Bible Readings for December 18, 2019

Today our passages are Habakkuk 1:1–3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; and Proverbs 30:10. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.  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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Habakkuk 1-3:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Habakkuk 1

 ¹I am Habakkuk the prophet. And this is the message ^a] that the LORD gave me.

Habakkuk Complains to the LORD

 ²Our LORD, how long must I beg   for your help
   before you listen?
   How long before you save us
   from all this violence?
    ³Why do you make me watch
   such terrible injustice?
   Why do you allow violence,
   lawlessness,
   crime, and cruelty
   to spread everywhere?
    ⁴Laws cannot be enforced;
   justice is always the loser;
   criminals crowd out honest people
   and twist the laws around.   

The LORD Answers Habakkuk

 ⁵Look and be amazed   at what's happening
   among the nations!
   Even if you were told,
   you would never believe
   what's taking place now.
    ⁶I am sending the Babylonians.
   They are fierce and cruel--
   marching across the land,
   conquering cities and towns.
    ⁷How fearsome and frightening.
   Their only laws and rules
   are the ones they make up.
    ⁸Their cavalry troops are faster
   than leopards,
   more ferocious than wolves
   hunting at sunset,
   and swifter than hungry eagles
   suddenly swooping down.
    ⁹They are eager to destroy, ^b] and they gather captives
   like handfuls of sand.
    ¹⁰They make fun of rulers
   and laugh at fortresses,
   while building dirt mounds
   so they can capture cities. ^c] 11Then suddenly they disappear
   like a gust of wind--
   those sinful people who worship
   their own strength.   

Habakkuk Complains Again

 ¹²Holy LORD God, mighty rock, ^d] you are eternal,   and we ^e] are safe from death. You are using those Babylonians
   to judge and punish others. ^f] 13But you can't stand sin or wrong.
   So don't sit by in silence
   while they gobble down people
   who are better than they are.
    ¹⁴The people you put on this earth
   are like fish or reptiles
   without a leader.
    ¹⁵Then an enemy comes along
   and takes them captive
   with hooks and nets.
   It makes him so happy
    ¹⁶that he offers sacrifices
   to his fishing nets,
   because they make him rich
   and provide choice foods.
    ¹⁷Will he keep hauling in his nets
   and destroying nations
   without showing mercy?
   

Habakkuk 2

The LORD Answers Habakkuk Again

 ¹While standing guard   on the watchtower,
   I waited for the LORD's answer,
   before explaining the reason
   for my complaint. ^g] 2Then the LORD told me:
   "I will give you my message
   in the form of a vision.
   Write it clearly enough
   to be read at a glance.
    ³At the time I have decided,
   my words will come true.
   You can trust what I say
   about the future.
   It may take a long time,
   but keep on waiting--
   it will happen!
    ⁴"I, the LORD, refuse to accept
   anyone who is proud.
   Only those who live by faith
   are acceptable to me." ^h]

Trouble for Evil People

 ⁵Wine ^i] is treacherous, and arrogant people   are never satisfied.
   They are no less greedy
   than death itself--
   they open their mouths as wide
   as the world of the dead
   and swallow everyone.
    ⁶But they will be mocked
   with these words:
   You're doomed!
   You stored up stolen goods
   and cheated others
   of what belonged to them.
    ⁷But without warning,
   those you owe
   will demand payment.
   Then you will become
   a frightened victim.
    ⁸You robbed cities and nations
   everywhere on earth
   and murdered their people.
   Now those who survived
   will be as cruel to you.
    ⁹You're doomed!
   You made your family rich
   at the expense of others.
   You even said to yourself,
   "I'm above the law."
    ¹⁰But you will bring shame
   on your family
   and ruin to yourself
   for what you did to others.
    ¹¹The very stones and wood
   in your home
   will testify against you.
    ¹²You're doomed! You built a city
   on crime and violence.
    ¹³But the LORD All-Powerful
   sends up in flames
   what nations and people
   work so hard to gain.
    ¹⁴Just as water fills the sea,
   the land will be filled
   with people who know
   and honor the LORD.
    ¹⁵You're doomed!
   You get your friends drunk,
   just to see them naked.
    ¹⁶Now you will be disgraced
   instead of praised.
   The LORD will make you drunk,
   and when others see you naked,
   you will lose their respect.
    ¹⁷You destroyed trees and animals
   on Mount Lebanon;
   you were ruthless to towns
   and people everywhere.
   Now you will be terrorized.   

