Today our passages are Joshua 7:16–9:2; Luke 16:1-18; Psalm 82:1-8; and Proverbs 13:2-3. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.
Joshua 7:16-9:2 (Contemporary English Version)
16Joshua got up early the next morning and brought each tribe to the place of worship, where the LORD showed that the Judah tribe was guilty. 17Then Joshua brought the clans of Judah to the LORD, and the LORD showed that the Zerah clan was guilty. One by one he brought the leader of each family in the Zerah clan to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Zabdi's family was guilty. 18Finally, Joshua brought each man in Zabdi's family to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Achan was the guilty one.
19" Achan," Joshua said, " the LORD God of Israel has decided that you are guilty. Is this true? Tell me what you did, and don't try to hide anything."
20" It's true," Achan answered. " I sinned and disobeyed the LORD God of Israel. 21-22While we were in Jericho, I saw a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred pieces of silver, and a gold bar that weighed the same as fifty pieces of gold. I wanted them for myself, so I took them. I dug a hole under my tent and hid the silver, the gold, and the robe."
Joshua had some people run to Achan's tent, where they found the silver, the gold, and the robe. 23They brought them back and put them in front of the sacred chest, so Joshua and the rest of the Israelites could see them. 24Then everyone took Achan and the things he had stolen to Trouble Valley. [a] They also took along his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, and sheep, his tent, and everything else that belonged to him. 25Joshua said, " Achan, you caused us a lot of trouble. Now the LORD is paying you back with the same kind of trouble."
The people of Israel then stoned to death Achan and his family. They made a fire and burned the bodies, together with what Achan had stolen, and all his possessions. 26They covered the remains with a big pile of rocks, which is still there. Then the LORD stopped being angry with Israel.
That's how the place came to be called Trouble Valley.
3-4Joshua quickly got the army ready to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best soldiers and gave them these orders:
Tonight, while it is dark, march to Ai and take up a position behind the town. Get as close to the town as you can without being seen, but be ready to attack.
5-6The rest of the army will come with me and attack near the gate. When the people of Ai come out to fight, we'll run away and let them chase us. They will think we are running from them just like the first time. But when we've let them chase us far enough away, 7you come out of hiding. The LORD our God will help you capture the town. 8Then set it on fire, as the LORD has told us to do. Those are your orders, 9now go!
The thirty thousand soldiers went to a place on the west side of Ai, between Ai and Bethel, where they could hide and wait to attack.
That night, Joshua stayed in camp with the rest of the army. 10Early the next morning he got his troops ready to move out, and he and the other leaders of Israel led them to Ai. 11They set up camp in full view of the town, across the valley to the north. 12Joshua had already sent five thousand soldiers to the west side of the town to hide and wait to attack. 13Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley. [b] 14-15The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them toward the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan valley as Joshua had planned.
The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town. 16-17So he called out every man in Ai to go after Joshua's troops. They all rushed out to chase the Israelite army, and they left the town gates wide open. Not one man was left in Ai or in Bethel. [c] Joshua let the men of Ai chase him and his army farther and farther away from Ai. 18Finally, the LORD told Joshua, " Point your sword [d] at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!" As soon as Joshua pointed his sword at the town, 19the soldiers who had been hiding got up and ran into the town. They captured it and set it on fire.
20-21When Joshua and his troops saw smoke rising from the town, they knew that the other part of their army had captured it. So they turned and attacked.
The men of Ai looked back and saw smoke rising from their town. But they could not escape, because the soldiers they had been chasing had suddenly turned and started fighting. 22-24Meanwhile, the other Israelite soldiers had come from the town and attacked the men of Ai from the rear. The Israelites captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. They also chased the rest of the men of Ai into the desert and killed them. [e] The Israelite army went back to Ai and killed everyone there. 25-26Joshua kept his sword pointed at the town of Ai until every last one of Ai's twelve thousand people was dead. 27But the Israelites took the animals and the other possessions of the people of Ai, because this was what the LORD had told Joshua to do.
