Bible Readings for July 11, 2019

Today our passages are 1 Chronicles 11:1–12:18; Acts 28:1-31; Psalm 9:1-12; and Proverbs 19:1-3. 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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1 Chronicles 11-12:18 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Chronicles 11

David Becomes King of Israel

(2 Samuel 5.1-3)

 ¹Israel's leaders met with David at Hebron and said, "We are your relatives, ²and we know that you have led our army into battle, even when Saul was still our king. The LORD God has promised that you would rule our country and take care of us like a shepherd. ³So we have come to crown you king of Israel."

   David made an agreement with the leaders and asked the LORD to be their witness. Then the leaders poured olive oil on David's head to show that he was now king of Israel. This happened just as the LORD's prophet Samuel had said.   

David Captures Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 5.6-10)

 ⁴Jerusalem was called Jebus at the time, and David led Israel's army to attack the town. ⁵The Jebusites said, "You won't be able to get in here!" But David captured the fortress of Mount Zion, which is now called the City of David.

    ⁶David had told his troops, "The first soldier to kill a Jebusite will become my army commander." And since Joab son of Zeruiah attacked first, he became commander.

    ⁷Later, David moved to the fortress--that's why it's called the City of David. ⁸He had the city rebuilt, starting at the landfill on the east side. ^[a] Meanwhile, Joab supervised the repairs to the rest of the city. ⁹David became a great and strong ruler, because the LORD All-Powerful was on his side.  

The Three Warriors

(2 Samuel 23.8-17)

 ¹⁰The LORD had promised that David would become king, and so everyone in Israel gave David their support. Certain warriors also helped keep his kingdom strong.

    ¹¹The first of these warriors was Jashobeam the son of Hachmoni, the leader of the Three Warriors. ^[b] In one battle he killed three hundred men with his spear. ¹²Another one of the Three Warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. ¹³During a battle against the Philistines at Pas-Dammim, all the Israelite soldiers ran away, ¹⁴except Eleazar, who stayed with David. They took their positions in a nearby barley field and defeated the Philistines! The LORD gave Israel a great victory that day.

    ¹⁵One time the Three Warriors ^[c] went to meet David among the rocks at Adullam Cave. The Philistine army had set up camp in Rephaim Valley ¹⁶and had taken over Bethlehem. David was in a fortress, ¹⁷and he said, "I'm very thirsty. I wish I had a drink of water from the well by the gate to Bethlehem." ¹⁸The Three Warriors sneaked through the Philistine camp and got some water from the well near Bethlehem's gate. They took it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured out the water as a sacrifice to the LORD ¹⁹and said, "Drinking this water would be like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives to get it for me."

   The Three Warriors did these brave deeds.   

The Thirty Warriors

(2 Samuel 23.18-39)

 ²⁰Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors, ^[d] and in one battle he killed three hundred men with his spear. He was just as famous as the Three Warriors ²¹and was more famous than the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was their commander, but he never became one of the Three Warriors. ^[e] ²²Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. One time he killed two of Moab's best fighters, and one snowy day he went into a pit and killed a lion. ²³Another time he killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall and was armed with a spear. Benaiah only had a club, so he grabbed the spear from the Egyptian and killed him with it. ²⁴Benaiah did things like that; he was just as brave as the Three Warriors, ²⁵even though he never became one of them. And he was certainly as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. So David made him the leader of his own bodyguard.

    ^26-47Here is a list of the other famous warriors:

   Asahel the brother of Joab; Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem; Shammoth from Haror; Helez from Pelon; Ira the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai ^[f] the Ahohite; Maharai from Netophah; Heled the son of Baanah from Netophah; Ithai the son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin; Benaiah from Pirathon; Hurai ^[g] from near the streams on Mount Gaash; Abiel from Arbah; Azmaveth from Baharum; Eliahba from Shaalbon; Hashem ^[h] the Gizonite; Jonathan the son of Shagee from Harar; Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite; Eliphal the son of Ur; Hepher from Mecherah; Ahijah from Pelon; Hezro from Carmel; Naarai the son of Ezbai; Joel the brother of Nathan; Mibhar the son of Hagri; Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth who carried Joab's weapons; Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; Uriah the Hittite; Zabad the son of Ahlai; Adina the son of Shiza, a leader in the Reuben tribe, and thirty of his soldiers; Hanan the son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithan; Uzzia from Ashterah; Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham from Aroer; Jediael and Joha the sons of Shimri from Tiz; Eliel from Mahavah; Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from Moab; Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel from Mezobah.

1 Chronicles 12

David's Men at Ziklag

 ¹Some time earlier, David had gone to live in the town of Ziklag to escape from King Saul. While David was there, several brave warriors joined him to help fight his battles. ^[i]

Warriors from the Benjamin tribe

 ² Several of these warriors were from King Saul's own tribe of Benjamin. They were experts at using a bow and arrows, and they could shoot an arrow or sling a stone with either hand. ^3-7Their leaders were Ahiezer and Joash, the sons of Shemaah from Gibeah. Here is a list of those men from Benjamin: Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth; Ishmaiah from Gibeon, who was the leader of the Thirty Warriors; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah; Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph; Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam from the Korah clan; Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.   

Warriors from the Gad tribe

 ⁸ Men from the tribe of Gad also joined David at his fortress in the desert and served as his warriors. They were also brave soldiers--fierce as lions and quick as gazelles. They were always prepared to fight with shields and spears. ^9-13There were eleven of them, ranked in the following order: Ezer the leader, then Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabad, Jeremiah, and Machbannai.

    ¹⁴All these men were army officers; some were high-ranking officers over a thousand troops, and others were officers over a hundred troops. ¹⁵Earlier, they had crossed the Jordan River when it flooded, and they chased out the people who lived in the valleys on each side of the river.   

Warriors from the Benjamin and Judah tribes

 ¹⁶ One time a group of men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah went to the fortress where David was staying. ¹⁷David met them outside and said, "If you are coming as friends to fight on my side, then stay and join us. But if you try to turn me over to my enemies, the God our ancestors worshiped will punish you, because I have done nothing wrong."

    ¹⁸Amasai, who later became the leader of the Thirty Warriors, was one of these men who went to David. God's Spirit took control of him, and he said, "We will join you, David son of Jesse! You and your followers will always be successful, because God fights on your side."

   So David agreed to let them stay, and he even put them in charge of his soldiers who raided enemy villages.

   

Footnotes:

1. 1 Chronicles 11:8 the landfill on the east side: The Hebrew text has "the Millo," which probably refers to a landfill to strengthen and extend the hill where the city was built.
2. 1 Chronicles 11:11 the Three Warriors: One ancient translation and 2 Samuel 23.8; Hebrew "the Thirty Warriors." The "Three Warriors" was the most honored group of warriors and may have been part of the "Thirty Warriors." "Three" and "thirty" are spelled almost the same in Hebrew, so there is some confusion in the manuscripts as to which group is being talked about in some places in the following lists.
3. 1 Chronicles 11:15 the Three Warriors: Hebrew "three of the thirty most important warriors."
4. 1 Chronicles 11:20 the Thirty Warriors: One ancient translation; Hebrew "the Three Warriors." The "Thirty Warriors" was the second most honored group of warriors and may have also been officers in the army.
5. 1 Chronicles 11:21 Warriors: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of these verses.
6. 1 Chronicles 11:26 Ilai: Or "Zalmon" (see 2 Samuel 23.24-39).
7. 1 Chronicles 11:26 Hurai: Or "Hiddai" (see 2 Samuel 23.24-39).
8. 1 Chronicles 11:26 Hashem: One ancient translation; Hebrew "the sons of Hashem."
9. 1 Chronicles 12:1 David had gone. . . battles: Ziklag was the Philistine town that King Achish of Gath gave David in return for his loyalty (see 1 Samuel 27.6). This happened during the time that David was living as an outlaw, so the events in this chapter actually took place before chapter 11 when David became king of Israel.

