Read the Bible in a Year

Each day, we'll post passages so that you can read the Bible in one year. This is part of The Colossians 13:16 Project, sponsored by Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia. You're invited to worship with us Sundays, at 11:00 a.m. or Saturdays, at 6:30 p.m. You may also want to consider joining one our adult Bible Studies: Thursdays at 12:00 noon and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We also have a full range of programs for children. If you want more information about the church, check out the other blogs. And please feel free to leave any comments.

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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Bible Readings for April 3, 2013

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 23:1–25:19; Luke 10:13-37; Psalm 75:1-10; and Proverbs 12:12-14. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

Deuteronomy 23-25:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Deuteronomy 23

Who Cannot Become One of the LORD's People
Moses said to Israel:
 1If a man's private parts have been crushed or cut off, [a] he cannot fully belong to the LORD's people. 2No one born outside of a legal marriage, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can fully belong to the LORD's people.     3No Ammonites or Moabites, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can become part of Israel, the LORD's people. 4This is because when you came out of Egypt, they refused to provide you with food and water. And besides, they hired Balaam [b] to put a curse on you. 5But the LORD your God loves you, so he refused to listen to Balaam and turned Balaam's curse into a blessing. 6Don't even think of signing a peace treaty with Moab or Ammon. 7But Edomites are your relatives, and you lived as foreigners in the country of Egypt. Now you must be kind to Edomites and Egyptians 8and let their great-grandchildren become part of Israel, the LORD's people.    
Keep the Army Camp Acceptable
Moses said to Israel:
 9When you men go off to fight your enemies, make sure your camp is acceptable to the LORD.     10For example, if something happens at night that makes a man unclean and unfit for worship, he [c] must go outside the camp and stay there 11until late afternoon. Then he must take a bath, and at sunset he can go back into camp. 12Set up a place outside the camp to be used as a toilet area. 13And make sure that you have a small shovel in your equipment. When you go out to the toilet area, use the shovel to dig a hole. Then, after you relieve yourself, bury the waste in the hole. 14You must keep your camp clean of filthy and disgusting things. The LORD is always present in your camp, ready to rescue you and give you victory over your enemies. But if he sees something disgusting in your camp, he may turn around and leave.    
Runaway Slaves from Other Countries
Moses said:
 15When runaway slaves from other countries come to Israel and ask for protection, you must not hand them back to their owners. 16Instead, you must let them choose which one of your towns they want to live in. Don't be cruel to runaway slaves.    
Temple Prostitutes
Moses said:
 17People of Israel, don't any of you ever be temple prostitutes. [d] 18The LORD your God is disgusted with men and women who are prostitutes of any kind, and he will not accept a gift from them, even if it had been promised to him.
Interest on Loans
Moses said:
 19When you lend money, food, or anything else to another Israelite, you are not allowed to charge interest. 20You can charge a foreigner interest. But if you charge other Israelites interest, the LORD your God will not let you be successful in the land you are about to take.    
Sacred Promises to the LORD
Moses said:
 21People of Israel, if you make a sacred promise to give a gift to the LORD, then do it as soon as you can. If the LORD has to come looking for the gift you promised, you will be guilty of breaking that promise. 22On the other hand, if you never make a sacred promise, you can't be guilty of breaking it. 23You must keep whatever promises you make to the LORD. After all, you are the one who chose to make the promises.    
Eating Someone Else's Produce
 24If you go into a vineyard that belongs to someone else, you are allowed to eat as many grapes as you want while you are there. But don't take any with you when you leave. 25In the same way, if you are in a grain field that belongs to someone else, you can pick heads of grain and eat the kernels. But don't cut down the stalks of grain and take them with you.    

