Bible Readings for November 10, 2015

Today our passages are Ezekiel 21:1–22:31; Hebrews 10:1-17; Psalm 108:1-13; and Proverbs 27:12. 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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Ezekiel 21-22:31 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 21

The LORD Will Punish Jerusalem

 ¹The LORD said:     ²Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the places in Jerusalem where people worship. Warn everyone in Israel ³that I am about to punish them. I will pull out my sword and have it ready to kill everyone, whether good or evil. ⁴From south to north, people will die, ⁵knowing that my sword will never be put away.
    ⁶Ezekiel, groan in sorrow and despair so that everyone can hear you. ⁷When they ask why you are groaning, tell them you have terrifying news that will make them faint and tremble in fear and lose all courage. These things will happen soon. I, the LORD God, make this promise!
   

A Sword Is Ready To Attack Israel

 ⁸The LORD said:     ^9-10Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Jerusalem:
   I have sharpened my sword
   to slaughter you;
   it is shiny and will flash
   like lightning!
   Don't celebrate--
   punishment is coming,
   because everyone has ignored
   my warnings. ^{[a] 11}My sword has been polished;
   it's sharp and ready to kill.
    ¹²Groan in sorrow, Ezekiel;
   the sword is drawn against
   my people
   and their leaders.
   They will die!
   So give up all hope.
    ¹³I am testing my people,
   and they can do nothing
   to stop me. ^[b] I, the LORD, have spoken.
    ¹⁴Ezekiel, warn my people,
   then celebrate my victory
   by clapping your hands.
   My vicious sword will attack
   again and again,
   killing my people
   with every stroke.
    ¹⁵They will lose all courage
   and stumble with fear.
   My slaughtering sword
   is waiting at every gate,
   flashing and ready to kill. ^{[c] 16}It will slash right and left,
   wherever the blade is pointed.
    ¹⁷Then I will stop being angry,
   and I will clap my hands
   in victory.
   I, the LORD, have spoken.
   

The King of Babylonia and His Sword

 ¹⁸The LORD said:     ¹⁹Ezekiel, son of man, mark two roads for the king of Babylonia to follow when he comes with his sword. The roads will begin at the same place, but be sure to put up a signpost where the two roads separate and go in different directions. ²⁰Clearly mark where the two roads lead. One goes to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and the other goes to Jerusalem, the fortified capital of Judah. ²¹When the Babylonian king stands at that signpost, he will decide which way to go by shaking his arrows, by asking his idols, and by carefully looking at the liver of a sacrificed animal. ^{[d] 22}His right hand will pull out the arrow marked "Jerusalem." Then he will immediately give the signal to shout the battle cry, to build dirt ramps to the top of the city walls, to break down its walls and gates with large wooden poles, and to kill the people. ²³Everyone in Jerusalem had promised to be loyal to Babylonia, and so none of them will believe that this could happen to them. But Babylonia's king will remind them of their sinful ways and warn them of their coming captivity. ²⁴Ezekiel, tell the people of Jerusalem and their ruler that I, the LORD God, am saying:
   Everything you do is wicked and shows how sinful you are. You are guilty and will be taken away as prisoners.
    ²⁵And now, you evil and wicked ruler of Israel, your day of final punishment is almost here. ²⁶I, the LORD God, command you to take off your royal turban and your crown, because everything will be different. Those who had no power will be put in charge, and those who now rule will become nobodies. ²⁷I will leave Jerusalem in ruins when my chosen one comes to punish this city.
   

Judgment against Ammon

 ²⁸The LORD God said:    Ezekiel, son of man, the Ammonites have insulted Israel, so condemn them and tell them I am saying:
   A sword is drawn,
   ready to slaughter;
   it is polished and prepared
   to kill as fast as lightning.
    ²⁹You wicked Ammonites see false visions and believe untrue messages. But your day of punishment is coming soon, and my sword will slaughter you!
    ³⁰Your days to punish others are over, so put your swords away. ^[e] You will be punished in the land of your birth. ³¹My furious anger will scorch you like fire, and I will hand you over to cruel men who are experts in killing. ³²You will be burned and will die in your own land. Then you will be forgotten forever. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Ezekiel 22

Jerusalem Is Condemned

 ¹Some time later, the LORD said:     ²Ezekiel, son of man, are you ready to condemn Jerusalem? That city is filled with murderers, so remind the people of their sins ³and tell them I am saying:
   Jerusalem, you have murdered many of your own people and have worshiped idols. You will soon be punished! ⁴Those crimes have made you guilty, and the idols have made you unacceptable to me. So your final punishment is near. Other nations will laugh at you and make insulting remarks, ⁵and people far and near will make fun of your misery.
    ⁶Your own leaders use their power to murder. ⁷None of you honor your parents, and you cheat foreigners, orphans, and widows. ⁸You show no respect for my sacred places and treat the Sabbath just like any other day. ⁹Some of your own people tell lies, so that others will be put to death. Some of you eat meat sacrificed to idols at local shrines, and others never stop doing vulgar things. ¹⁰Men have sex with their father's wife or with women who are having their monthly period ¹¹or with someone else's wife. Some men even sleep with their own daughter-in-law or half sister. ¹²Others of you accept money to murder someone. Your own people charge high interest when making a loan to other Israelites, and they get rich by cheating. Worst of all, you have forgotten me, the LORD God.
    ¹³I will shake my fist in anger at your violent crimes. ¹⁴When I'm finished with you, your courage will disappear, and you will be so weak that you won't be able to lift your hands. I, the LORD, have spoken and will not change my mind. ¹⁵I will scatter you throughout every nation on earth and put a stop to your sinful ways. ¹⁶You ^[f] will be humiliated in the eyes of other nations. Then you will know that I, the LORD God, have done these things.

