Then the LORD said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge.

God remembers those who suffer; he does not forget their cry, and he punishes those who wrong them.

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?"

You have come to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that promises much better things than does the blood of Abel.

How much longer will you forget me, LORD? Forever? How much longer will you hide yourself from me?

How much longer, Lord, will you just look on? Rescue me from their attacks; save my life from these lions!

All our sacred symbols are gone; there are no prophets left, and no one knows how long this will last.

How long, O God, will our enemies laugh at you? Will they insult your name forever?

How much longer will the wicked be glad? How much longer, LORD?

How much longer will criminals be proud and boast about their crimes?

Then I heard one angel ask another, "How long will these things that were seen in the vision continue? How long will an awful sin replace the daily sacrifices? How long will the army of heaven and the Temple be trampled on?"

One of them asked the angel who was standing further upstream, "How long will it be until these amazing events come to an end?"

Then the angel said, "Almighty LORD, you have been angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah for seventy years now. How much longer will it be before you show them mercy?"

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: "This is the message from the one who is holy and true. He has the key that belonged to David, and when he opens a door, no one can close it, and when he closes it, no one can open it.

and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Lord God Almighty, how great and wonderful are your deeds! King of the nations, how right and true are your ways!

Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness? You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all."

The heathen were filled with rage, because the time for your anger has come, the time for the dead to be judged. The time has come to reward your servants, the prophets, and all your people, all who have reverence for you, great and small alike. The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth!"

I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, "The judgments you have made are just, O Holy One, you who are and who were!

Then I heard a voice from the altar saying, "Lord God Almighty! True and just indeed are your judgments!"

Be glad, heaven, because of her destruction! Be glad, God's people and the apostles and prophets! For God has condemned her for what she did to you!

Babylon was punished because the blood of prophets and of God's people was found in the city; yes, the blood of all those who have been killed on earth.

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."

The LORD will rescue his people when he sees that their strength is gone. He will have mercy on those who serve him, when he sees how helpless they are.

You fed them the fat of your sacrifices and offered them wine to drink. Let them come and help you now; let them run to your rescue.

As surely as I am the living God, I raise my hand and I vow

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.'

Then Samson prayed, "Sovereign LORD, please remember me; please, God, give me my strength just this one time more, so that with this one blow I can get even with the Philistines for putting out my two eyes."

May the LORD judge which one of us is wrong! May he punish you for your action against me, for I will not harm you in the least.

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

People will say, "The righteous are indeed rewarded; there is indeed a God who judges the world."

He has sent me to proclaim That the time has come When the LORD will save his people And defeat their enemies. He has sent me to comfort all who mourn,

"Who is this coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom? Who is this so splendidly dressed in red, marching along in power and strength?" It is the LORD, powerful to save, coming to announce his victory.

The LORD answers, "I have trampled the nations like grapes, and no one came to help me. I trampled them in my anger, and their blood has stained all my clothing.

I was amazed when I looked and saw that there was no one to help me. But my anger made me strong, and I won the victory myself.

For those will be 'The Days of Punishment,' to make come true all that the Scriptures say.

Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord."

God will do what is right: he will bring suffering on those who make you suffer,

with a flaming fire, to punish those who reject God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus.