21st December

¹ Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.² Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.³ He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.⁴ The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.⁵ As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.⁶ The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.⁷ There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:⁸ The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.⁹ He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.¹⁰ He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.¹¹ He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.¹² But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?¹³ Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.¹⁴ The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.¹⁵ It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.¹⁶ It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.¹⁷ The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.¹⁸ No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.²⁰ Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?²¹ Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.²² Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.²³ God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.²⁴ For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;²⁵ To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.²⁶ When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:²⁷ Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.²⁸ And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

¹ And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.² And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:³ And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.⁴ So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?⁵ Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.⁶ Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.⁷ Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.⁸ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,⁹ The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.¹⁰ For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.¹¹ Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?¹² And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?¹³ And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.¹⁴ Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

¹ Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.² And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.³ Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.⁴ I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.⁵ Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.⁶ And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.⁷ And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.⁸ And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.⁹ Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.¹⁰ Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?¹¹ And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

¹ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:² Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.³ Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.⁴ John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,⁶ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.⁷ Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.⁸ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.⁹ I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,¹¹ Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.¹² And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;¹³ And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.¹⁴ His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;¹⁵ And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.¹⁶ And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:¹⁸ I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.¹⁹ Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

¹ Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;² I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:³ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.⁴ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.⁵ Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.⁶ But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.⁷ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.⁸ And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;⁹ I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.¹⁰ Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.¹¹ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.¹² And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;¹³ I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.¹⁴ But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.¹⁵ So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.¹⁶ Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.¹⁷ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.¹⁸ And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;¹⁹ I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.²⁰ Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.²¹ And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.²² Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.²³ And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.²⁴ But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.²⁵ But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.²⁶ And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:²⁷ And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.²⁸ And I will give him the morning star.²⁹ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.