Bible Readings for November 15, 2015

Today our passages are Ezekiel 31:1–32:32; Hebrews 12:14-29; Psalm 113:1–114:8; and Proverbs 27:18-20. 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. 

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Ezekiel 31-32:32 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 31

Egypt's King Will Be Chopped Down like a Cedar Tree

 ¹Eleven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the LORD spoke to me on the first day of the third month.^a] He said: ²Ezekiel, son of man, tell the king of Egypt and his people that I am saying:

   You are more powerful

   than anyone on earth.

   Now listen to this.

    ³There was once a cedar tree

   in Lebanon

   with large, strong branches

   reaching to the sky. ^b] 4This tree had plenty of water

   to help it grow tall,

   and nearby streams watered

   the other trees

   in the forest.

    ⁵But this tree towered over

   those other trees,

   and its branches

   grew long and thick.

    ⁶Birds built nests

   in its branches,

   and animals were born

   beneath it.

   People from all nations

   lived in the shade

   of this strong tree.

    ⁷It had beautiful,

   long branches,

   and its roots found water

   deep in the soil.

    ⁸None of the cedar trees

   in my garden of Eden

   were as beautiful

   as this tree;

   no tree of any kind

   had such long branches.

    ⁹I, the LORD, gave this tree

   its beauty,

   and I helped the branches

   grow strong.

   All other trees in Eden

   wanted to be just like it.

    ¹⁰King of Egypt, now listen to what I, the LORD God, am saying about that tree:

   The tree grew so tall that it reached the sky ^c] and became very proud and arrogant. ¹¹So I, the LORD God, will reject the tree and hand it over to a foreign ruler, who will punish it for its wickedness. ¹²Cruel foreigners will chop it down and leave it wherever it falls. Branches and broken limbs will be scattered over the mountains and in the valleys. The people living in the shade of those branches will go somewhere else. ¹³Birds will then nest on the stump of the fallen tree, and wild animals will trample its branches. ¹⁴Never again will any tree dare to grow as tall as this tree, no matter how much water it has. Every tree must die, just as humans die and go down to the world of the dead.

    ¹⁵On the day this tree dies and goes to the world below, I, the LORD God, will command rivers and streams to mourn its death. Every underground spring of water and every river will stop flowing. ^d] The mountains in Lebanon will be covered with darkness as a sign of their sorrow, and all the trees in the forest will wither. ¹⁶This tree will crash to the ground, and I will send it to the world below. Then the nations of the earth will tremble. The trees from Eden and the choice trees from Lebanon are now in the world of the dead, and they will be comforted when this tree falls. ¹⁷Those people who found protection in its shade will also be sent to the world below, where they will join the dead. ^e] 18King of Egypt, all these things will happen to you and your people! You were like this tree at one time--taller and stronger than anyone on earth. But now you will be chopped down, just as every tree in the garden of Eden must die. You will be sent down to the world of the dead, where you will join the godless and the other victims of violent death. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

   

Ezekiel 32

A Funeral Song for the King of Egypt

 ¹Twelve years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the LORD spoke to me on the first day of the twelfth month. ^f] He said: ²Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the king of Egypt and tell him I am saying:

   You act like a lion

   roaming the earth;

   but you are nothing more than

   a crocodile in a river,

   churning up muddy water

   with your feet.

    ³King of Egypt, listen to me. I, the LORD God, will catch you in my net and let a crowd of foreigners drag you to shore. ⁴I will throw you into an open field, where birds and animals will come to feed on your body. ⁵I will spread your rotting flesh ^g] over the mountains and in the valleys, ⁶and your blood will flow throughout the land and fill up the streams. ⁷I will cover the whole sky and every star with thick clouds, so that the sun and moon will stop shining. ⁸The heavens will become black, leaving your country in total darkness. I, the LORD, have spoken. ⁹Foreign nations you have never heard of will be shocked when I tell them how I destroyed you. ^h] 10They will be horrified, and when I flash my sword in victory on the day of your death, their kings will tremble in the fear of what could happen to them. ¹¹The king of Babylonia is coming to attack you, king of Egypt! ¹²Your soldiers will be killed by the cruelest army in the world, and everything you take pride in will be crushed. ¹³I will slaughter your cattle that graze by the river, ^i] and no people or livestock will be left to muddy its water.¹⁴The water will be clear, and streams will be calm. I, the LORD God, have spoken. ¹⁵Egypt will become a barren wasteland, and no living thing will ever survive there. Then you and your people will know that I am the LORD.

