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Psalm 143

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord,
      and in your faithfulness give ear to my supplications; ♦︎
   answer me in your righteousness.
2  Enter not into judgement with your servant, ♦︎
   for in your sight shall no one living be justified.
3  For the enemy has pursued me,
      crushing my life to the ground, ♦︎
   making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4  My spirit faints within me; ♦︎
   my heart within me is desolate.
5  I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds; ♦︎
   I consider the works of your hands.
6  I stretch out my hands to you; ♦︎
   my soul gasps for you like a thirsty land.
7  O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; ♦︎
   hide not your face from me
      lest I be like those who go down to the Pit.
8  Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning,
      for in you I put my trust; ♦︎
   show me the way I should walk in,
      for I lift up my soul to you.
9  Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies, ♦︎
   for I flee to you for refuge.
10  Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; ♦︎
   let your kindly spirit lead me on a level path.
11  Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake; ♦︎
   for your righteousness’ sake, bring me out of trouble.

The Rejoicing in Heaven

19After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
‘Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power to our God,
²   for his judgements are true and just;
he has judged the great whore
   who corrupted the earth with her fornication,
and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’^*
3Once more they said,
‘Hallelujah!
The smoke goes up from her for ever and ever.’
⁴And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who is seated on the throne, saying,
‘Amen. Hallelujah!’

5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
‘Praise our God,
   all you his servants,^*
and all who fear him,
   small and great.’
⁶Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
   the Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and exult
   and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
   and his bride has made herself ready;
⁸ to her it has been granted to be clothed
   with fine linen, bright and pure’—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said^* to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’

The Seventh Trumpet

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord
   and of his Messiah,^*
and he will reign for ever and ever.’

16 Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshipped God, ¹⁷singing,
‘We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty,
   who are and who were,
for you have taken your great power
   and begun to reign.
¹⁸ The nations raged,
   but your wrath has come,
   and the time for judging the dead,
for rewarding your servants,^* the prophets
   and saints and all who fear your name,
   both small and great,
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’

19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Epilogue and Benediction

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; ⁹but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant^* with you and your comrades^* the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!’

10 And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. ¹¹Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.’

12 ‘See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,^* so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practises falsehood.

16 ‘It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’
¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; ¹⁹if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20 The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.^*