The End Times

¹“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

²And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

³Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

⁴But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”

⁵Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank.

⁶One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long until the fulfillment of these wonders?”

⁷And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, all these things will be completed.”

⁸I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

⁹“Go on your way, Daniel,” he replied, “for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.

¹⁰Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.

¹¹And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.

¹²Blessed is he who waits and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

¹³But as for you, go on your way until the end. You will rest, and then you will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

A Song of Salvation

¹In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:We have a strong city;salvation is established as its walls and ramparts.

²Open the gates so a righteous nation may enter—one that remains faithful.

³You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind,because he trusts in You.

⁴Trust in the LORD forever,because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.

⁵For He has humbled those who dwell on high;He lays the lofty city low.He brings it down to the ground;He casts it into the dust.

⁶Feet trample it down—the feet of the oppressed,the steps of the poor.

⁷The path of the righteous is level;You clear a straight path for the upright.

⁸Yes, we wait for You, O LORD;we walk in the path of Your judgments.Your name and renownare the desire of our souls.

⁹My soul longs for You in the night;indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn.For when Your judgments come upon the earth,the people of the world learn righteousness.

¹⁰Though grace is shown to the wicked man,he does not learn righteousness.In the land of righteousness he acts unjustlyand fails to see the majesty of the LORD.

¹¹O LORD, Your hand is upraised,but they do not see it.They will see Your zeal for Your peopleand be put to shame.The fire set for Your enemieswill consume them!

¹²O LORD, You will establish peace for us.For all that we have accomplished,You have done for us.

¹³O LORD our God, other lords besides You have ruled over us,but Your name alone do we confess.

¹⁴The dead will not live;the departed spirits will not rise.Therefore You have punished and destroyed them;You have wiped out all memory of them.

¹⁵You have enlarged the nation, O LORD;You have enlarged the nation.You have gained glory for Yourself;You have extended all the borders of the land.

¹⁶O LORD, they sought You in their distress;when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.

¹⁷As a woman with child about to give birthwrithes and cries out in pain,so were we in Your presence, O LORD.

¹⁸We were with child; we writhed in pain;but we gave birth to wind.We have given no salvation to the earth,nor brought any life into the world.

¹⁹Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!For your dew is like the dew of the morning,and the earth will bring forth her dead.

²⁰Go, my people, enter your roomsand shut your doors behind you.Hide yourselves a little whileuntil the wrath has passed.

²¹For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwellingto punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.The earth will reveal her bloodshedand will no longer conceal her slain.

Israel’s Punishment

¹Do not rejoice, O Israel,with exultation like the nations,for you have played the harlot against your God;you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

²The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them,and the new wine will fail them.

³They will not remainin the land of the LORD;Ephraimwill return to Egyptand eat unclean food in Assyria.

⁴They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD,and their sacrifices will not please Him,but will be to them like the bread of mourners;all who eat will be defiled.For their bread will be for themselves;it will not enter the house of the LORD.

⁵What will you do on the appointed day,on the day of the LORD’s feast?

⁶For even if they flee destruction,Egypt will gather themand Memphis will bury them.Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles,and thorns will overrun their tents.

⁷The days of punishment have come;the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it.The prophet is called a fool,and the inspired man insane,because of the greatnessof your iniquity and hostility.

⁸The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman,along with my God,yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths.Hostility is in the house of his God!

⁹They have deeply corrupted themselvesas in the days of Gibeah;He will remember their guilt;He will punish their sins.

¹⁰I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness.I saw your fathers as the firstfruitsof the fig tree in its first season.But they went to Baal-peor,and consecrated themselves to Shame;so they became as detestableas the thing they loved.

¹¹Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird,with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

¹²Even if they raise their children,I will bereave them of each one.Yes, woe be to themwhen I turn away from them!

¹³I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre,planted in a meadow.But Ephraim will bring outhis children for slaughter.

¹⁴Give them, O LORD—what will You give?Give them wombs that miscarryand breasts that dry up!

¹⁵All their evil appears at Gilgal,for there I hated them.I will drive them from My housefor the wickedness of their deeds.I will no longer love them;all their leaders are rebellious.

¹⁶Ephraim is struck down;their root is withered;they cannot bear fruit.Even if they bear children,I will slay the darlings of their wombs.

¹⁷My God will reject thembecause they have not obeyed Him;and they shall be wanderersamong the nations.

The Earth Is the LORD’s

¹The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof,the world and all who dwell therein.

²For He has founded it upon the seasand established it upon the waters.

³Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?Who may stand in His holy place?

⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart,who does not lift up his soul to an idolor swear deceitfully.

⁵He will receive blessing from the LORDand vindication from the God of his salvation.

⁶Such is the generation of those who seek Him,who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.Selah

⁷Lift up your heads, O gates!Be lifted up, O ancient doors,that the King of Glory may enter!

⁸Who is this King of Glory?The LORD strong and mighty,the LORD mighty in battle.

⁹Lift up your heads, O gates!Be lifted up, O ancient doors,that the King of Glory may enter!

¹⁰Who is He, this King of Glory?The LORD of Hosts—He is the King of Glory.Selah