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Acts 28:1-31 (Contemporary English Version)

Acts 28

On the Island of Malta

 ¹When we came ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. ²The local people were very friendly, and they welcomed us by building a fire, because it was rainy and cold.

    ³After Paul had gathered some wood and had put it on the fire, the heat caused a snake to crawl out, and it bit him on the hand. ⁴When the local people saw the snake hanging from Paul's hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer! He didn't drown in the sea, but the goddess of justice will kill him anyway."

    ⁵Paul shook the snake off into the fire and wasn't harmed. ⁶The people kept thinking that Paul would either swell up or suddenly drop dead. They watched him for a long time, and when nothing happened to him, they changed their minds and said, "This man is a god."

    ⁷The governor of the island was named Publius, and he owned some of the land around there. Publius was very friendly and welcomed us into his home for three days. ⁸His father was in bed, sick with fever and stomach trouble, and Paul went to visit him. Paul healed the man by praying and placing his hands on him.

    ⁹After this happened, everyone on the island brought their sick people to Paul, and they were all healed. ¹⁰The people were very respectful to us, and when we sailed, they gave us everything we needed.   

From Malta to Rome

 ¹¹Three months later we sailed in a ship that had been docked at Malta for the winter. The ship was from Alexandria in Egypt and was known as "The Twin Gods." ^[a] ¹²We arrived in Syracuse and stayed for three days. ¹³From there we sailed to Rhegium. The next day a south wind began to blow, and two days later we arrived in Puteoli. ¹⁴There we found some of the Lord's followers, who begged us to stay with them. A week later we left for the city of Rome. ¹⁵Some of the followers in Rome heard about us and came to meet us at the Market of Appius and at the Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.   

Paul in Rome

 ¹⁶We arrived in Rome, and Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a soldier to guard him.

    ¹⁷Three days after we got there, Paul called together some of the Jewish leaders and said:

   My friends, I have never done anything to hurt our people, and I have never gone against the customs of our ancestors. But in Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. ¹⁸They looked into the charges against me and wanted to release me. They found that I had not done anything deserving death. ¹⁹The Jewish leaders disagreed, so I asked to be tried by the Emperor.

   But I don't have anything to say against my own nation. ²⁰I am bound by these chains because of what we people of Israel hope for. That's why I have called you here to talk about this hope of ours.

    ²¹The leaders replied, "No one from Judea has written us a letter about you. And not one of them has come here to report on you or to say anything against you. ²²But we would like to hear what you have to say. We understand that people everywhere are against this new group."

    ²³They agreed on a time to meet with Paul, and many of them came to his house. From early morning until late in the afternoon, Paul talked to them about God's kingdom. He used the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets ^[b] to try to win them over to Jesus. ²⁴Some of the leaders agreed with what Paul said, but others did not. ²⁵Since they could not agree among themselves, they started leaving. But Paul said, "The Holy Spirit said the right thing when he sent Isaiah the prophet ²⁶to tell our ancestors,

   `Go to these people

   and tell them:

   You will listen and listen,

   but never understand.

   You will look and look,

   but never see.

    ²⁷All of you

   have stubborn hearts.

   Your ears are stopped up,

   and your eyes are covered.

   You cannot see or hear

   or understand.

   If you could,

   you would turn to me,

   and I would heal you.' "

    ^28-29Paul said, "You may be sure that God wants to save the Gentiles! And they will listen." ^[c] ³⁰For two years Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him. ³¹He bravely preached about God's kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.

   

Footnotes:

1. Acts 28:11 known as "The Twin Gods": Or "carried on its bow a wooden carving of the Twin Gods." These gods were Castor and Pollux, two of the favorite gods among sailors.
2. Acts 28:23 Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets: The Jewish Bible, that is, the Old Testament.
3. Acts 28:28 And they will listen: Some manuscripts add, "After Paul said this, the people left, but they got into a fierce argument among themselves."

