Bible Readings for June 5, 2017

Today our passages are 2 Samuel 23:24–24:25; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 123:1-4; and Proverbs 16:21-23. 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 by using the link below.

 

 

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2 Samuel 23:24-24:25 (Contemporary English Version)

^24-39Some of the Thirty Warriors were:
   Asahel the brother of Joab
   Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem
   Shammah from Harod
   Elika from Harod
   Helez the Paltite
   Ira the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa
   Abiezer from Anathoth
   Mebunnai ^[a] the Hushathite Zalmon the Ahohite
   Maharai from Netophah
   Heleb the son of Baanah from Netophah
   Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the tribe of Benjamin
   Benaiah from Pirathon
   Hiddai from the streams on Mount Gaash
   Abialbon from Beth-Arabah
   Azmaveth from Bahurim ^[b] Eliahba from Shaalbon
   Jashen ^[c] Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite ^[d] Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite
   Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai from Maacah
   Eliam the son of Ahithophel from Gilo
   Hezro from Carmel
   Paarai the Arbite
   Igal the son of Nathan from Zobah
   Bani the Gadite
   Zelek from Ammon
   Naharai from Beeroth, who carried the weapons of Joab the son of Zeruiah
   Ira the Ithrite
   Gareb the Ithrite
   Uriah the Hittite
   There were thirty-seven in all.
   

2 Samuel 24

David Counts the People

(1 Chronicles 21.1-6)

 ¹The LORD was angry at Israel again, and he made David think it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah. ²So David told Joab and the army officers, ^[e] "Go to every tribe in Israel, from the town of Dan in the north all the way south to Beersheba, and count everyone who can serve in the army. I want to know how many there are." ³Joab answered, "I hope the LORD your God will give you a hundred times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?"     ⁴But when David refused to change his mind, Joab and the army officers went out and started counting the people. ⁵They crossed the Jordan River and began with ^[f] Aroer and the town in the middle of the river valley. From there they went toward Gad and on as far as Jazer. ⁶They went to Gilead and to Kadesh in Syria. ^[g] Then they went to Dan, Ijon, ^[h] and on toward Sidon. ⁷They came to the fortress of Tyre, then went through every town of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Finally, they went to Beersheba in the Southern Desert of Judah. ⁸After they had gone through the whole land, they went back to Jerusalem. It had taken them nine months and twenty days. ⁹Joab came and told David, "In Israel there are eight hundred thousand who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are five hundred thousand."
   

The LORD Punishes David

(1 Chronicles 21.7-17)

 ¹⁰After David had everyone counted, he felt guilty and told the LORD, "What I did was stupid and terribly wrong. LORD, please forgive me."     ¹¹Before David even got up the next morning, the LORD had told David's prophet Gad ^12-13to take a message to David. Gad went to David and told him:
   You must choose one of three ways for the LORD to punish you: Will there be seven ^[i] years when the land won't grow enough food for your people? Or will your enemies chase you and make you run from them for three months? Or will there be three days of horrible disease in your land? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God, who sent me. ¹⁴David was really frightened and said, "It's a terrible choice to make! But the LORD is kind, and I'd rather have him punish us than for anyone else to do it."
    ^15-16So that morning, the LORD sent an angel to spread a horrible disease everywhere in Israel, from Dan to Beersheba. And before it was over, seventy thousand people had died.
   When the angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD felt sorry for all the suffering he had caused and told the angel, "That's enough! Don't touch them." This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.
    ¹⁷David saw the angel killing everyone and told the LORD, "These people are like sheep with me as their shepherd. ^[j] I have sinned terribly, but they have done nothing wrong. Please, punish me and my family instead of them!"

David Buys Araunah's Threshing Place

(1 Chronicles 21.18--22.1)

 ^18-19That same day the prophet Gad came and told David, "Go to the threshing place that belongs to Araunah and build an altar there for the LORD."    So David went.
    ²⁰Araunah looked and saw David and his soldiers coming up toward him. He went over to David, bowed down low, ²¹and said, "Your Majesty! Why have you come to see me?"
   David answered, "I've come to buy your threshing place. I have to build the LORD an altar here, so this disease will stop killing the people."
    ²²Araunah said, "Take whatever you want and offer your sacrifice. Here are some oxen for the sacrifice. You can use the threshing-boards ^[k] and the wooden yokes for the fire. ²³Take them--they're yours! I hope the LORD your God will be pleased with you." ²⁴But David answered, "No! I have to pay you what they're worth. I can't offer the LORD my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing." So David bought the threshing place and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver. ²⁵Then he built an altar for the LORD. He sacrificed animals and burned them on the altar.
   The LORD answered the prayers of the people, and no one else died from the terrible disease.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Samuel 23:24 Mebunnai: Or "Sibbecai" (see 1 Chronicles 11.26-47).
2. 2 Samuel 23:24 Bahurim: Or "Barhum."
3. 2 Samuel 23:24 Jashen: Hebrew "sons of Jashen."
4. 2 Samuel 23:24 Jonathan. . . Hararite: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation (see 1 Chronicles 26-47). In the Hebrew text Jonathan and Shammah are separate members of the list.
5. 2 Samuel 24:2 Joab. . . officers: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation (see 24.4); 1 Chronicles 21.2; Hebrew "Joab, the officer of the army."
6. 2 Samuel 24:5 began with: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation; Hebrew "set up camp in."
7. 2 Samuel 24:6 Kadesh in Syria: Or "the lower slopes of Mount Hermon."
8. 2 Samuel 24:6 Dan, Ijon: Or "Danjaan," an unknown place.
9. 2 Samuel 24:12 seven: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation "three" (see 1 Chronicles 21.12).
10. 2 Samuel 24:17 as their shepherd: The Dead Sea Scrolls, and some manuscripts of two ancient translations (see 1 Chronicles 21.17); these words are not in the Standard Hebrew Text of this verse.
11. 2 Samuel 24:22 threshing-boards: Heavy boards with bits of rock or metal on the bottom. They were dragged across the grain to separate the husks from the kernels.

