Bible Readings for March 26, 2015

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 5:1–6:25; Luke 7:1–35; Psalm 68:19-35; and Proverbs 11:29-31. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Deuteronomy 5-6:25 (Contemporary English Version)

Deuteronomy 5

The Ten Commandments

(Exodus 20.1-17)

 ¹Moses called together the people of Israel and said:    Today I am telling you the laws and teachings that you must follow, so listen carefully. ²The LORD our God made an agreement with our nation at Mount Sinai. ^{[a] 3}That agreement wasn't only with ^[b] our ancestors but with us, who are here today. ⁴The LORD himself spoke to you out of the fire, ⁵but you were afraid of the fire and refused to go up the mountain. So I spoke with the LORD for you, then I told you that he had said: ⁶I am the LORD your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.
    ⁷Do not worship any god except me.
    ⁸Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. ⁹Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the LORD your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me and worship idols, I will punish your families for three or four generations. ¹⁰But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.
    ¹¹Do not misuse my name. ^[c] I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. ¹²Show respect for the Sabbath Day--it belongs to me. ¹³You have six days when you can do your work, ¹⁴but the seventh day of the week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day--not you, your children, your oxen or donkeys or any other animal, not even those foreigners who live in your towns. And don't make your slaves do any work. ¹⁵This special day of rest will remind you that I reached out my mighty arm and rescued you from slavery in Egypt.
    ¹⁶Respect your father and mother, and you will live a long and successful life in the land I am giving you.
    ¹⁷Do not murder.
    ¹⁸Be faithful in marriage.
    ¹⁹Do not steal.
    ²⁰Do not tell lies about others.
    ²¹Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don't want anyone's wife or husband, house, land, slaves, oxen, donkeys, or anything else.
    ²²When we were gathered on the mountain, the LORD spoke to us in a loud voice from the dark fiery cloud. The LORD gave us these commands, and only these. Then he wrote them on two flat stones and gave them to me.
   Moses said to Israel:
   

The People Were Afraid

(Exodus 20.18-21)

 ²³When fire blazed from the mountain, and you heard the voice coming from the darkness, your tribal leaders came to me ²⁴and said:    Today the LORD our God has shown us how powerful and glorious he is. He spoke to us from the fire, and we learned that people can live, even though God speaks to them. ²⁵But we don't want to take a chance on being killed by that terrible fire, and if we keep on hearing the LORD's voice, we will die. ²⁶Has anyone else ever heard the only true God speaking from fire, as we have? And even if they have, would they live to tell about it? ²⁷Moses, go up close and listen to the LORD. Then come back and tell us, and we will do everything he says.
    ²⁸The LORD heard you and said:
   Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve. ²⁹I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.
    ³⁰Now, tell them to return to their tents, ³¹but you come back here to me. After I tell you my laws and teachings, you will repeat them to the people, so they can obey these laws in the land I am giving them.
   

Moses said:

 ³²Israel, you must carefully obey the LORD's commands. ³³Follow them, because they make a path that will lead to a long successful life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.    

Deuteronomy 6

The Most Important Commandment

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹The LORD told me to give you these laws and teachings, ^[d] so you can obey them in the land he is giving you. Soon you will cross the Jordan River and take that land. ²And if you and your descendants want to live a long time, you must always worship the LORD and obey his laws. ³Pay attention, Israel! Our ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he promised to give us this land that is rich with milk and honey. Be careful to obey him, and you will become a successful and powerful nation. ⁴Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God! ^{[e] 5}So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. ⁶Memorize his laws ⁷and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. ⁸Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. ⁹Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.