Deuteronomy 24

A Law about Divorce
Moses said to Israel:
 1Suppose a woman was divorced by her first husband because he found something disgraceful about her. [e] He wrote out divorce papers, gave them to her, and sent her away. 2Later she married another man, 3who then either divorced her in the same way or died. 4Since she has slept with her second husband, she cannot marry her first husband again. Their marriage would pollute the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and he would be disgusted.
Newlyweds
Moses said to Israel:
 5If a man and a woman have been married less than one year, he must not be sent off to war or sent away to do forced labor. He must be allowed to stay home for a year and be happy with his wife.    
Loans
Moses said to Israel:
 6When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that they will pay back the loan. But don't take one or both of their millstones, or else they may starve. They need these stones for grinding grain into flour to make bread.    
Kidnapping
Moses said to Israel:
 7If you are guilty of kidnapping Israelites and forcing them into slavery, you will be put to death to remove this evil from the community.    
Skin Diseases
Moses said to Israel:
 8I have told the priests [f] what to do if any of you have leprosy, [g] so do exactly what they say. 9And remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam [h] after you left Egypt.
Loans
Moses said to Israel:
 10When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that the money will be paid back. But you must not go into their house to get it. 11Wait outside, and they will bring out the item you have agreed on.     12Suppose someone is so poor that a coat is the only thing that can be offered as a guarantee on a loan. Don't keep the coat overnight. 13Instead, give it back before sunset, so the owner can keep warm and sleep and ask the LORD to bless you. Then the LORD your God will notice that you have done the right thing.    
Poor People's Wages
Moses said:
 14If you hire poor people to work for you, don't hold back their pay, [i] whether they are Israelites or foreigners who live in your town. 15Pay them their wages at the end of each day, because they live in poverty and need the money to survive. If you don't pay them on time, they will complain about you to the LORD, and he will punish you.
The Death Penalty
Moses said to Israel:
 16Parents must not be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children must not be put to death for crimes committed by their parents. Don't put anyone to death for someone else's crime.    
Don't Mistreat the Powerless
Moses said to Israel:
 17Make sure that orphans and foreigners are treated fairly. And if you lend money to a widow and want to keep something of hers to guarantee that she will pay you back, don't take any of her clothes. 18You were slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.    
Leave Some of Your Harvest for the Poor
Moses said to Israel:
 19If you forget to bring in a stack of harvested grain, don't go back in the field to get it. Leave it for the poor, including foreigners, orphans, and widows, and the LORD will make you successful in everything you do.     20When you harvest your olives, don't try to get them all for yourself, but leave some for the poor. 21And when you pick your grapes, go over the vines only once, then let the poor have what is left. 22You lived in poverty as slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.    

Deuteronomy 25

Whipping as Punishment for a Crime
Moses said to Israel:
 1-2Suppose you and someone else each accuse the other of doing something wrong, and you go to court, where the judges decide you are guilty. If your punishment is to be beaten with a whip, [j] one of the judges will order you to lie down, and you will receive the number of lashes you deserve. 3Forty lashes is the most that you can be given, because more than that might make other Israelites think you are worthless.
Don't Muzzle an Ox
Moses said to Israel:
 4Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain. [k]
A Son for a Dead Brother
Moses said to Israel:
 5-6Suppose two brothers are living on the same property, when one of them dies without having a son to carry on his name. If this happens, his widow must not marry anyone outside the family. Instead, she must marry her late husband's brother, and their first son will be the legal son of the dead man.     7But suppose the brother refuses to marry the widow. She must go to a meeting of the town leaders at the town gate and say, " My husband died without having a son to carry on his name. And my husband's brother refuses to marry me so I can have a son."     8The leaders will call the living brother to the town gate and try to persuade him to marry the widow. But if he doesn't change his mind and marry her, 9she must go over to him while the town leaders watch. She will pull off one of his sandals and spit in his face, while saying, " That's what happens to a man who won't help provide descendants for his dead brother." 10From then on, that man's family will be known as " the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off."    
When Two Men Fight
Moses said to Israel:
 11If two men are fighting, and the wife of one man tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the other man's private parts, 12you must cut off her hand. Don't have any mercy.    
Be Honest in Business
Moses said to Israel:
 13-14Don't try to cheat people by having two sets of weights or measures, one to get more when you are buying, and the other to give less when you are selling. 15If you weigh and measure things honestly, the LORD your God will let you enjoy a long life in the land he is giving you. 16But the LORD is disgusted with anyone who cheats or is dishonest.    
Wipe Out Amalek
Moses said:
 17People of Israel, do you remember what the Amalekites did to you after you came out of Egypt? 18You were tired, and they followed along behind, attacking those who could not keep up with the others. This showed that the Amalekites have no respect for God.     19The LORD your God will help you capture the land, and he will give you peace. But when that day comes, you must wipe out Amalek so completely that no one will remember they ever lived.    
Footnotes:
  1. Deuteronomy 23:1 a man's private parts have been crushed or cut off: This was sometimes done to show devotion to pagan gods.
  2. Deuteronomy 23:4 Balaam: Hebrew " Balaam son of Beor from Pethor."
  3. Deuteronomy 23:10 if something. . . worship, he: Or " if a man has a flow of semen at night, he is unclean and unfit for worship, and he."
  4. Deuteronomy 23:17 temple prostitutes: Some Canaanites worshiped by going to their temples and having sex with prostitutes that represented their gods.
  5. Deuteronomy 24:1 something disgraceful about her: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  6. Deuteronomy 24:8 the priests: See the note at 17.8-12.
  7. Deuteronomy 24:8 leprosy: The word " leprosy" was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
  8. Deuteronomy 24:9 what the LORD your God did to Miriam: See Numbers 12.1-16.
  9. Deuteronomy 24:14 don't hold back their pay: The Dead Sea Scrolls; the Standard Hebrew Text " treat them right."
  10. Deuteronomy 25:1 whip: Or " rod."
  11. Deuteronomy 25:4 threshing grain: Oxen were used at the threshing place to walk on heads of grain, or pull heavy slabs of wood over it, to separate the kernels from the husks.