28-29Joshua made sure every building in Ai was burned to the ground. He told his men to kill the king of Ai and hang his body on a tree. Then at sunset he told the Israelites to take down the body, [f] throw it in the gateway of the town, and cover it with a big pile of rocks. Those rocks are still there, and the town itself has never been rebuilt.
3The manager said to himself, "What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. 4I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job."
5Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my master?"
6"A hundred barrels of olive oil," the man answered.
So the manager said, "Take your bill and sit down and quickly write `fifty'."
7The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, "How much do you owe?"
"A thousand bushels [a] of wheat," the man replied. The manager said, "Take your bill and write `eight hundred'."
8The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well. That's how it is! The people of this world look out for themselves better than the people who belong to the light.
9My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves. Then when it is gone, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. 10Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. 11If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? 13You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.
16Until the time of John the Baptist, people had to obey the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets. [b] But since God's kingdom has been preached, everyone is trying hard to get in. 17Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter of the Law does. 18It is a terrible sin [c] for a man to divorce his wife and marry another woman. It is also a terrible sin for a man to marry a divorced woman.
and says:
2"How long will you
keep judging unfairly
and favoring evil people?
3Be fair to the poor
and to orphans.
Defend the helpless
and everyone in need.
4Rescue the weak and homeless
from the powerful hands
of heartless people.
5"None of you know
or understand a thing.
You live in darkness,
while the foundations
of the earth tremble. [b] 6"I, the Most High God, say
that all of you are gods [c] and also my own children.
7But you will die,
just like everyone else,
including powerful rulers."
8Do something, God!
Judge the nations of the earth;
they belong to you.
19" Achan," Joshua said, " the LORD God of Israel has decided that you are guilty. Is this true? Tell me what you did, and don't try to hide anything."
20" It's true," Achan answered. " I sinned and disobeyed the LORD God of Israel. 21-22While we were in Jericho, I saw a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred pieces of silver, and a gold bar that weighed the same as fifty pieces of gold. I wanted them for myself, so I took them. I dug a hole under my tent and hid the silver, the gold, and the robe."
Joshua had some people run to Achan's tent, where they found the silver, the gold, and the robe. 23They brought them back and put them in front of the sacred chest, so Joshua and the rest of the Israelites could see them. 24Then everyone took Achan and the things he had stolen to Trouble Valley. [a] They also took along his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, and sheep, his tent, and everything else that belonged to him. 25Joshua said, " Achan, you caused us a lot of trouble. Now the LORD is paying you back with the same kind of trouble."
The people of Israel then stoned to death Achan and his family. They made a fire and burned the bodies, together with what Achan had stolen, and all his possessions. 26They covered the remains with a big pile of rocks, which is still there. Then the LORD stopped being angry with Israel.
That's how the place came to be called Trouble Valley.
Joshua 8
Israel Destroys the Town of Ai
1-2The LORD told Joshua: Don't be afraid, and don't be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai. Take the army and attack again. But first, have part of the army set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want.3-4Joshua quickly got the army ready to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best soldiers and gave them these orders:
Tonight, while it is dark, march to Ai and take up a position behind the town. Get as close to the town as you can without being seen, but be ready to attack.
5-6The rest of the army will come with me and attack near the gate. When the people of Ai come out to fight, we'll run away and let them chase us. They will think we are running from them just like the first time. But when we've let them chase us far enough away, 7you come out of hiding. The LORD our God will help you capture the town. 8Then set it on fire, as the LORD has told us to do. Those are your orders, 9now go!
The thirty thousand soldiers went to a place on the west side of Ai, between Ai and Bethel, where they could hide and wait to attack.
That night, Joshua stayed in camp with the rest of the army. 10Early the next morning he got his troops ready to move out, and he and the other leaders of Israel led them to Ai. 11They set up camp in full view of the town, across the valley to the north. 12Joshua had already sent five thousand soldiers to the west side of the town to hide and wait to attack. 13Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley. [b] 14-15The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them toward the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan valley as Joshua had planned.
