Bible Readings for March 21, 2017

Today our passages are Numbers 28:16–29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; and Proverbs 11:18-19. The readings are 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 by using the link below.

 

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Numbers 32-33:39 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 32

Land East of the Jordan River Is Settled

(Deuteronomy 3.12-22)

 ¹The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned a lot of cattle and sheep, and they saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead had good pastureland. ²So they went to Moses, Eleazar, and the other leaders of Israel and said, ^3-4" The LORD has helped us capture the land around the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. That's good pastureland, and since we own cattle and sheep, ⁵would you let us stay here east of the Jordan River and have this land as our own?"     ⁶Moses answered:
   You mean you'd stay here while the rest of the Israelites go into battle? ⁷If you did that, it would discourage the others from crossing over into the land the LORD promised them. ⁸This is exactly what happened when I sent your ancestors from Kadesh-Barnea to explore the land. ⁹They went as far as Eshcol Valley, then returned and told the people that we should not enter it. ¹⁰The LORD became very angry. ¹¹And he said that no one who was twenty years or older when they left Egypt would enter the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not one of those people believed in the LORD's power, ¹²except Caleb and Joshua. ^[a] They remained faithful to the LORD, ¹³but he was so angry with the others that he forced them to wander around in the desert forty years. By that time everyone who had sinned against him had died. ¹⁴Now you people of Reuben and Gad are doing the same thing and making the LORD even angrier. ¹⁵If you reject the LORD, he will once again abandon his people and leave them here in the desert. And you will be to blame!
    ¹⁶The men from Reuben and Gad replied:
   Let us build places to keep our sheep and goats, and towns for our wives and children, ¹⁷where they can stay and be safe. Then we'll prepare to fight and lead the other tribes into battle. ¹⁸We will stay with them until they have settled in their own tribal lands. ¹⁹The land on this side of the Jordan River will be ours, so we won't expect to receive any on the other side.
    ²⁰Moses said:
   You promised that you would be ready to fight for the LORD. ²¹You also agreed to cross the Jordan and stay with the rest of the Israelites, until the LORD forces our enemies out of the land. If you do these things, ²²then after the LORD helps Israel capture the land, you can return to your own land. You will no longer have to stay with the others. ²³But if you don't keep your promise, you will sin against the LORD and be punished.
    ²⁴Go ahead and build towns for your wives and children, and places for your sheep and goats. Just be sure to do what you have promised.
    ²⁵The men from Reuben and Gad answered:
   Sir, we will do just what you have said. ²⁶Our wives and children and sheep and cattle will stay here in the towns in Gilead. ²⁷But those of us who are prepared for battle will cross the Jordan and fight for the LORD.
    ²⁸Then Moses said to Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders, ²⁹" Make sure that the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you. If they do, then after the land is in your control, give them the region of Gilead as their tribal land. ³⁰But if they break their promise, they will receive land on the other side of the Jordan, like the rest of the tribes."
    ³¹The tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, " We are your servants and will do whatever the LORD has commanded. ³²We will cross the Jordan River, ready to fight for the LORD in Canaan. But the land we will inherit as our own will be on this side of the river."
    ³³So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh ^[b] the territory and towns that King Sihon the Amorite had ruled, as well as the territory and towns that King Og of Bashan had ruled. ^[c] ³⁴The tribe of Gad rebuilt the towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, ³⁵Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran. They built walls around them and also built places to keep their sheep and goats.
    ³⁷The tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸Sibmah, as well as the towns that used to be known as Nebo and Baal-Meon. They renamed all those places.
    ³⁹The clan of Machir from the tribe of East Manasseh went to the region of Gilead, captured its towns, and forced out the Amorites. ⁴⁰So Moses gave the Machirites the region of Gilead, and they settled there.
    ⁴¹Jair from the Manasseh tribe captured villages and renamed them " Villages of Jair." ^[d] ⁴²Nobah captured the town of Kenath with its villages and renamed it Nobah.
   

Numbers 33

Israel's Journey from Egypt to Moab

 ¹As Israel traveled from Egypt under the command of Moses and Aaron, ²Moses kept a list of the places they camped, just as the LORD had instructed. Here is the record of their journey:     ^3-4Israel left the Egyptian city of Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month. ^[e] This was the day after the LORD had punished Egypt's gods by killing the first-born sons in every Egyptian family. So while the Egyptians were burying the bodies, they watched the Israelites proudly ^[f] leave their country. ⁵After the Israelites left Rameses, they camped at Succoth, ⁶and from there, they moved their camp to Etham on the edge of the desert. ⁷Then they turned back toward Pi-Hahiroth, east of Baal-Zephon, and camped near Migdol. ⁸They left Pi-Hahiroth, ^[g] crossed the Red Sea, ^[h] then walked three days into the Etham Desert and camped at Marah. ⁹Next, they camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. ¹⁰They left Elim and camped near the Red Sea, ^[i] ¹¹then turned east and camped along the western edge of the Sinai Desert. ^[j] ^12-14From there they went to Dophkah, Alush, and Rephidim, where they had no water. ^[k] ¹⁵They left Rephidim and finally reached the Sinai Desert. ^16-36As Israel traveled from the Sinai Desert to Kadesh in the Zin Desert, they camped at Kibroth-Hattaavah, Hazeroth, Rithmah, Rimmon-Perez, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelathah, Mount Shepher, Haradah, Makheloth, Tahath, Terah, Mithkah, Hashmonah, Moseroth, Bene-Jaakan, Hor-Haggidgad, Jotbathah, Abronah, Ezion-Geber, and finally Kadesh. ³⁷When they left Kadesh, they came to Mount Hor, on the border of Edom.
    ³⁸That's where the LORD commanded Aaron the priest to go to the top of the mountain. Aaron died there on the first day of the fifth month, ^[l] forty years after the Israelites left Egypt. ³⁹He was one hundred twenty-three years old at the time.

