Matthew 28

He Is Risen

1 Nowafter the Sabbath, as the firstdayof the week began to dawn, Mary Magdaleneand the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; foran angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became likedeadmen.

5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

6 He is not here; for He is risen,as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeedHe is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

The Women Worship the Risen Lord

9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold,Jesus met them, saying,“Rejoice!”So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

10 Then Jesus said to them,“Do not be afraid. GoandtellMy brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

The Soldiers Are Bribed

11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.

12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Himawaywhile we slept.’

14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”

15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountainwhich Jesus had appointed for them.

17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but somedoubted.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 Gothereforeandmake disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I amwith you always,evento the end of the age.”Amen.

Malachi 1

1 The burden of the word of theLordto Israel by Malachi.

Israel Beloved of God

2 “Ihave loved you,” says theLord.

“Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’

Wasnot Esau Jacob’s brother?”

Says theLord.

# “YetJacob I have loved;

3 But Esau I have hated,

# Andlaid waste his mountains and his heritage

For the jackals of the wilderness.”

4 Even though Edom has said,

“We have been impoverished,

But we will return and build the desolate places,”

Thus says theLordof hosts:

# “They may build, but I willthrow down;

They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness,

And the people against whom theLordwill have indignation forever.

5 Your eyes shall see,

And you shall say,

# ‘TheLordis magnified beyond the border of Israel.’

Polluted Offerings

6 “A sonhonorshisfather,

And a servanthismaster.

# If then I am the Father,

WhereisMy honor?

And if Iama Master,

WhereisMy reverence?

Says theLordof hosts

To you priests who despise My name.

# Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’

7 “You offerdefiled food on My altar,

But say,

‘In what way have we defiled You?’

By saying,

# ‘The table of theLordis contemptible.’

8 Andwhen you offer the blind as a sacrifice,

Isitnot evil?

And when you offer the lame and sick,

Isitnot evil?

Offer it then to your governor!

Would he be pleased with you?

# Would heaccept you favorably?”

Says theLordof hosts.

9 “But now entreat God’s favor,

That He may be gracious to us.

# Whilethis is beingdoneby your hands,

Will He accept you favorably?”

Says theLordof hosts.

10 “Whoisthereeven among you who would shut the doors,

# So that you would not kindle fireonMy altar in vain?

I have no pleasure in you,”

Says theLordof hosts,

# “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

11 Forfrom the rising of the sun, even to its going down,

# My nameshallbegreatamong the Gentiles;

# In every placeincenseshallbeoffered to My name,

And a pure offering;

# For My name shall be great among the nations,”

Says theLordof hosts.

12 “But you profane it,

In that you say,

# ‘The table of theLordis defiled;

And its fruit, its food,iscontemptible.’

13 You also say,

# ‘Oh, what aweariness!’

And you sneer at it,”

Says theLordof hosts.

“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;

Thus you bring an offering!

# Should I accept this from your hand?”

Says theLord.

14 “But cursedbethe deceiver

Who has in his flock a male,

And takes a vow,

# But sacrifices to the Lordwhat is blemished—

# ForIama great King,”

Says theLordof hosts,

“And My nameistobefeared among the nations.

Malachi 2

Corrupt Priests

1 “And now, Opriests, this commandment is for you.

2 If you will not hear,

And if you will not takeitto heart,

To give glory to My name,”

Says theLordof hosts,

“I will send a curse upon you,

And I will curse your blessings.

# Yes, I have cursed themalready,

Because you do not takeitto heart.

3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants

# And spreadrefuse on your faces,

The refuse of your solemn feasts;

# Andonewilltake you away with it.

4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,

That My covenant with Levi may continue,”

Says theLordof hosts.

5 “Mycovenant was with him,oneof life and peace,

# And I gave them to himthathemightfearMe;

So he feared Me

And was reverent before My name.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth,

And injustice was not found on his lips.

