Bible Readings for October 24, 2019

Today our passages are Jeremiah 44:24–47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22–3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; and Proverbs 26:6-8. 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.

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Jeremiah 44:24-47:7 (Contemporary English Version)

^24-25Then I told the men and their wives, that the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, had said:
   Here in Egypt you still keep your promises to burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to the so-called Queen of Heaven. ²⁶Keep these promises! But let me tell you what will happen. As surely as I am the LORD God, I swear that I will never again accept any promises you make in my name. ²⁷Instead of watching over you, I will watch for chances to harm you. Some of you will die in war, and others will starve to death. ²⁸Only a few will escape and return to Judah. Then everyone who went to live in Egypt will know that when I say something will happen, it will--no matter what you say.
    ²⁹And here is how you will know that I will keep my threats to punish you in Egypt. ³⁰I will hand over King Hophra of Egypt to those who want to kill him, ^a] just as I handed Zedekiah ^b] over to Nebuchadnezzar, ^c] who wanted to kill him.

Jeremiah 45

The LORD Will Not Let Baruch Be Killed

 ¹In the fourth year that Jehoiakim ^d] was king of Judah, Baruch wrote down everything I had told him. ^e] 2Then later, the LORD God of Israel told me to say to Baruch: ³You are moaning and blaming me, the LORD, for your troubles and sorrow, and for being so tired that you can't even rest. ⁴But all over the earth I am tearing down what I built and pulling up what I planted. ⁵I am bringing disaster everywhere, so don't even think about making any big plans for yourself. However, I promise that wherever you go, I will at least protect you from death. I, the LORD, have spoken.   

Jeremiah 46

The LORD Speaks about the Nations

 ¹The LORD often told me what to say about the different nations of the world.   

What the LORD Says about Egypt

 ²In the fourth year that Jehoiakim ^f] was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar ^g]of Babylonia defeated King Neco of Egypt ^h] in a battle at the city of Carchemish near the Euphrates River. And here is what the LORD told me to say about the Egyptian army: ³It's time to go into battle!   So grab your shields,
    ⁴saddle your horses,
   and polish your spears.
   Put on your helmets and armor,
   then take your positions.
    ⁵I can see the battle now--
   you are defeated
   and running away,
   never once looking back.
   Terror is all around.
    ⁶You are strong and run fast,
   but you can't escape.
   You fall in battle
   near the Euphrates River.
    ⁷What nation is this,
   that rises
   like the Nile River
   overflowing its banks?
    ⁸It is Egypt, rising with a roar
   like a raging river
   and saying,
   "I'll flood the earth,
   destroying cities,
   and killing
   everyone in them."
    ⁹Go ahead, Egypt.
   Tell your chariots and cavalry
   to attack and fight hard.
   Order your troops to march out,
   with Ethiopians ^i] and Libyans carrying shields,
   and the Lydians ^j] armed with bows and arrows.
    ¹⁰But the LORD All-Powerful
   will win this battle
   and take revenge
   on his enemies.
   His sword will eat them
   and drink their blood
   until it is full.
   They will be killed in the north
   near the Euphrates River,
   as a sacrifice to the LORD.
    ¹¹Egypt, no medicine can heal you,
   not even the soothing lotion
   from Gilead.
    ¹²All nations have heard you weep;
   you are disgraced,
   and they know it.
   Your troops fall to the ground,
   stumbling over each other.   

A Warning for Egypt

 ^13-14When King Nebuchadnezzar ^k] of Babylonia was on his way to attack Egypt, the LORD sent me with a warning for every Egyptian town, but especially for Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. He said to tell them: Prepare to defend yourselves!   Everywhere in your nation,
   people are dying in war.
    ¹⁵I have struck down
   your mighty god Apis ^l] and chased him away. ^m] 16Your soldiers stumble
   over each other
   and say, "Get up!
   The enemy will kill us,
   unless we can escape
   to our own land."
    ¹⁷Give the king of Egypt
   this new name,
   "Talks-Big-Does-Nothing."
    ¹⁸Egypt, I am the true king,
   the LORD All-Powerful,
   and as surely as I live,
   those enemies who attack
   will tower over you
   like Mount Tabor among the hills
   or Mount Carmel by the sea.
    ¹⁹You will be led away captive,
   so pack a few things
   to bring with you.
   Your capital, Memphis,
   will lie empty and in ruins.
    ²⁰An enemy from the north
   will attack you, beautiful Egypt,
   like a fly biting a cow.
    ²¹The foreign soldiers you hired
   will turn and run.
   But they are doomed,
   like well-fed calves
   being led to the butcher.
    ²²The enemy army will go forward
   like a swarm of locusts. ^n] Your troops will feel helpless,
   like a snake in a forest
    ²³when men with axes
   start chopping down trees.
   It can only hiss
   and try to escape.
    ²⁴Your people will be disgraced
   and captured by the enemy
   from the north.
    ²⁵I am the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel. Soon I will punish the god Amon of Thebes ^o] and the other Egyptian gods, the Egyptian kings, the people of Egypt, and everyone who trusts in the Egyptian power. ²⁶I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar and his army. But I also promise that Egypt will someday have people living here again, just as it had before. I, the LORD, have spoken.   