Idolatry Is Foolish

 ¹⁸What is an idol worth?   It's merely a false god.
   Why trust a speechless image
   made from wood or metal
   by human hands?
    ¹⁹What can you learn from idols
   covered with silver or gold?
   They can't even breathe.
   Pity anyone who says to an idol
   of wood or stone,
   "Get up and do something!"
    ²⁰Let all the world be silent--
   the LORD is present
   in his holy temple.
   

Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk's Prayer

 ¹This is my prayer: ^j] 2I know your reputation, LORD,   and I am amazed
   at what you have done.
   Please turn from your anger
   and be merciful;
   do for us what you did
   for our ancestors.
    ³You are the same Holy God
   who came from Teman
   and Paran ^k] to help us. The brightness of your glory
   covered the heavens,
   and your praises were heard
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁴Your glory shone like the sun,
   and light flashed from your hands,
   hiding your mighty power.
    ⁵Dreadful diseases and plagues
   marched in front
   and followed behind.
    ⁶When you stopped,
   the earth shook;
   when you stared,
   nations trembled;
   when you walked
   along your ancient paths,
   eternal mountains and hills
   crumbled and collapsed.
    ⁷The tents of desert tribes
   in Cushan and Midian ^l] were ripped apart.
    ⁸Our LORD, were you angry
   with the monsters
   of the deep? ^m] You attacked in your chariot
   and wiped them out.
    ⁹Your arrows were ready
   and obeyed your commands. ^n] You split the earth apart
   with rivers and streams;
    ¹⁰mountains trembled
   at the sight of you;
   rain poured from the clouds;
   ocean waves roared and rose.
    ¹¹The sun and moon stood still,
   while your arrows and spears
   flashed like lightning.
    ¹²In your furious anger,
   you trampled on nations
    ¹³to rescue your people
   and save your chosen one. ^o] You crushed a nation's ruler
   and stripped his evil kingdom
   of its power. ^p] 14His troops had come like a storm,
   hoping to scatter us
   and glad to gobble us down.
   To them we were refugees
   in hiding--
   but you smashed their heads
   with their own weapons. ^q] 15Then your chariots churned
   the waters of the sea.   

Habakkuk's Response to God's Message

 ¹⁶When I heard this message, ^r] I felt weak from fear,   and my lips quivered.
   My bones seemed to melt,
   and I stumbled around.
   But I will patiently wait.
   Someday those vicious enemies
   will be struck by disaster. ^s]

Trust in a Time of Trouble

 ¹⁷Fig trees may no longer bloom,   or vineyards produce grapes;
   olive trees may be fruitless,
   and harvest time a failure;
   sheep pens may be empty,
   and cattle stalls vacant--
    ¹⁸but I will still celebrate
   because the LORD God
   saves me.
    ¹⁹The LORD gives me strength.
   He makes my feet as sure
   as those of a deer,
   and he helps me stand
   on the mountains. ^t] To the music director:
   Use stringed instruments. 

Footnotes:

1. Habakkuk 1:1 message: Or "vision."
2. Habakkuk 1:9 eager to destroy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Habakkuk 1:10 dirt mounds. . . cities: Attacking armies often build dirt mounds against city walls to make it easier for them to climb the wall and capture the city.
4. Habakkuk 1:12 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has "rock," which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the LORD to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
5. Habakkuk 1:12 we: Hebrew; one ancient Jewish tradition "you."
6. Habakkuk 1:12 You. . . others: Or "You will judge and punish those Babylonians."
7. Habakkuk 2:1 I. . . complaint: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Habakkuk 2:4 Only. . . me: Or "But those who are acceptable to me will live because of their faithfulness."
9. Habakkuk 2:5 Wine: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls "Wealth."
10. Habakkuk 3:1 prayer: The Hebrew text adds "according to the shigionoth," which may mean a prayer of request or a prayer to be accompanied by a special musical instrument.
11. Habakkuk 3:3 Teman. . . Paran: Teman is a district in Edom, but the name is sometimes used of the whole country of Edom; Paran is the hill country along the western border of the Gulf of Aqaba. In Judges 5.4, the LORD is said to have marched from Edom to help his people; in Deuteronomy 33.2, Paran is mentioned in connection with the LORD's appearance at Sinai.
12. Habakkuk 3:7 Cushan and Midian: Tribes of the Arabian desert who were enemies of Israel.
13. Habakkuk 3:8 monsters of the deep: The Hebrew text has "rivers and oceans," which may stand for the powerful monsters that were thought to have lived there before the LORD defeated them.
14. Habakkuk 3:9 obeyed your commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
15. Habakkuk 3:13 chosen one: Or "chosen ones."
16. Habakkuk 3:13 You crushed. . . power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
17. Habakkuk 3:14 but you. . . weapons: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
18. Habakkuk 3:16 heard this message: Or "saw this vision."
19. Habakkuk 3:16 I will. . . disaster: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
20. Habakkuk 3:19 stand on the mountains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Revelation 9:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 9

