Bible Readings for September 29, 2013

Today our passages are Isaiah 57:14–59:21; Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; and Proverbs 24:9-10. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Isaiah 57:14-59:21 (Contemporary English Version)

The LORD Helps the Helpless

 ¹⁴The LORD says,    "Clear the road!
   Get it ready for my people."
    ¹⁵Our holy God lives forever
   in the highest heavens,
   and this is what he says:
   Though I live high above
   in the holy place,
   I am here to help those
   who are humble
   and depend only on me.
    ¹⁶My people, I won't stay angry
   and keep on accusing you.
   After all, I am your Creator.
   I don't want you to give up
   in complete despair.
    ¹⁷Your greed made me furious.
   That's why I punished you
   and refused to be found,
   while you kept returning
   to your old sinful ways.
    ¹⁸I know what you are like!
   But I will heal you, lead you,
   and give you comfort,
   until those who are mourning
    ¹⁹start singing my praises. ^[a] No matter where you are,
   I, the LORD, will heal you ^[b] and give you peace.
    ²⁰The wicked are a restless sea
   tossing up mud.
    ²¹But I, the LORD, have promised
   that none who are evil
   will live in peace.
   

Isaiah 58

True Religion

 ¹Shout the message!    Don't hold back.
   Say to my people Israel:
   You've sinned! You've turned
   against the LORD.
    ²Day after day, you worship him
   and seem eager to learn
   his teachings.
   You act like a nation
   that wants to do right
   by obeying his laws.
   You ask him about justice,
   and say you enjoy
   worshiping the LORD.
    ³You wonder why the LORD
   pays no attention
   when you go without eating
   and act humble.
   But on those same days
   that you give up eating,
   you think only of yourselves ^[c] and abuse your workers.
    ⁴You even get angry
   and ready to fight.
   No wonder God won't listen
   to your prayers!
    ⁵Do you think the LORD
   wants you to give up eating
   and to act as humble
   as a bent-over bush?
   Or to dress in sackcloth
   and sit in ashes?
   Is this really what he wants
   on a day of worship?
    ⁶I'll tell you
   what it really means
   to worship the LORD.
   Remove the chains of prisoners
   who are chained unjustly.
   Free those who are abused!
    ⁷Share your food with everyone
   who is hungry;
   share your home
   with the poor and homeless.
   Give clothes to those in need;
   don't turn away your relatives.
    ⁸Then your light will shine
   like the dawning sun,
   and you
   will quickly be healed.
   Your honesty ^[d] will protect you as you advance,
   and the glory of the LORD
   will defend you from behind.
    ⁹When you beg the LORD for help,
   he will answer, "Here I am!"
   Don't mistreat others
   or falsely accuse them
   or say something cruel.
    ¹⁰Give your food to the hungry
   and care for the homeless.
   Then your light will shine
   in the dark;
   your darkest hour will be
   like the noonday sun.
    ¹¹The LORD will always guide you
   and provide good things to eat
   when you are in the desert.
   He will make you healthy.
   You will be like a garden
   that has plenty of water
   or like a stream
   that never runs dry.
    ¹²You will rebuild those houses
   left in ruins for years;
   you will be known
   as a builder and repairer
   of city walls and streets.
    ¹³But first, you must start
   respecting the Sabbath
   as a joyful day of worship.
   You must stop doing and saying
   whatever you please
   on this special day.
    ¹⁴Then you will truly enjoy
   knowing the LORD.
   He will let you rule
   from the highest mountains
   and bless you with the land
   of your ancestor Jacob.
   The LORD has spoken!
   

Isaiah 59

Social Injustice Is Condemned

 ¹The LORD hasn't lost    his powerful strength;
   he can still hear
   and answer prayers.
    ²Your sins are the roadblock
   between you and your God.
   That's why he doesn't answer
   your prayers
   or let you see his face.
    ³Your talk is filled with lies
   and plans for violence;
   every finger on your hands
   is covered with blood.
    ⁴You falsely accuse others
   and tell lies in court;
   sin and trouble are the names
   of your children.
    ⁵You eat the deadly eggs
   of poisonous snakes,
   and more snakes crawl out
   from the eggs left to hatch.
   You weave spider webs,
    ⁶but you can't make clothes
   with those webs
   or hide behind them.
   You're sinful and brutal.
    ⁷You hurry off to do wrong
   or murder innocent victims.
   All you think about is sin;
   you leave ruin and destruction
   wherever you go.
    ⁸You don't know how
   to live in peace
   or to be fair with others.
   The roads you make are crooked;
   your followers cannot find peace.
   

The People Confess Their Sins

 ⁹No one has come to defend us    or to bring about justice.
   We hoped for a day of sunshine,
   but all we found
   was a dark, gloomy night.
    ¹⁰We feel our way along,
   as if we were blind;
   we stumble at noon,
   as if it were night.
   We can see no better
   than someone dead. ^{[e] 11}We growl like bears
   and mourn like doves.
   We hope for justice and victory,
   but they escape us.
    ¹²How often have we sinned
   and turned against you,
   the LORD God?
   Our sins condemn us!
   We have done wrong.
    ¹³We have rebelled and refused
   to follow you.
   Our hearts were deceitful,
   and so we lied;
   we planned to abuse others
   and turn our backs on you.
    ¹⁴Injustice is everywhere;
   justice seems far away.
   Truth is chased out of court;
   honesty is shoved aside.
    ¹⁵Everyone tells lies;
   those who turn from crime
   end up ruined.
   When the LORD noticed
   that justice had disappeared,
   he became very displeased.
   

