Bible Readings for October 28, 2015

Today our passages are Jeremiah 51:54–52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; and Proverbs 26:18-19. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal. 

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Jeremiah 51:54-52:34 (Contemporary English Version)

Babylon Will Be Destroyed

The LORD said:

 ⁵⁴Listen to the cries for help    coming from Babylon.
   Everywhere in the country
   the sounds of destruction
   can be heard.
    ⁵⁵The shouts of the enemy,
   like crashing ocean waves,
   will drown out Babylon's cries
   as I level the city.
    ⁵⁶An enemy will attack
   and destroy Babylon.
   Its soldiers will be captured
   and their weapons broken,
   because I am a God
   who takes revenge against nations
   for what they do.
    ⁵⁷I, the LORD All-Powerful,
   the true King, promise
   that the officials and advisors,
   the governors and leaders
   and the soldiers of Babylon
   will get drunk, fall asleep,
   and never wake up.
    ⁵⁸The thick walls of that city
   will be torn down,
   and its huge gates burned.
   Everything that nation
   worked so hard to gain
   will go up in smoke.
   

Jeremiah Gives Seraiah a Scroll

 ⁵⁹During Zedekiah's ^[a] fourth year as king of Judah, he went to Babylon. And Baruch's brother Seraiah ^[b] went along as the officer in charge of arranging for places to stay overnight. ^{[c] 60}Before they left, I wrote on a scroll ^[d] all the terrible things that would happen to Babylon. ⁶¹I gave the scroll to Seraiah and said: When you get to Babylon, read this scroll aloud, ⁶²then pray, "Our LORD, you promised to destroy this place and make it into a desert where no people or animals will ever live."     ⁶³When you finish praying, tie the scroll to a rock and throw it in the Euphrates River. Then say, ⁶⁴"This is how Babylon will sink when the LORD destroys it. Everyone in the city will die, and it won't have the strength to rise again."
   Jeremiah's writing ends here.
   

Jeremiah 52

The End of Jeremiah's Writing

Jerusalem Is Captured

(2 Kings 24.18--25.30; 2 Chronicles 36.11-21)

 ¹Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he was appointed king of Judah, ^[e] and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years. ^[f] His mother Hamutal was the daughter of Jeremiah from the town of Libnah. ^{[g] 2}Zedekiah disobeyed the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done, ³and it was Zedekiah who finally rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. ^[h] The people of Judah and Jerusalem had made the LORD so angry that he finally turned his back on them. That's why horrible things were happening.     ⁴In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^[i] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls. ^5-6After a year and a half, ^[j] all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth month, ^{[k] 7}the Babylonian troops broke through the city wall. That same night, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape through the gate near the royal garden, even though they knew the enemy had the city surrounded. They headed toward the Jordan River valley, ⁸but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. The Babylonians arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction. ⁹Zedekiah was taken to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. ¹⁰Zedekiah's sons and the officials of Judah were killed while he watched, ¹¹then his eyes were poked out. He was put in chains, then dragged off to Babylon and kept in prison until he died. ¹²Jerusalem was captured during Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king of Babylonia.
   About a month later, ^[l] Nebuchadnezzar's officer in charge of the guards arrived in Jerusalem. His name was Nebuzaradan, ¹³and he burned down the LORD's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses. ¹⁴Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹⁵He led away the people left in the city, including everyone who had become loyal to Nebuchadnezzar, the rest of the skilled workers, ^[m] and even some of the poor people of Judah. ¹⁶Only the very poorest were left behind to work the vineyards and the fields. ^17-20Nebuzaradan ordered his soldiers to go to the temple and take everything made of gold or silver, including bowls, fire pans, sprinkling bowls, pans, lampstands, dishes for incense, and the cups for wine offerings. The Babylonian soldiers took all the bronze things used for worship at the temple, including the pans for hot ashes, and the shovels, lamp snuffers, sprinkling bowls, and dishes for incense. The soldiers also took everything else made of bronze, including the two columns that stood in front of the temple, the large bowl called the Sea, the twelve bulls that held it up, and the movable stands. ^[n] The soldiers broke these things into pieces so they could take them to Babylonia. There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed. ²¹For example, the columns were about twenty-seven feet high and eighteen feet around. They were hollow, but the bronze was about three inches thick. ²²Each column had a bronze cap over seven feet high that was decorated with bronze designs. Some of these designs were like chains and others were like pomegranates. ^{[o] 23}There were ninety-six pomegranates evenly spaced ^[p] around each column, and a total of one hundred pomegranates were located above the chains. ²⁴Next, Nebuzaradan arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah his assistant, and three temple officials. ²⁵Then he arrested one of the army commanders, seven of King Zedekiah's personal advisors, and the officer in charge of gathering the troops for battle. He also found sixty more soldiers who were still in Jerusalem. ^26-27Nebuzaradan led them to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had them killed.
   The people of Judah no longer lived in their own country.
   

People of Judah Taken Prisoner

 ^28-30Here is a list of the number of the people of Judah that Nebuchadnezzar ^[q] took to Babylonia as prisoners: In his seventh year as king, he took 3,023 people.    In his eighteenth year as king, he took 832 from Jerusalem.
   In his twenty-third year as king, his officer Nebuzaradan took 745 people.
   So, Nebuchadnezzar took a total of 4,600 people from Judah to Babylonia.
   