The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town. 16-17So he called out every man in Ai to go after Joshua's troops. They all rushed out to chase the Israelite army, and they left the town gates wide open. Not one man was left in Ai or in Bethel. [c] Joshua let the men of Ai chase him and his army farther and farther away from Ai. 18Finally, the LORD told Joshua, " Point your sword [d] at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!" As soon as Joshua pointed his sword at the town, 19the soldiers who had been hiding got up and ran into the town. They captured it and set it on fire.
20-21When Joshua and his troops saw smoke rising from the town, they knew that the other part of their army had captured it. So they turned and attacked.
The men of Ai looked back and saw smoke rising from their town. But they could not escape, because the soldiers they had been chasing had suddenly turned and started fighting. 22-24Meanwhile, the other Israelite soldiers had come from the town and attacked the men of Ai from the rear. The Israelites captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. They also chased the rest of the men of Ai into the desert and killed them. [e] The Israelite army went back to Ai and killed everyone there. 25-26Joshua kept his sword pointed at the town of Ai until every last one of Ai's twelve thousand people was dead. 27But the Israelites took the animals and the other possessions of the people of Ai, because this was what the LORD had told Joshua to do.
28-29Joshua made sure every building in Ai was burned to the ground. He told his men to kill the king of Ai and hang his body on a tree. Then at sunset he told the Israelites to take down the body, [f] throw it in the gateway of the town, and cover it with a big pile of rocks. Those rocks are still there, and the town itself has never been rebuilt.
Joshua Reads the Blessings and Curses
(Deuteronomy 27.1-26)
30-32One day, Joshua led the people of Israel to Mount Ebal, where he told some of his men, " Build an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD. And use stones that have never been cut with iron tools, [g] because that is what Moses taught in The Book of the Law." [h] Joshua offered sacrifices to please the LORD [i] and to ask his blessing. [j] Then with the Israelites still watching, he copied parts of The Book of the Law [k] of Moses onto stones. 33-35Moses had said that everyone in Israel was to go to the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where they were to be blessed. So everyone went there, including the foreigners, the leaders, officials, and judges. Half of the people stood on one side of the valley, and half on the other side, with the priests from the Levi tribe standing in the middle with the sacred chest. Then in a loud voice, Joshua read the blessings and curses from The Book of the Law [l] of Moses. [m]Joshua 9
The People of Gibeon Trick the Leaders of Israel
1-2The kings west of the Jordan River heard about Joshua's victories, and so they got together and decided to attack Joshua and Israel. These kings were from the hill country and from the foothills to the west, as well as from the Mediterranean seacoast as far north as the Lebanon Mountains. Some of them were Hittites, others were Amorites or Canaanites, and still others were Perizzites, Hivites, or Jebusites.
Footnotes:
- Joshua 7:24 Trouble Valley: Or " Achor Valley."
- Joshua 8:13 valley: This may refer either to the Jordan River valley or to the valley between the Israelite camp and Ai.
- Joshua 8:16 Ai or in Bethel: Hebrew; one ancient translation " Ai."
- Joshua 8:18 sword: Or " spear."
- Joshua 8:22 Joshua. They also chased. . . them: Or " Joshua. The men of Ai had chased the Israelites into the desert, but the Israelites killed them there."
- Joshua 8:28 take down the body: See Deuteronomy 21.22,23.
- Joshua 8:30 use stones. . . iron tools: See Exodus 20.25.
- Joshua 8:30 taught. . . Law: Or " commanded. . . Teachings."
- Joshua 8:30 sacrifices to please the LORD: These sacrifices have been traditionally called " whole burnt offerings" because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called " sacrifices to please the LORD."
- Joshua 8:30 to ask his blessing: These sacrifices have traditionally been called " peace offerings," or " offerings of well-being." A main purpose was to ask for the LORD's blessing, and so in the CEV they are often called " sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing."
- Joshua 8:30 Law: Or " Teachings."
- Joshua 8:33 the blessings. . . Moses: Or " all of The Book of the Law of Moses, including the blessings and the
- Joshua 8:33 zcurses."