He walked with Me in peace and equity,

# Andturned many away from iniquity.

7 “Forthe lips of a priest should keep knowledge,

Andpeopleshould seek the law from his mouth;

# For he is the messenger of theLordof hosts.

8 But you have departed from the way;

# Youhave caused many to stumble at the law.

# You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,”

Says theLordof hosts.

9 “ThereforeI also have made you contemptible and base

Before all the people,

Because you have not kept My ways

# But have shownpartiality in the law.”

Treachery of Infidelity

10 Have we not all one Father?

# Has not one God created us?

Why do we deal treacherously with one another

By profaning the covenant of the fathers?

11 Judah has dealt treacherously,

And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem,

# For Judah hasprofaned

TheLord’s holyinstitutionwhich He loves:

He has married the daughter of a foreign god.

12 May theLordcut off from the tents of Jacob

The man who does this, being awake and aware,

# Yetwho brings an offering to theLordof hosts!

13 And this is the second thing you do:

You cover the altar of theLordwith tears,

With weeping and crying;

So He does not regard the offering anymore,

Nor receiveitwith goodwill from your hands.

14 Yet you say, “For what reason?”

Because theLordhas been witness

# Between you andthe wife of your youth,

With whom you have dealt treacherously;

# Yet she is your companion

And your wife by covenant.

15 Butdid He not makethemone,

Having a remnant of the Spirit?

And why one?

# He seeksgodly offspring.

Therefore take heed to your spirit,

And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

16 “FortheLordGod of Israel says

That He hates divorce,

For it covers one’s garment with violence,”

Says theLordof hosts.

“Therefore take heed to your spirit,

That you do not deal treacherously.”

17 You have wearied theLordwith your words;

Yet you say,

“In what way have we weariedHim?”

In that you say,

# “Everyone who does evil

Isgood in the sight of theLord,

And He delights in them,”

Or, “Whereisthe God of justice?”

Malachi 3

The Coming Messenger

1 “Behold,I send My messenger,

# And he willprepare the way before Me.

And the Lord, whom you seek,

Will suddenly come to His temple,

# Even the Messenger of the covenant,

In whom you delight.

# Behold,He is coming,”

Says theLordof hosts.

2 “But who can endurethe day of His coming?

# Andwho can stand when He appears?

# ForHeislike a refiner’s fire

And like launderers’ soap.

3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;

He will purify the sons of Levi,

And purge them as gold and silver,

# That they mayoffer to theLord

An offering in righteousness.

4 “Thenthe offering of Judah and Jerusalem

Will be pleasant to theLord,

As in the days of old,

As in former years.

5 And I will come near you for judgment;

I will be a swift witness

Against sorcerers,

Against adulterers,

# Against perjurers,

# Against those whoexploit wage earners andwidows and orphans,

And against those who turn away an alien—

Because they do not fear Me,”

Says theLordof hosts.

6 “For IamtheLord,I do not change;

# Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

7 Yet from the days ofyour fathers

You have gone away from My ordinances

And have not keptthem.

# Return to Me, and I will return to you,”

Says theLordof hosts.

# “But you said,

‘In what way shall we return?’

Do Not Rob God

8 “Will a man rob God?

Yet you have robbed Me!

But you say,

‘In what way have we robbed You?’

# In tithes and offerings.

9 You are cursed with a curse,

For you have robbed Me,

Eventhis whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into thestorehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,”

Says theLordof hosts,

# “If I will not open for you thewindows of heaven

# Andpour out for yousuchblessing

Thattherewillnotberoomenoughtoreceiveit.

11 “And I will rebukethe devourer for your sakes,

So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,

Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”

Says theLordof hosts;

12 “And all nations will call you blessed,

# For you will bea delightful land,”

Says theLordof hosts.

The People Complain Harshly

13 “Yourwords have been harsh against Me,”

Says theLord,

“Yet you say,

‘What have we spoken against You?’

14 You have said,

‘It is useless to serve God;

What profitisitthat we have kept His ordinance,

And that we have walked as mourners

Before theLordof hosts?

15 So nowwe call the proud blessed,

For those who do wickedness are raised up;

# They eventempt God and go free.’ ”

A Book of Remembrance

16 Then thosewho feared theLordspoke to one another,

And theLordlistened and heard them;

# Soa book of remembrance was written before Him

For those who fear theLord

And who meditate on His name.

17 “Theyshall be Mine,” says theLordof hosts,

# “On the day that I make them Myjewels.

# AndI will spare them

As a man spares his own son who serves him.”

18 Then you shall again discern

Between the righteous and the wicked,

Between one who serves God

And one who does not serve Him.

Malachi 4

The Great Day of God

1 “For behold,the day is coming,

Burning like an oven,

# And allthe proud, yes, all who do wickedly will bestubble.

And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”

Says theLordof hosts,

# “That willleave them neither root nor branch.

2 But to you whofear My name

# TheSun of Righteousness shall arise

With healing in His wings;

And you shall go out

And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

3 You shall trample the wicked,

For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet

On the day that I dothis,”

Says theLordof hosts.

4 “Remember theLaw of Moses, My servant,

Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,

# Withthe statutes and judgments.

5 Behold, I will send youElijah the prophet

# Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of theLord.

6 And he will turn

The hearts of the fathers to the children,

And the hearts of the children to their fathers,

# Lest I come andstrike the earth witha curse.”

Zechariah 1

A Call to Repentance

1 In the eighth monthof the second year of Darius, the word of theLordcameto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son ofIddo the prophet, saying,

2 “TheLordhas been very angry with your fathers.

3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says theLordof hosts: “Returnto Me,” says theLordof hosts, “and I will return to you,” says theLordof hosts.

4 “Do not be like your fathers,to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says theLordof hosts:“Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says theLord.

5 “Your fathers, wherearethey?

And the prophets, do they live forever?

6 Yet surelyMy words and My statutes,

Which I commanded My servants the prophets,

Did they not overtake your fathers?

“So they returned and said:

# ‘Just as theLordof hosts determined to do to us,

According to our ways and according to our deeds,

So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

Vision of the Horses

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of theLordcame to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet:

8 I saw by night, and behold,a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind himwerehorses: red, sorrel, and white.

9 Then I said,“My lord, whatarethese?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what theyare.”

10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said,“Thesearetheoneswhom theLordhas sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”

11 So they answered the Angel of theLord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”

The Lord Will Comfort Zion

12 Then the Angel of theLordanswered and said, “OLordof hosts,how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angrythese seventy years?”

13 And theLordanswered the angel who talked to me,withgoodandcomforting words.

14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says theLordof hosts:

# “I amzealous for Jerusalem

And for Zion with great zeal.

15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;

# ForI was a little angry,

And they helped—butwith evilintent.”

16 ‘Therefore thus says theLord:

# “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;

# Myhouseshall be built in it,” says theLordof hosts,

# “Andasurveyor’sline shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’

17 “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says theLordof hosts:

“My cities shall again spread out through prosperity;

# TheLordwill again comfort Zion,

# Andwill again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”

Vision of the Horns

18 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and therewerefourhorns.

19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “Whatarethese?”

# So he answered me,“Thesearethe horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

20 Then theLordshowed me four craftsmen.

21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?”

# So he said, “Thesearethehorns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations thatlifted uptheirhorn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Zechariah 2

Vision of the Measuring Line

1 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold,a man with a measuring line in his hand.

2 So I said, “Where are you going?”

# And he said to me,“To measure Jerusalem, to see whatisits width and whatisits length.”

3 And therewasthe angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him,

4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying:‘Jerusalem shall be inhabitedastowns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.

5 For I,’ says theLord, ‘will bea wall of fire all around her,and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”

Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations

6 “Up, up! Fleefrom the land of the north,” says theLord; “for I havespread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says theLord.

