Bible Readings for August 4, 2019

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 35:1–36:23; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; Psalm 27:1-6; and Proverbs 20:20-21. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

---

2 Chronicles 35-36:23 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 35

Passover Is Celebrated

(2 Kings 23.21-23)

 ¹Josiah commanded that Passover be celebrated in Jerusalem to honor the LORD. So, on the fourteenth day of the first month, ^[a] the lambs were killed for the Passover celebration.    ²On that day, Josiah made sure the priests knew what duties they were to do in the temple.
   ³He called together the Levites who served the LORD and who taught the people his laws, and he said:
   No longer will you have to carry the sacred chest from place to place. It will stay in the temple built by King Solomon son of David, where you will serve the LORD and his people Israel.
   ⁴Get ready to do the work that David and Solomon assigned to you, according to your clans.
   ⁵Divide yourselves into groups, then arrange yourselves throughout the temple so that each family of worshipers will be able to get help from one of you. ^[b]
   ⁶When the people bring you their Passover lamb, you must kill it and prepare it to be sacrificed to the LORD. Make sure the people celebrate according to the instructions that the LORD gave Moses, and don't do anything to make yourselves unclean and unacceptable.
   ⁷Josiah donated thirty thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand bulls from his own flocks and herds for the people to offer as sacrifices.
   ⁸Josiah's officials also voluntarily gave some of their animals to the people, the priests, and the Levites as sacrifices. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, who were the officials in charge of the temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred sheep and lambs and three hundred bulls to sacrifice during the Passover celebration.
   ⁹Conaniah, his two brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad were leaders of the Levites, and they gave the other Levites five thousand sheep and goats, and five hundred bulls to offer as sacrifices.
   ¹⁰When everything was ready to celebrate Passover, the priests and the Levites stood where Josiah had told them.
   ¹¹Then the Levites killed and skinned the Passover lambs, and they handed some of the blood to the priests, who splattered it on the altar.
   ¹²The Levites set aside the parts of the animal that the worshipers needed for their sacrifices to please the LORD, ^[c]just as the Law of Moses required. They also did the same thing with the bulls.
   ¹³They sacrificed the Passover animals on the altar and boiled the meat for the other offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. Then they quickly handed the meat to the people so they could eat it.
   ¹⁴All day long, the priests were busy offering sacrifices and burning the animals' fat on the altar. And when everyone had finished, the Levites prepared Passover animals for themselves and for the priests.
   ¹⁵During the celebration some of the Levites prepared Passover animals for the musicians and the guards, so that the Levite musicians would not have to leave their places, which had been assigned to them according to the instructions of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's prophet. Even the guards at the temple gates did not have to leave their posts.
   ¹⁶So on that day, Passover was celebrated to honor the LORD, and sacrifices were offered on the altar to him, just as Josiah had commanded.
   ¹⁷The worshipers then celebrated the Festival of Thin Bread for the next seven days.
   ¹⁸People from Jerusalem and from towns all over Judah and Israel were there. Passover had not been observed like this since the days of Samuel the prophet. In fact, this was the greatest Passover celebration in Israel's history!
   ¹⁹All these things happened in the eighteenth year of Josiah's rule in Judah.     

Josiah Dies in Battle

(2 Kings 23.28-30)

 ²⁰Some time later, King Neco of Egypt led his army to the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River. And Josiah led his troops north to meet the Egyptians in battle. ^[d]    ²¹Neco sent the following message to Josiah:
   I'm not attacking you, king of Judah! We're not even at war. But God has told me to quickly attack my enemy. God is on my side, so if you try to stop me, he will punish you.
   ²²But Josiah ignored Neco's warning, even though it came from God! Instead, he disguised himself and marched into battle against Neco in the valley near Megiddo.
   ²³During the battle an Egyptian soldier shot Josiah with an arrow. Josiah told his servants, "Get me out of here! I've been hit."
   ²⁴They carried Josiah out of his chariot, then put him in the other chariot he had there and took him back to Jerusalem, where he soon died. He was buried beside his ancestors, and everyone in Judah and Jerusalem mourned his death.
   ²⁵Jeremiah the prophet wrote a funeral song in honor of Josiah. And since then, anyone in Judah who mourns the death of Josiah sings that song. It is included in the collection of funeral songs.
   ²⁶Everything else Josiah did while he was king, including how he faithfully obeyed the LORD,
   ²⁷is written in The History of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
    

2 Chronicles 36

King Jehoahaz of Judah

(2 Kings 23.30-35)

 ¹After the death of Josiah, the people of Judah crowned his son Jehoahaz their new king.    ²He was twenty-three years old at the time, and he ruled only three months from Jerusalem.
   ³King Neco of Egypt captured Jehoahaz and forced Judah to pay almost four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold as taxes.
   ⁴Then Neco appointed Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He led Jehoahaz away to Egypt as his prisoner.     

