make the ground sprout with rgrass?

28  Has sthe rain a father,

or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29  From whose womb did tthe ice come forth,

and who has given birth to tthe frost of heaven?

30  The waters become hard like stone,

and the face of the deep is ufrozen.

31  Can you bind the chains of vthe Pleiades

or loose the cords of vOrion?

32  Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth1 in their season,

or can you guide vthe Bear with its children?

33  Do you know wthe ordinances of the heavens?

Can you establish their rule on the earth?

34  Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

that xa flood of waters may cover you?

35  Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go

and say to you, Here we are?

36  Who has yput wisdom in zthe inward parts2

or given understanding to the mind?3

37  Who can number the clouds by wisdom?

Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,

38  when the dust runs into a mass

and athe clods stick fast together?

39  Can you hunt the prey for the lion,

or bsatisfy the appetite of the young lions,

40  when they crouch in their cdens

or lie in wait din their thicket?

41  Who provides for ethe raven its prey,

when its young ones cry to God for help,

and wander about for lack of food?


Zephaniah 3

Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,

fthe oppressing city!

She listens to no voice;

gshe accepts no correction.

hShe does not trust in the Lord;

she does not draw near to her God.

iHer officials within her

are roaring lions;

her judges are jevening wolves

that leave nothing till the morning.

kHer prophets are fickle, treacherous men;

kher priests lprofane what is holy;

they do violence to the law.

The Lord within her mis righteous;

he does no injustice;

every morning he shows forth his justice;

each dawn he does not fail;

but nthe unjust knows no shame.

oI have cut off nations;

their battlements are in ruins;

I have laid waste their streets

pso that no one walks in them;

their cities have been made desolate,

without a man, without an inhabitant.

qI said, Surely you will fear me;

ryou will accept correction.

Then your1 dwelling would not be cut off

according to all that I have appointed against you.2

But sall the more they were eager

to make all their deeds corrupt.

Therefore twait for me, declares the Lord,

for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.

For my decision is uto gather nations,

to assemble kingdoms,

to pour out upon them my indignation,

all my burning anger;

for in the fire of my jealousy

vall the earth shall be consumed.

The Conversion of the Nations

For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples

to wa pure speech,

that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord

and serve him with one accord.

10  xFrom beyond the rivers yof Cush

my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,

shall bring my offering.

11  zOn that day ayou shall not be put to shame

because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;

for then bI will remove from your midst

your proudly exultant ones,

and cyou shall no longer be haughty

in my holy mountain.

12  But I will leave in your midst

a people dhumble and lowly.

eThey shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,

13  fthose who are left in Israel;

they gshall do no injustice

and speak no lies,

hnor shall there be found in their mouth

a deceitful tongue.

iFor they shall graze and lie down,

and none shall make them afraid.

Israel’s Joy and Restoration

14  jSing aloud, O daughter of Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter of Jerusalem!

15  The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;

he has cleared away your enemies.

kThe King of Israel, lthe Lord, is in your midst;

you shall never again fear evil.

16  zOn that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Fear not, O Zion;

mlet not your hands grow weak.

17  lThe Lord your God is in your midst,

na mighty one who will save;

ohe will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

18  I will gather those of you who mourn pfor the festival,

so that you will no longer suffer reproach.3

19  Behold, at that time qI will deal

with all your oppressors.

And rI will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change stheir shame into tpraise

and renown in all the earth.

20  uAt that time I will bring you in,

at the time when I gather you together;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

vwhen I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the Lord.