Bible Readings for December 19, 2015

Today our passages are Zephaniah 1:1–3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm 138:1-8; and Proverbs 30:11-14. 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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Zephaniah 1-3:20 (Contemporary English Version)

Zephaniah 1

 ¹I am Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, the great-grandson of Amariah, and the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah. ^[a] When Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, ^[b] the LORD gave me this message.

Judgment on Judah

 ²I, the LORD, now promise    to destroy everything
   on this earth--
    ³people and animals,
   birds and fish.
   Everyone who is evil
   will crash to the ground, ^[c] and I will wipe out
   the entire human race.
    ⁴I will reach out to punish
   Judah and Jerusalem--
   nothing will remain
   of the god Baal; ^[d] nothing will be remembered
   of his pagan priests.
    ⁵Not a trace will be found
   of those who worship stars
   from their rooftops,
   or bow down to the god Milcom, ^[e] while claiming loyalty
   to me, the LORD.
    ⁶Nothing will remain of anyone
   who has turned away
   and rejected me.
    ⁷Be silent! I am the LORD God,
   and the time is near.
   I am preparing
   to sacrifice my people
   and to invite my guests.
    ⁸On that day I will punish
   national leaders
   and sons of the king,
   along with all who follow
   foreign customs. ^{[f] 9}I will punish worshipers
   of pagan gods ^[g] and cruel palace officials
   who abuse their power.
    ¹⁰I, the LORD, promise
   that on that day
   noisy crying will be heard
   from Fish Gate, New Town,
   and Upper Hills.
    ¹¹Everyone in Lower Hollow ^[h] will mourn loudly,
   because merchants
   and money changers
   will be wiped out.
    ¹²I'll search Jerusalem with lamps
   and punish those people
   who sit there unworried
   while thinking,
   "The LORD won't do anything,
   good or bad."
    ¹³Their possessions will be taken,
   their homes left in ruins.
   They won't get to live
   in the houses they build,
   or drink wine from the grapes
   in their own vineyards.
   

A Terrible Day

 ¹⁴The great day of the LORD    is coming soon, very soon.
   On that terrible day,
   fearsome shouts of warriors
   will be heard everywhere.
    ¹⁵It will be a time of anger--
   of trouble and torment,
   of disaster and destruction,
   of darkness and despair,
   of storm clouds and shadows,
    ¹⁶of trumpet calls
   and battle cries
   against fortified cities
   and mighty fortresses.
    ¹⁷The LORD warns everyone
   who has sinned against him,
   "I'll strike you blind!
   Then your blood and your insides
   will gush out like vomit.
    ¹⁸Not even your silver or gold
   can save you on that day
   when I, the LORD, am angry.
   My anger will flare up
   like a furious fire
   scorching the earth
   and everyone on it."
   

Zephaniah 2

Turn to the LORD

 ¹You disgraceful nation,    gather around,
    ²before it's too late.
   The LORD has set a time
   when his fierce anger
   will strike like a storm
   and sweep you away.
    ³If you humbly obey the LORD,
   then come and worship him.
   If you do right and are humble,
   perhaps you will be safe
   on that day
   when the LORD
   turns loose his anger.
   

Judgment on Philistia

 ⁴Gaza and Ashkelon    will be deserted
   and left in ruins.
   Ashdod will be emptied
   in broad daylight,
   and Ekron ^[i] uprooted. ⁵To you people of Philistia ^[j] who live along the coast,
   the LORD has this to say:
   "I am now your enemy,
   and I'll wipe you out!"
    ⁶Your seacoast will be changed
   into pastureland
   and sheep pens. ^{[k] 7}The LORD God hasn't forgotten
   those survivors in Judah,
   and he will help them--
   his people will take your land
   to use for pasture.
   And when evening comes,
   they will rest
   in houses at Ashkelon. ^[l]

Judgment on Moab and Ammon

 ⁸The LORD All-Powerful,    the God of Israel, said:
   I've heard Moab and Ammon
   insult my people
   and threaten their nation. ^{[m] 9}And so, I swear by my very life
   that Moab and Ammon will end up
   like Sodom and Gomorrah--
   covered with thornbushes
   and salt pits forever.
   Then my people who survive
   will take their land.
    ¹⁰This is how Moab and Ammon
   will at last be repaid
   for their pride--
   and for sneering at the nation
   that belongs to me,
   the LORD All-Powerful.
    ¹¹I will fiercely attack.
   Then every god on this earth
   will shrink to nothing,
   and everyone of every nation
   will bow down to me,
   right where they are.
   