King Jehoiakim of Judah

(2 Kings 23.36--24.7)

 ⁵Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he was appointed king, and he ruled eleven years from Jerusalem. Jehoiakim disobeyed the LORD his God by doing evil.    ⁶During Jehoiakim's rule, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia invaded Judah. He arrested Jehoiakim and put him in chains, and he sent him to the capital city of Babylon.
   ⁷Nebuchadnezzar also carried off many of the valuable things in the LORD's temple, and he put them in his palace in Babylon.
   ⁸Everything else Jehoiakim did while he was king, including all the disgusting and evil things, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin then became king.     

King Jehoiachin of Judah

(2 Kings 24.8-17)

 ⁹Jehoiachin was eighteen ^[e] years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled only three months and ten days from Jerusalem. Jehoiachin also disobeyed the LORD by doing evil.    ¹⁰In the spring of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had Jehoiachin arrested and taken to Babylon, along with more of the valuable items in the temple. Then Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king of Judah.     

King Zedekiah of Judah

(2 Kings 24.18-20; Jeremiah 52.1-3)

 ¹¹Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he was appointed king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years.    ¹²He disobeyed the LORD his God and refused to change his ways, even after a warning from Jeremiah, the LORD's prophet.
   ¹³King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had forced Zedekiah to promise in God's name that he would be loyal. Zedekiah was stubborn and refused to turn back to the LORD God of Israel, so he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
   ¹⁴The people of Judah and even the priests who were their leaders became more unfaithful. They followed the disgusting example of the nations around them and made the LORD's holy temple unfit for worship.
   ¹⁵But the LORD God felt sorry for his people, and instead of destroying the temple, he sent prophets who warned the people over and over about their sins.
   ¹⁶But the people only laughed and insulted these prophets. They ignored what the LORD God was trying to tell them, until he finally became so angry that nothing could stop him from punishing Judah and Jerusalem.     

Jerusalem Is Destroyed

(2 Kings 25.1-21; Jeremiah 52.3-30)

 ¹⁷The LORD sent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia to attack Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar killed the young men who were in the temple, and he showed no mercy to anyone, whether man or woman, young or old. God let him kill everyone in the city.    ¹⁸Nebuchadnezzar carried off everything that was left in the temple; he robbed the treasury and the personal storerooms of the king and his officials. He took everything back to Babylon.
   ¹⁹Nebuchadnezzar's troops burned down the temple and destroyed every important building in the city. Then they broke down the city wall.
   ²⁰The survivors were taken to Babylonia as prisoners, where they were slaves of the king and his sons, until Persia became a powerful nation.
   ²¹Judah was an empty desert, and it stayed that way for seventy years, to make up for all the years it was not allowed to rest. ^[f] These things happened just as Jeremiah the LORD's prophet had said. ^[g]     

Cyrus Lets the Jews Return Home

(Ezra 1.1-4)

 ²²In the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia, ^[h] the LORD had Cyrus send a message to all parts of his kingdom. This happened just as Jeremiah the LORD's prophet had promised.    ²³The message said: I am King Cyrus of Persia.
   The LORD God of heaven has made me the ruler of every nation on earth. He has also chosen me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. The LORD God will watch over any of his people who want to go back to Judah.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 35:1 first month: See the note at 29.3.
2. 2 Chronicles 35:5 each family of worshipers. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. 2 Chronicles 35:12 sacrifices to please the LORD: See the note at 1.6.
4. 2 Chronicles 35:20 battle: At this time, King Neco of Egypt (609-595 B.C.) was fighting on the side of the Assyrians. He marched north to fight the Babylonian army and help Assyria keep control of its land. Since Josiah considered Assyria an enemy, he set out to stop Neco and the Egyptian troops.
5. 2 Chronicles 36:9 eighteen: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation (see also 2 Kings 24.8); Hebrew "eight."
6. 2 Chronicles 36:21 rest: According to Leviticus 25.1-7, the land was supposed to rest every seventh year.
7. 2 Chronicles 36:21 Jeremiah. . . said: Jeremiah 25.11,12; 29.10. According to the Law, the people had to allow the land to rest one out of every seven years (see Leviticus 25.1-7).
8. 2 Chronicles 36:22 the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia: Probably 538 B.C., when Cyrus captured Babylonia. He had actually ruled Persia since 549 B.C.