    ¹⁶This is your warning, and it will be used as a funeral song by foreign women to mourn the death of your people. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

   

A Sad Ending for Egypt

 ¹⁷On the fifteenth day of that same month, ^j] the LORD said: ¹⁸Ezekiel, son of man, mourn for the Egyptians and condemn them to the world of the dead, where they will be buried alongside the people of other powerful nations. ^k] 19Say to them: You may be more beautiful

   than the people

   of other nations,

   but you will also die

   and join the godless

   in the world below.

    ²⁰You cannot escape! The enemy's sword is ready to slaughter every one of you. ^l] 21Brave military leaders killed in battle will gladly welcome you and your allies into the world of the dead. ^22-23The graves of soldiers from Assyria are there. They once terrified people, but they were killed in battle and now lie deep in the world of the dead. ^m] 24-25The graves of soldiers from Elam are there. The very sight of those godless soldiers once terrified their enemies and made them panic. But now they are disgraced and ashamed as they lie in the world of the dead, alongside others who were killed in battle.

    ²⁶The graves of soldiers from Meshech and Tubal are there. These godless soldiers who terrified people were all killed in battle. ²⁷They were not given a proper burial like the heroes of long ago, ^n] who were buried with their swords under their heads and with their shields ^o] over their bodies. These were the heroes who made their enemies panic. ²⁸You Egyptians will be cruelly defeated, and you will be buried alongside these other godless soldiers who died in battle.

    ²⁹The graves of kings and leaders from Edom are there. They were powerful at one time. Now they are buried in the world of the dead with other godless soldiers killed in battle.

    ³⁰The graves of the rulers of the north ^p] are there, as well as those of the Sidonians. Their powerful armies once terrified enemies. Now they lie buried in the world of the dead, where they are disgraced like other soldiers killed in battle. ³¹The LORD God says:

   When your king of Egypt sees all of these graves, he and his soldiers will be glad they are not the only ones suffering. ³²I sent him to terrify people all over the earth. But he and his army will be killed and buried alongside other godless soldiers in the world of the dead. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

   

Footnotes:

1. Ezekiel 31:1 Eleven years. . . third month: Probably May of 587 B.C.
2. Ezekiel 31:3 sky: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 3.
3. Ezekiel 31:10 the sky: One ancient translation; Hebrew "over the thick branches."
4. Ezekiel 31:15 rivers and streams. . . stop flowing: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Ezekiel 31:17 dead: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.
6. Ezekiel 32:1 Twelve years. . . twelfth month: Probably February of 585 B.C.
7. Ezekiel 32:5 rotting flesh: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Ezekiel 32:9 when I tell them how I destroyed you: Hebrew; one ancient translation "when I scatter you like prisoners among them."
9. Ezekiel 32:13 the river: This possibly refers to the Nile River.
10. Ezekiel 32:17 that same month: See verse 1.
11. Ezekiel 32:18 where they will be buried. . . powerful nations: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
12. Ezekiel 32:20 The enemy's sword. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
13. Ezekiel 32:22 deep in the world of the dead: The place of greatest dishonor.
14. Ezekiel 32:27 heroes of long ago: One ancient translation; Hebrew "godless heroes."
15. Ezekiel 32:27 shields: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
16. Ezekiel 32:30 the rulers of the north: Probably the Phoenicians.

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Hebrews 12:14-29 (Contemporary English Version)

Warning against Turning from God

 ¹⁴Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord. ¹⁵Make sure that no one misses out on God's wonderful kindness. Don't let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you. ¹⁶Watch out for immoral and ungodly people like Esau, who sold his future blessing ^a] for only one meal. ¹⁷You know how he later wanted it back. But there was nothing he could do to change things, even though he begged his father and cried. ¹⁸You have not come to a place like Mount Sinai ^b] that can be seen and touched. There is no flaming fire or dark cloud or storm ¹⁹or trumpet sound. The people of Israel heard a voice speak. But they begged it to stop, ²⁰because they could not obey its commands. They were even told to kill any animal that touched the mountain. ²¹The sight was so frightening that Moses said he shook with fear. ²²You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. ²³Here you will find all of God's dearest children, ^c] whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect.²⁴And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God's new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel. ^d] 25Make sure that you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at Mount Sinai. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven? ²⁶When God spoke the first time, his voice shook only the earth. This time he has promised to shake the earth once again, and heaven too.