Judgment on Ethiopia

 ¹²People of Ethiopia, ^[n] the sword of the LORD    will slaughter you!
   

Judgment on Assyria

 ¹³The LORD will reach to the north    to crush Assyria
   and overthrow Nineveh. ^{[o] 14}Herds of wild animals
   will live in its rubble;
   all kinds of desert owls
   will perch on its stones
   and hoot in the windows.
   Noisy ravens will be heard
   inside its buildings,
   stripped bare of cedar. ^{[p] 15}This is the glorious city
   that felt secure and said,
   "I am the only one!"
   Now it's merely ruins,
   a home for wild animals.
   Every passerby simply sneers
   and makes vulgar signs.
   

Zephaniah 3

Sinful Jerusalem

 ¹Too bad for that disgusting,    corrupt, and lawless city!
    ²Forever rebellious
   and rejecting correction,
   Jerusalem refuses to trust
   or obey the LORD God.
    ³Its officials are roaring lions,
   its judges are wolves;
   in the evening they attack,
   by morning nothing is left.
    ⁴Jerusalem's prophets are proud
   and not to be trusted.
   The priests have disgraced
   the place of worship
   and abused God's Law.
    ⁵All who do evil are shameless,
   but the LORD does right
   and is always fair.
   With the dawn of each day,
   God brings about justice.
    ⁶The LORD wiped out nations
   and left fortresses
   crumbling in the dirt.
   Their streets and towns
   were reduced to ruins
   and emptied of people.
    ⁷God felt certain that Jerusalem
   would learn to respect
   and obey him.
   Then he would hold back
   from punishing the city
   and not wipe it out.
   But everyone there was eager
   to start sinning again.
   

Nations Will Turn to the LORD

 ⁸The LORD said:    Just wait for the day
   when I accuse you nations.
   I have decided on a day,
   when I will bring together
   every nation and kingdom
   and punish them all
   in my fiery anger.
   I will become furious
   and destroy the earth.
    ⁹I will purify each language
   and make those languages
   acceptable for praising me. ^[q] Then, with hearts united,
   everyone will serve
   only me, the LORD.
    ¹⁰From across the rivers
   of Ethiopia, ^[r] my scattered people,
   my true worshipers,
   will bring offerings to me.
    ¹¹When that time comes,
   you won't rebel against me
   and be put to shame.
   I'll do away with those
   who are proud and arrogant.
   Never will any of them
   strut around
   on my holy mountain.
    ¹²But I, the LORD, won't destroy
   any of your people
   who are truly humble
   and turn to me for safety.
    ¹³The people of Israel who survive
   will live right
   and refuse to tell lies.
   They will eat and rest
   with nothing to fear.
   

A Song of Celebration

 ¹⁴Everyone in Jerusalem and Judah,    celebrate and shout
   with all your heart!
    ¹⁵Zion, your punishment is over.
   The LORD has forced your enemies
   to turn and retreat.
   Your LORD is King of Israel
   and stands at your side;
   you don't have to worry
   about any more troubles.
    ¹⁶Jerusalem, the time is coming,
   when it will be said to you:
   "Don't be discouraged
   or grow weak from fear!
    ¹⁷The LORD your God
   wins victory after victory
   and is always with you.
   He celebrates and sings
   because of you,
   and he will refresh your life
   with his love." ^[s]

The LORD's Promise to His People

 ¹⁸The LORD has promised:    Your sorrow has ended,
   and you can celebrate. ^{[t] 19}I will punish those
   who mistreat you.
   I will bring together the lame
   and the outcasts,
   then they will be praised,
   instead of despised,
   in every country on earth.
    ²⁰I will lead you home,
   and with your own eyes
   you will see me bless you
   with all you once owned.
   Then you will be famous
   everywhere on this earth.
   I, the LORD, have spoken!
   

Footnotes:

