After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, "Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God!

Again they shouted, "Praise God! The smoke from the flames that consume the great city goes up forever and ever!"

So may all your enemies die like that, O LORD, but may your friends shine like the rising sun! And there was peace in the land for forty years.

let the people of Zion be glad! You give right judgments; let there be joy in the cities of Judah!

The righteous will be glad when they see sinners punished; they will wade through the blood of the wicked.

Be glad, earth and sky! Roar, sea, and every creature in you;

when the LORD comes to rule the earth. He will rule the peoples of the world with justice and fairness.

The righteous see this and are glad, but all the wicked are put to silence.

They may curse me, but you will bless me. May my persecutors be defeated, and may I, your servant, be glad.

A city is happy when honest people have good fortune, and there are joyful shouts when the wicked die.

Shout for joy, you heavens! Shout, deep places of the earth! Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest! The LORD has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.

Sing, heavens! Shout for joy, earth! Let the mountains burst into song! The LORD will comfort his people; he will have pity on his suffering people.

And so the time is coming when I will deal with Babylonia's idols. The whole country will be put to shame, and all its people will be killed.

Everything on earth and in the sky will shout for joy when Babylonia falls to the people who come from the north to destroy it.

You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself.

In past times human beings were not told this secret, but God has revealed it now by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.

It was he who "gave gifts to people"; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers.

I want you to remember the words that were spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command from the Lord and Savior which was given you by your apostles.

But remember, my friends, what you were told in the past by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They shouted in a loud voice, "Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?"

True and just are his judgments! He has condemned the prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. God has punished her because she killed his servants."

My arrows will drip with their blood, and my sword will kill all who oppose me. I will spare no one who fights against me; even the wounded and prisoners will die.'

He gives me victory over my enemies; he subdues the nations under me

LORD, you are a God who punishes; reveal your anger!

The LORD is coming from his heavenly dwelling place to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The murders that were secretly committed on the earth will be revealed, and the ground will no longer hide those who have been killed.

For this reason the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and messengers; they will kill some of them and persecute others.'

So the people of this time will be punished for the murder of all the prophets killed since the creation of the world,

Now, will God not judge in favor of his own people who cry to him day and night for help? Will he be slow to help them?

I tell you, he will judge in their favor and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes?"