Bible Readings for July 16, 2015

Today our passages are 1 Chronicles 22:1–23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; and Proverbs 19:13-14. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

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1 Chronicles 22-23:32 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Chronicles 22

 ¹David said, "The temple of the LORD God must be built right here at this threshing place. And the altar for offering sacrifices will also be here."

David Prepares To Build the Temple

 ²David ordered the foreigners living in Israel to come to Jerusalem. Then he assigned some to cut blocks of stone for building the temple. ³He got a large supply of iron to make into nails and hinges for the doors, and he provided so much bronze that it could not be weighed. ⁴He also had cedar logs brought in from the cities of Sidon and Tyre.     ⁵He said, "The temple for the LORD must be great, so that everyone in the world will know about it. But since my son Solomon is young and has no experience, I will make sure that everything is ready for the temple to be built."
   That's why David did all these things before he died.
   

David Instructs Solomon To Build the Temple

 ⁶David sent for his son Solomon and told him to build a temple for the LORD God of Israel. ⁷He said:    My son, I wanted to build a temple where the LORD my God would be worshiped. ⁸But some time ago, he told me, "David, you have killed too many people and have fought too many battles. That's why you are not the one to build my temple. ⁹But when your son becomes king, I will give him peace throughout his kingdom. His name will be Solomon, because during his rule I will keep Israel safe and peaceful. ^[a] ¹⁰Solomon will build my temple. He will be like a son to me, and I will be like a father to him. In fact, one of his descendants will always rule in Israel." ¹¹Solomon, my son, I now pray that the LORD your God will be with you and keep his promise to help you build a temple for him. ¹²May he give you wisdom and knowledge, so that you can rule Israel according to his Law. ¹³If you obey the laws and teachings that the LORD gave Moses, you will be successful. Be strong and brave and don't get discouraged or be afraid of anything.
    ¹⁴I have all the supplies you'll need to build the temple: You have four thousand tons of gold and forty thousand tons of silver. There's also plenty of wood, stone, and more bronze and iron than I could weigh. Ask for anything else you need. ¹⁵I have also assigned men who will cut and lay the stone. And there are carpenters and people who are experts in working with ¹⁶gold, silver, bronze, and iron. You have plenty of workers to do the job. Now get started, and I pray that the LORD will be with you in your work.
    ¹⁷David then gave orders for the leaders of Israel to help Solomon. ¹⁸David said:
   The LORD our God has helped me defeat all the people who lived here before us, and he has given you peace from all your enemies. Now this land belongs to the LORD and his people. ¹⁹Obey the LORD your God with your heart and soul. Begin work on the temple to honor him, so that the sacred chest and the things used for worship can be kept there.
   

1 Chronicles 23

David Assigns the Levites Their Duties

 ¹David was old when he chose his son Solomon to be king of Israel. ²Some time later, David called together all of Israel's leaders, priests, and Levites. ³He then counted the Levite men who were at least thirty years old, and the total was thirty-eight thousand. ⁴He said, "Twenty-four thousand of the Levites will be in charge of the temple, six thousand will be temple officials and judges, ⁵four thousand will be guards at the temple, and four thousand will praise the LORD by playing the musical instruments I have given them."     ⁶David then divided the Levites into three groups according to the clans of Levi's sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
    ⁷Gershon had two sons: Ladan and Shimei. ⁸Ladan was the father of Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel. ⁹They were all family leaders among their father's descendants. Shimei was the father of Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. ^10-11Later, Shimei had four more sons, in the following order: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. But Jeush and Beriah didn't have many children, so their descendants were counted as one family.
    ¹²Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹³Amram was the father of Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were chosen to be in charge of all the sacred things. They served the LORD by offering sacrifices to him and by blessing the people in his name. ^14-15Moses, the man of God, was the father of Gershom and Eliezer, and their descendants were considered Levites. ¹⁶Gershom's oldest son was Shebuel. ¹⁷Rehabiah, who was Eliezer's only son, had many children. ¹⁸The second son born to Kohath was Izhar, and his oldest son was Shelomith. ¹⁹Hebron, the third son of Kohath, was the father of Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam. ²⁰Kohath's youngest son, Uzziel, was the father of Micah and Isshiah.
    ²¹Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli was the father of Eleazar and Kish. ²²Eleazar had no sons, only daughters, and they married their uncle's sons. ²³Mushi the second son of Merari, was the father of Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
    ²⁴These were the clans and families of the tribe of Levi. Those who were twenty years and older were assigned to work at the LORD's temple.
    ²⁵David said:
   The LORD God of Israel has given his people peace, and he will live in Jerusalem forever. ²⁶And so, the Levites won't need to move the sacred tent and the things used for worship from place to place. ²⁷From now on, all Levites at least twenty years old ²⁸will serve the LORD by helping Aaron's descendants do their work at the temple, by keeping the courtyards and rooms of the temple clean, and by making sure that everything used in worship stays pure. ²⁹They will also be in charge of the sacred loaves of bread, the flour for the grain sacrifices, the thin wafers, any offerings to be baked, and the flour mixed with olive oil. These Levites will weigh and measure these offerings.
    ³⁰Every morning and evening, the Levites are to give thanks to the LORD and sing praises to him. ³¹They must also give thanks and sing praises when sacrifices are offered on each Sabbath, as well as during New Moon Festivals and other religious feasts. There must always be enough Levites on duty at the temple to do everything that needs to be done. ³²They were once in charge of taking care of the sacred tent; now they are responsible for the temple and for helping Aaron's descendants.
   