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Psalm 9:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 9

(A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "The Death of the Son.")

Sing Praises to the LORD

 ¹I will praise you, LORD,

   with all my heart

   and tell about the wonders

   you have worked.

    ²God Most High, I will rejoice;

   I will celebrate and sing

   because of you.

    ³When my enemies face you,

   they run away and stumble

   and are destroyed.

    ⁴You take your seat as judge,

   and your fair decisions prove

   that I was in the right.

    ⁵You warn the nations

   and destroy evil people;

   you wipe out their names

   forever and ever.

    ⁶Our enemies are destroyed

   completely for all time.

   Their cities are torn down,

   and they will never

   be remembered again.

    ⁷You rule forever, LORD,

   and you are on your throne,

   ready for judgment.

    ⁸You judge the world fairly

   and treat all nations

   with justice.

    ⁹The poor can run to you

   because you are a fortress

   in times of trouble.

    ¹⁰Everyone who honors your name

   can trust you,

   because you are faithful

   to all who depend on you.

    ¹¹You rule from Zion, LORD,

   and we sing about you

   to let the nations know

   everything you have done.

    ¹²You did not forget

   to punish the guilty

   or listen to the cries

   of those in need.

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Proverbs 19:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 19

It's Wise To Be Patient

 ¹It's better to be poor

   and live right

   than to be a stupid liar.

    ²Willingness and stupidity

   don't go well together.

   If you are too eager,

   you will miss the road.

    ³We are ruined

   by our own stupidity,

   though we blame the LORD.

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Verse of the Day

“LORD God, you stretched out your mighty arm and made the sky and the earth. You can do anything.” - Jeremiah 32:17

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American writer, E. B. White wrote, “Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.”

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A Joke for Today

A man was speeding down the highway, feeling secure in a gaggle of cars all traveling at the same speed. However, as they passed a speed trap, he got nailed with an infrared speed detector and was pulled over.

The officer handed him the citation, received his signature and was about to walk away when the man asked, "Officer, I know I was speeding, but I don't think it's fair - there were plenty of other cars around me who were going just as fast, so why did *I* get the ticket?"

"Ever go fishing?" the policeman suddenly asked the man.

"Ummm, yeah..." the startled man replied.

The officer grinned and added, "Ever catch *all* the fish?"

Bible Readings for February 24, 2019

Today our passages are Leviticus 15:1–16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; and Proverbs 10:13-14. The readings are 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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Leviticus 15-16:28 (Contemporary English Version)

Leviticus 15

Sexual Uncleanness

¹The LORD told Moses and Aaron ²to say to the community of Israel: Any man with an infected penis is unclean, ³whether it is stopped up or keeps dripping. ⁴Anything that he rests on or sits on is also unclean, ^5-7and if you touch either these or him, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.
⁸If you are spit on by the man, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. ^9-10Any saddle or seat on which the man sits is unclean. And if you touch or carry either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. ¹¹If the man touches you without first washing his hands, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. ¹²Any clay pot that he touches must be destroyed, and any wooden bowl that he touches must be washed.
¹³Seven days after the man gets well, he will be considered clean, if he washes his clothes and takes a bath in spring water. ¹⁴On the eighth day he must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of my sacred tent and give them to a priest. ¹⁵The priest will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me, ^[a] then I will consider the man completely clean. ¹⁶Any man who has a flow of semen must take a bath, but he still remains unclean until evening. ¹⁷If the semen touches anything made of cloth or leather, these must be washed, but they still remain unclean until evening. ¹⁸After having sex, both the man and the woman must take a bath, but they still remain unclean until evening.
¹⁹When a woman has her monthly period, she remains unclean for seven days, and if you touch her, you must take a bath, but you remain unclean until evening. ^20-23Anything that she rests on or sits on is also unclean, and if you touch either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening. ²⁴Any man who has sex with her during this time becomes unclean for seven days, and anything he rests on is also unclean.
²⁵Any woman who has a flow of blood outside her regular monthly period is unclean until it stops, just as she is during her monthly period. ²⁶Anything that she rests on or sits on during this time is also unclean, just as it would be during her period. ²⁷If you touch either of these, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.
²⁸Seven days after the woman gets well, she will be considered clean. ²⁹On the eighth day, she must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of my sacred tent and give them to a priest. ³⁰He will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me; then I will consider the woman completely clean.
³¹When any of you are unclean, you must stay away from the rest of the community of Israel. Otherwise, my sacred tent will become unclean, and the whole nation will die.
^32-33These are the things you men must do if you become unclean because of an infected penis or if you have a flow of semen. And these are the things you women must do when you become unclean either because of your monthly period or an unusual flow of blood. This is also what you men must do if you have sex with a woman who is unclean. 