Luke 16:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)
Luke 16
A Dishonest Manager
1Jesus said to his disciples: A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting money. 2So the rich man called him in and said, "What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done! You are no longer going to work for me."3The manager said to himself, "What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. 4I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job."
5Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my master?"
6"A hundred barrels of olive oil," the man answered.
So the manager said, "Take your bill and sit down and quickly write `fifty'."
7The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, "How much do you owe?"
"A thousand bushels [a] of wheat," the man replied. The manager said, "Take your bill and write `eight hundred'."
8The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well. That's how it is! The people of this world look out for themselves better than the people who belong to the light.
9My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves. Then when it is gone, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. 10Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. 11If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? 13You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Some Sayings of Jesus
(Matthew 11.12,13; 5.31,32; Mark 10.11,12)
14The Pharisees really loved money. So when they heard what Jesus said, they made fun of him. 15But Jesus told them: You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.16Until the time of John the Baptist, people had to obey the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets. [b] But since God's kingdom has been preached, everyone is trying hard to get in. 17Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter of the Law does. 18It is a terrible sin [c] for a man to divorce his wife and marry another woman. It is also a terrible sin for a man to marry a divorced woman.
Footnotes:
- Luke 16:7 A thousand bushels: The Greek text has " A hundred measures," and each measure is about ten or twelve bushels.
- Luke 16:16 the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
- Luke 16:18 a terrible sin: The Greek text uses a word that means the sin of being unfaithful in marriage.
Psalm 82:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 82
(A psalm by Asaph.)
Please Do Something, God!
1When all of the other gods [a] have come together, the Lord God judges themand says:
2"How long will you
keep judging unfairly
and favoring evil people?
3Be fair to the poor
and to orphans.
Defend the helpless
and everyone in need.
4Rescue the weak and homeless
from the powerful hands
of heartless people.
5"None of you know
or understand a thing.
You live in darkness,
while the foundations
of the earth tremble. [b] 6"I, the Most High God, say
that all of you are gods [c] and also my own children.
7But you will die,
just like everyone else,
including powerful rulers."
8Do something, God!
Judge the nations of the earth;
they belong to you.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 82:1 the other gods: This probably refers to the gods of the nations that God defeated, but it could refer to God's servants (angels) in heaven or even to human rulers.
- Psalm 82:5 foundations. . . tremble: In ancient times it was believed that the earth was flat and supported by columns.
- Psalm 82:6 all of you are gods: See the note at 82.1.
Proverbs 13:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)
2You will be well rewarded
for saying something kind,
but all some people think about
is how to be cruel and mean.
3Keep what you know to yourself,
and you will be safe;
talk too much,
and you are done for.
Verse of the Day
“Then Jesus said to all the people: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.” - Luke 9:23-24
Thought for the Day
for saying something kind,
but all some people think about
is how to be cruel and mean.
3Keep what you know to yourself,
and you will be safe;
talk too much,
and you are done for.
Verse of the Day
“Then Jesus said to all the people: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.” - Luke 9:23-24
Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.
Thought for the DayAmerican photographer known for her botanical photography, nudes, and industrial landscapes, Imogen Cunningham wrote, “I was poor. When you're poor you work, and when you're rich you expect somebody to hand it to you. So I think being reasonably poor is very good for people.”
A Joke for Today
A guy named Bob receives a free ticket to the Superbowl from his company.Unfortunately, when Bob arrives at the stadium he realizes the seat is in the last row in the corner of the stadium -- he is closer to the Goodyear Blimp than the field.
About halfway through the first quarter, Bob notices an empty seat 10 rows off the field right on the 50 yard line. He decides to take a chance and makes his way through the stadium and around the security guards to the empty seat.
As he sits down, he asks the gentleman sitting next to him, "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" The man says no.
Now, very excited to be in such a great seat for the game, Bob again inquires of the man next to him, "This is incredible! Who in their right mind would have a seat like this at the Superbowl and not use it?"
The man replies, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me, I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Superbowl we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967."
"Well, that's really sad," says Bob, "but still, couldn't you find someone to take the seat? A relative or a close friend?"
"No," the man replies, "they're all at the funeral."
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