27th December

¹ At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.² Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.³ He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.⁴ After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.⁵ God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.⁶ For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.⁷ He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.⁸ Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.⁹ Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.¹⁰ By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.¹¹ Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:¹² And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.¹³ He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.¹⁴ Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.¹⁵ Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?¹⁶ Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?¹⁷ How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?¹⁸ Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?¹⁹ Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.²⁰ Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.²¹ And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.²² Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.²³ Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.²⁴ Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

¹ The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.² Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.³ And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.⁴ In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.⁵ And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.⁶ In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.⁷ The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.⁸ In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.¹⁰ And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.¹¹ In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.¹² And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;¹³ The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;¹⁴ All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

¹ And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.² And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:³ And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.⁴ These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.⁵ And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.⁶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,⁷ Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.⁸ And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.⁹ And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,¹⁰ The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.¹⁴ And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.¹⁶ And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.¹⁷ And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.¹⁹ And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.²⁰ And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.