Worship Only the LORD

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁰The LORD promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you this land. Now he will take you there and give you large towns, with good buildings that you didn't build, ¹¹and houses full of good things that you didn't put there. The LORD will give you wells ^[f] that you didn't have to dig, and vineyards and olive orchards that you didn't have to plant. But when you have eaten so much that you can't eat any more, ¹²don't forget it was the LORD who set you free from slavery and brought you out of Egypt. ¹³Worship and obey the LORD your God with fear and trembling, and promise that you will be loyal to him. ¹⁴Don't have anything to do with gods that are worshiped by the nations around you. ¹⁵If you worship other gods, the LORD will be furious and wipe you off the face of the earth. The LORD your God is with you, ¹⁶so don't try to make him prove that he can help you, as you did at Massah. ^{[g] 17}Always obey the laws that the LORD has given you ^18-19and live in a way that pleases him. Then you will be able to go in and take this good land from your enemies, just as he promised your ancestors. ²⁰Someday your children will ask, " Why did the LORD give us these laws and teachings?"     ²¹Then you will answer:
   We were slaves of the king of Egypt, but the LORD used his great power and set us free. ²²We saw him perform miracles and make horrible things happen to the king, his officials, and everyone else. ²³The LORD rescued us from Egypt, so he could bring us into this land, as he had promised our ancestors. ^24-25That's why the LORD our God demands that we obey his laws and worship him with fear and trembling. And if we do, he will protect us and help us be successful.
   Moses said:
   

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 5:2 Mount Sinai: See the note at 1.1-5.
2. Deuteronomy 5:3 wasn't only with: Hebrew " wasn't with."
3. Deuteronomy 5:11 misuse my name: Probably includes breaking promises, telling lies after swearing to tell the truth, using the LORD's name as a curse word or a magic formula, and trying to control the LORD by using his name.
4. Deuteronomy 6:1 these laws and teachings: Or " the following commandment with its laws and teachings" (see 6.4,5).
5. Deuteronomy 6:4 The LORD. . . true God: Or " Only the LORD is our God."
6. Deuteronomy 6:11 wells: Cisterns cut into the rock to collect rainwater.
7. Deuteronomy 6:16 Massah: See Exodus 17.1-7; Numbers 20.2-13.

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Luke 7:1-35 (Contemporary English Version)

Luke 7

Jesus Heals an Army Officer's Servant

(Matthew 8.5-13; John 4.43-54)

 ¹After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he went to Capernaum. ²In that town an army officer's servant was sick and about to die. The officer liked this servant very much. ³And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish leaders to ask him to come and heal the servant.     ⁴The leaders went to Jesus and begged him to do something. They said, "This man deserves your help! ⁵He loves our nation and even built us a meeting place." ⁶So Jesus went with them.
   When Jesus wasn't far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, "Lord, don't go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. ⁷And I am certainly not worthy to come to you. Just say the word, and my servant will get well. ⁸I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, `Go!' and he goes. I can say to another, `Come!' and he comes. I can say to my servant, `Do this!' and he will do it."
    ⁹When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, "In all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!"
    ¹⁰The officer's friends returned and found the servant well.
   

A Widow's Son

 ¹¹Soon Jesus and his disciples were on their way to the town of Nain, and a big crowd was going along with them. ¹²As they came near the gate of the town, they saw people carrying out the body of a widow's only son. Many people from the town were walking along with her.     ¹³When the Lord saw the woman, he felt sorry for her and said, "Don't cry!"
    ¹⁴Jesus went over and touched the stretcher on which the people were carrying the dead boy. They stopped, and Jesus said, "Young man, get up!" ¹⁵The boy sat up and began to speak. Jesus then gave him back to his mother.
    ¹⁶Everyone was frightened and praised God. They said, "A great prophet is here with us! God has come to his people."
    ¹⁷News about Jesus spread all over Judea and everywhere else in that part of the country.
   

John the Baptist

(Matthew 11.1-19)