    ²⁷The words "once again" mean that these created things will someday be shaken and removed. Then what cannot be shaken will last. ²⁸We should be grateful that we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect. ²⁹Our God is like a destructive fire!

   

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 12:16 sold his future blessing: As the first-born son, Esau had certain privileges that were known as a "birthright."
2. Hebrews 12:18 a place like Mount Sinai: The Greek text has "a place," but the writer is referring to the time that the Lord spoke to the people of Israel from Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19.16-25).
3. Hebrews 12:23 all of God's dearest children: The Greek text has "the gathering of the first-born children" (see the note at 1.6).
4. Hebrews 12:24 blood of Abel: Cain and Abel were the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain murdered Abel (see Genesis 4.1-16).

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Psalm 113-114:8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 113

The LORD Helps People in Need

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD!

   Everyone who serves him,

   come and praise his name.

    ²Let the name of the LORD

   be praised now and forever.

    ³From dawn until sunset

   the name of the LORD

   deserves to be praised.

    ⁴The LORD is far above

   all of the nations;

   he is more glorious

   than the heavens.

    ⁵No one can compare

   with the LORD our God.

   His throne is high above,

    ⁶and he looks down to see

   the heavens and the earth.

    ⁷God lifts the poor and needy

   from dust and ashes,

    ⁸and he lets them take part

   in ruling his people.

    ⁹When a wife has no children,

   he blesses her with some,

   and she is happy.

   Shout praises to the LORD!

   

Psalm 114

The LORD Works Wonders

 ¹God brought his people

   out of Egypt,

   that land

   with a strange language.

    ²He made Judah his holy place

   and ruled over Israel.

    ³When the sea looked at God,

   it ran away,

   and the Jordan River

   flowed upstream.

    ⁴The mountains and the hills

   skipped around like goats.

    ⁵Ask the sea why it ran away

   or ask the Jordan

   why it flowed upstream.

    ⁶Ask the mountains and the hills

   why they skipped like goats!

    ⁷Earth, you will tremble,

   when the Lord God of Jacob

   comes near,

    ⁸because he turns solid rock

   into flowing streams

   and pools of water.

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Proverbs 27:18-20 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸Take care of a tree,

   and you will eat its fruit;

   look after your master,

   and you will be praised.

    ¹⁹You see your face in a mirror

   and your thoughts

   in the minds of others.

    ²⁰Death and the grave

   are never satisfied,

   and neither are we.

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Verse of the Day

“I am in deep distress, but I love your teachings.” - Psalm 119:143

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American author, Anaïs Nin wrote, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

Bible Readings for April 8, 2015

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Luke 13:1-21; Psalm 78:65-72; and Proverbs 12:25. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.  

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Deuteronomy 32:28-52 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁸People of Israel,
   that's what the LORD
   has said to you.
   But you don't have good sense,
   and you never listen
   to advice.
    ²⁹If you did, you could see
   where you are headed.
    ³⁰How could one enemy soldier
   chase a thousand
   of Israel's troops?
   Or how could two of theirs
   pursue ten thousand of ours?
   It can only happen if the LORD
   stops protecting Israel
   and lets the enemy win.
    ³¹Even our enemies know
   that only our God
   is a Mighty Rock. ^{[a] 32}Our enemies are grapevines
   rooted in the fields
   of Sodom and Gomorrah. ^[b] The grapes they produce
   are full of bitter poison;
    ³³their wine is more deadly
   than cobra venom.
    ³⁴But the LORD has written
   a list of their sins
   and locked it in his vault.
    ³⁵Soon our enemies will get
   what they deserve ^[c] -- suddenly they will slip,
   and total disaster
   will quickly follow.
    ³⁶When only a few
   of the LORD's people remain,
   when their strength is gone,
   and some of them are slaves,
   the LORD will feel sorry for them
   and give them justice.
    ³⁷But first the LORD will say,
   " You ran for safety to other gods--
   couldn't they help you?
    ³⁸You offered them wine
   and your best sacrifices.
   Can't those gods help you now
   or give you protection?
    ³⁹Don't you understand?
   I am the only God;
   there are no others.
   I am the one who takes life
   and gives it again.
   I punished you with suffering.
   But now I will heal you,
   and nothing can stop me!
    ⁴⁰" I make this solemn promise:
   Just as I live forever,
    ⁴¹I will take revenge
   on my hateful enemies.
   I will sharpen my sword
   and let it flash
   like lightning.
    ⁴²My arrows will get drunk
   on enemy blood;
   my sword will taste the flesh
   and the blood
   of the enemy.
   It will kill prisoners,
   and cut off the heads
   of their leaders." ^{[d] 43}Tell the heavens to celebrate
   and all gods to bow down
   to the LORD, ^[e] because he will take revenge
   on those hateful enemies
   who killed his people.
   He will forgive the sins of Israel
   and purify their land. ^{[f] 44-45}Moses spoke the words of the song so that all the Israelites could hear, and Joshua ^[g] helped him. When Moses had finished, ⁴⁶he said, " Always remember this song I have taught you today. And let it be a warning that you must teach your children to obey everything written in The Book of God's Law. ⁴⁷The Law isn't empty words. It can give you a long life in the land that you are going to take."