---

1 Corinthians 1:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Corinthians 1

 ¹From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Sosthenes, who is also a follower.     ²To God's church in Corinth. Christ Jesus chose you to be his very own people, and you worship in his name, as we and all others do who call him Lord.
    ³My prayer is that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
    ⁴I never stop thanking my God for being kind enough to give you Christ Jesus, ⁵who helps you speak and understand so well. ⁶Now you are certain that everything we told you about our Lord Christ Jesus is true. ⁷You are not missing out on any blessings, as you wait for him to return. ⁸And until the day Christ does return, he will keep you completely innocent. ⁹God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.     

Taking Sides

 ¹⁰My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don't take sides. Always try to agree in what you think. ¹¹Several people from Chloe's family ^[a] have already reported to me that you keep arguing with each other. ¹²They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while others claim to follow Apollos or Peter ^[b] or Christ. ¹³Has Christ been divided up? Was I nailed to a cross for you? Were you baptized in my name? ¹⁴I thank God ^[c] that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. ¹⁵Not one of you can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶I did baptize the family ^[d] of Stephanas, but I don't remember if I baptized anyone else. ¹⁷Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the good news without using big words that would make the cross of Christ lose its power. 

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 1:11 family: Family members and possibly slaves and others who may have lived in the house.
2. 1 Corinthians 1:12 Peter: The Greek text has "Cephas," which is an Aramaic name meaning "rock." Peter is the Greek name with the same meaning.
3. 1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God: Some manuscripts have "I thank my God."
4. 1 Corinthians 1:16 family: See the note at 1.11.

---

Psalm 27:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 27

(By David.)

A Prayer of Praise

 ¹You, LORD, are the light    that keeps me safe.
   I am not afraid of anyone.
   You protect me,
   and I have no fears.
    ²Brutal people may attack
   and try to kill me,
   but they will stumble.
   Fierce enemies may attack,
   but they will fall.
    ³Armies may surround me,
   but I won't be afraid;
   war may break out,
   but I will trust you.
    ⁴I ask only one thing, LORD:
   Let me live in your house
   every day of my life
   to see how wonderful you are
   and to pray in your temple.
    ⁵In times of trouble,
   you will protect me.
   You will hide me in your tent
   and keep me safe
   on top of a mighty rock. ^[a] ⁶You will let me defeat
   all of my enemies.
   Then I will celebrate,
   as I enter your tent
   with animal sacrifices
   and songs of praise.
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 27:5 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

---

Proverbs 20:20-21 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁰Children who curse their parents
   will go to the land of darkness
   long before their time.
    ²¹Getting rich quick ^[a] may turn out to be a curse.
    

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 20:21 quick: Or " the wrong way."

---

 

Verse of the Day

 

“[The LORD Promises To Give the Land Back to His People]I was still being held prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guards when the LORD told me: I am the LORD, and I created the whole world. Ask me, and I will tell you things that you don't know and can't find out.” - Jeremiah 33:2-3 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

Thought for the Day

American politician who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017, Barack Obama wrote, “A declaration is not a government; a creed is not enough. The Founders recognized that there were seeds of anarchy in the idea of individual freedom, an intoxicating danger in the idea of equality, for if everybody is truly free, without the constraints of birth or rank or an inherited social order — if my notion of faith is no better or worse than yours, and my notions of truth and goodness and beauty are as true and good and beautiful as yours — then how can we ever hope to form a society that coheres? Enlightenment thinkers like Hobbes and Locke suggested that free men would form governments as a bargain to ensure that one man's freedom did not become another man's tyranny; that they would sacrifice individual license to better preserve their liberty.”

---

A Joke for Today

A man dies and goes to heaven when Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates. Peter says, “You need 1000 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all of the good things you’ve done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item. When you reach 1000 points, you get in.”“Okay,” the man says, “I was happily married to the same woman for fifty years and never cheated on her, not even in my mind.”“That’s wonderful,” says Peter, “that’s worth two points!”“Two points?” he says. “Well, I attended church all my life and gave my ten percent tithe faithfully.”“Terrific!” says Peter. “That’s definitely worth a point.”“One point? My goodness! Well, what about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for the homeless?”“Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,” he says.“TWO POINTS!” the man cries. “At this rate the only way I can get into heaven is by the grace of God!”

