Bible Readings for September 5, 2013

Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 10:1–12:14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Psalm 49:1-20; and Proverbs 22:20-21. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Ecclesiastes 10-12:14 (Contemporary English Version)

Ecclesiastes 10

 ¹A few dead flies in perfume    make all of it stink,
   and a little foolishness
   outweighs a lot of wisdom.
    ²Sensible thoughts lead you
   to do right;
   foolish thoughts lead you
   to do wrong.
    ³Fools show their stupidity
   by the way they live;
   it's easy to see
   they have no sense.
    ⁴Don't give up your job
   when your boss gets angry.
   If you stay calm,
   you'll be forgiven.
    ⁵Some things rulers do are terribly unfair: ⁶They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; ⁷they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
    ⁸If you dig a pit,
   you might fall in;
   if you break down a wall,
   a snake might bite you. ^{[a] 9}You could even get hurt
   by chiseling a stone
   or chopping a log.
    ¹⁰If you don't sharpen your ax,
   it will be harder to use;
   if you are smart,
   you'll know what to do. ^{[b] 11}The power to charm a snake
   does you no good
   if it bites you anyway.
    ¹²If you talk sensibly,
   you will have friends;
   if you talk foolishly,
   you will destroy yourself.
    ¹³Fools begin with nonsense,
   and their stupid chatter
   ends with disaster.
    ¹⁴They never tire of talking,
   but none of us really know
   what the future will bring.
    ¹⁵Fools wear themselves out--
   they don't know enough
   to find their way home. ^{[c] 16}A country is in for trouble
   when its ruler is childish,
   and its leaders
   party all day long.
    ¹⁷But a nation will prosper
   when its ruler is mature,
   and its leaders
   don't party too much.
    ¹⁸Some people are too lazy
   to fix a leaky roof--
   then the house falls in.
    ¹⁹Eating and drinking
   make you feel happy,
   and bribes can buy
   everything you need.
    ²⁰Don't even think
   about cursing the king;
   don't curse the rich,
   not even in secret.
   A little bird might hear
   and tell everything.
   

Ecclesiastes 11

It Pays To Work Hard

 ¹Be generous, and someday    you will be rewarded. ^{[d] 2}Share what you have
   with seven or eight others,
   because you never know
   when disaster may strike.
    ³Rain clouds always bring rain;
   trees always stay
   wherever they fall.
    ⁴If you worry about the weather
   and don't plant seeds,
   you won't harvest a crop.
    ⁵No one can explain how a baby breathes before it is born. ^[e] So how can anyone explain what God does? After all, he created everything. ⁶Plant your seeds early in the morning and keep working in the field until dark. Who knows? Your work might pay off, and your seeds might produce.
   

Youth and Old Age

 ⁷Nothing on earth is more beautiful than the morning sun. ⁸Even if you live to a ripe old age, you should try to enjoy each day, because darkness will come and will last a long time. Nothing makes sense. ^{[f] 9}Be cheerful and enjoy life while you are young! Do what you want and find pleasure in what you see. But don't forget that God will judge you for everything you do.     ¹⁰Rid yourself of all worry and pain, because the wonderful moments of youth quickly disappear.
   

Ecclesiastes 12

 ¹Keep your Creator in mind while you are young! In years to come, you will be burdened down with troubles and say, "I don't enjoy life anymore."     ²Someday the light of the sun
   and the moon and the stars
   will all seem dim to you.
   Rain clouds will remain
   over your head.
    ³Your body will grow feeble,
   your teeth will decay,
   and your eyesight fail.
    ⁴The noisy grinding of grain
   will be shut out
   by your deaf ears,
   but even the song of a bird
   will keep you awake.
    ⁵You will be afraid
   to climb up a hill
   or walk down a road.
   Your hair will turn as white
   as almond blossoms.
   You will feel lifeless
   and drag along
   like an old grasshopper.
   We each go to our eternal home,
   and the streets are filled
   with those who mourn.
    ⁶The silver cord snaps,
   the golden bowl breaks;
   the water pitcher is smashed,
   and the pulley at the well
   is shattered.
    ⁷So our bodies return
   to the earth,
   and the life-giving breath ^[g] returns to God.
    ⁸Nothing makes sense.
   I have seen it all--
   nothing makes sense.
   