Leviticus 16

The Great Day of Forgiveness

^1-2Two of Aaron's sons had already lost their lives for disobeying the LORD, ^[b] so the LORD told Moses to say to Aaron: I, the LORD, appear in a cloud over the place of mercy on the sacred chest, which is behind the inside curtain ^[c]of the sacred tent. And I warn you not to go there except at the proper time. Otherwise, you will die! ³Before entering this most holy place, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice for your sins ^[d] and a ram as a sacrifice to please me. ^[e]⁴You will take a bath and put on the sacred linen clothes, including the underwear, the robe, the sash, and the turban. ⁵Then the community of Israel will bring you a ram and two goats, both of them males. The goats are to be used as sacrifices for sin, and the ram is to be used as a sacrifice to please me. ⁶Aaron, you must offer the bull as a sacrifice of forgiveness for your own sins and for the sins of your family. ⁷Then you will lead the two goats into my presence at the front of the sacred tent, ⁸where I will show you ^[f] which goat will be sacrificed to me and which one will be sent into the desert to the demon Azazel. ^[g]⁹After you offer the first goat as a sacrifice for sin, ¹⁰the other one must be presented to me alive, before you send it into the desert to take away the sins of the people. ¹¹You must offer the bull as a sacrifice to ask forgiveness for your own sins and for the sins of your family. ¹²Then you will take a fire pan of live coals from the bronze altar, together with two handfuls of finely ground incense, into the most holy place. ¹³There you will present them to me by placing the incense on the coals, so that the place of mercy will be covered with a cloud of smoke. Do this, or you will die right there! ¹⁴Next, use a finger to sprinkle some of the blood on the place of mercy, which is on the lid of the sacred chest; then sprinkle blood seven times in front of the chest. ¹⁵Aaron, you must next sacrifice the goat for the sins of the people, and you must sprinkle its blood inside the most holy place, just as you did with the blood of the bull. ¹⁶By doing this, you will take away the sins that make both the most holy place and the people of Israel unclean. Do the same for the sacred tent, which is here among the people. ¹⁷Only you are allowed in the sacred tent from the time you enter until the time you come out. ¹⁸After leaving the tent, you will purify the bronze altar by smearing each of its four corners with some of the blood from the bull and from the goat. ¹⁹Use a finger to sprinkle the altar seven times with the blood, and it will be completely clean from the sins of the people.
²⁰After you have purified the most holy place, the sacred tent, and the bronze altar, you must bring the live goat to the front of the tent. ²¹There you will lay your hands on its head, while confessing every sin the people have committed, and you will appoint someone to lead the goat into the desert, so that it can take away their sins. ²²Finally, this goat that carries the heavy burden of Israel's sins must be released deep in the desert.
^23-24Aaron, after this you must go inside the sacred tent, take a bath, put on your regular priestly clothes, and leave there the clothes you put on before entering the most holy place. Then you will come out and offer sacrifices to please me and sacrifices for your sins and for the sins of the people. ²⁵The fat from these sacrifices for sin must be sent up in smoke on the bronze altar.
²⁶The one who led the goat into the desert and sent it off to the demon Azazel must take a bath and wash his clothes before coming back into camp. ²⁷The remains of the bull and the goat whose blood was taken into the most holy place must be taken outside the camp and burned. ²⁸And whoever does this must take a bath and change clothes before coming back into camp.