Bible Readings for August 3, 2018

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 33:14–34:33; Romans 16:8-27; Psalm 26:1-12; and Proverbs 20:19. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

---

2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴Later, Manasseh rebuilt the eastern section of Jerusalem's outer wall and made it taller. This section went from Gihon Valley north to Fish Gate and around the part of the city called Mount Ophel. He also assigned army officers to each of the fortified cities in Judah. ^[a]

   ¹⁵Manasseh also removed the idols and the stone image of the foreign god from the temple, and he gathered the altars he had built near the temple and in other parts of Jerusalem. He threw all these things outside the city.

   ¹⁶Then he repaired the LORD's altar and offered sacrifices to thank him and sacrifices to ask his blessing. ^[b] He gave orders that everyone in Judah must worship the LORD God of Israel.

   ¹⁷The people obeyed Manasseh, but they worshiped the LORD at their own shrines.

   ¹⁸Everything else Manasseh did while he was king, including his prayer to the LORD God and the warnings from his prophets, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.

   ¹⁹Hozai ^[c] wrote a lot about Manasseh, including his prayer and God's answer. But Hozai also recorded the evil things Manasseh did before turning back to God, as well as a list of places where Manasseh set up idols, and where he built local shrines and places to worship Asherah.

   ²⁰Manasseh died and was buried near the palace, and his son Amon became king.   

King Amon of Judah

(2 Kings 21.19-26)

 ²¹Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for two years.

   ²²Amon disobeyed the LORD, just as his father Manasseh had done, and he worshiped and offered sacrifices to the idols his father had made.

   ²³Manasseh had turned back to the LORD, but Amon refused to do that. Instead, he sinned even more than his father.

   ²⁴Some of Amon's officials plotted against him and killed him in his palace.

   ²⁵But the people of Judah killed the murderers of Amon and made his son Josiah king.

   

2 Chronicles 34

King Josiah of Judah

(2 Kings 22.1,2)

 ¹Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled thirty-one years from Jerusalem.

   ²He followed the example of his ancestor David and always obeyed the LORD.   

Josiah Stops the Worship of Foreign Gods

(2 Kings 23.4-20)

 ³When Josiah was only sixteen years old he began worshiping God, just as his ancestor David had done. Then, four years later, he decided to destroy the local shrines ^[d] in Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the sacred poles ^[e] for worshiping the goddess Asherah and the idols of foreign gods.

   ⁴He watched as the altars for the worship of the god Baal were torn down, and as the nearby incense altars were smashed. The Asherah poles, the idols, and the stone images were also smashed, and the pieces were scattered over the graves of their worshipers.

   ⁵Josiah then had the bones of the pagan priests burned on the altars. ^[f] And so Josiah got rid of the worship of foreign gods in Judah and Jerusalem.

   ⁶He did the same things in the towns and ruined villages ^[g] in the territories of West Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as the border of Naphtali.

   ⁷Everywhere in the northern kingdom of Israel, Josiah tore down pagan altars and Asherah poles; he crushed idols to dust and smashed incense altars. Then Josiah went back to Jerusalem.   

Hilkiah Finds The Book of God's Law

(2 Kings 22.3-20)

 ⁸In the eighteenth year of Josiah's rule in Judah, after he had gotten rid of all the sinful things from the land and from the LORD's temple, he sent three of his officials to repair the temple. They were Shaphan son of Azaliah, Governor Maaseiah of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, who kept the government records.

   ⁹These three men went to Hilkiah the high priest. They gave him the money that the Levite guards had collected from the people of West Manasseh, Ephraim, and the rest of Israel, as well as those living in Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem.

   ¹⁰Then the money was turned over to the men who supervised the repairs to the temple. They used some of it to pay the workers,

   ¹¹and they gave the rest of it to the carpenters and builders, who used it to buy the stone and wood they needed to repair the other buildings that Judah's kings had not taken care of.

   ¹²The workers were honest, and their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah from the Levite clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Levite clan of Kohath. Other Levites, who were all skilled musicians,

   ¹³were in charge of carrying supplies and supervising the workers. Other Levites were appointed to stand guard around the temple.

   ¹⁴While the money was being given to these supervisors, Hilkiah found the book that contained the laws that the LORD had given to Moses.

   ¹⁵Hilkiah handed the book to Shaphan the official and said, "Look what I found here in the temple--The Book of God's Law."

   ¹⁶Shaphan took the book to Josiah and reported, "Your officials are doing everything you wanted.