The LORD Will Bring Israel Home

The LORD said:

 ²⁷Israel, ^p] don't be afraid. Someday I will bring you home   from foreign lands.
   You and your descendants
   will live in peace and safety,
   with nothing to fear.
    ²⁸So don't be afraid,
   even though now
   you deserve to be punished
   and have been scattered
   among other nations.
   But when I destroy them,
   I will protect you.
   I, the LORD, have spoken.
   

Jeremiah 47

What the LORD Says about the Philistines

 ¹Before the king of Egypt attacked the town of Gaza, ^q] the LORD told me to say to the Philistines: ²I, the LORD, tell you   that your land will be flooded
   with an army from the north.
   It will destroy your towns
   and sweep you away,
   moaning and screaming.
    ³When you hear the thunder
   of horses and chariots,
   your courage will vanish,
   and parents will abandon
   their own children.
    ⁴You refugees from Crete, ^r] your time has now come,
   and I will destroy you.
   None of you will be left
   to help the cities
   of Tyre and Sidon.
    ⁵The Anakim who survive ^s] in Gaza and Ashkelon
   will mourn for you
   by shaving their heads
   and sitting in silence.
    ⁶You ask how long will I continue
   to attack you with my sword,
   then you tell me to put it away
   and leave you alone.
    ⁷But how can my sword rest,
   when I have commanded it
   to attack Ashkelon
   and the seacoast? 

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 44:30 King Hophra. . . kill him: Hophra, also known as Apries, ruled Egypt from 589 to 570 B.C., when he was killed by Ahmosis II, who then became king of Egypt and ruled until 526 B.C.
2. Jeremiah 44:30 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
3. Jeremiah 44:30 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
4. Jeremiah 45:1 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
5. Jeremiah 45:1 Baruch wrote down everything I had told him: See 36.1-32.
6. Jeremiah 46:2 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3.
7. Jeremiah 46:2 King Nebuchadnezzar: Ruled 605-562 B.C. At the time of the battle in 605 B.C., he was crown prince, but his father died a few months later, and he became king.
8. Jeremiah 46:2 King Neco of Egypt: Neco II, ruled 609-594 B.C.
9. Jeremiah 46:9 Ethiopians: See the note at 38.7,8.
10. Jeremiah 46:9 Lydians: Probably hired soldiers from Lydia, an area in west-central Asia minor.
11. Jeremiah 46:13 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
12. Jeremiah 46:15 Apis: A sacred bull, kept in a temple at Memphis, Egypt, and worshiped as a god.
13. Jeremiah 46:15 I have. . . him away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
14. Jeremiah 46:22 locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to plant life.
15. Jeremiah 46:25 the god Amon of Thebes: Amon was the king of the Egyptian gods and was the special god of the Egyptian kings.
16. Jeremiah 46:27 Israel: See the note at 30.10,11.
17. Jeremiah 47:1 attacked the town of Gaza: One of the major Philistine towns; nothing is known about this attack.
18. Jeremiah 47:4 Crete: Hebrew "Caphtor," another name for Crete, the original homeland of the ancestor of the Philistines.
19. Jeremiah 47:5 Anakim who survive: One ancient translation; Hebrew "people in the valley who survive." The Anakim may have been a group of very large people that lived in Palestine before the Israelites (see Numbers 13.33; Deuteronomy 2.10,11,20,21; and Joshua 11.21,22).

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2 Timothy 2:22-3:17 (Contemporary English Version)

²²Run from temptations that capture young people. Always do the right thing. Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with. Worship with people whose hearts are pure. ²³Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments. These only lead to trouble, ²⁴and God's servants must not be troublemakers. They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient.
    ²⁵Be humble when you correct people who oppose you. Maybe God will lead them to turn to him and learn the truth. ²⁶They have been trapped by the devil, and he makes them obey him, but God may help them escape.
   