Moses Will See the Land

 ⁴⁸Later that day the LORD said to Moses:     ⁴⁹Go up into the Abarim Mountain range here in Moab across the Jordan River valley from Jericho. And when you reach the top of Mount Nebo, you will be able to see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Israel. ⁵⁰Then you will die and be buried on the mountaintop, just as your brother Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor. ⁵¹Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert. ^[h] I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect I deserve. ⁵²So I will give the land to the people of Israel, but you will only get to see it from a distance.

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 32:31 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
2. Deuteronomy 32:32 Sodom and Gomorrah: Two cities that the LORD destroyed because their people were so evil (see Genesis 18.16--19.28).
3. Deuteronomy 32:35 our enemies. . . deserve: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text " I will pay them back."
4. Deuteronomy 32:42 leaders: Or " long-haired warriors," who let their hair grow to show that they had made sacred promises to their gods.
5. Deuteronomy 32:43 Tell. . . LORD: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text " Let the nations, his people, celebrate."
6. Deuteronomy 32:43 because he will. . . land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. Deuteronomy 32:44 Joshua: The Hebrew text has " Hoshea," another form of Joshua's name.
8. Deuteronomy 32:51 Both of you were unfaithful. . . the Zin Desert: See Numbers 20.1-13.

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Luke 13:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Luke 13

Turn Back to God

 ¹About this same time Jesus was told that Pilate had given orders for some people from Galilee to be killed while they were offering sacrifices. ²Jesus replied:    Do you think that these people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee just because of what happened to them? ³Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also be killed. ⁴What about those eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse than everyone else in Jerusalem? ⁵Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also die.
   

A Story about a Fig Tree

 ⁶Jesus then told them this story:    A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn't find any. ⁷So he said to the gardener, "For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven't found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?"
    ⁸The gardener answered, "Master, leave it for another year. I'll dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow. ⁹Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn't, you can have it cut down."
   

Healing a Woman on the Sabbath

 ¹⁰One Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a Jewish meeting place, ¹¹and a woman was there who had been crippled by an evil spirit for eighteen years. She was completely bent over and could not straighten up. ¹²When Jesus saw the woman, he called her over and said, "You are now well." ¹³He placed his hands on her, and right away she stood up straight and praised God.     ¹⁴The man in charge of the meeting place was angry because Jesus had healed someone on the Sabbath. So he said to the people, "Each week has six days when we can work. Come and be healed on one of those days, but not on the Sabbath."
    ¹⁵The Lord replied, "Are you trying to fool someone? Won't any one of you untie your ox or donkey and lead it out to drink on a Sabbath? ¹⁶This woman belongs to the family of Abraham, but Satan has kept her bound for eighteen years. Isn't it right to set her free on the Sabbath?" ¹⁷Jesus' words made his enemies ashamed. But everyone else in the crowd was happy about the wonderful things he was doing.
   

A Mustard Seed and Yeast

(Matthew 13.31-33; Mark 4.30-32)

 ¹⁸Jesus said, "What is God's kingdom like? What can I compare it with? ¹⁹It is like what happens when someone plants a mustard seed in a garden. The seed grows as big as a tree, and birds nest in its branches."     ²⁰Then Jesus said, "What can I compare God's kingdom with? ²¹It is like what happens when a woman mixes yeast into three batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises."