   ¹⁷They have collected the money from the temple and have given it to the men supervising the repairs.

   ¹⁸But there's something else, Your Majesty. The priest Hilkiah gave me this book." Then Shaphan read it aloud.

   ¹⁹When Josiah heard what was in The Book of God's Law, he tore his clothes in sorrow.

   ²⁰At once he called together Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, ^[h] and his own servant Asaiah. He said,

   ²¹"The LORD must be furious with me and everyone else in Israel and Judah, because our ancestors did not obey the laws written in this book. Go find out what the LORD wants us to do."

   ²²Hilkiah and the four other men left right away and went to talk with Huldah the prophet. Her husband was Shallum, ^[i] who was in charge of the king's clothes. Huldah lived in the northern part of Jerusalem, and when they met in her home,

   ²³she said: You were sent here by King Josiah, and this is what the LORD God of Israel says to him:

   ²⁴"Josiah, I am the LORD! And I intend to punish this country and everyone in it, just as this book says.

   ²⁵The people of Judah and Israel have rejected me. They have offered sacrifices to foreign gods and have worshiped their own idols. I can't stand it any longer. I am furious.

   ^26-27"Josiah, listen to what I am going to do. I noticed how sad you were when you heard that this country and its people would be completely wiped out. You even tore your clothes in sorrow, and I heard you cry.

   ²⁸So before I destroy this place, I will let you die in peace."

   The men left and reported to Josiah what Huldah had said.   

Josiah Reads The Book of God's Law

(2 Kings 23.1-3)

 ²⁹King Josiah called together the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.

   ³⁰Then he went to the LORD's temple, together with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites.

   Finally, when everybody was there, he read aloud The Book of God's Law ^[j] that had been found in the temple.

   ³¹After Josiah had finished reading, he stood in the place reserved for the king. He promised in the LORD's name to faithfully obey the LORD and to follow his laws and teachings that were written in the book.

   ³²Then he asked the people of Jerusalem and Benjamin to make that same promise and to obey the God their ancestors had worshiped.

   ³³Josiah destroyed all the idols in the territories of Israel, and he commanded everyone in Israel to worship only the LORD God. The people did not turn away from the LORD God of their ancestors for the rest of Josiah's rule as king.

   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 33:14 fortified cities in Judah: At this time, Judah was under the control of Assyria. The fortifications mentioned in this verse may have been done under orders from Assyrian officials, hoping to strengthen their southern border against the rising power of Egypt.
2. 2 Chronicles 33:16 sacrifices to ask his blessing: See the note at 29.33.
3. 2 Chronicles 33:19 Hozai: Or "The prophets."
4. 2 Chronicles 34:3 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
5. 2 Chronicles 34:3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.
6. 2 Chronicles 34:5 the bones of the pagan priests burned on the altars: This made the altars unclean, so that they could not be used in worshiping any god.
7. 2 Chronicles 34:6 ruined villages: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. 2 Chronicles 34:20 Abdon son of Micah: Also called "Achbor son of Micaiah" (see 2 Kings 22.12).
9. 2 Chronicles 34:22 Shallum: Hebrew "Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah."
10. 2 Chronicles 34:30 The Book of God's Law: The Hebrew text has "The Book of God's Agreement," which is the same as "The Book of God's Law" in verses 15 and 19. In traditional translations this is called "The Book of the Covenant."

---

Romans 16:8-27 (Contemporary English Version)

⁸Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend whose faith is in the Lord.

    ⁹Greet Urbanus, who serves Christ along with us.

   Greet my dear friend Stachys.

    ¹⁰Greet Apelles, a faithful servant of Christ.

   Greet Aristobulus and his family.

    ¹¹Greet Herodion, who is a relative ^[a] of mine. Greet Narcissus and the others in his family, who have faith in the Lord.

    ¹²Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord.

   Greet my dear friend Persis. She also works hard for the Lord.

    ¹³Greet Rufus, that special servant of the Lord, and greet his mother, who has been like a mother to me.

    ¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas, as well as our friends who are with them.

    ¹⁵Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all of God's people who are with them.

    ¹⁶Be sure to give each other a warm greeting.

   All of Christ's churches greet you.

    ¹⁷My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! ¹⁸They want to serve themselves and not Christ the Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don't know any better. ¹⁹I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil. ²⁰Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet. I pray that our Lord Jesus will be kind to you.

