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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Sunday, September 8, 2013

Bible Readings for September 8, 2013



Today our passages are Isaiah 1:1–2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; and Proverbs 22:26-27. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

Isaiah 1-2:22 (Contemporary English Version)


Isaiah 1

 1I am Isaiah, the son of Amoz.    And this is the message [a] that I was given about Judah and Jerusalem when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah: [b]
A Guilty Nation
 2The LORD has said,    "Listen, heaven and earth!
   The children I raised
   have turned against me.
    3Oxen and donkeys know
   who owns and feeds them,
   but my people won't ever learn."
    4Israel, you are a sinful nation
   loaded down with guilt.
   You are wicked and corrupt
   and have turned from the LORD,
   the holy God of Israel.
    5Why be punished more?
   Why not give up your sin?
   Your head is badly bruised,
   and you are weak all over.
    6From your head to your toes
   there isn't a healthy spot.
   Bruises, cuts, and open sores
   go without care
   or oil to ease the pain.
   
A Country in Ruins
 7Your country lies in ruins;    your towns are in ashes.
   Foreigners and strangers
   take and destroy your land
   while you watch.
    8Enemies surround Jerusalem,
   alone like a hut
   in a vineyard [c] or in a cucumber field.
    9Zion would have disappeared
   like Sodom and Gomorrah, [d] if the LORD All-Powerful
   had not let a few
   of its people survive.
   
Justice, Not Sacrifices
 10You are no better    than the leaders and people
   of Sodom and Gomorrah!
   So listen to the LORD God:
    11"Your sacrifices
   mean nothing to me.
   I am sick of your offerings
   of rams and choice cattle;
   I don't like the blood
   of bulls or lambs or goats.
    12"Who asked you to bring all this
   when you come to worship me?
   Stay out of my temple!
    13Your sacrifices are worthless,
   and incense is disgusting.
   I can't stand the evil you do
   on your New Moon Festivals
   or on your Sabbaths
   and other times of worship.
    14I hate your New Moon Festivals
   and all others as well.
   They are a heavy burden
   I am tired of carrying.
    15"No matter how much you pray,
   I won't listen.
   You are too violent.
    16Wash yourselves clean!
   I am disgusted
   with your filthy deeds.
   Stop doing wrong
    17and learn to live right.
   See that justice is done.
   Defend widows and orphans
   and help those in need." [e]
An Invitation from the LORD
 18I, the LORD, invite you    to come and talk it over.
   Your sins are scarlet red,
   but they will be whiter
   than snow or wool.
    19If you willingly obey me,
   the best crops in the land
   will be yours.
    20But if you turn against me,
   your enemies will kill you.
   I, the LORD, have spoken.
   
The LORD Condemns Jerusalem
 21Jerusalem, you are like    an unfaithful wife.
   Once your judges were honest
   and your people lived right;
   now you are a city
   full of murderers.
    22Your silver is fake,
   and your wine
   is watered down.
    23Your leaders have rejected me
   to become friends of crooks;
   your rulers are looking
   for gifts and bribes.
   Widows and orphans
   never get a fair trial.
    24I am the LORD All-Powerful,
   the mighty ruler of Israel,
   and I make you a promise:
   You are now my enemy,
   and I will show my anger
   by taking revenge on you.
    25I will punish you terribly
   and burn away everything
   that makes you unfit
   to worship me.
    26Jerusalem, I will choose
   judges and advisors
   like those you had before.
   Your new name will be
   "Justice and Faithfulness."
   
The LORD Will Save Jerusalem
 27Jerusalem, you will be saved    by showing justice; [f] Zion's people who turn to me
   will be saved
   by doing right.
    28But those rebellious sinners
   who turn against me, the LORD,
   will all disappear.
    29You will be made ashamed
   of those groves of trees
   where you worshiped idols.
    30You will be like a grove of trees
   dying in a drought.
    31Your strongest leaders
   will be like dry wood
   set on fire by their idols. [g] No one will be able to help,
   as they all go up in flames.
   

Isaiah 2

Peace That Lasts Forever
 1This is the message [h] that I was given about Judah and Jerusalem: 2In the future, the mountain    with the LORD's temple
   will be the highest of all.
   It will reach above the hills;
   every nation will rush to it.
    3Many people will come and say,
   "Let's go to the mountain
   of the LORD God of Jacob
   and worship in his temple."
   The LORD will teach us his Law
   from Jerusalem,
   and we will obey him.
    4He will settle arguments
   between nations.
   They will pound their swords
   and their spears
   into rakes and shovels;
   they will never make war
   or attack one another.
    5People of Israel, let's live
   by the light of the LORD.
   
Following Sinful Customs
 6Our LORD, you have deserted    your people, Israel,
   because they follow customs
   of nations from the east.
   They worship Philistine gods
   and are close friends
   of foreigners. [i] 7They have endless treasures
   of silver and gold;
   they have countless horses
   and war chariots.
    8Everywhere in the country
   they worship the idols
   they have made.
    9And so, all of them
   will be ashamed and disgraced.
   Don't help them!
   