2 Timothy 3

What People Will Be Like in the Last Days

 ¹You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very hard times. ²People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, ³heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything that is good. ⁴They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. ⁵Even though they will make a show of being religious, their religion won't be real. Don't have anything to do with such people.    ⁶Some men fool whole families, just to get power over those women who are slaves of sin and are controlled by all sorts of desires. ⁷These women always want to learn something new, but they never can discover the truth. ⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres ^a] opposed Moses, these people are enemies of the truth. Their minds are sick, and their faith isn't real. ⁹But they won't get very far with their foolishness. Soon everyone will know the truth about them, just as Jannes and Jambres were found out.

Paul's Last Instructions to Timothy

 ¹⁰Timothy, you know what I teach and how I live. You know what I want to do and what I believe. You have seen how patient and loving I am, and how in the past I put up with ¹¹trouble and suffering in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. Yet the Lord rescued me from all those terrible troubles. ¹²Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. ¹³But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves.    ¹⁴Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. ¹⁵Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. ¹⁶Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. ¹⁷The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds. 

Footnotes:

1. 2 Timothy 3:8 Jannes and Jambres: These names are not found in the Old Testament. But many believe these were the names of the two Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses when he wanted to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt (see Exodus 7.11,22).

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Psalm 94:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 94

The LORD Punishes the Guilty

 ¹LORD God, you punish   the guilty.
   Show what you are like
   and punish them now.
    ²You judge the earth.
   Come and help us!
   Pay back those proud people
   for what they have done.
    ³How long will the wicked
   celebrate and be glad?
    ⁴All of those cruel people
   strut and boast,
    ⁵and they crush and wound
   your chosen nation, LORD.
    ⁶They murder widows,
   foreigners, and orphans.
    ⁷Then they say,
   "The LORD God of Jacob
   doesn't see or know."
    ⁸Can't you fools see?
   Won't you ever learn?
    ⁹God gave us ears and eyes!
   Can't he hear and see?
    ¹⁰God instructs the nations
   and gives knowledge to us all.
   Won't he also correct us?
    ¹¹The LORD knows how useless
   our plans really are.
    ¹²Our LORD, you bless everyone
   that you instruct and teach
   by using your Law.
    ¹³You give them rest
   from their troubles,
   until a pit can be dug
   for the wicked.
    ¹⁴You won't turn your back
   on your chosen nation.
    ¹⁵Justice and fairness
   will go hand in hand,
   and all who do right
   will follow along.
    ¹⁶Who will stand up for me
   against those cruel people?
    ¹⁷If you had not helped me, LORD,
   I would soon have gone
   to the land of silence. ^a] 18When I felt my feet slipping,
   you came with your love
   and kept me steady.
    ¹⁹And when I was burdened
   with worries,
   you comforted me
   and made me feel secure.
    ²⁰But you are opposed
   to dishonest lawmakers
    ²¹who gang up to murder
   innocent victims.
    ²²You, LORD God, are my fortress,
   that mighty rock ^b] where I am safe.
    ²³You will pay back my enemies,
   and you will wipe them out
   for the evil they did. 

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 94:17 land of silence: The grave or the world of the dead.
2. Psalm 94:22 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 26:6-8 (Contemporary English Version)

⁶Sending a message by a fool
   is like chopping off your foot
   and drinking poison.
    ⁷A fool with words of wisdom
   is like an athlete
   with legs that can't move. ^a] 8Are you going to honor a fool?
   Why not shoot a slingshot
   with the rock tied tight? 

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 26:7 with. . . move: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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 Verse of the Day

 

“Respect and obey the LORD! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God.” - Proverbs 9:10

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American journalist, editor, freelance writer, and teacher of writing, Brenda Ueland wrote, “It is so conceited and timid to be ashamed of one's mistakes. Of course they are mistakes. Go on to the next.”

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A Joke for Today

So when Len's 21st birthday came around, he and his pal Corky took a boat out to the middle of the lake. Len stepped out of the boat and nearly drowned!

Corky just managed to pull him to safety. Furious and confused, Len went to see his grandmother. "Grandma, it's my 21st birthday, so why can't I walk across the lake, like my father, his father, and his father before him?"

Granny looked Len straight in the eyes, and said, "Because, you idiot, your father, grandfather and great grandfather was born in January, you were born in July."