 ^18-19John's followers told John everything that was being said about Jesus. So he sent two of them to ask the Lord, "Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?"     ²⁰When these messengers came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, `Are you the one we should be looking for? Or are we supposed to wait for someone else?' "
    ²¹At that time Jesus was healing many people who were sick or in pain or were troubled by evil spirits, and he was giving sight to a lot of blind people. ²²Jesus said to the messengers sent by John, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People who have leprosy ^[a] are being healed, and the deaf can now hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. ²³God will bless everyone who doesn't reject me because of what I do." ²⁴After John's messengers had gone, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John:
   What kind of person did you go out to the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? ²⁵What kind of man did you really go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who wear expensive clothes and live in luxury are in the king's palace. ²⁶What then did you go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was! I tell you that he was more than a prophet. ²⁷In the Scriptures, God calls John his messenger and says, "I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you." ²⁸No one ever born on this earth is greater than John. But whoever is least important in God's kingdom is greater than John.
    ²⁹Everyone had been listening to John. Even the tax collectors ^[b] had obeyed God and had done what was right by letting John baptize them. ³⁰But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law of Moses refused to obey God and be baptized by John. ³¹Jesus went on to say:
   What are you people like? What kind of people are you? ³²You are like children sitting in the market and shouting to each other,
   "We played the flute,
   but you would not dance!
   We sang a funeral song,
   but you would not cry!"
    ³³John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, "John has a demon in him!" ³⁴But because the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, you say, "Jesus eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners." ³⁵Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what its followers do.
   

Footnotes:

1. Luke 7:22 leprosy: See the note at 4.27.
2. Luke 7:29 tax collectors: See the note at 3.12.

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Psalm 68:19-35 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹We praise you, Lord God!
   You treat us with kindness
   day after day,
   and you rescue us.
    ²⁰You always protect us
   and save us from death.
    ²¹Our Lord and our God,
   your terrible enemies
   are ready for war, ^[a] but you will crush
   their skulls.
    ²²You promised to bring them
   from Bashan
   and from the deepest sea.
    ²³Then we could stomp
   on their blood,
   and our dogs could chew
   on their bones.
    ²⁴We have seen crowds marching
   to your place of worship,
   our God and King.
    ²⁵The singers come first,
   and then the musicians,
   surrounded by young women
   playing tambourines.
    ²⁶They come shouting,
   "People of Israel,
   praise the LORD God!"
    ²⁷The small tribe of Benjamin
   leads the way,
   followed by the leaders
   from Judah.
   Then come the leaders
   from Zebulun and Naphtali.
    ²⁸Our God, show your strength!
   Show us once again.
    ²⁹Then kings will bring gifts
   to your temple
   in Jerusalem. ^{[b] 30}Punish that animal
   that lives in the swamp! ^[c] Punish that nation
   whose leaders and people
   are like wild bulls.
   Make them come crawling
   with gifts of silver.
   Scatter those nations
   that enjoy making war. ^{[d] 31}Force the Egyptians to bring
   gifts of bronze;
   make the Ethiopians ^[e] hurry to offer presents. ^{[f] 32}Now sing praises to God!
   Every kingdom on earth,
   sing to the Lord!
    ³³Praise the one who rides
   across the ancient skies;
   listen as he speaks
   with a mighty voice.
    ³⁴Tell about God's power!
   He is honored in Israel,
   and he rules the skies.
    ³⁵The God of Israel is fearsome
   in his temple,
   and he makes us strong.
   Let's praise our God!
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 68:21 are ready for war: The Hebrew text has " have long hair," which probably refers to the ancient custom of wearing long hair on special occasions, such as a " holy war."
2. Psalm 68:29 Our God. . . Jerusalem: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 28,29.
3. Psalm 68:30 animal. . . swamp: Probably Egypt.
4. Psalm 68:30 war: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.
5. Psalm 68:31 the Ethiopians: The Hebrew text has " the people of Cush," which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
6. Psalm 68:31 presents: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 31.

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Proverbs 11:29-31 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁹Fools who cause trouble
   in the family
   won't inherit a thing.
   They will end up as slaves
   of someone with good sense.
    ³⁰Live right, and you will eat
   from the life-giving tree.
   And if you act wisely,
   others will follow. ^{[a] 31}If good people are rewarded ^[b] here on this earth,
   all who are cruel and mean
   will surely be punished.
   

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 11:30 act. . . follow: Hebrew; one ancient translation " but violence leads to death."
2. Proverbs 11:31 rewarded: Or " punished."

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Verse of the Day

 

“and he has blessed you. Not only do you have faith in Christ, but you suffer for him.” - Philippians 1:29

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Jewish-Hungarian mathematician, Paul Erdos wrote, “It is not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You should also have an open mind at the right time.”