Footnotes:

1. Leviticus 15:15sacrifice to please me: See the note at 1.1-3.
2. Leviticus 16:1lost. . . disobeying the LORD: See 10.1,2.
3. Leviticus 16:1inside curtain: That separated the holy place from the most holy place.
4. Leviticus 16:3for your sins: See 4.3-12.
5. Leviticus 16:3sacrifice to please me: See the note at 1.1-3.
6. Leviticus 16:8I will show you: The Hebrew text has " you must cast lots to find out." Pieces of wood or stone (called " lots" ) were used to find out what God wanted his people to do.
7. Leviticus 16:8Azazel: It was believed that a demon named Azazel lived in the desert.

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Mark 7:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Mark 7

The Teaching of the Ancestors

(Matthew 15.1-9)

¹Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus. ²They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands. ^[a] ³The Pharisees and many other Jewish people obey the teachings of their ancestors. They always wash their hands in the proper way ^[b] before eating. ⁴None of them will eat anything they buy in the market until it is washed. They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls. ^[c]
⁵The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?"
⁶Jesus replied:
You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said,
"All of you praise me
with your words,
but you never really
think about me.
⁷It is useless for you
to worship me,
when you teach rules
made up by humans."
⁸You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. ⁹You are good at rejecting God's commands so that you can follow your own teachings! ¹⁰Didn't Moses command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? ¹¹But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they own has been offered to God. ^[d]¹²You won't let those people help their parents. ¹³And you ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. You do a lot of other things that are just as bad. 

What Really Makes People Unclean

(Matthew 15.10-20)

¹⁴Jesus called the crowd together again and said, "Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. ^15-16The food that you put into your mouth doesn't make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean." ^[e] ¹⁷After Jesus and his disciples had left the crowd and had gone into the house, they asked him what these sayings meant. ¹⁸He answered, "Don't you know what I am talking about by now? You surely know that the food you put into your mouth cannot make you unclean. ¹⁹It doesn't go into your heart, but into your stomach, and then out of your body." By saying this, Jesus meant that all foods were fit to eat.
²⁰Then Jesus said:
What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. ²¹Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, ²²unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. ²³All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God.

Footnotes:

1. Mark 7:2 without first washing their hands: The Jewish people had strict laws about washing their hands before eating, especially if they had been out in public.
2. Mark 7:3 in the proper way: The Greek text has "with the fist," but the exact meaning is not clear. It could mean "to the wrist" or "to the elbow."
3. Mark 7:4 bowls: Some manuscripts add "and sleeping mats."
4. Mark 7:11 has been offered to God: According to Jewish custom, when anything was offered to God, it could not be used for anyone else, not even for a person's parents.
5. Mark 7:15 unclean: Some manuscripts add, "If you have ears, pay attention."

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Psalm 40:11-17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹You, LORD, never fail
to have pity on me;
your love and faithfulness
always keep me secure.
¹²I have more troubles
than I can count.
My sins are all around me,
and I can't find my way.
My sins outnumber
the hairs on my head,
and I feel weak.
¹³Please show that you care
and come to my rescue.
Hurry and help me!
¹⁴Disappoint and confuse
all who want me dead;
turn away and disgrace
all who want to hurt me.
¹⁵Embarrass and shame
all of those who say,
"Just look at you now!"
¹⁶Our LORD, let your worshipers
rejoice and be glad.
They love you for saving them,
so let them always say,
"The LORD is wonderful!"
¹⁷I am poor and needy,
but, LORD God,
you care about me,
and you come to my rescue.
Please hurry and help.