Footnotes:

1. 1 Chronicles 22:9 Solomon. . . safe and peaceful: In Hebrew "Solomon" sounds like "peace."

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Romans 3:9-31 (Contemporary English Version)

No One Is Good

 ⁹What does all this mean? Does it mean that we Jews are better off ^[a] than the Gentiles? No, it doesn't! Jews, as well as Gentiles, are ruled by sin, just as I have said. ¹⁰The Scriptures tell us, "No one is acceptable to God!     ¹¹Not one of them understands
   or even searches for God.
    ¹²They have all turned away
   and are worthless.
   There isn't one person
   who does right.
    ¹³Their words are like
   an open pit,
   and their tongues are good
   only for telling lies.
   Each word is as deadly
   as the fangs of a snake,
    ¹⁴and they say nothing
   but bitter curses.
    ¹⁵These people quickly
   become violent.
    ¹⁶Wherever they go,
   they leave ruin
   and destruction.
    ¹⁷They don't know how
   to live in peace.
    ¹⁸They don't even fear God."
    ¹⁹We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. ²⁰God doesn't accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.
   

God's Way of Accepting People

 ²¹Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets ^[b] tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. ²²God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. ²³All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. ²⁴But God treats us much better than we deserve, ^[c] and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. ^25-26God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus. ²⁷What is left for us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith. ²⁸We see that people are acceptable to God because they have faith, and not because they obey the Law. ²⁹Does God belong only to the Jews? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is! ³⁰There is only one God, and he accepts Gentiles as well as Jews, simply because of their faith. ³¹Do we destroy the Law by our faith? Not at all! We make it even more powerful.    

Footnotes:

1. Romans 3:9 better off: Or " worse off."
2. Romans 3:21 The Law and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
3. Romans 3:24 treats us much better than we deserve: The Greek word charis, traditionally rendered " grace," is translated here and other places in the CEV to express the overwhelming kindness of God.

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Psalm 12:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 12

(A psalm by David for the music leader. (Psalm 12 leader: The Hebrew text adds " according to the sheminith," which may be a musical instrument with eight strings.) )

A Prayer for Help

 ¹Please help me, LORD!    All who were faithful
   and all who were loyal
   have disappeared.
    ²Everyone tells lies,
   and no one is sincere.
    ³Won't you chop off
   all flattering tongues
   that brag so loudly?
    ⁴They say to themselves,
   "We are great speakers.
   No one else has a chance."
    ⁵But you, LORD, tell them,
   "I will do something!
   The poor are mistreated
   and helpless people moan.
   I'll rescue all who suffer."
    ⁶Our LORD, you are true
   to your promises,
   and your word is like silver
   heated seven times
   in a fiery furnace. ^[a] ⁷You will protect us
   and always keep us safe
   from those people.
    ⁸But all who are wicked
   will keep on strutting,
   while everyone praises
   their shameless deeds. ^[b]

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 12:6 in a fiery furnace: The Hebrew text has " in a furnace to the ground," which may describe part of a process for refining silver in Old Testament times.
2. Psalm 12:8 while. . . deeds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 19:13-14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³A foolish son brings disgrace
   to his father.
   A nagging wife goes on and on
   like the drip, drip, drip
   of the rain.
    ¹⁴You may inherit all you own
   from your parents,
   but a sensible wife
   is a gift from the LORD.

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Verse of the Day

“God lives fully in Christ. And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority.” - Colossians 2:9-10

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

20th-century Methodist Christian missionary and theologian, E. Stanley Jones wrote, “We grow small trying to be great.”