Read the Bible in a Year

Each day, we'll post passages so that you can read the Bible in one year. This is part of The Colossians 13:16 Project, sponsored by Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia. You're invited to worship with us Sundays, at 11:00 a.m. or Saturdays, at 6:30 p.m. You may also want to consider joining one our adult Bible Studies: Thursdays at 12:00 noon and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We also have a full range of programs for children. If you want more information about the church, check out the other blogs. And please feel free to leave any comments.

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Bible Readings for September 26, 2013


Today our passages are Isaiah 48:12–50:11; Ephesians 4:17-32; Psalm 69:1-18; and Proverbs 24:5-6. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

Isaiah 48:12-50:11 (Contemporary English Version)


12Israel, my chosen people,
   listen to me.
   I alone am the LORD,
   the first and the last.
    13With my own hand
   I created the earth
   and stretched out the sky.
   They obey my every command.
   
The LORD Speaks to the Nations
 14Gather around me, all of you!    Listen to what I say.
   Did any of your idols
   predict this would happen?
   Did they say that my friend [a] would do
   what I want done
   to Babylonia? [b] 15I was the one who chose him.
   I have brought him this far,
   and he will be successful.
    16Come closer and listen!
   I have never kept secret
   the things I have said,
   and I was here
   before time began.
   By the power of his Spirit
   the LORD God has sent me
   
It Is Best To Obey the LORD
 17with this message:    People of Israel,
   I am the holy LORD God,
   the one who rescues you.
   For your own good,
   I teach you,
   and I lead you
   along the right path.
    18How I wish that you
   had obeyed my commands!
   Your success and good fortune
   would then have overflowed
   like a flooding river.
    19Your nation would be blessed
   with more people
   than there are grains of sand
   along the seashore.
   And I would never have let
   your country be destroyed.
    20Now leave Babylon!
   Celebrate as you go.
   Be happy and shout
   for everyone to hear,
   "The LORD has rescued
   his servant Israel!
    21He led us through the desert
   and made water flow from a rock
   to satisfy our thirst.
    22But the LORD has promised
   that none who are evil
   will live in peace."
   

Isaiah 49

The Work of the LORD's Servant
 1Everyone, listen,    even you foreign nations
   across the sea.
   The LORD chose me
   and gave me a name
   before I was born.
    2He made my words pierce
   like a sharp sword
   or a pointed arrow;
   he kept me safely hidden
   in the palm of his hand.
    3The LORD said to me,
   "Israel, you are my servant;
   and because of you
   I will be highly honored."
    4I said to myself,
   "I'm completely worn out;
   my time has been wasted.
   But I did it for the LORD God,
   and he will reward me."
    5Even before I was born,
   the LORD God chose me
   to serve him and to lead back
   the people of Israel.
   So the LORD has honored me
   and made me strong.
    6Now the LORD says to me,
   "It isn't enough for you
   to be merely my servant.
   You must do more than lead back
   survivors
   from the tribes
   of Israel.
   I have placed you here as a light
   for other nations;
   you must take my saving power
   to everyone on earth."
   
The LORD Will Rescue His People
 7Israel, I am the holy LORD God,    the one who rescues you.
   You are slaves of rulers
   and of a nation
   who despises you. [c] Now this is what I promise:
   Kings and rulers will honor you
   by kneeling at your feet.
   You can trust me! I am your LORD,
   the holy God of Israel,
   and you are my chosen ones.
   
The LORD Will Lead His People Home
 8This is what the LORD says:    I will answer your prayers
   because I have set a time
   when I will help
   by coming to save you.
   I have chosen you
   to take my promise of hope
   to other nations. [d] You will rebuild the country
   from its ruins,
   then people will come
   and settle there.
    9You will set prisoners free
   from dark dungeons
   to see the light of day.
   On their way home,
   they will find plenty to eat,
   even on barren hills.
    10They won't go hungry
   or get thirsty;
   they won't be bothered
   by the scorching sun
   or hot desert winds.
   I will be merciful
   while leading them along
   to streams of water.
    11I will level the mountains
   and make roads.
    12Then my people will return
   from distant lands
   in the north and the west
   and from the city of Syene. [e]
The LORD's Mercy
 13Tell the heavens and the earth    to celebrate and sing;
   command every mountain
   to join in the song.
   The LORD's people have suffered,
   but he has shown mercy
   and given them comfort.
    14The people of Zion said,
   "The LORD has turned away
   and forgotten us."
    15The LORD answered,
   "Could a mother forget a child
   who nurses at her breast?
   Could she fail to love an infant
   who came from her own body?
   Even if a mother could forget,
   I will never forget you.
    16A picture of your city
   is drawn on my hand.
   You are always in my thoughts!
    17"Your city will be built faster
   than it was destroyed [f] -- those who attacked it
   will retreat and leave.
    18Look around! You will see
   your people coming home.
   As surely as I live,
   I, the LORD, promise
   that your city with its people
   will be as lovely as a bride
   wearing her jewelry."
   
Jerusalem's Bright Future
 19Jerusalem is now in ruins!    Nothing is left of the city.
   But it will be rebuilt
   and soon overcrowded;
   its cruel enemies
   will be gone far away.
    20Jerusalem is a woman
   whose children were born
   while she was in deep sorrow [g] over the loss of her husband.
   Now those children
   will come and seek room
   in the crowded city,
    21and Jerusalem will ask,
   "Am I really their mother?
   How could I have given birth
   when I was still mourning
   in a foreign land?
   Who raised these children?
   Where have they come from?"
    22The LORD God says:
   "I will soon give a signal
   for the nations
   to return your sons
   and your daughters
   to the arms of Jerusalem.
    23The kings and queens
   of those nations
   where they were raised
   will come and bow down.
   They will take care of you
   just like a slave
   taking care of a child.
   Then you will know
   that I am the LORD.
   You won't be disappointed
   if you trust me."
   