Luke 10:13-37 (Contemporary English Version)

The Unbelieving Towns
(Matthew 11.20-24)
 13You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are also in for trouble! If the miracles that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. [a] 14On the day of judgment the people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will. 15People of Capernaum, do you think you will be honored in heaven? Well, you will go down to hell! 16My followers, whoever listens to you is listening to me. Anyone who says "No" to you is saying "No" to me. And anyone who says "No" to me is really saying "No" to the one who sent me.    
The Return of the Seventy-Two
 17When the seventy-two [b] followers returned, they were excited and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!" 18Jesus told them:    I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. 20But don't be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!    
Jesus Thanks His Father
(Matthew 11.25-27; 13.16,17)
 21At that same time, Jesus felt the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, [c] and he said: My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.     22My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who really knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.     23Jesus then turned to his disciples and said to them in private, "You are really blessed to see what you see! 24Many prophets and kings were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you that they did not see or hear."    
The Good Samaritan
 25An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to have eternal life?"     26Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?"     27The man replied, "The Scriptures say, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' They also say, `Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' "     28Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life."     29But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?"     30Jesus replied:    As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.     31A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. 32Later a temple helper [d] came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side. 33A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him 34and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine [e] and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return." 36Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?"     37The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity."    Jesus said, "Go and do the same!"    
Footnotes:
  1. Luke 10:13 dressed in sackcloth. . . ashes on their heads: This was one way that people showed how sorry they were for their sins.
  2. Luke 10:17 seventy-two: See the note at 10.1.
  3. Luke 10:21 the Holy Spirit: Some manuscripts have " his spirit."
  4. Luke 10:32 temple helper: A man from the tribe of Levi, whose job it was to work around the temple.
  5. Luke 10:34 olive oil and wine: In New Testament times these were used as medicine. Sometimes olive oil is a symbol for healing by means of a miracle (see James 5.14).

Psalm 75:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 75

(A psalm and a song by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy." (Psalm 75 Don't Destroy: See the note at Psalm 57.) )
Praise God for All He Has Done
 1Our God, we thank you    for being so near to us!    Everyone celebrates    your wonderful deeds.     2You have set a time    to judge with fairness.     3The earth trembles,    and its people shake;    you alone keep    its foundations firm.     4You tell every bragger,    "Stop bragging!"    And to the wicked you say,    "Don't boast of your power!     5Stop bragging! Quit telling me    how great you are."     6Our LORD and our God,    victory doesn't come    from the east or the west    or from the desert.     7You are the one who judges.    You can take away power    and give it to others.     8You hold in your hand    a cup filled with wine, [a] strong and foaming.    You will pour out some    for every sinful person    on this earth,    and they will have to drink    until it is gone.     9But I will always tell about    you, the God of Jacob,    and I will sing your praise.     10Our Lord, you will destroy    the power of evil people,    but you will give strength    to those who are good.    
Footnotes:
  1. Psalm 75:8 a cup. . . wine: In the Old Testament " a cup filled with wine" sometimes stands for God's anger.

Proverbs 12:12-14 (Contemporary English Version)

12An evil person tries to hide    behind evil; [a] good people are like trees    with deep roots.     13We trap ourselves    by telling lies,    but we stay out of trouble    by living right.     14We are rewarded or punished    for what we say and do.    
Footnotes:
  1. Proverbs 12:12 An evil. . . evil: Or " Evil people love what they get from being evil."
 
 
Verse of the Day
 
“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne!” - Hebrews 12:2
Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day
 
British author, a feminist and socialist campaigner, and the second wife of the eminent philosopher Bertrand Russell Dora Russell wrote, “Humanity will ever seek but never attain perfection. Let us at least survive and go on trying.”
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