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Psalm 78:65-72 (Contemporary English Version)

⁶⁵Finally the Lord woke up,
   and he shouted
   like a drunken soldier.
    ⁶⁶God scattered his enemies
   and made them ashamed
   forever.
    ⁶⁷Then the Lord decided
   not to make his home
   with Joseph's descendants
   in Ephraim. ^{[a] 68}Instead he chose the tribe
   of Judah,
   and he chose Mount Zion,
   the place he loves.
    ⁶⁹There he built his temple
   as lofty as the mountains
   and as solid as the earth
   that he had made
   to last forever.
    ⁷⁰The Lord God chose David
   to be his servant
   and took him
   from tending sheep
    ⁷¹and from caring for lambs.
   Then God made him the leader
   of Israel, his own nation.
    ⁷²David treated the people fairly
   and guided them with wisdom.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 78:67 with. . . Ephraim: Ephraim was Joseph's youngest son. One of the twelve tribes was named after him, and sometimes the northern kingdom of Israel was also known as Ephraim. The town of Shiloh was in the territory of Ephraim, but the place where God was worshiped was moved from there to Zion (Jerusalem) in the territory of Judah.

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Proverbs 12:25 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁵Worry is a heavy burden,
   but a kind word
   always brings cheer.

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Verse of the Day

“Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son's life.” - Romans 5:10

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Author born to Cuban parents in France, where she was also raised, Anaïs Nin wrote, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”

Bible Readings for November 15, 2013

Today our passages are Ezekiel 31:1–32:32; Hebrews 12:14-29; Psalm 113:1–114:8; and Proverbs 27:18-20. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Ezekiel 31-32:32 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 31

Egypt's King Will Be Chopped Down like a Cedar Tree

 ¹Eleven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the LORD spoke to me on the first day of the third month. ^[a] He said: ²Ezekiel, son of man, tell the king of Egypt and his people that I am saying:    You are more powerful
   than anyone on earth.
   Now listen to this.
    ³There was once a cedar tree
   in Lebanon
   with large, strong branches
   reaching to the sky. ^[b] ⁴This tree had plenty of water
   to help it grow tall,
   and nearby streams watered
   the other trees
   in the forest.
    ⁵But this tree towered over
   those other trees,
   and its branches
   grew long and thick.
    ⁶Birds built nests
   in its branches,
   and animals were born
   beneath it.
   People from all nations
   lived in the shade
   of this strong tree.
    ⁷It had beautiful,
   long branches,
   and its roots found water
   deep in the soil.
    ⁸None of the cedar trees
   in my garden of Eden
   were as beautiful
   as this tree;
   no tree of any kind
   had such long branches.
    ⁹I, the LORD, gave this tree
   its beauty,
   and I helped the branches
   grow strong.
   All other trees in Eden
   wanted to be just like it.
    ¹⁰King of Egypt, now listen to what I, the LORD God, am saying about that tree:
   The tree grew so tall that it reached the sky ^[c] and became very proud and arrogant. ¹¹So I, the LORD God, will reject the tree and hand it over to a foreign ruler, who will punish it for its wickedness. ¹²Cruel foreigners will chop it down and leave it wherever it falls. Branches and broken limbs will be scattered over the mountains and in the valleys. The people living in the shade of those branches will go somewhere else. ¹³Birds will then nest on the stump of the fallen tree, and wild animals will trample its branches. ¹⁴Never again will any tree dare to grow as tall as this tree, no matter how much water it has. Every tree must die, just as humans die and go down to the world of the dead.
    ¹⁵On the day this tree dies and goes to the world below, I, the LORD God, will command rivers and streams to mourn its death. Every underground spring of water and every river will stop flowing. ^[d] The mountains in Lebanon will be covered with darkness as a sign of their sorrow, and all the trees in the forest will wither. ¹⁶This tree will crash to the ground, and I will send it to the world below. Then the nations of the earth will tremble. The trees from Eden and the choice trees from Lebanon are now in the world of the dead, and they will be comforted when this tree falls. ¹⁷Those people who found protection in its shade will also be sent to the world below, where they will join the dead. ^[e] ¹⁸King of Egypt, all these things will happen to you and your people! You were like this tree at one time--taller and stronger than anyone on earth. But now you will be chopped down, just as every tree in the garden of Eden must die. You will be sent down to the world of the dead, where you will join the godless and the other victims of violent death. I, the LORD God, have spoken.
   