Jerusalem Must Be Purified

 ¹⁷The LORD said:     ¹⁸Ezekiel, son of man, I consider the people of Israel as worthless as the leftover metal in a furnace after silver has been purified. ¹⁹So I am going to bring them together in Jerusalem. ^20-21I will be like a metalworker who collects that metal from the furnace and melts it down. I will collect the Israelites and blow on them with my fiery anger. They will melt inside the city of Jerusalem ²²like silver in a furnace. Then they will know that I, the LORD, have punished them in my anger.
   

Everyone in Jerusalem Is Guilty

 ²³The LORD said:     ²⁴Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel that their country is full of sin, and that I, the LORD, am furious! ²⁵Their leaders are like ^[g] roaring lions, tearing apart their victims. They put people to death, then steal everything of value. Husbands are killed, and many women are left as widows. ²⁶The priests of Israel ignore my Law! Not only do they refuse to respect any of my sacred things, but they don't even teach the difference between what is sacred and what is ordinary, or between what is clean and what is unclean. They treat my Sabbath like any other day, and so my own people no longer honor me.
    ²⁷Israel's officials are like ferocious wolves, ripping their victims apart. They make a dishonest living by injuring and killing people.
    ²⁸And then the prophets in Israel cover up these sins by giving false visions. I have never spoken to them, but they lie and say they have a message from me. ²⁹The people themselves cheat and rob; they abuse the poor and take advantage of foreigners.
    ³⁰I looked for someone to defend the city and to protect it from my anger, as well as to stop me from destroying it. But I found no one. ³¹So in my fierce anger, I will punish the Israelites for what they have done, and they will know that I am furious. I, the LORD, have spoken.
   

Footnotes:

1. Ezekiel 21:9 Don't celebrate. . . my warnings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Ezekiel 21:13 I am testing. . . me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Ezekiel 21:15 My slaughtering sword. . . ready to kill: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Ezekiel 21:21 shaking. . . animal: These were ways the Babylonians found out what their gods wanted them to do.
5. Ezekiel 21:30 Your days. . . put your swords away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6. Ezekiel 22:16 You: Hebrew; two ancient translations "Because of you, I."
7. Ezekiel 22:25 Their leaders are like: One ancient translation; Hebrew "Their prophets are like herds of."

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Hebrews 10:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 10

 ¹The Law of Moses is like a shadow of the good things to come. This shadow isn't the good things themselves, because it cannot free people from sin by the sacrifices that are offered year after year. ²If there were worshipers who already have their sins washed away and their consciences made clear, there would not be any need to go on offering sacrifices. ^3-4But the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. It only reminds people of their sins from one year to the next.     ⁵When Christ came into the world, he said to God,
   "Sacrifices and offerings
   are not what you want,
   but you have given me
   my body.
    ⁶No, you are not pleased
   with animal sacrifices
   and offerings for sin."
    ⁷Then Christ said,
   "And so, my God,
   I have come to do
   what you want,
   as the Scriptures say."
    ⁸The Law teaches that offerings and sacrifices must be made because of sin. But why did Christ mention these things and say that God did not want them? ⁹Well, it was to do away with offerings and sacrifices and to replace them. That is what he meant by saying to God, "I have come to do what you want." ¹⁰So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.
    ¹¹The priests do their work each day, and they keep on offering sacrifices that can never take away sins. ¹²But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God's right side, ^{[a] 13}and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. ¹⁴By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God. ¹⁵The Holy Spirit also speaks of this by telling us that the Lord said,
    ¹⁶"When the time comes,
   I will make an agreement
   with them.
   I will write my laws
   on their minds and hearts.
    ¹⁷Then I will forget
   about their sins
   and no longer remember
   their evil deeds."
   

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 10:12 right side: See the note at 1.3.

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Psalm 108:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 108

(A song and a psalm by David.)

With God on Our Side

 ¹Our God, I am faithful to you    with all my heart,
   and you can trust me.
   I will sing
   and play music for you
   with all that I am.
    ²I will start playing my harps
   before the sun rises.
    ³I will praise you, LORD,
   for everyone to hear;
   I will sing hymns to you
   in every nation.
    ⁴Your love reaches higher
   than the heavens,
   and your loyalty extends
   beyond the clouds.
    ⁵Our God, may you be honored
   above the heavens;
   may your glory be seen
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁶Answer my prayers
   and use your powerful arm
   to give us victory.
   Then the people you love
   will be safe.
    ⁷Our God, from your holy place
   you made this promise:
   "I will gladly divide up
   the city of Shechem
   and give away Succoth Valley
   piece by piece.
    ⁸The lands of Gilead
   and Manasseh are mine.
   Ephraim is my war helmet,
   and Judah is my symbol
   of royal power.
    ⁹Moab is merely my washbasin,
   and Edom belongs to me.
   I shout with victory
   over the Philistines."
    ¹⁰Our God, who will bring me
   to the fortress
   or lead me to Edom?
    ¹¹Have you rejected us?
   You don't lead our armies.
    ¹²Help us defeat our enemies!
   No one else can rescue us.
    ¹³You are the one
   who gives us victory
   and crushes our enemies.

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Proverbs 27:12 (Contemporary English Version)

¹²Be cautious and hide
   when you see danger--
   don't be stupid and walk
   right into trouble.

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Verse of the Day

“creating miracles too marvelous for us to understand. Snow and heavy rainstorms” - Job 37:5-6

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

The most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century, Jean de La Fontaine wrote, “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”