Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 28 January 2018

Quiet here today.  This morning, I had thought to leave for church services a bit early.  Good thing that I did:  the vehicle was entirely encased in ICE!  I was able, with some trouble, to get the driver door open.  But Every.Single.Window was totally ice-covered.  So was the ground, slippery expresses it pretty well.  I got the engine going, and then spent a good bit of effort clearing the various windows, mirrors, and lighting devices, to enable somewhat safe operation.  It took so long that the temperature gauge was actually starting to move, slightly at least.  I headed out, finally, but my early start was but a memory.  We live several blocks from a "main road", in this case a 4-lane divided highway with very limited intersections and NO driveways to/from it between here and the Interstate exchange area.  So by the time I was on that 4-lane, the system was up to temperature and I had the "defrost" on full blast.  At which point the ice was melting off at a fast pace and windows were completely clear within a mile or so.  But at least most of last week's snow is gone.  May actually have a few snow-free days.  Fine by me.

We spent some time in the morning study in the book of Jonah.  There's a lot there, much of it generally ignored as the focus is on Jonah in the belly of the fish.
But I thought afterwards about a brief mention of the sailors on that ship AFTER Jonah was thrown overboard.  There's a reference that the sailors "took vows".  Vows are frequently mentioned in Scripture, and often there is clear inference that these vows are often made but not honored.  I've been thinking about that the rest of the day.  Do we make these commitments lightly, and then ignore the responsibility to honor them?  And I am not talking "just" about wedding vows, though dishonoring them is all too frequent.  Including, sadly, within the church family and sometimes within the walls as well.  Not good.  If those pagan sailors thought it important, perhaps we should as well.

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Our Scripture reading today is chapters 5 and 6 of the Exodus.
Moses and Aaron were up against quite a lot, speaking to Pharaoh as they did.  In that time and place, the Pharaoh and his dynasty were considered to be at least semi-divine.  Telling the person that the culture regarded almost as a living god that their God, the True God, was over-turning Pharaoh's commands was taking their lives in their hands.  And then knew it.  And did it anyway.

Exodus 5

5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words.

5:10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

5:11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

5:13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

5:16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

5:17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

5:18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

5:19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

5:20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

5:21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

5:22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
 

Exodus 6

 6:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:

6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

6:4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

6:5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

6:10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

6:11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

6:12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

6:13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

6:14 These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.

6:15 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.

6:16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

6:17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

6:18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

6:19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

6:21 And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

6:22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.

6:23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

6:24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.

6:25 And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

6:26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.

6:27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.

6:28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,

6:29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.

6:30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 18 December 2017

Christmas Day (in the western tradition) comes a week from today.  Yes, the Eastern churches follow a different calendar and Christmas for them is on January 7.  Difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
2018 begins in just two weeks. 

Winter officially begins this coming Thursday, the 21st.  Technically, the solstice is at 11:28 a.m. Eastern Time.  So, we should begin to see, little by little, a slightly longer "day" as the astronomers count it.  Not better weather of course, weather will likely be wretched until well into April, but better days are coming, eventually.
So we have that going on.

But we had some other stuff today.
My sister and her husband have a tradition of coming into the area twice per year, in line with the breaks at the university that employs both of them.  This time of year, in other words.  So, we got a call yesterday about meeting them at a nearby donut shop this morning, right by the Interstate interchange.   So we went down.  Sis and B-I-L arrived.  My two brothers also showed.  So it was a nice time, we sat there drinking coffee and sharing a thing of mini donuts for about 90 minutes before they  had to get on the road for the 6-hour drive home.  No telling when the next such gathering will be.  They are leaving their posts at the university as of this coming Thursday, part of a buy-out, part in recognition that they've turned 65 now.  He's going to teach part-time at another college across town from where they've been.  My one brother lives about 90 miles away, we see him perhaps twice a year.  The other one lives in the house he bought from my parents, about 24 miles from here, but his current wife despises us and we've been forbidden to set foot on the property.  So off-site meets like this are all that we are allowed.  Whatever. 
So that was nice.

When we pulled into the donut shop, the car was flashing a warning at me, a "CHECK your gauges!" message.  The gas gauge was bouncing around the EMPTY mark.  As we left, I pulled into a gas station across the road and put my last $3 in the tank.  Doesn't buy much gas, but it got us home.  Lord willing, the Social Security hits in the morning and I can go fill up.  Very badly needed.