Ezekiel 32

A Funeral Song for the King of Egypt

 ¹Twelve years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the LORD spoke to me on the first day of the twelfth month. ^[f] He said: ²Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the king of Egypt and tell him I am saying:    You act like a lion
   roaming the earth;
   but you are nothing more than
   a crocodile in a river,
   churning up muddy water
   with your feet.
    ³King of Egypt, listen to me. I, the LORD God, will catch you in my net and let a crowd of foreigners drag you to shore. ⁴I will throw you into an open field, where birds and animals will come to feed on your body. ⁵I will spread your rotting flesh ^[g] over the mountains and in the valleys, ⁶and your blood will flow throughout the land and fill up the streams. ⁷I will cover the whole sky and every star with thick clouds, so that the sun and moon will stop shining. ⁸The heavens will become black, leaving your country in total darkness. I, the LORD, have spoken. ⁹Foreign nations you have never heard of will be shocked when I tell them how I destroyed you. ^[h] ¹⁰They will be horrified, and when I flash my sword in victory on the day of your death, their kings will tremble in the fear of what could happen to them. ¹¹The king of Babylonia is coming to attack you, king of Egypt! ¹²Your soldiers will be killed by the cruelest army in the world, and everything you take pride in will be crushed. ¹³I will slaughter your cattle that graze by the river, ^[i] and no people or livestock will be left to muddy its water. ¹⁴The water will be clear, and streams will be calm. I, the LORD God, have spoken. ¹⁵Egypt will become a barren wasteland, and no living thing will ever survive there. Then you and your people will know that I am the LORD.
    ¹⁶This is your warning, and it will be used as a funeral song by foreign women to mourn the death of your people. I, the LORD God, have spoken.
   

A Sad Ending for Egypt

 ¹⁷On the fifteenth day of that same month, ^[j] the LORD said: ¹⁸Ezekiel, son of man, mourn for the Egyptians and condemn them to the world of the dead, where they will be buried alongside the people of other powerful nations. ^[k] ¹⁹Say to them: You may be more beautiful    than the people
   of other nations,
   but you will also die
   and join the godless
   in the world below.
    ²⁰You cannot escape! The enemy's sword is ready to slaughter every one of you. ^[l] ²¹Brave military leaders killed in battle will gladly welcome you and your allies into the world of the dead. ^22-23The graves of soldiers from Assyria are there. They once terrified people, but they were killed in battle and now lie deep in the world of the dead. ^[m] ^24-25The graves of soldiers from Elam are there. The very sight of those godless soldiers once terrified their enemies and made them panic. But now they are disgraced and ashamed as they lie in the world of the dead, alongside others who were killed in battle.
    ²⁶The graves of soldiers from Meshech and Tubal are there. These godless soldiers who terrified people were all killed in battle. ²⁷They were not given a proper burial like the heroes of long ago, ^[n] who were buried with their swords under their heads and with their shields ^[o] over their bodies. These were the heroes who made their enemies panic. ²⁸You Egyptians will be cruelly defeated, and you will be buried alongside these other godless soldiers who died in battle.
    ²⁹The graves of kings and leaders from Edom are there. They were powerful at one time. Now they are buried in the world of the dead with other godless soldiers killed in battle.
    ³⁰The graves of the rulers of the north ^[p] are there, as well as those of the Sidonians. Their powerful armies once terrified enemies. Now they lie buried in the world of the dead, where they are disgraced like other soldiers killed in battle. ³¹The LORD God says:
   When your king of Egypt sees all of these graves, he and his soldiers will be glad they are not the only ones suffering. ³²I sent him to terrify people all over the earth. But he and his army will be killed and buried alongside other godless soldiers in the world of the dead. I, the LORD God, have spoken.
   

