Bible Readings for December 22, 2019

Today our passages are Today our passages are Zechariah 2:1–3:10; Revelation 13:1b-18; Psalm 141:1-10; and Proverbs 30:18-20. 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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Zechariah 2-3:10 (Contemporary English Version)

Zechariah 2

Third Vision: A Measuring Line

 ¹This time I saw someone holding a measuring line, ²and I asked, "Where are you going?"   "To measure Jerusalem," was the answer. "To find out how wide and long it is."
    ³The angel who had spoken to me was leaving, when another angel came up to him ⁴and said, "Hurry! Tell that man with the measuring line that Jerusalem won't have any boundaries. It will be too full of people and animals even to have a wall. ⁵The LORD himself has promised to be a protective wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem, and he will be its shining glory in the heart of the city." 

A Call to Action

 ⁶The LORD says to his people, "Run! Escape from the land in the north, where I scattered you to the four winds. ⁷Leave Babylonia and hurry back to Zion."    ⁸Then the glorious LORD All-Powerful ordered me to say to the nations that had raided and robbed Zion:
   Zion is as precious to the LORD as are his eyes. Whatever you do to Zion, you do to him. ⁹And so, he will put you in the power of your slaves, and they will raid and rob you. Then you will know that I am a prophet of the LORD All-Powerful.
    ¹⁰City of Zion, sing and celebrate! The LORD has promised to come and live with you. ¹¹When he does, many nations will turn to him and become his people. At that time you will know that I am a prophet of the LORD All-Powerful. ¹²Then Judah will be his part of the holy land, and Jerusalem will again be his chosen city.
    ¹³Everyone, be silent!
   The LORD is present
   and moving about
   in his holy place.
   

Zechariah 3

Fourth Vision: Joshua and Satan

 ¹I was given another vision. This time Joshua the high priest was standing in front of the LORD's angel. And there was Satan, standing at Joshua's right side, ready to accuse him. ²But the LORD said, "Satan, you are wrong. Jerusalem is my chosen city, and this man was rescued like a stick from a flaming fire."    ³Joshua's clothes were filthy. ⁴So the angel told some of the people to remove Joshua's filthy clothes. Then he said to Joshua, "This means you are forgiven. Now I will dress you in priestly clothes."
    ⁵I spoke up and said, "Also put a clean priestly turban on his head." Then they dressed him in priestly clothes and put the turban on him, while the LORD's angel stood there watching.
    ⁶After this, the angel encouraged Joshua by telling him that the LORD All-Powerful had promised:
    ⁷If you truly obey me, I will put you in charge of my temple, including the courtyard around it, and you will be allowed to speak at any time with the angels standing beside me. ^a] 8Listen carefully, High Priest Joshua and all of you other priests. You are a sign of things to come, because I am going to bring back my servant, the Chosen King. ^b] 9Joshua, I have placed in front of you a stone with seven sides. I will engrave something on that stone, and in a single day I will forgive this guilty country. ¹⁰Then each of you will live at peace and entertain your friends in your own vineyard and under your own fig trees. 

Footnotes:

1. Zechariah 3:7 with the angels. . . me: Or "with me." The angels are members of God's Council, who stand beside the throne of God in heaven and are allowed to speak with him and for him.
2. Zechariah 3:8 Chosen King: The Hebrew text has "Sprout" or "Branch," a term used of royalty (see Isaiah 11.1).

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Revelation 13:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 13

The Two Beasts

 ¹I looked and saw a beast coming up from the sea. This one had ten horns and seven heads, and a crown was on each of its ten horns. On each of its heads were names that were an insult to God. ²The beast that I saw had the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. The dragon handed over its own power and throne and great authority to this beast. ³One of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but now it was well. Everyone on earth marveled at this beast, ⁴and they worshiped the dragon who had given its authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, "No one is like this beast! No one can fight against it."    ⁵The beast was allowed to brag and claim to be God, and for forty-two months it was allowed to rule. ⁶The beast cursed God, and it cursed the name of God. It even cursed the place where God lives, as well as everyone who lives in heaven with God. ⁷It was allowed to fight against God's people and defeat them. It was also given authority over the people of every tribe, nation, language, and race. ⁸The beast was worshiped by everyone whose name wasn't written before the time of creation in the book of the Lamb who was killed. ^a] 9If you have ears,
   then listen!
    ¹⁰If you are doomed
   to be captured,
   you will be captured.
   If you are doomed
   to be killed by a sword,
   you will be killed
   by a sword.
   This means that God's people must learn to endure and be faithful!
    ¹¹I now saw another beast. This one came out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. ¹²It worked for the beast whose fatal wound had been healed. And it used all its authority to force the earth and its people to worship that beast. ¹³It worked mighty miracles, and while people watched, it even made fire come down from the sky.
    ¹⁴This second beast fooled people on earth by working miracles for the first one. Then it talked them into making an idol in the form of the beast that did not die after being wounded by a sword. ¹⁵It was allowed to put breath into the idol, so that it could speak. Everyone who refused to worship the idol of the beast was put to death. ¹⁶All people were forced to put a mark on their right hand or forehead. Whether they were powerful or weak, rich or poor, free people or slaves, ¹⁷they all had to have this mark, or else they could not buy or sell anything. This mark stood for the name of the beast and for the number of its name.
    ¹⁸You need wisdom to understand the number of the beast! But if you are smart enough, you can figure this out. Its number is six hundred sixty-six, and it stands for a person. 

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 13:8 wasn't written. . . was killed: Or "not written in the book of the Lamb who was killed before the time of creation."

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Psalm 141:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 141

(A psalm by David.)

A Prayer for the LORD's Protection

 ¹I pray to you, LORD!   Please listen when I pray
   and hurry to help me.
    ²Think of my prayer
   as sweet-smelling incense,
   and think of my lifted hands
   as an evening sacrifice.
    ³Help me to guard my words
   whenever I say something.
    ⁴Don't let me want to do evil
   or waste my time doing wrong
   with wicked people.
   Don't let me even taste
   the good things they offer.
    ⁵Let your faithful people
   correct and punish me.
   My prayers condemn the deeds
   of those who do wrong,
   so don't let me be friends
   with any of them.
    ⁶Everyone will admit
   that I was right
   when their rulers are thrown
   down a rocky cliff,
    ⁷and their bones lie scattered
   like broken rocks
   on top of a grave. ^a] 8You are my LORD and God,
   and I look to you for safety.
   Don't let me be harmed.
    ⁹Protect me from the traps
   of those violent people,
    ¹⁰and make them fall
   into their own traps
   while you help me escape.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 141:7 Let. . . grave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 5-7.

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Proverbs 30:18-20 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸There are three or four things
   I cannot understand:
    ¹⁹How eagles fly so high
   or snakes crawl on rocks,
   how ships sail the ocean
   or people fall in love.
    ²⁰An unfaithful wife says,
   "Sleeping with another man
   is as natural as eating."

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Verse of the Day

“[The Shepherds]That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:8-11

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American poet, translator and critical essayist, Kenneth Rexroth wrote, “You don't become a saint until you lead a good life whether in Tibet or Italy or America.”

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A Joke for Today

A teacher cast one of her students as the innkeeper for the Christmas pageant. All the third grader had to do was tell Joseph, “There is no room at the inn.”

But during the performance—after Joseph begged for a room for his pregnant wife—the boy didn’t have the heart to turn him down.

“Well,” he said, “if it’s so urgent, come on in.”