When we got near home, we observed several gas company trucks, and a back hoe busy at work at the corner about 70 yards from here.  It appears that our neighbor down the street had the very same issue that we have been mentioning.  Frozen gas lines in a time of winter cold.  Not good!  I talked to the crew, passed on some information about a situation that had occurred around the 8th of the month that might have been a cause of these issues, that they had never been made privy to.  So the phones got busy, and in short order they had FIVE trucks of workers out on our street.  Nothing definite yet.  Oh, and they're also trying to find a combination of heater and battery pack to put in our line near the meter to deal with ice in the lines, with some sort of device to separate out any entrained water.  This is getting to be all too interesting, in the vein of the old Chinese curse.

 Wife has her breathing machine back.  I have been instructed that it is not, as I had incorrectly believed, a CPAP, a constant pressure machine.  Her lungs are too weak now to expel the "used" air against a constant pressure.  No, her machine cycles, I think it's called a BPAP or something like that.  It was supposed to be delivered today, but the company called us and delivered it on Saturday, so she was able to use it Saturday night and last night, and it has been a big help.  Very big.  So, don't forget: being able to breathe while sleeping without equipment to assist is one of those overlooked blessings.

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The Old Testament reading today is the book of Jonah.  This is not "just" about a story involving a big fish (NOT a whale, by the way).
By the way, the city of Nineveh is thought to be the same location as present-day Mosul, Iraq,   It was a major capitol of the Assyrians, so it is not surprising that Jonah would wish them ill.  It was located on the banks of the  Tigris River, a waterway that was and still is a very significant part of the landscape and  the cultures of that area.

Jonah 1

1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? 9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. 10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. 12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. 14 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. 15 So they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2

1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, 2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. 10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 3

1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Jonah 4

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? 5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. 9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. 10 Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

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Our reading in the New Testament is chapter 9  in the Revelation.

 Revelation 9

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 18 December 2016

We had an ice storm last night.  Roads, including main roads, are a sheet of ice, and many are closed.  We will stay home, missing church services, reluctantly.  Even the local (township) fire & police posted warnings on social media that essentially said "please stay off the roads".  I see that our once home in NW Arkansas, definitely part of the South, was seeing a temperature of +6 degrees a little while ago, with ice and accidents and lines down.  Part of that mythical "global warming" stuff.  So we are staying in.

A week from today is Christmas Day, for most of us at least -- those of the Orthodox persuasions will celebrate it on the 7th of January --  which commemorates a major change in the world.  And a week from then will be New Year's Day, 2017.  It's been quite a year, only the Lord knows what 2017 will bring.  But He is already there.

Yesterday's temperature got "up" to above the 40 degree point, with a low in the high 20's.  That low will at the same time be warmer than the "high" of 25 predicted for this coming Wednesday.  Sub-freezing highs just aren't that warm.  I hate cold -- have you guessed that?

Dear Wife is "watching" the Beloved Great Niece tonight.  Not generally done on Sundays, but the child's mom and dad are at the Christmas party for the business that they both work for (separate locations).  Given the fact that their operations go on, 7 days a week, probably a Sunday afternoon is not a terrible time to have it.  Does probably cut down -- some -- the opportunities for heavy duty alcohol consumption.  Some.

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The Old Testament reading is the book of Jonah, all four chapters.  One of those accounts that most of us have heard of.  Nineveh, the city to which he was sent, is now a ruins near Mosul, Iraq.  But at one time, it was a big place on the banks of the Tigris River in Mesopotamia, and part of the Assyrian Empire which was a major force in the region for a long time.  By some accounts, the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon were in fact located in Nineveh.  It was a major worship center of the cult of Ishtar, and was a major part of the region as far back as 3000 B.C. by some accounts.  It was also located on some major geologic fault lines, and earthquakes were part of the destruction.

Jonah 1

1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? 9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. 10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. 12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. 14 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. 15 So they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2

1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, 2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. 10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 3

1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Jonah 4

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? 5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. 9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. 10 Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

=====================================
==================================================

Our reading this evening from the New Testament is chapter 9 of the Revelation.

Revelation 9

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Today's Radings and stuff -- Thursday, 18 December 2014

just a quiet day.  Took wife over to a doctor office to have some "blood work" done, something the endocrinologist wants, a six-month data point, in prep for an appointment in APRIL.  There are some fields of medicine that theories and remedies are actually pretty well established.  There are others that remind me of old soothsayers inspecting the entrails of sacrificed beasts in order to divine the future.  Endocrinology seems to be one of them.  In the last 20 years, in the several cities in the several states in which we've lived, we've dealt with several.  All seem to think that they alone have been granted the True Insight into the course to be taken.  All of which are in direct contravention of the physicians who last treated her.  It appears that we are in another such case.  I certainly have no such pretensions of Ultimate Wisdom, but I am a reasonably good observer and situation analyst.  I am not reassured by what I am hearing, but in our situation, we can't just choose another physician, this is what the "network" dictated by our insurance has decreed.  So we shall see.  She is still running fevers and chills, a week after the regimen of meds for her pneumonia was completed.