A Day of Judgment
 10Every one of you,    go hide among the rocks
   and in the ground,
   because the LORD is fearsome,
   marvelous, and glorious.
    11When the LORD comes,
   everyone who is proud
   will be made humble,
   and the LORD alone
   will be honored.
    12The LORD All-Powerful
   has chosen a day
   when those who are proud
   and conceited
   will be put down.
    13The tall and towering
   cedars of Lebanon
   will be destroyed.
   So will the oak trees of Bashan,
    14all high mountains and hills,
    15every strong fortress,
    16all the seagoing ships, [j] and every beautiful boat.
    17When that day comes,
   everyone who is proud
   will be put down.
   Only the LORD will be honored.
    18Idols will be gone for good.
    19You had better hide
   in caves and holes--
   the LORD will be fearsome,
   marvelous, and glorious
   when he comes to terrify
   people on earth.
    20On that day everyone will throw
   to the rats and bats
   their idols of silver and gold
   they made to worship.
    21The LORD will be fearsome,
   marvelous, and glorious
   when he comes to terrify
   people on earth--
   they will hide in caves
   and in the hills.
    22Stop trusting the power
   of humans.
   They are all going to die,
   so how can they help?
   
Footnotes:
  1. Isaiah 1:1 message: Or "vision."
  2. Isaiah 1:1 kings of Judah: Uzziah (783-742 B.C.); Jotham (742-735 B.C.); Ahaz (735-715 B.C.); Hezekiah (715-687 B.C.).
  3. Isaiah 1:8 a hut in a vineyard: When it was almost time for grapes to ripen, farmers would put up a temporary shelter or hut in the field or vineyard and stay there to keep thieves and wild animals away.
  4. Isaiah 1:9 Sodom and Gomorrah: Two ancient cities of Palestine that God destroyed because the people were so wicked (see Genesis 19.1-29).
  5. Isaiah 1:17 and help those in need: Or "and punish cruel people."
  6. Isaiah 1:27 by showing justice: Or "by my saving power."
  7. Isaiah 1:31 Your. . . idols: Or "Your wealth will be like dry wood, set on fire by its owners."
  8. Isaiah 2:1 message: See the note at 1.1.
  9. Isaiah 2:6 because. . . foreigners: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  10. Isaiah 2:16 seagoing ships: The Hebrew text has "ships of Tarshish," which may have been a Phoenician city in Spain. "Ships of Tarshish" probably means large, seagoing ships.

2 Corinthians 10:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Corinthians 10

Paul Defends His Work for Christ
 1Do you think I am a coward when I am with you and brave when I am far away? Well, I ask you to listen, because Christ himself was humble and gentle. 2Some people have said that we act like the people of this world. So when I arrive, I expect I will have to be firm and forceful in what I say to them. Please don't make me treat you that way. 3We live in this world, but we don't act like its people 4or fight our battles with the weapons of this world. Instead, we use God's power that can destroy fortresses. We destroy arguments 5and every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God. We capture people's thoughts and make them obey Christ. 6And when you completely obey him, we will punish anyone who refuses to obey.     7You judge by appearances. [a] If any of you think you are the only ones who belong to Christ, then think again. We belong to Christ as much as you do. 8Maybe I brag a little too much about the authority that the Lord gave me to help you and not to hurt you. Yet I am not embarrassed to brag. 9And I am not trying to scare you with my letters. 10Some of you are saying, "Paul's letters are harsh and powerful. But in person, he is a weakling and has nothing worth saying." 11Those people had better understand that when I am with you, I will do exactly what I say in my letters. 12We won't dare compare ourselves with those who think so much of themselves. But they are foolish to compare themselves with themselves. 13We won't brag about something we don't have a right to brag about. We will only brag about the work that God has sent us to do, and you are part of that work. 14We are not bragging more than we should. After all, we did bring the message about Christ to you.
    15We don't brag about what others have done, as if we had done those things ourselves. But I hope that as you become stronger in your faith, we will be able to reach many more of the people around you. [b] That has always been our goal. 16Then we will be able to preach the good news in other lands where we cannot take credit for work someone else has already done. 17The Scriptures say, "If you want to brag, then brag about the Lord." 18You may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts is the Lord's approval.
Footnotes:
  1. 2 Corinthians 10:7 You judge by appearances: Or "Take a close look at yourselves."
  2. 2 Corinthians 10:15 we will be able to reach many more of the people around you: Or "you will praise us even more because of our work among you."

Psalm 52:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 52

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. He wrote this when Doeg from Edom went to Saul and said, "David has gone to Ahimelech's house.")
God Is in Control
 1You people may be strong    and brag about your sins,
   but God can be trusted
   day after day.
    2You plan brutal crimes,
   and your lying words cut
   like a sharp razor.
    3You would rather do evil
   than good,
   and tell lies
   than speak the truth.
    4You love to say cruel things,
   and your words are a trap.
    5God will destroy you forever!
   He will grab you and drag you
   from your homes.
   You will be uprooted
   and left to die.
    6When good people see
   this fearsome sight,
   they will laugh and say,
    7"Just look at them now!
   Instead of trusting God,
   they trusted their wealth
   and their cruelty."
    8But I am like an olive tree
   growing in God's house,
   and I can count on his love
   forever and ever.
    9I will always thank God
   for what he has done;
   I will praise his good name
   when his people meet.

Proverbs 22:26-27 (Contemporary English Version)

-3-
 26 Don't guarantee to pay    someone else's debt.
    27If you don't have the money,
   you might lose your bed.



Verse of the Day

 “You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path.” - Psalm 143:10
Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.



Thought for the Day

Clarence Day, an American author, wrote, “Ants are good citizens, they place group interests first.”
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