Respect and Obey God

 ⁹I was a wise teacher with much understanding, and I collected a number of proverbs that I had carefully studied. ¹⁰Then I tried to explain these things in the best and most accurate way.     ¹¹Words of wisdom are like the stick a farmer uses to make animals move. These sayings come from God, our only shepherd, and they are like nails that fasten things together. ^{[h] 12}My child, I warn you to stay away from any teachings except these. There is no end to books,
   and too much study
   will wear you out.
    ¹³Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
   Respect and obey God!
   This is what life
   is all about.
    ¹⁴God will judge
   everything we do,
   even what is done in secret,
   whether good or bad.
   

Footnotes:

1. Ecclesiastes 10:8 a snake might bite you: Walls of houses were often made of stones with mud to fill in the cracks between them. If some of the mud washed out, a snake could be living inside the wall.
2. Ecclesiastes 10:10 do: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
3. Ecclesiastes 10:15 home: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
4. Ecclesiastes 11:1 Be generous. . . rewarded: Or "Don't be afraid to invest. Someday it will pay off."
5. Ecclesiastes 11:5 how. . . born: Or "what makes the wind blow or how a baby grows inside its mother."
6. Ecclesiastes 11:8 Nothing makes sense: Or "There's nothing to look forward to!"
7. Ecclesiastes 12:7 life-giving breath: Or "spirit."
8. Ecclesiastes 12:11 These sayings. . . together: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Corinthians 8

Generous Giving

 ¹My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia ^[a] have shown others how kind God is. ²Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. ³They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. ⁴They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people. ⁵And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do. ⁶Titus was the one who got you started doing this good thing, so we begged him to have you finish what you had begun. ⁷You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better. ^[b] Now you must give more generously than anyone else. ⁸I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown. ⁹You know that our Lord Jesus Christ was kind enough to give up all his riches and become poor, so that you could become rich.     ¹⁰A year ago you were the first ones to give, and you gave because you wanted to. So listen to my advice. ¹¹I think you should finish what you started. If you give according to what you have, you will prove that you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. ¹²It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
    ¹³I am not trying to make life easier for others by making life harder for you. But it is only fair ¹⁴for you to share with them when you have so much, and they have so little. Later, when they have more than enough, and you are in need, they can share with you. Then everyone will have a fair share, ¹⁵just as the Scriptures say,
   "Those who gathered
   too much
   had nothing left.
   Those who gathered
   only a little
   had all they needed."
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 8:1 churches in Macedonia: The churches that Paul had started in Philippi and Thessalonica. The church in Berea is probably also meant.
2. 2 Corinthians 8:7 you love us better: Some manuscripts have "we love you better."

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Psalm 49:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 49

(A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)

Don't Depend on Wealth

 ¹Everyone on this earth,    now listen to what I say!
    ²Listen, no matter who you are,
   rich or poor.
    ³I speak words of wisdom,
   and my thoughts make sense.
    ⁴I have in mind a mystery
   that I will explain
   while playing my harp.
    ⁵Why should I be afraid
   in times of trouble,
   when I am surrounded
   by vicious enemies?
    ⁶They trust in their riches
   and brag about
   all of their wealth.
    ⁷You cannot buy back your life
   or pay off God!
    ⁸It costs far too much
   to buy back your life.
   You can never pay God enough
    ⁹to stay alive forever
   and safe from death.
    ¹⁰We see that wise people die,
   and so do stupid fools.
   Then their money is left
   for someone else.
    ¹¹The grave ^[a] will be their home forever and ever,
   although they once had land
   of their own.
    ¹²Our human glory disappears,
   and, like animals, we die.
    ¹³Here is what happens to fools
   and to those who trust
   the words of fools:
    ¹⁴They are like sheep
   with death as their shepherd,
   leading them to the grave. ^[b] In the morning God's people
   will walk all over them,
   as their bodies lie rotting
   in their home, the grave.
    ¹⁵But God will rescue me
   from the power of death.
    ¹⁶Don't let it bother you
   when others get rich
   and live in luxury.
    ¹⁷Soon they will die
   and all of their wealth
   will be left behind.
    ¹⁸We humans are praised
   when we do well,
   and all of us are glad
   to be alive.
    ¹⁹But we each will go down
   to our ancestors,
   never again to see
   the light of day.
    ²⁰Our human glory disappears,
   and, like animals, we die.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 49:11 The grave: Some ancient translations; Hebrew " Their inward thoughts."
2. Psalm 49:14 as their. . . grave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 22:20-21 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁰I have written thirty sayings
   filled with sound advice.
    ²¹You can trust them completely
   to give you the right words
   for those in charge of you.

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Verse of the Day

“Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” - Matthew 28:18-20

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Ivan Illich, Austrian philosopher, Roman Catholic priest, and “maverick social critic,” wrote, “Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting.”