The LORD Will Rescue His People

 ¹⁶It disgusted him even more    to learn
   that no one
   would do a thing about it.
   So with his own powerful arm,
   he won victories for truth.
    ¹⁷Justice was the LORD's armor;
   saving power was his helmet;
   anger and revenge
   were his clothes.
    ¹⁸Now the LORD will get furious
   and do to his enemies,
   both near and far,
   what they did to his people.
    ¹⁹He will attack like a flood
   in a mighty windstorm.
   Nations in the west and the east
   will then honor and praise
   his wonderful name.
    ²⁰The LORD has promised to rescue
   the city of Zion
   and Jacob's descendants
   who turn from sin.
    ²¹The LORD says: "My people,
   I promise to give you my Spirit
   and my message.
   These will be my gifts to you
   and your families forever.
   I, the LORD, have spoken."
   

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 57:19 until. . . praises: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Isaiah 57:19 heal you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Isaiah 58:3 you think. . . yourselves: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Isaiah 58:8 honesty: Or "honest leader."
5. Isaiah 59:10 We can. . . dead: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Philippians 1:1-26 (Contemporary English Version)

Philippians 1

 ¹From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.    To all of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers. ^{[a] 2}I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
   

Paul's Prayer for the Church in Philippi

 ³Every time I think of you, I thank my God. ⁴And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. ⁵This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. ⁶God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.     ⁷You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail. ⁸God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows that I care for you in the same way that Christ Jesus does.
    ⁹I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand ¹⁰how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, ¹¹Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.
   

What Life Means to Paul

 ¹²My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news. ¹³The Roman guards and all the others know that I am here in jail because I serve Christ. ¹⁴Now most of the Lord's followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message. ^{[b] 15}Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help. ¹⁶They love Christ and know that I am here to defend the good news about him. ¹⁷But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail. ¹⁸But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. That is what makes me glad.    I will keep on being glad, ¹⁹because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. ²⁰I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.
    ²¹If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. ²²I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. ²³It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better. ^24-25But I know that all of you still need me. That's why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. ²⁶Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me. ^[c]

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 1:1 church officials and officers: Or "bishops and deacons."
2. Philippians 1:14 the message: Some manuscripts have "the Lord's message," and others have "God's message."
3. Philippians 1:26 take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me: Or "take great pride in me because of Christ Jesus."

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Psalm 71:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 71

A Prayer for God's Protection

 ¹I run to you, LORD,    for protection.
   Don't disappoint me.
    ²You do what is right,
   so come to my rescue.
   Listen to my prayer
   and keep me safe.
    ³Be my mighty rock, ^[a] the place
   where I can always run
   for protection.
   Save me by your command!
   You are my mighty rock
   and my fortress.
    ⁴Come and save me, LORD God,
   from vicious and cruel
   and brutal enemies!
    ⁵I depend on you,
   and I have trusted you
   since I was young.
    ⁶I have relied on you ^[b] from the day I was born.
   You brought me safely
   through birth,
   and I always praise you.
    ⁷Many people think of me
   as something evil.
   But you are my mighty protector,
    ⁸and I praise and honor you
   all day long.
    ⁹Don't throw me aside
   when I am old;
   don't desert me
   when my strength is gone.
    ¹⁰My enemies are plotting
   because they want me dead.
    ¹¹They say, "Now we'll catch you!
   God has deserted you,
   and no one can save you."
    ¹²Come closer, God!
   Please hurry and help.
    ¹³Embarrass and destroy
   all who want me dead;
   disgrace and confuse
   all who want to hurt me.
    ¹⁴I will never give up hope
   or stop praising you.
    ¹⁵All day long I will tell
   the wonderful things you do
   to save your people.
   But you have done much more
   than I could possibly know.
    ¹⁶I will praise you, LORD God,
   for your mighty deeds
   and your power to save.
    ¹⁷You have taught me
   since I was a child,
   and I never stop telling about
   your marvelous deeds.
    ¹⁸Don't leave me when I am old
   and my hair turns gray.
   Let me tell future generations
   about your mighty power.
    ¹⁹Your deeds of kindness
   are known in the heavens.
   No one is like you!
    ²⁰You made me suffer a lot,
   but you will bring me
   back from this deep pit
   and give me new life.
    ²¹You will make me truly great
   and take my sorrow away.
    ²²I will praise you, God,
   the Holy One of Israel.
   You are faithful.
   I will play the harp
   and sing your praises.
    ²³You have rescued me!
   I will celebrate and shout,
   singing praises to you
   with all my heart.
    ²⁴All day long I will announce
   your power to save.
   I will tell how you disgraced
   and disappointed
   those who wanted to hurt me.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 71:3 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
2. Psalm 71:6 I. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 24:9-10 (Contemporary English Version)

⁹Everyone hates senseless fools
   who think up ways to sin.
   

-24-

 ¹⁰ Don't give up and be helpless    in times of trouble.

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Verse of the Day

“People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.” - John 3:20-21

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Henry Ward Beecher, American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, wrote, “I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.”