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Proverbs 10:13-14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³If you have good sense,
it will show when you speak.
But if you are stupid,
you will be beaten
with a stick.
¹⁴If you have good sense,
you will learn all you can,
but foolish talk
will soon destroy you.

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Verse of the Day

“I will bless you with a future filled with hope--a future of success, not of suffering. You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you” - Jeremiah 29:11-13

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American writer, E. B. White wrote, “Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one.”

Bible Readings for June 28, 2017

Today our passages are 2 Kings 13:1–14:29; Acts 18:23–19:12; Psalm 146:1-10; and Proverbs 18:2-3. 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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2 Kings 13-14:29 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Kings 13

King Jehoahaz of Israel

 ¹Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in the twenty-third year of Joash's rule in Judah. Jehoahaz ruled seventeen years from Samaria ²and disobeyed the LORD by doing wrong. He never stopped following the example of Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ³The LORD was angry at the Israelites, so he let King Hazael of Syria and his son Benhadad rule over them for a long time. ⁴Jehoahaz prayed to the LORD for help, and the LORD saw how terribly Hazael was treating the Israelites. He answered Jehoahaz ⁵by sending Israel a leader who rescued them from the Syrians, ^[a] and the Israelites lived in peace as they had before. ^6-7But Hazael had defeated Israel's army so badly that Jehoahaz had only ten chariots, fifty cavalry troops, and ten thousand regular soldiers left in his army. The Israelites kept sinning and following the example of Jeroboam's family. They did not tear down the sacred poles ^[b] that had been set up in Samaria for the worship of the goddess Asherah. ⁸Everything else Jehoahaz did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ⁹Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoash became king.
   

King Jehoash of Israel

 ¹⁰Jehoash became king of Israel in the thirty-seventh year of Joash's rule in Judah, and he ruled sixteen years from Samaria. ¹¹He disobeyed the LORD by doing just like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ¹²Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his war against King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ¹³Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.
   

Elisha the Prophet Dies

 ¹⁴Some time before the death of King Jehoash, Elisha the prophet was very sick and about to die. Jehoash went in and stood beside him, crying. He said, "Master, what will Israel's chariots and cavalry be able to do without you?" ^[c] ^15-16"Grab a bow and some arrows," Elisha told him, "and hold them in your hand." Jehoash grabbed the bow and arrows and held them. Elisha placed his hand on the king's hand ¹⁷and said, "Open the window facing east." When it was open, Elisha shouted, "Now shoot!" Jehoash shot an arrow and Elisha said, "That arrow is a sign that the LORD will help you completely defeat the Syrian army at Aphek."     ¹⁸Elisha said, "Pick up the arrows and hit the ground with them." Jehoash grabbed the arrows and hit the ground three times, then stopped. ¹⁹Elisha became angry at the king and exclaimed, "If you had struck it five or six times, you would completely wipe out the Syrians. Now you will defeat them only three times."
    ²⁰Elisha died and was buried.
   Every year in the spring, Moab's leaders sent raiding parties into Israel. ²¹Once, while some Israelites were burying a man's body, they saw a group of Moabites. The Israelites quickly threw the body into Elisha's tomb and ran away. As soon as the man's body touched the bones of Elisha, the man came back to life and stood up.
   

Israel Defeats Syria

 ²²Israel was under the power of King Hazael of Syria during the entire rule of Jehoahaz. ²³But the LORD was kind to the Israelites and showed them mercy because of his solemn agreement with their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, he has never turned his back on them or let them be completely destroyed.     ²⁴Hazael died, and his son Benhadad then became king of Syria. ²⁵King Jehoash of Israel attacked and defeated the Syrian army three times. He took back from Benhadad all the towns Hazael had captured in battle from his father Jehoahaz.
   

