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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 23 - Old & New Testament
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Esther 9,10
The Jews Destroy Their Enemies
1 Now (C1)in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on (C2)the thirteenth (F1)day, (C3)when the king's command and edict were to be put into effect, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it turned out to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained mastery over those who hated them.2 (C1)The Jews assembled in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to (F1)attack those who sought (F2)to harm them; and no one could stand against them, (C2)because the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples.3 Even all the officials of the provinces, (C1)the satraps, the governors, and those who were doing the king's business were supporting the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them.4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and the news about him spread throughout the provinces; for the man Mordecai (C1)became greater and greater.5 So (C1)the Jews struck all their enemies with (F1)the sword, killing and destroying; and they did as they pleased to those who hated them.6 At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and eliminated five hundred men,7 and they killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,10 (C1)the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but (C2)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa (F1)was reported to the king.12 And the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and eliminated five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! (C1)Now what is your request? It shall also be granted you. And what is your further wish? It shall also be done."13 Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, (C1)let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the wooden gallows."14 So the king commanded that it was to be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman's ten sons were hanged.15 The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed (C1)three hundred men in Susa, but (C2)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16 Now (C1)the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces (C2)assembled, to defend their lives and (F1)rid themselves of their enemies, and to kill seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.17 This was done on (C1)the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and (C2)on the fourteenth (F1)day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
18 But the Jews who were in Susa (C1)assembled on the thirteenth and (C2)the fourteenth (F1)of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth (F1)day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in (C1)the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a (F1)(C2)holiday for rejoicing and feasting and (C3)sending portions of food to one another.
The Feast of Purim Instituted
20 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day (F1)of the same month, annually,22 because on those days the Jews (F1)rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was (C1)turned for them from grief into joy, and from mourning into a (F2)holiday; that they were to make them days of feasting and rejoicing, and (C2)sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them.24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to eliminate them, and (C1)had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and eliminate them.25 But (C1)when it came (F1)to the king's attention, he commanded by letter (C2)that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews (C3)was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons were to be hanged on the wooden gallows.26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of (F1)Pur. (F2)And (C1)because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them,27 the Jews established and (F1)made a custom for themselves, their (F2)descendants, and for (C1)all those who allied themselves with them, so that (F3)they would not fail (C2)to celebrate these two days according to their (F4)regulation and according to their appointed time annually.28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and these days of Purim were not to (F1)be neglected by the Jews, or their memory (F2)fade from their (F3)descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, (C1)daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm (C2)this second letter about Purim.30 He sent letters to all the Jews, (C1)to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth,31 to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their (F1)descendants, with (F2)instructions (C1)for their times of fasting and their mourning.32 The command of Esther established these (F1)customs for (C1)Purim, and it was written in the book.
Mordecai's Greatness
1 Now King Ahasuerus imposed a tax on the land and the (C1)coastlands of the sea.2 And every accomplishment of his authority and power, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai (C1)with which the king honored him, are they not written in (C2)the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?3 For Mordecai the Jew was (C1)second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, (C2)one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his entire (F1)nation.
Revelation 14
Chapter 14
The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion
1 Then I looked, and behold, (C1)the Lamb was standing on (C2)Mount Zion, and with Him (C3)144,000 who had (C4)His name and the (C4)name of His Father written (C5)on their foreheads.2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like (C1)the sound of many waters and like the (C2)sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of (C3)harpists playing on their harps.3 And they (*)sang (F1)(C1)a new song before the throne and before the (C2)four living creatures and the (C3)elders; and (C4)no one was able to learn the song except the (C5)144,000 who had been (C1)purchased from the earth.4 (C1)These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who (C2)follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been (C3)purchased from mankind (C4)as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.5 And (C1)no lie was found in their mouths; they are (C2)blameless.
Vision of the Angel with the Gospel
6 And I saw another angel flying in (C1)midheaven with (C2)an eternal gospel to preach to (C3)those who (F1)live on the earth, and to (C4)every nation, tribe, language, and people;7 and he said with a loud voice, "(C1)Fear God and (C2)give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who (C3)made the heaven and the earth, and sea and (C4)springs of waters."
8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "(F1)(C1)Fallen, fallen is (C2)Babylon the great, she who has (C3)made all the nations drink of the (C4)wine of the (F2)passion of her sexual immorality."
Doom for Worshipers of the Beast
9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone (C1)worships the beast and his (C2)image, and receives a (C3)mark on his forehead or on his hand,10 he also will drink of the (C1)wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed (F1)in full strength (C2)in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with (C3)fire and (F2)brimstone in the presence of the (C4)holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.11 "And the (C1)smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; (C2)they have no rest day and night, those who (C3)worship the beast and his (C3)image, and (F1)whoever receives the (C4)mark of his name."12 Here is (C1)the (F1)perseverance of the (F2)saints who (C2)keep the commandments of God and (F3)(C3)their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write: '(C1)Blessed are the dead who (C2)die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," (C3)says the Spirit, "so that they may (C4)rest from their labors, for their (C5)deeds follow with them."
The Harvest
14 Then I looked, and behold, a (C1)white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one (C2)like (F1)a son of man, with a golden (C3)crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.15 And another angel (C1)came out of the (F1)temple, calling out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "(F2)(C2)Put in Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the (C3)harvest of the earth (F3)is ripe."16 Then He who sat on the cloud (F1)swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel (C1)came out of the (F1)temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.18 Then another angel, (C1)the one who has power over fire, came out from (C2)the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "(F1)(C3)Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters (F2)from the vine of the earth, (C4)because her grapes are ripe."19 So the angel (F1)swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into (C1)the great wine press of the wrath of God.20 And (C1)the wine press was trampled (C2)outside the city, and (C3)blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, (F1)for a distance of (F2)1,600 stadia.
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