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Acts 3:1-26 (Contemporary English Version)

Acts 3

Peter and John Heal a Lame Man

 ¹The time of prayer ^[a] was about three o'clock in the afternoon, and Peter and John were going into the temple. ²A man who had been born lame was being carried to the temple door. Each day he was placed beside this door, known as the Beautiful Gate. He sat there and begged from the people who were going in.     ³The man saw Peter and John entering the temple, and he asked them for money. ⁴But they looked straight at him and said, "Look up at us!"
    ⁵The man stared at them and thought he was going to get something. ⁶But Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold! But I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and start walking." ⁷Peter then took him by the right hand and helped him up.
   At once the man's feet and ankles became strong, ⁸and he jumped up and started walking. He went with Peter and John into the temple, walking and jumping and praising God. ⁹Everyone saw him walking around and praising God. ¹⁰They knew that he was the beggar who had been lying beside the Beautiful Gate, and they were completely surprised. They could not imagine what had happened to the man.
   

Peter Speaks in the Temple

 ¹¹While the man kept holding on to Peter and John, the whole crowd ran to them in amazement at the place known as Solomon's Porch. ^[b] ¹²Peter saw that a crowd had gathered, and he said: Friends, why are you surprised at what has happened? Why are you staring at us? Do you think we have some power of our own? Do you think we were able to make this man walk because we are so religious? ¹³The God that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped has brought honor to his Servant ^[c] Jesus. He is the one you betrayed. You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him free. ¹⁴You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, ¹⁵and you killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done. ¹⁶You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching.     ¹⁷My friends, I am sure that you and your leaders didn't know what you were doing. ¹⁸But God had his prophets tell that his Messiah would suffer, and now he has kept that promise. ¹⁹So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven. ²⁰Then that time will come when the Lord will give you fresh strength. He will send you Jesus, his chosen Messiah. ²¹But Jesus must stay in heaven until God makes all things new, just as his holy prophets promised long ago.
    ²²Moses said, "The Lord your God will choose one of your own people to be a prophet, just as he chose me. Listen to everything he tells you. ²³No one who disobeys that prophet will be one of God's people any longer."
    ²⁴Samuel and all the other prophets who came later also spoke about what is now happening. ²⁵You are really the ones God told his prophets to speak to. And you were given the promise that God made to your ancestors. He said to Abraham, "All nations on earth will be blessed because of someone from your family." ²⁶God sent his chosen Son ^[d] to you first, because God wanted to bless you and make each one of you turn away from your sins.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 3:1 h6.11), and on special occasions they prayed in the temple.
2. Acts 3:11 Solomon's Porch: A public place with tall columns along the east side of the temple.
3. Acts 3:13 Servant: Or "Son."
4. Acts 3:26 Son: Or "Servant."

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Psalm 123:1-4 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 123

(A song for worship.)

A Prayer for Mercy

 ¹Our LORD and our God,    I turn my eyes to you,
   on your throne in heaven.
    ²Servants look to their master,
   but we will look to you,
   until you have mercy on us.
    ³Please have mercy, LORD!
   We have been insulted
   more than we can stand,
    ⁴and we can't take more abuse
   from those proud,
   conceited people.

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Proverbs 16:21-23 (Contemporary English Version)

²¹Good judgment proves
   that you are wise,
   and if you speak kindly,
   you can teach others.
    ²²Good sense is a fountain
   that gives life,
   but fools are punished
   by their foolishness.
    ²³You can persuade others
   if you are wise
   and speak sensibly.

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Verse of the Day

“That's why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

British economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments, John Maynard Keynes wrote, “Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead.”

 

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A Joke for Today

 

Mildred, the church gossip, and self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business.

 

Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

 

She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon.

 

She emphatically told George (and several others) that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.

 

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away.

 

He didn't explain, defend, or deny.

 

He said nothing.

 

Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house... walked home... and left it there all night.

 

You gotta love George.