    ²¹Timothy, who works with me, sends his greetings, and so do my relatives, ^[b] Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater. ²²I, Tertius, also send my greetings. I am a follower of the Lord, and I wrote this letter. ^[c] ^23-24Gaius welcomes me and the whole church into his home, and he sends his greetings.

   Erastus, the city treasurer, and our dear friend Quartus send their greetings too. ^[d]

Paul's Closing Prayer

 ²⁵Praise God! He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about ^[e] Jesus Christ. For ages and ages this message was kept secret, ²⁶but now at last it has been told. The eternal God commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith. ²⁷And now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen. ^[f]

Footnotes:

1. Romans 16:11 relative(s): See the note at verse 7.
2. Romans 16:21 relative(s): See the note at verse 7.
3. Romans 16:22 I wrote this letter: Paul probably dictated this letter to Tertius.
4. Romans 16:23 send their greetings too: Some manuscripts add, " I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will always be kind to you. Amen."
5. Romans 16:25 about: Or " from."
6. Romans 16:27 Amen: Some manuscripts have verses 25-27 after 14.23. Others have the verses here and after 14.23, and one manuscript has them after 15.33.

---

Psalm 26:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 26

(By David.)

The Prayer of an Innocent Person

 ¹Show that I am right, LORD!

   I stay true to myself,

   and I have trusted you

   without doubting.

    ²Test my thoughts and find out

   what I am like.

    ³I never forget your kindness,

   and I am always faithful

   to you. ^[a] ⁴I don't spend my time

   with worthless liars

    ⁵or go with evil crowds.

    ⁶I wash my hands, LORD,

   to show my innocence,

   and I worship at your altar,

    ⁷while gratefully singing

   about your wonders.

    ⁸I love the temple

   where you live,

   and where

   your glory shines.

    ⁹Don't sweep me away,

   as you do sinners.

   Don't punish me with death

   as you do those people

   who are brutal

    ¹⁰or full of meanness

   or who bribe others.

    ¹¹I stay true to myself.

   Be kind and rescue me.

    ¹²Now I stand on solid ground!

   And when your people meet,

   I will praise you, LORD.

   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 26:3 I am. . . to you: Or " I trust your faithfulness."

---

Proverbs 20:19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹Stay away from gossips--

   they tell everything.

---

Verse of the Day

“But the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” - 1 Samuel 16:7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

Thought for the Day

British Conservative Party statesman who dominated the government of the United Kingdom between the world wars, serving as Prime Minister on three occasions, Stanley Baldwin wrote, “I am not struck so much by the diversity of testimony as by the many-sidedness of truth.”

---

A Joke for Today

A man and woman were having marriage problems, and decided to end their union after a very short time together. After a most brief attempt to reconcile, the couple went to court to finalize their break-up.

The judge asked the husband, “What has brought you to this point, where you are not able to keep this marriage together?”

The husband said, “In the six weeks we've been together, we haven't been able to agree on one thing.”

The wife said, “Seven weeks.”

Bible Readings for August 2, 2019

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 32:1–33:13; Romans 15:23–16:7; Psalm 25:16-22; and Proverbs 20:16-18. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

---

2 Chronicles 32-33:13 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 32

King Sennacherib of Assyria Invades Judah

(2 Kings 18.13-37; Isaiah 36.1-22)

 ¹After King Hezekiah had faithfully obeyed the LORD's instructions by doing these things, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He attacked the fortified cities and thought he would capture every one of them.    ²As soon as Hezekiah learned that Sennacherib was planning to attack Jerusalem,
   ^3-4he and his officials worked out a plan to cut off the supply of water outside the city, so that the Assyrians would have no water when they came to attack. The officials got together a large work force that stopped up the springs and streams near Jerusalem.
   ⁵Hezekiah also had workers repair the broken sections of the city wall. Then they built defense towers and an outer wall to help protect the one already there. The landfill on the east side of David's City was also strengthened.
   He gave orders to make a large supply of weapons and shields,
   ⁶and he appointed army commanders over the troops. Then he gathered the troops together in the open area in front of the city gate and said to them:
   ⁷Be brave and confident! There's no reason to be afraid of King Sennacherib and his powerful army. We are much more powerful,
   ⁸because the LORD our God fights on our side. The Assyrians must rely on human power alone.
   These words encouraged the army of Judah.
   ⁹When Sennacherib and his troops were camped at the town of Lachish, he sent a message to Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem. It said:
   ¹⁰I am King Sennacherib of Assyria, and I have Jerusalem surrounded. Do you think you can survive my attack?
   ¹¹Hezekiah your king is telling you that the LORD your God will save you from me. But he is lying, and you'll die of hunger and thirst.
   ¹²Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the LORD's altars and places of worship? ^[a] And didn't he tell you people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
   ¹³You've heard what my ancestors and I have done to other nations. Were the gods of those nations able to defend their land against us?
   ¹⁴None of those gods kept their people safe from the kings of Assyria. Do you really think your God can do any better?
   ¹⁵Don't be fooled by Hezekiah! No god of any nation has ever been able to stand up to Assyria. Believe me, your God cannot keep you safe!
   ¹⁶The Assyrian officials said terrible things about the LORD God and his servant Hezekiah.
   ¹⁷Sennacherib's letter even made fun of the LORD. It said, "The gods of other nations could not save their people from Assyria's army, and neither will the God that Hezekiah worships."
   ¹⁸The officials said all these things in Hebrew, so that everyone listening from the city wall would understand and be terrified and surrender.
   ¹⁹The officials talked about the LORD God as if he were nothing but an ordinary god or an idol that someone had made.     