The LORD Is on Our Side
 24Is it possible to rescue victims    from someone strong
   and cruel? [h] 25But the LORD has promised
   to fight on our side
   and to rescue our children
   from those strong
   and violent enemies.
    26He will make those cruel people
   dine on their own flesh
   and get drunk from drinking
   their own blood.
   Then everyone will know
   that the LORD is our Savior;
   the powerful God of Israel
   has rescued his people.
   

Isaiah 50

The LORD's Power To Punish
 1The LORD says, "Children,    I didn't divorce your mother
   or sell you to pay debts;
   I divorced her and sold you
   because of your sins.
    2I came and called out,
   but you didn't answer.
   Have I lost my power
   to rescue and save?
   At my command oceans and rivers
   turn into deserts;
   fish rot and stink
   for lack of water.
    3I make the sky turn dark
   like the sackcloth
   you wear at funerals."
   
God's Servant Must Suffer
 4The LORD God gives me    the right words
   to encourage the weary.
   Each morning he awakens me
   eager to learn his teaching;
    5he made me willing to listen
   and not rebel or run away.
    6I let them beat my back
   and pull out my beard.
   I didn't turn aside
   when they insulted me
   and spit in my face.
    7But the LORD God keeps me
   from being disgraced.
   So I refuse to give up,
   because I know
   God will never let me down.
    8My protector is nearby;
   no one can stand here
   to accuse me of wrong.
    9The LORD God will help me
   and prove I am innocent.
   My accusers will wear out
   like moth-eaten clothes.
    10None of you respect the LORD
   or obey his servant.
   You walk in the dark
   instead of the light;
   you don't trust the name
   of the LORD your God. [i] 11Go ahead and walk in the light
   of the fires you have set. [j] But with his own hand,
   the LORD will punish you
   and make you suffer.
   
Footnotes:
  1. Isaiah 48:14 my friend: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1).
  2. Isaiah 48:14 Babylonia: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
  3. Isaiah 49:7 You. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. Isaiah 49:8 my. . . nations: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. Isaiah 49:12 Syene: The Dead Sea Scrolls; the Standard Hebrew Text "Sinim." The reference may be to modern Aswan, a city in southern Egypt.
  6. Isaiah 49:17 Your city. . . destroyed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  7. Isaiah 49:20 whose children. . . sorrow: These "children" are Jews who were born in foreign countries during the time that Jerusalem was in ruins. Jerusalem probably stands for all the cities in Judah that were destroyed by the Babylonians.
  8. Isaiah 49:24 cruel: The Dead Sea Scrolls and two ancient translations; the Standard Hebrew Text "good."
  9. Isaiah 50:10 God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
  10. Isaiah 50:11 Go. . . set: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Ephesians 4:17-32 (Contemporary English Version)

The Old Life and the New Life
 17As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. 18Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, 19and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things.     20-21But that isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. 22You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.
   
Rules for the New Life
 25We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. 26Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry 27and don't give the devil a chance.     28If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.
    29Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.
    30Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.
    31Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.


Psalm 69:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 69

(By David for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies.")
God Can Be Trusted
 1Save me, God!    I am about to drown.
    2I am sinking deep in the mud,
   and my feet are slipping.
   I am about to be swept under
   by a mighty flood.
    3I am worn out from crying,
   and my throat is dry.
   I have waited for you
   till my eyes are blurred.
    4There are more people
   who hate me for no reason
   than there are hairs
   on my head.
   Many terrible enemies
   want to destroy me, God.
   Am I supposed to give back
   something I didn't steal?
    5You know my foolish sins.
   Not one is hidden from you.
    6LORD God All-Powerful,
   ruler of Israel,
   don't let me embarrass anyone
   who trusts and worships you.
    7It is for your sake alone
   that I am insulted
   and blush with shame.
    8I am like a stranger
   to my relatives
   and like a foreigner
   to my own family.
    9My love for your house
   burns in me like a fire,
   and when others insulted you,
   they insulted me as well.
    10I cried and went without food, [a] but they still insulted me.
    11They sneered at me
   for wearing sackcloth [b] to show my sorrow.
    12Rulers and judges gossip
   about me,
   and drunkards make up songs
   to mock me.
    13But I pray to you, LORD.
   So when the time is right,
   answer me
   and help me
   with your wonderful love.
    14Don't let me sink in the mud,
   but save me from my enemies
   and from the deep water.
    15Don't let me be
   swept away by a flood
   or drowned in the ocean
   or swallowed by death.
    16Answer me, LORD!
   You are kind and good.
   Pay attention to me!
   You are truly merciful.
    17Don't turn away from me.
   I am your servant,
   and I am in trouble.
   Please hurry and help!
    18Come and save me
   from my enemies.
   
Footnotes:
  1. Psalm 69:10 went without food: See the note at 35.13.
  2. Psalm 69:11 sackcloth: See the note at 30.11.

Proverbs 24:5-6 (Contemporary English Version)

-21-
 5 Wisdom brings strength,    and knowledge gives power.
    6Battles are won
   by listening to advice
   and making a lot of plans.




Verse of the Day

“We know that God has said he will punish and take revenge. We also know that the Scriptures say the Lord will judge his people. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” - Hebrews 10:30-31
Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shackletonhead.jpg
Thought for the Day

Ernest Shackleton, polar explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic, wrote, “Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.”

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