The Seventh Seal

Revelation 8 When the Lamb broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ²Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets.
³Another angel, who had a gold incense container, came and stood at the altar. He was given a lot of incense to add to the prayers of all God's people and to offer it on the gold altar that stands before the throne. ⁴The smoke of the burning incense went up with the prayers of God's people from the hands of the angel standing before God. ⁵Then the angel took the incense container, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth. There were rumblings and peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The Trumpets

⁶Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
⁷The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire, mixed with blood, came pouring down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees, and every blade of green grass.
⁸Then the second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea was turned into blood, ⁹a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
¹⁰Then the third angel blew his trumpet. A large star, burning like a torch, dropped from the sky and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹(The name of the star is "Bitterness.") A third of the water turned bitter, and many people died from drinking the water, because it had turned bitter.
¹²Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet. A third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that their light lost a third of its brightness; there was no light during a third of the day and a third of the night also.
¹³Then I looked, and I heard an eagle that was flying high in the air say in a loud voice, "O horror! horror! How horrible it will be for all who live on earth when the sound comes from the trumpets that the other three angels must blow!"

The People Who Lived in Jerusalem

Nehemiah 11 The leaders settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people drew lots to choose one family out of every ten to go and live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the rest were to live in the other cities and towns. ²The people praised anyone else who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. ³In the other towns and cities the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the Temple workers, and the descendants of Solomon's servants lived on their own property in their own towns.
The following is the list of the leading citizens of the province of Judah who lived in Jerusalem:

⁴Members of the tribe of Judah:
Athaiah, the son of Uzziah and grandson of Zechariah. His other ancestors included Amariah, Shephatiah, and Mahalalel, descendants of Judah's son Perez.
⁵Maaseiah, the son of Baruch and grandson of Colhozeh. His other ancestors included Hazaiah, Adaiah, Joiarib, and Zechariah, descendants of Judah's son Shelah.
⁶Of the descendants of Perez, 468 outstanding soldiers lived in Jerusalem.

⁷Members of the tribe of Benjamin:
Sallu, the son of Meshullam and grandson of Joed. His other ancestors included Pedaiah, Kolaiah, Maaseiah, Ithiel, and Jeshaiah.
⁸Gabbai and Sallai, close relatives of Sallu.
In all, 928 Benjaminites lived in Jerusalem. ⁹Joel son of Zichri was their leader, and Judah son of Hassenuah was the second ranking official in the city.

¹⁰Priests:
Jedaiah son of Joiarib, and Jachin.
¹¹Seraiah, the son of Hilkiah and grandson of Meshullam. His ancestors included Zadok, Meraioth, and Ahitub, who was the High Priest. ¹²In all, 822 members of this clan served in the Temple.
Adaiah, the son of Jeroham and grandson of Pelaliah. His ancestors included Amzi, Zechariah, Pashhur, and Malchijah. ¹³In all, 242 members of this clan were heads of families.
Amashsai, the son of Azarel and grandson of Ahzai. His ancestors included Meshillemoth and Immer. ¹⁴There were 128 members of this clan who were outstanding soldiers. Their leader was Zabdiel, a member of a leading family.

¹⁵Levites:
Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub and grandson of Azrikam. His ancestors included Hashabiah and Bunni.
¹⁶Shabbethai and Jozabad, prominent Levites in charge of the work outside the Temple.
¹⁷Mattaniah, the son of Mica and grandson of Zabdi, a descendant of Asaph. He led the Temple choir in singing the prayer of thanksgiving.
Bakbukiah, who was Mattaniah's assistant.
Abda, the son of Shammua and grandson of Galal, a descendant of Jeduthun.
¹⁸In all, 284 Levites lived in the holy city of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Temple guards:
Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, 172 in all.
²⁰The rest of the people of Israel and the remaining priests and Levites lived on their own property in the other cities and towns of Judah. ²¹The Temple workers lived in the part of Jerusalem called Ophel and worked under the supervision of Ziha and Gishpa.
²²The supervisor of the Levites who lived in Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani and grandson of Hashabiah. His ancestors included Mattaniah and Mica, and he belonged to the clan of Asaph, the clan that was responsible for the music in the Temple services. ²³There were royal regulations stating how the clans should take turns in leading the Temple music each day.
²⁴Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the clan of Zerah and the tribe of Judah, represented the people of Israel at the Persian court.

The People in Other Towns and Cities

²⁵Many of the people lived in towns near their farms. Those who were of the tribe of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba, Dibon, and Jekabzeel, and in the villages near these cities. ²⁶They also lived in the cities of Jeshua, Moladah, Bethpelet, ²⁷and Hazarshual, and in Beersheba and the villages around it. ²⁸They lived in the city of Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages, ²⁹in Enrimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, ³⁰in Zanoah, in Adullam, and in the villages near these towns. They lived in Lachish and on the farms nearby, and in Azekah and its villages. That is to say, the people of Judah lived in the territory between Beersheba in the south and Hinnom Valley in the north.
³¹The people of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Geba, Michmash, Ai, Bethel and the nearby villages, ³²Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, ³³Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, ³⁴Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, ³⁵Lod, and Ono, and in Craftsmen's Valley. ³⁶Some groups of Levites that had lived in the territory of Judah were assigned to live with the people of Benjamin.

The Love of God

Psalm 103 Praise the LORD, my soul!
All my being, praise his holy name!
²Praise the LORD, my soul,
and do not forget how kind he is.
³He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
⁴He keeps me from the grave
and blesses me with love and mercy.
⁵He fills my life with good things,
so that I stay young and strong like an eagle.

⁶The LORD judges in favor of the oppressed
and gives them their rights.
⁷He revealed his plans to Moses
and let the people of Israel see his mighty deeds.
⁸The LORD is merciful and loving,
slow to become angry and full of constant love.
⁹He does not keep on rebuking;
he is not angry forever.
¹⁰He does not punish us as we deserve
or repay us according to our sins and wrongs.
¹¹As high as the sky is above the earth,
so great is his love for those who honor him.
¹²As far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our sins from us.
¹³As a father is kind to his children,
so the LORD is kind to those who honor him.
¹⁴He knows what we are made of;
he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for us, our life is like grass.
We grow and flourish like a wild flower;
¹⁶then the wind blows on it, and it is gone--
no one sees it again.
¹⁷But for those who honor the LORD, his love lasts forever,
and his goodness endures for all generations
¹⁸of those who are true to his covenant
and who faithfully obey his commands.

¹⁹The LORD placed his throne in heaven;
he is king over all.
²⁰Praise the LORD, you strong and mighty angels,
who obey his commands,
who listen to what he says.
²¹Praise the LORD, all you heavenly powers,
you servants of his, who do his will!
²²Praise the LORD, all his creatures
in all the places he rules.
Praise the LORD, my soul!