The Death of King Sennacherib

(2 Kings 19.14-19,35-37; Isaiah 37.14-20; 37.36-38)

 ²⁰Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz asked the LORD for help,    ²¹and he sent an angel that killed every soldier and commander in the Assyrian camp.
   Sennacherib returned to Assyria, completely disgraced. Then one day he went into the temple of his god where some of his sons killed him.
   ²²The LORD rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and also protected them from other enemies.
   ²³People brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and expensive gifts for Hezekiah, and from that day on, every nation on earth respected Hezekiah.     

Hezekiah Gets Sick and Almost Dies

(2 Kings 20.1-11; Isaiah 38.1-8)

 ²⁴About this same time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. He prayed, and the LORD gave him a sign that he would recover.    ²⁵But Hezekiah was so proud that he refused to thank the LORD for everything he had done for him. This made the LORD angry, and he punished Hezekiah and the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
   ²⁶Hezekiah and the people later felt sorry and asked the LORD to forgive them. So the LORD did not punish them as long as Hezekiah was king.     

Hezekiah's Wealth

(2 Kings 20.12-19; Isaiah 39.1-8)

 ²⁷Hezekiah was very rich, and everyone respected him. He built special rooms to store the silver, the gold, the precious stones and spices, the shields, and the other valuable possessions.    ²⁸Storehouses were also built for his supply of grain, wine, and olive oil; barns were built for his cattle, and pens were put up for his sheep.
   ²⁹God made Hezekiah extremely rich, so he bought even more sheep, goats, and cattle. And he built towns where he could keep all these animals.
   ³⁰It was Hezekiah who built a tunnel that carried the water from Gihon Spring into the city of Jerusalem. In fact, everything he did was successful!
   ³¹Even when the leaders of Babylonia sent messengers to ask Hezekiah about the sign God had given him, God let Hezekiah give his own answer to test him and to see if he would remain faithful.   

Hezekiah Dies

(2 Kings 20.20,21)

 ³²Everything else Hezekiah did while he was king, including how faithful he was to the LORD, is included in the records kept by Isaiah the prophet. These are written in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel.    ³³When Hezekiah died, he was buried in the section of the royal tombs that was reserved for the most respected kings, ^[b] and everyone in Judah and Jerusalem honored him. His son Manasseh then became king.
    

2 Chronicles 33

King Manasseh of Judah

(2 Kings 21.1-9,17,18)