1. Zephaniah 1:1 Hezekiah: Ruled 716-687 B.C.
2. Zephaniah 1:1 Josiah. . . king of Judah: Ruled 640-609 B.C.
3. Zephaniah 1:3 Everyone. . . ground: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Zephaniah 1:4 Baal: A Caananite fertility god.
5. Zephaniah 1:5 Milcom: An Ammonite fertility god.
6. Zephaniah 1:8 follow foreign customs: Hebrew "wear foreign clothes."
7. Zephaniah 1:9 worshipers. . . gods: The Hebrew text has "all who jump over the threshold," which was a Philistine religious practice (see 1 Samuel 5.5).
8. Zephaniah 1:11 Fish Gate, New Town, and Upper Hills. . . Lower Hollow: Names for different sections of Jerusalem: Fish Gate was probably the main gate on the north side of the city; New Town was a newer section; Upper Hills may have been a suburb north of the city; Lower Hollow was probably on the southern edge of town.
9. Zephaniah 2:4 Gaza. . . Ekron: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath (not mentioned because it was already destroyed) were the five major Philistine towns.
10. Zephaniah 2:5 people of Philistia: The Hebrew text also mentions "Canaan" and "Cherethites," which are other ways of referring to the Philistines.
11. Zephaniah 2:6 pens: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
12. Zephaniah 2:7 Ashkelon: A Philistine town; see the note at 2.4.
13. Zephaniah 2:8 threaten their nation: Or "boast about their own nation."
14. Zephaniah 2:12 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has "Cush," which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
15. Zephaniah 2:13 Nineveh: The capital of Assyria; Nineveh was protected by a moat filled with water from the nearby Tigris River.
16. Zephaniah 2:14 stripped. . . cedar: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
17. Zephaniah 3:9 I will. . . praising me: Or "I will change the hearts of all people and make them fit for praising me."
18. Zephaniah 3:10 Ethiopia: See the note at 2.12.
19. Zephaniah 3:17 refresh. . . love: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "silently show you his love."
20. Zephaniah 3:18 celebrate: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.

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Revelation 10:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 10

The Angel and the Little Scroll

 ¹I saw another powerful angel come down from heaven. This one was covered with a cloud, and a rainbow was over his head. His face was like the sun, his legs were like columns of fire, ²and with his hand he held a little scroll ^[a] that had been unrolled. He stood there with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. ³Then he shouted with a voice that sounded like a growling lion. Thunder roared seven times. ⁴After the thunder stopped, I was about to write what it had said. But a voice from heaven shouted, "Keep it secret! Don't write these things."     ⁵The angel I had seen standing on the sea and the land then held his right hand up toward heaven. ⁶He made a promise in the name of God who lives forever and who created heaven, earth, the sea, and every living creature. The angel said, "You won't have to wait any longer. ⁷God told his secret plans to his servants the prophets, and it will all happen by the time the seventh angel sounds his trumpet."
    ⁸Once again the voice from heaven spoke to me. It said, "Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel standing on the sea and the land."
    ⁹When I went over to ask the angel for the little scroll, the angel said, "Take the scroll and eat it! Your stomach will turn sour, but the taste in your mouth will be as sweet as honey." ¹⁰I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. The taste was as sweet as honey, but my stomach turned sour.
    ¹¹Then some voices said, "Keep on telling what will happen to the people of many nations, races, and languages, and also to kings."
   

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 10:2 scroll: See the note at 5.1.

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Psalm 138:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 138

(By David.)

Praise the LORD with All Your Heart

 ¹With all my heart    I praise you, LORD.
   In the presence of angels ^[a] I sing your praises.
    ²I worship at your holy temple
   and praise you for your love
   and your faithfulness.
   You were true to your word
   and made yourself more famous
   than ever before. ^{[b] 3}When I asked for your help,
   you answered my prayer
   and gave me courage. ^{[c] 4}All kings on this earth
   have heard your promises, LORD,
   and they will praise you.
    ⁵You are so famous
   that they will sing
   about the things you have done.
    ⁶Though you are above us all,
   you care for humble people,
   and you keep a close watch
   on everyone who is proud.
    ⁷I am surrounded by trouble,
   but you protect me
   against my angry enemies.
   With your own powerful arm
   you keep me safe.
    ⁸You, LORD, will always
   treat me with kindness.
   Your love never fails.
   You have made us what we are.
   Don't give up on us now! ^[d]

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 138:1 angels: Or " gods" or " supernatural beings" who worship and serve God in heaven or " rulers" or " leaders."
2. Psalm 138:2 You were. . . before: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Psalm 138:3 and gave me courage: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Psalm 138:8 You have. . . now: Or " Please don't desert your people."

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Proverbs 30:11-14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹Some people curse their father
   and even their mother;
    ¹²others think they are perfect,
   but they are stained by sin.
    ¹³Some people are stuck-up
   and act like snobs;
    ¹⁴others are so greedy
   that they gobble down
   the poor and homeless.

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Verse of the Day
“You, my son, will be called a prophet of God in heaven above. You will go ahead of the Lord to get everything ready for him. You will tell his people that they can be saved when their sins are forgiven. God's love and kindness will shine upon us like the sun that rises in the sky.” - Luke 1:76-78

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “The time is always right to do what is right.”