Footnotes:

1. Ezekiel 31:1 Eleven years. . . third month: Probably May of 587 B.C.
2. Ezekiel 31:3 sky: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 3.
3. Ezekiel 31:10 the sky: One ancient translation; Hebrew "over the thick branches."
4. Ezekiel 31:15 rivers and streams. . . stop flowing: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Ezekiel 31:17 dead: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.
6. Ezekiel 32:1 Twelve years. . . twelfth month: Probably February of 585 B.C.
7. Ezekiel 32:5 rotting flesh: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Ezekiel 32:9 when I tell them how I destroyed you: Hebrew; one ancient translation "when I scatter you like prisoners among them."
9. Ezekiel 32:13 the river: This possibly refers to the Nile River.
10. Ezekiel 32:17 that same month: See verse 1.
11. Ezekiel 32:18 where they will be buried. . . powerful nations: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
12. Ezekiel 32:20 The enemy's sword. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
13. Ezekiel 32:22 deep in the world of the dead: The place of greatest dishonor.
14. Ezekiel 32:27 heroes of long ago: One ancient translation; Hebrew "godless heroes."
15. Ezekiel 32:27 shields: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
16. Ezekiel 32:30 the rulers of the north: Probably the Phoenicians.

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Hebrews 12:14-29 (Contemporary English Version)

Warning against Turning from God

 ¹⁴Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord. ¹⁵Make sure that no one misses out on God's wonderful kindness. Don't let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you. ¹⁶Watch out for immoral and ungodly people like Esau, who sold his future blessing ^[a] for only one meal. ¹⁷You know how he later wanted it back. But there was nothing he could do to change things, even though he begged his father and cried. ¹⁸You have not come to a place like Mount Sinai ^[b] that can be seen and touched. There is no flaming fire or dark cloud or storm ¹⁹or trumpet sound. The people of Israel heard a voice speak. But they begged it to stop, ²⁰because they could not obey its commands. They were even told to kill any animal that touched the mountain. ²¹The sight was so frightening that Moses said he shook with fear. ²²You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. ²³Here you will find all of God's dearest children, ^[c] whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect. ²⁴And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God's new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel. ^[d] ²⁵Make sure that you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at Mount Sinai. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven? ²⁶When God spoke the first time, his voice shook only the earth. This time he has promised to shake the earth once again, and heaven too.     ²⁷The words "once again" mean that these created things will someday be shaken and removed. Then what cannot be shaken will last. ²⁸We should be grateful that we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect. ²⁹Our God is like a destructive fire!
   

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 12:16 sold his future blessing: As the first-born son, Esau had certain privileges that were known as a "birthright."
2. Hebrews 12:18 a place like Mount Sinai: The Greek text has "a place," but the writer is referring to the time that the Lord spoke to the people of Israel from Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19.16-25).
3. Hebrews 12:23 all of God's dearest children: The Greek text has "the gathering of the first-born children" (see the note at 1.6).
4. Hebrews 12:24 blood of Abel: Cain and Abel were the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain murdered Abel (see Genesis 4.1-16).

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Psalm 113-114:8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 113

The LORD Helps People in Need

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD!    Everyone who serves him,
   come and praise his name.
    ²Let the name of the LORD
   be praised now and forever.
    ³From dawn until sunset
   the name of the LORD
   deserves to be praised.
    ⁴The LORD is far above
   all of the nations;
   he is more glorious
   than the heavens.
    ⁵No one can compare
   with the LORD our God.
   His throne is high above,
    ⁶and he looks down to see
   the heavens and the earth.
    ⁷God lifts the poor and needy
   from dust and ashes,
    ⁸and he lets them take part
   in ruling his people.
    ⁹When a wife has no children,
   he blesses her with some,
   and she is happy.
   Shout praises to the LORD!
   

Psalm 114

The LORD Works Wonders

 ¹God brought his people    out of Egypt,
   that land
   with a strange language.
    ²He made Judah his holy place
   and ruled over Israel.
    ³When the sea looked at God,
   it ran away,
   and the Jordan River
   flowed upstream.
    ⁴The mountains and the hills
   skipped around like goats.
    ⁵Ask the sea why it ran away
   or ask the Jordan
   why it flowed upstream.
    ⁶Ask the mountains and the hills
   why they skipped like goats!
    ⁷Earth, you will tremble,
   when the Lord God of Jacob
   comes near,
    ⁸because he turns solid rock
   into flowing streams
   and pools of water.

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Proverbs 27:18-20 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸Take care of a tree,
   and you will eat its fruit;
   look after your master,
   and you will be praised.
    ¹⁹You see your face in a mirror
   and your thoughts
   in the minds of others.
    ²⁰Death and the grave
   are never satisfied,
   and neither are we.

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Verse of the Day

“I am in deep distress, but I love your teachings.” - Psalm 119:143

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American author, Anaïs Nin wrote, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”