 ¹Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled fifty-five years from Jerusalem.   ²Manasseh disobeyed the LORD by following the disgusting customs of the nations that the LORD had forced out of Israel.
   ³He rebuilt the local shrines ^[c] that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He built altars for the god Baal and set up sacred poles ^[d] for worshiping the goddess Asherah. And he faithfully worshiped the stars in the sky.
   ⁴In the temple, where only the LORD was supposed to be worshiped, Manasseh built altars for pagan gods
   ⁵and for the stars. He placed these altars in both courtyards of the temple
   ^6-7and even set up a stone image of a foreign god. Manasseh practiced magic and witchcraft; he asked fortunetellers for advice and sacrificed his own sons in Hinnom Valley. He did many other sinful things and made the LORD very angry.
   Years ago, God had told David and Solomon:
   Jerusalem is the place I prefer above all others in Israel. It belongs to me, and there in the temple I will be worshiped forever.
   ⁸If my people will faithfully obey all the laws and teaching I gave to my servant Moses, I will never again force them to leave the land I gave to their ancestors.
   ⁹But the people of Judah and Jerusalem listened to Manasseh and did even more sinful things than the nations the LORD had wiped out.
   ¹⁰The LORD tried to warn Manasseh and the people about their sins, but they ignored the warning.
   ¹¹So he let Assyrian army commanders invade Judah and capture Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose and tied him up in chains, and they took him to Babylon.
   ¹²While Manasseh was held captive there, he asked the LORD God to forgive him and to help him.
   ¹³The LORD listened to Manasseh's prayer and saw how sorry he was, and so he let him go back to Jerusalem and rule as king. Manasseh knew from then on that the LORD was God.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 32:12 worship: Hezekiah actually had torn down the places where idols were worshiped, and he had told the people to worship the LORD at the one place of worship in Jerusalem. But the Assyrian leader was confused and thought these were also places where the LORD was supposed to be worshiped.
2. 2 Chronicles 32:33 in the section. . . reserved for the most respected kings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. 2 Chronicles 33:3 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
4. 2 Chronicles 33:3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.

---

Romans 15:23-16:7 (Contemporary English Version)

²³Now there is nothing left for me to do in this part of the world, and for years I have wanted to visit you. ²⁴So I plan to stop off on my way to Spain. Then after a short, but refreshing, visit with you, I hope you will quickly send me on.
    ^25-26I am now on my way to Jerusalem to deliver the money that the Lord's followers in Macedonia and Achaia collected for God's needy people. ²⁷This is something they really wanted to do. But sharing their money with the Jews was also like paying back a debt, because the Jews had already shared their spiritual blessings with the Gentiles. ²⁸After I have safely delivered this money, I will visit you and then go on to Spain. ²⁹And when I do arrive in Rome, I know it will be with the full blessings of Christ.
    ³⁰My friends, by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit, I beg you to pray sincerely with me and for me. ³¹Pray that God will protect me from the unbelievers in Judea, and that his people in Jerusalem will be pleased with what I am doing. ³²Ask God to let me come to you and have a pleasant and refreshing visit. ³³I pray that God, who gives peace, will be with all of you. Amen.
    

Romans 16

Personal Greetings

 ¹I have good things to say about Phoebe, who is a leader in the church at Cenchreae. ²Welcome her in a way that is proper for someone who has faith in the Lord and is one of God's own people. Help her in any way you can. After all, she has proved to be a respected leader for many others, including me.     ³Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. They have not only served Christ Jesus together with me, ⁴but they have even risked their lives for me. I am grateful for them and so are all the Gentile churches. ⁵Greet the church that meets in their home.
   Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first person in Asia to have faith in Christ.
    ⁶Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you.
    ⁷Greet my relatives ^[a] Andronicus and Junias, ^[b] who were in jail with me. They are highly respected by the apostles and were followers of Christ before I was. 

Footnotes:

1. Romans 16:7 relatives: Or "Jewish friends."
2. Romans 16:7 Junias: Or "Junia." Some manuscripts have "Julia."

---

Psalm 25:16-22 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶I am lonely and troubled.
   Show that you care
   and have pity on me.
    ¹⁷My awful worries keep growing.
   Rescue me from sadness.
    ¹⁸See my troubles and misery
   and forgive my sins.
    ¹⁹Look at all my enemies!
   See how much they hate me.
    ²⁰I come to you for shelter.
   Protect me, keep me safe,
   and don't disappoint me.
    ²¹I obey you with all my heart,
   and I trust you, knowing
   that you will save me.
    ²²Our God, please save Israel
   from all of its troubles. 

---

Proverbs 20:16-18 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶You deserve to lose your coat
   if you loan it to someone
   to guarantee payment
   for the debt of a stranger.
    ¹⁷The food you get by cheating
   may taste delicious,
   but it turns to gravel.
    ¹⁸Be sure you have sound advice
   before making plans
   or starting a war. 

---

Verse of the Day

“Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it.” - James 1:22 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

Thought for the Day

American writer noted for his many novels, especially those set in Italy, and for his classic weird and fantastic stories, Francis Marion Crawford wrote, “To expect defeat is nine-tenths of defeat itself.”

---

A Joke for Today

A pig and a chicken were walking by a church where a gala charity event was taking place. Getting caught up in the spirit, the pig suggested to the chicken that they each make a contribution.

"Great idea!" the chicken cried. "Let's offer them ham and eggs?"

"Not so fast," said the pig testily. "For you, that's a contribution. For me, it's a total commitment."