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 32:12 Caleb and Joshua: See the note at 14:30.
2. Numbers 32:33 half of Manasseh: Or " East Manasseh."
3. Numbers 32:33 ruled: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 33.
4. Numbers 32:41 Villages of Jair: Or " Havvoth-Jair."
5. Numbers 33:3 first month: See the note at 9.3.
6. Numbers 33:3 proudly: Or " bravely."
7. Numbers 33:8 Pi-Hahiroth: Two ancient translations and the Samaritan Hebrew Text; the Standard Hebrew Text " a place near Hahiroth."
8. Numbers 33:8 Red Sea: Hebrew hayyam " the Sea," understood as yam suph, " Sea of Reeds" (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
9. Numbers 33:10 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Suez, since the term is extended to include the northwestern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
10. Numbers 33:11 the western edge of the Sinai Desert: Hebrew " the Sin Desert."
11. Numbers 33:12 Rephidim. . . no water: See Exodus 17.1-7.
12. Numbers 33:38 fifth month: Ab, the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-July to mid-August.

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Luke 4:31-5:11 (Contemporary English Version)

A Man with an Evil Spirit

(Mark 1.21-28)

 ³¹Jesus went to the town of Capernaum in Galilee and taught the people on the Sabbath. ³²His teaching amazed them because he spoke with power. ³³There in the Jewish meeting place was a man with an evil spirit. He yelled out, ³⁴"Hey, Jesus of Nazareth, what do you want with us? Are you here to get rid of us? I know who you are! You are God's Holy One."     ³⁵Jesus ordered the evil spirit to be quiet and come out. The demon threw the man to the ground in front of everyone and left without harming him.
    ³⁶They all were amazed and kept saying to each other, "What kind of teaching is this? He has power to order evil spirits out of people!" ³⁷News about Jesus spread all over that part of the country.
   

Jesus Heals Many People

(Matthew 8.14-17; Mark 1.29-34)

 ³⁸Jesus left the meeting place and went to Simon's home. When Jesus got there, he was told that Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever. ³⁹So Jesus went over to her and ordered the fever to go away. Right then she was able to get up and serve them a meal.     ⁴⁰After the sun had set, people with all kinds of diseases were brought to Jesus. He put his hands on each one of them and healed them. ⁴¹Demons went out of many people and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus ordered the demons not to speak because they knew he was the Messiah.
    ⁴²The next morning Jesus went out to a place where he could be alone, and crowds came looking for him. When they found him, they tried to stop him from leaving. ⁴³But Jesus said, "People in other towns must hear the good news about God's kingdom. That's why I was sent." ⁴⁴So he kept on preaching in the Jewish meeting places in Judea. ^[a]

Luke 5

Jesus Chooses His First Disciples

(Matthew 4.18-22; Mark 1.16-20)

 ¹Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, ^[b] teaching the people as they crowded around him to hear God's message. ²Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fishermen who had gone to wash their nets. ³Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down ^[c] in the boat to teach the crowd. ⁴When Jesus had finished speaking, he told Simon, "Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish."     ⁵"Master," Simon answered, "we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down." ⁶They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. ⁷Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.
    ⁸When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, "Lord, don't come near me! I am a sinner." ⁹Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. ¹⁰His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.
   Jesus told Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish." ¹¹The men pulled their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.
   

Footnotes:

1. Luke 4:44 Judea: Some manuscripts have " Galilee."
2. Luke 5:1 Lake Gennesaret: Another name for Lake Galilee.
3. Luke 5:3 sat down: Teachers in the ancient world, including Jewish teachers, usually sat down when they taught.

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Psalm 64:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 64

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

Celebrate because of the LORD

 ¹Listen to my concerns, God,    and protect me
   from my terrible enemies.
    ²Keep me safe from secret plots
   of corrupt and evil gangs.
    ³Their words cut like swords,
   and their cruel remarks
   sting like sharp arrows.
    ⁴They fearlessly ambush
   and shoot innocent people.
    ⁵They are determined to do evil,
   and they tell themselves,
   "Let's set traps!
   No one can see us." ^[a] ⁶They make evil plans and say,
   "We'll commit a perfect crime.
   No one knows our thoughts." ^[b] ⁷But God will shoot his arrows
   and quickly wound them.
    ⁸They will be destroyed
   by their own words,
   and everyone who sees them
   will tremble with fear. ^[c] ⁹They will be afraid and say,
   "Look at what God has done
   and keep it all in mind."
    ¹⁰May the LORD bless his people
   with peace and happiness
   and let them celebrate.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 64:5 us: One ancient translation; Hebrew " them."
2. Psalm 64:6 thoughts: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
3. Psalm 64:8 tremble with fear: Or " turn and run."

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Proverbs 11:22 (Contemporary English Version)

²²A beautiful woman
   who acts foolishly
   is like a gold ring
   on the snout of a pig.

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Verse of the Day

“But I will bless those who trust me. They will be like trees growing beside a stream-- trees with roots that reach down to the water, and with leaves that are always green. They bear fruit every year and are never worried by a lack of rain.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period, Herman Melville wrote, “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.”