Jehoiachin Is Set Free

(2 Kings 25.27-30)

 ³¹Jehoiachin was a prisoner in Babylon for thirty-seven years. Then Evil Merodach ^[r] became king of Babylonia, and in the first year of his rule, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, ^[s] he let Jehoiachin out of prison. ³²Evil Merodach was kind to Jehoiachin and honored him more than any of the other kings held prisoner there. ³³Jehoiachin was allowed to wear regular clothes instead of a prison uniform, and he even ate at the king's table every day. ³⁴As long as Jehoiachin lived, he was paid a daily allowance to buy whatever he needed.

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 51:59 Zedekiah's: See the note at 1.3.
2. Jeremiah 51:59 Baruch's brother Seraiah: Hebrew "Seraiah son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah"; Baruch helped Jeremiah write down his messages (see 32.12; 36.4-10).
3. Jeremiah 51:59 arranging for places to stay overnight: Hebrew and one ancient translation; two ancient translations, "the tax money."
4. Jeremiah 51:60 scroll: See the note at 30.1,2.
5. Jeremiah 52:1 appointed king of Judah: By Nebuchadnezzar (see 37.1).
6. Jeremiah 52:1 he ruled. . . years: Ruled 598-586 B.C.
7. Jeremiah 52:1 Jeremiah from the town of Libnah: Not the same Jeremiah as the author of this book (see 1.1).
8. Jeremiah 52:3 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
9. Jeremiah 52:4 tenth month: See the note at 39.1-3.
10. Jeremiah 52:5 After a year and a half: Jerusalem was captured in 586 B.C.
11. Jeremiah 52:5 fourth month: See the note at 39.1-3.
12. Jeremiah 52:12 About a month later: Hebrew "On the seventh day of the fifth month."
13. Jeremiah 52:15 the rest of the skilled workers: Nebuchadnezzar had taken away some of the skilled workers eleven years before (see 2 Kings 24.14-16).
14. Jeremiah 52:17 the large bowl called the Sea, the twelve bulls that held it up, and the movable stands: One ancient translation; Hebrew "the large bowl called the Sea, and the twelve bulls under the movable stands."
15. Jeremiah 52:22 pomegranates: A small red fruit that looks like an apple.
16. Jeremiah 52:23 evenly spaced: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
17. Jeremiah 52:28 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
18. Jeremiah 52:31 Evil Merodach: The son of Nebuchadnezzar who ruled Babylonia from 562-560 B.C.
19. Jeremiah 52:31 twelfth month: Adar, the twelfth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-February to mid-March.

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Titus 3:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)

Titus 3

Doing Helpful Things

 ¹Remind your people to obey the rulers and authorities and not to be rebellious. They must always be ready to do something helpful ²and not say cruel things or argue. They should be gentle and kind to everyone. ³We used to be stupid, disobedient, and foolish, as well as slaves of all sorts of desires and pleasures. We were evil and jealous. Everyone hated us, and we hated everyone.     ⁴God our Savior showed us
   how good and kind he is.
    ⁵He saved us because
   of his mercy,
   and not because
   of any good things
   that we have done.
   God washed us by the power
   of the Holy Spirit.
   He gave us new birth
   and a fresh beginning.
    ⁶God sent Jesus Christ
   our Savior
   to give us his Spirit.
    ⁷Jesus treated us much better
   than we deserve.
   He made us acceptable to God
   and gave us the hope
   of eternal life.
    ⁸This message is certainly true.
   These teachings are useful and helpful for everyone. I want you to insist that the people follow them, so that all who have faith in God will be sure to do good deeds. ⁹But don't have anything to do with stupid arguments about ancestors. And stay away from disagreements and quarrels about the Law of Moses. Such arguments are useless and senseless.
    ¹⁰Warn troublemakers once or twice. Then don't have anything else to do with them. ¹¹You know that their minds are twisted, and their own sins show how guilty they are.
   

Personal Instructions and Greetings

 ¹²I plan to send Artemas or Tychicus to you. After he arrives, please try your best to meet me at Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there.     ¹³When Zenas the lawyer and Apollos get ready to leave, help them as much as you can, so they won't have need of anything.
    ¹⁴Our people should learn to spend their time doing something useful and worthwhile.
    ¹⁵Greetings to you from everyone here. Greet all of our friends who share in our faith.
   I pray that the Lord will be kind to all of you!

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Psalm 100:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 100

(A psalm of praise.)

The LORD Is God

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD,    everyone on this earth.
    ²Be joyful and sing
   as you come in
   to worship the LORD!
    ³You know the LORD is God!
   He created us,
   and we belong to him;
   we are his people,
   the sheep in his pasture.
    ⁴Be thankful and praise the LORD
   as you enter his temple.
    ⁵The LORD is good!
   His love and faithfulness
   will last forever.

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Proverbs 26:18-19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸It's no crazier to shoot
   sharp and flaming arrows
    ¹⁹than to cheat someone and say,
   "I was only fooling!"

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Verse of the Day

“The Scriptures say, "Humans wither like grass, and their glory fades like wild flowers. Grass dries up, and flowers fall to the ground. But what the Lord has said will stand forever." Our good news to you is what the Lord has said.” - 1 Peter 1:24-25

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American football player, coach, and executive, Vince Lombardi wrote, “Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”