 ¹When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star ^a] fall from the sky to earth. It was given the key to the tunnel that leads down to the deep pit. ²As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke. ³Locusts ^b] came out of the smoke and covered the earth. They were given the same power that scorpions have. ⁴The locusts were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or any tree. They were to punish only those people who did not have God's mark on their foreheads. ⁵The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion. ⁶In those days people will want to die, but they will not be able to. They will hope for death, but it will escape from them.    ⁷These locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns, and they had human faces. ⁸Their hair was like a woman's long hair, and their teeth were like those of a lion. ⁹On their chests they wore armor made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰Their tails were like a scorpion's tail with a stinger that had the power to hurt someone for five months. ¹¹Their king was the angel in charge of the deep pit. In Hebrew his name was Abaddon, and in Greek it was Apollyon. ^c] 12The first horrible thing has now happened! But wait. Two more horrible things will happen soon.
    ¹³Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice speak from the four corners of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. ¹⁴The voice spoke to this angel and said, "Release the four angels who are tied up beside the great Euphrates River." ¹⁵The four angels had been prepared for this very hour and day and month and year. Now they were set free to kill a third of all people.
    ¹⁶By listening, I could tell there were more than two hundred million of these war horses. ¹⁷In my vision their riders wore fiery-red, dark-blue, and yellow armor on their chests. The heads of the horses looked like lions, with fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. ¹⁸One-third of all people were killed by the three terrible troubles caused by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur. ¹⁹The horses had powerful mouths, and their tails were like poisonous snakes that bite and hurt.
    ²⁰The people who lived through these terrible troubles did not turn away from the idols they had made, and they did not stop worshiping demons. They kept on worshiping idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. Not one of these idols could see, hear, or walk. ²¹No one stopped murdering or practicing witchcraft or being immoral or stealing. 

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 9:1 star: In the ancient world, stars were often thought of as living beings, such as angels.
2. Revelation 9:3 Locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to crops.
3. Revelation 9:11 Abaddon. . . Apollyon: The Hebrew word "Abaddon" and the Greek word "Apollyon" each mean "destruction."

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Psalm 137:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 137

A Prayer for Revenge

 ¹Beside the rivers of Babylon   we thought about Jerusalem,
   and we sat down and cried.
    ²We hung our small harps
   on the willow ^a] trees. ³Our enemies had brought us here
   as their prisoners,
   and now they wanted us to sing
   and entertain them.
   They insulted us and shouted,
   "Sing about Zion!"
    ⁴Here in a foreign land,
   how can we sing
   about the LORD?
    ⁵Jerusalem, if I forget you,
   let my right hand go limp.
    ⁶Let my tongue stick
   to the roof of my mouth,
   if I don't think about you
   above all else.
    ⁷Our LORD, punish the Edomites!
   Because the day Jerusalem fell,
   they shouted,
   "Completely destroy the city!
   Tear down every building!"
    ⁸Babylon, you are doomed!
   I pray the Lord's blessings
   on anyone who punishes you
   for what you did to us.
    ⁹May the Lord bless everyone
   who beats your children
   against the rocks! 

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 137:2 willow: Or " poplar."

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Proverbs 30:10 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁰Don't tell a slave owner
   something bad
   about one
   of the slaves.
   That slave will curse you,
   and you will be in trouble.

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Verse of the Day

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to save his people. Our God has given us a mighty Savior from the family of David his servant. Long ago the Lord promised by the words of his holy prophets” - Luke 1:68-70

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English actress, Celia Johnson wrote, “Don't remember me as too nice or beautiful or funny, because then you'll be disappointed.”

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A Joke for Today

A guy walks into a post office one day to see a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing "Love" stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. He then takes out a perfume bottle and starts spraying scent all over them.

His curiosity getting the better of him, he goes up to the balding man and asks him what he is doing. The man says "I'm sending out 1,000 Valentine cards signed, 'Guess who?'"

"But why?" asks the man.

"I'm a divorce lawyer," the man replies.