==============================

The Old Testament reading is all four chapters of the book of Jonah.

Jonah 1 

1	Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2	Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3	But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4	But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
5	Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
6	So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
7	And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8	Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
9	And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
10	Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11	Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
12	And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
13	Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
14	Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
15	So they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16	Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17	Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2 

1	Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
2	And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3	For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4	Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5	The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6	I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
7	When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8	They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9	But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10	And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 3 

1	And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2	Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3	So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
4	And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5	So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6	For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7	And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8	But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9	Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10	And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Jonah 4 

1	But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2	And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
3	Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
4	Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
5	So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
6	And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
7	But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8	And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
9	And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
10	Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
11	And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

=============================================

The New Testament reading is chapter 9 of the Revelation.

Revelation 9

1	And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2	And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3	And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4	And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5	And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6	And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7	And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8	And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9	And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10	And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11	And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12	One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13	And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14	Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15	And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16	And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17	And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18	By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19	For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20	And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21	Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 18 December 2013

the sun is shining today.  That seems rather pedestrian, but in this corner of the world, it is a rarity.  Something of the location with respect to prevailing winds and the Great Lakes, combine to make this area the most overcast part of the USA.  Skies are almost ALWAYS gray and dismal, makes the place look like a monchrome horror movie, and the behavior of some of the citizenry is in keeping with that.  I woke up to a temperature of about 22 degrees.  I am told that the prediction for Sunday is a high of 61, but on Monday the high is predicted to be 27.  Floip-flops in the morning, arctic wear at night.  And you wonder why sinus trouble is so prevalent.
Dear Wife and family have planned a "girl's day" today, off making Christmas cookies or the like for a Great Occasion on Christmas Day, location still not revealed.  I'm epecting some calls, so plan to stay home by the phone.    -- mid-paragraph update:  18 months ago or so, she took a fall and broke an ankle.  A few months later, she re-broke it at the same place.  Brittle bones form the underlying medical issues, and side effects of the meds.  She got out of tub limping, is purple and swollen - and painful - from the toes to half-way up the lower leg.  She's staying home.  Sister is coming by to pick up the good Kitchen-Aid mixer, remnant of a long-gone restaurant she owned, and Dear Wife is planning to stay on the recliner the rest of the day.
Headhunter that called the other day said I'm to have a phone interview with a prospective employer this week.  Promised to send e-mail with details.  Nothing received so far.  I called him, got voice mail.  Left message.  Sent HIM an e-mail.  No response as of now, so am not sure what to expect at this point.

==============

The Old Testament reading for today is the book of Jonah.  Most people in the USA are generally familiar with parts of the story, the account of "Jonah and the Whale" rings a bell.  Bible doesn't actually SAY "whale", it says big fish.  I guess whale would do, but I guess the Lord could have prepared a very large bass as well.  Jonah doesn't come off all that well in this story, actually.  Far from being an eager and obedient servant of the Lord, when given an important mission, he runs the other way.  The result is the storms and damage that hurt other people,innocent bystanders really.  And doesn't work, he ends up at Ninevah anyway.  Somehow, being puked up by a fish doesn't sound like my every dream come true.  Knowing what I know about digestive systems, anyone caught in on for a couple days would look pretty frightful coming out, and I don't want to think about the odor.  He must have been quite a sight on the streets of the city.  You had to be able to "sense" he was there. And not happy about it either.  Not only for his adventures, but for the message he carried.  The message of repentance with the possibility of forgiveness was one he did not wish to carry.  These were the enemy, those "other people" over there.  He dearly wanted the Lord to smite and destroy them.  They deserved it.
So do I. 
The message of grace and forgiveness is a hard one to take, sometimes.  We like it for ourselves.  For others, for those who have done us wrong, not so much.

Jonah 1

1	Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2	Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3	But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4	But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
5	Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
6	So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
7	And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8	Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
9	And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
10	Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11	Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
12	And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
13	Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
14	Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
15	So they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16	Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17	Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2

1	Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
2	And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3	For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4	Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5	The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6	I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
7	When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8	They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9	But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10	And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 3

1	And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2	Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3	So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
4	And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5	So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6	For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7	And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8	But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9	Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10	And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Jonah 4

1	But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2	And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
3	Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
4	Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
5	So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
6	And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
7	But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8	And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
9	And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
10	Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
11	And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

======

The New Testament reading is chapter 9 of the Revelation.

Revelation 9

1	And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2	And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3	And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4	And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5	And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6	And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7	And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8	And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9	And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10	And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11	And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12	One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13	And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14	Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15	And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16	And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17	And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18	By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19	For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20	And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21	Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.