7 “Up, Zion!Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”

8 For thus says theLordof hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he whotouches you touches the apple of His eye.

9 For surely I willshake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Thenyou will know that theLordof hosts has sent Me.

10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and Iwill dwell in your midst,” says theLord.

11 “Many nations shall be joined to theLordin that day, and they shall becomeMy people. And I will dwell in your midst. Thenyou will know that theLordof hosts has sent Me to you.

12 And theLordwilltake possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

13 Be silent, all flesh, before theLord, for He is arousedfrom His holy habitation!”

Zechariah 3

Vision of the High Priest

1 Then he showed meJoshua the high priest standing before the Angel of theLord, andSatan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

2 And theLordsaid to Satan,“TheLordrebuke you, Satan! TheLordwhohas chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!Isthis not a brand plucked from the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was clothed withfilthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you,and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

5 And I said, “Let them put a cleanturban on his head.”

So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of theLordstood by.

The Coming Branch

6 Then the Angel of theLordadmonished Joshua, saying,

7 “Thus says theLordof hosts:

‘If you will walk in My ways,

# And if you willkeep My command,

# Then you shall alsojudge My house,

And likewise have charge of My courts;

I will give you places to walk

# Among these whostand here.

8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest,

You and your companions who sit before you,

# For they area wondrous sign;

# For behold, I am bringing forthMy Servant theBRANCH.

9 For behold, the stone

That I have laid before Joshua:

# Upon the stoneareseven eyes.

Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’

Says theLordof hosts,

# ‘AndI will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

10 In that day,’ says theLordof hosts,

‘Everyone will invite his neighbor

# Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”

Zechariah 4

Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees

1 Nowthe angel who talked with me came back and wakened me,as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.

2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”

# So I said, “I am looking, and thereisa lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it,and on thestandseven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.

3 Two olive treesareby it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.”

4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “Whatarethese, my lord?”

5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?”

And I said, “No, my lord.”

6 So he answered and said to me:

# “Thisisthe word of theLordtoZerubbabel:

# ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’

Says theLordof hosts.

7 ‘Whoareyou,O great mountain?

Before Zerubbabelyoushallbecomea plain!

# And he shall bring forththe capstone

# With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

8 Moreover the word of theLordcame to me, saying:

9 “The hands of Zerubbabel

# Have laid the foundation of this temple;

# His handsshall also finishit.

# Thenyou will know

# That theLordof hosts has sent Me to you.

10 For who has despised the day ofsmall things?

For these seven rejoice to see

The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

# They are the eyes of theLord,

Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

11 Then I answered and said to him, “Whatarethesetwo olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?”

12 And I further answered and said to him, “Whatarethesetwo olive branches thatdripinto the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the goldenoildrains?”

13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what theseare?”

And I said, “No, my lord.”

14 So he said,“Thesearethe two anointed ones,who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

Zechariah 5

Vision of the Flying Scroll

1 Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flyingscroll.

2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its lengthistwenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

3 Then he said to me, “Thisisthecurse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ accordingtothis side ofthescroll;and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ accordingtothat side of it.”

4 “I will send outthecurse,” says theLordof hosts;

# “It shall enter the house of thethief

# And the house ofthe one who swears falsely by My name.

It shall remain in the midst of his house

# And consumeit, with its timber and stones.”

Vision of the Woman in a Basket

5 Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what thisisthat goes forth.”

6 So I asked, “Whatisit?” And he said, “Itisa basket that is going forth.”

He also said, “Thisistheir resemblance throughout the earth:

7 Hereisa lead disc lifted up, and thisisa woman sitting inside the basket”;

8 then he said, “ThisisWickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth.

9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and thereweretwo women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of astork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.

10 So I said to theangel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”

11 And he said to me, “Tobuild a house for it inthe land of Shinar; when it is ready,thebasketwill be set there on its base.”