2 Kings 14

King Amaziah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 25.1-24)

 ¹Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah in the second year of Jehoash's rule in Israel. ²Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled twenty-nine years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jehoaddin.     ³Amaziah followed the example of his father Joash by obeying the LORD and doing right. But he was not as faithful as his ancestor David. ⁴Amaziah did not destroy the local shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.
    ⁵As soon as Amaziah had control of Judah, he arrested and killed the officers who had murdered his father. ⁶But the children of those officers were not killed. The LORD had commanded in the Law of Moses that only the people who sinned were to be punished, not their parents or children. ^[d] ⁷While Amaziah was king, he killed ten thousand Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley. He captured the town of Sela and renamed it Joktheel, which is still its name.
    ⁸One day, Amaziah sent a message to King Jehoash of Israel: "Come out and face me in battle!"
    ⁹Jehoash sent back this reply:
   Once upon a time, a small thornbush in Lebanon announced that his son was going to marry the daughter of a large cedar tree. But a wild animal came along and trampled the small bush.
    ¹⁰Amaziah, you think you're so powerful because you defeated Edom. Go ahead and celebrate--but stay at home. If you cause any trouble, both you and your kingdom of Judah will be destroyed.
    ¹¹But Amaziah refused to listen. So Jehoash and his troops marched to the town of Beth-Shemesh in Judah to attack Amaziah and his troops. ¹²During the battle, Judah's army was crushed. Every soldier from Judah ran back home, ¹³and Jehoash captured Amaziah.
   Jehoash then marched to Jerusalem and broke down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to Corner Gate, a section about six hundred feet long. ¹⁴He took the gold and silver, as well as everything of value from the LORD's temple and the king's treasury. He took hostages, then returned to Samaria.
    ¹⁵Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he defeated King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ¹⁶Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.
    ¹⁷Fifteen years after Jehoash died, ^18-20some people in Jerusalem plotted against Amaziah. He was able to escape to the town of Lachish, but another group of people caught him and killed him there. His body was taken back to Jerusalem on horseback and buried beside his ancestors.
   Everything else Amaziah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²¹After his death the people of Judah made his son Azariah king, even though he was only sixteen at the time. ²²Azariah was the one who later recaptured and rebuilt the town of Elath.
   

King Jeroboam the Second of Israel

 ²³Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in the fifteenth year of Amaziah's rule in Judah. Jeroboam ruled forty-one years from Samaria. ²⁴He disobeyed the LORD by following the evil example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ²⁵Jeroboam extended the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-Hamath in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, just as the LORD had promised his servant Jonah son of Amittai, who was a prophet from Gath-Hepher. ²⁶The LORD helped Jeroboam do this because he had seen how terribly the Israelites were suffering, whether slave or free, and no one was left to help them. ²⁷And since the LORD had promised that he would not let Israel be completely destroyed, he helped Jeroboam rescue them.
    ²⁸Everything else Jeroboam did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he recaptured the towns of Damascus and Hamath, ^[e] is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ²⁹Jeroboam died and was buried, and his son Zechariah became king.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 13:5 by sending. . . the Syrians: The name of this leader is not given, but it may refer to Elisha the prophet, King Jehoash of Israel, or his son King Jeroboam.
2. 2 Kings 13:6 sacred poles: Or "trees," used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility.
3. 2 Kings 13:14 Master. . . without you: Or "Master, you were like chariots and cavalry for Israel!"
4. 2 Kings 14:6 The LORD had commanded. . . children: See Deuteronomy 24.16.
5. 2 Kings 14:28 how he recaptured. . . Hamath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Acts 18:23-19:12 (Contemporary English Version)

²³After staying there for a while, he left and visited several places in Galatia and Phrygia. He helped the followers there to become stronger in their faith.
   

Apollos in Ephesus

 ²⁴A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos had been born in the city of Alexandria. He was a very good speaker and knew a lot about the Scriptures. ²⁵He also knew much about the Lord's Way, ^[a] and he spoke about it with great excitement. What he taught about Jesus was right, but all he knew was John's message about baptism. ²⁶Apollos started speaking bravely in the Jewish meeting place. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better.     ²⁷Apollos decided to travel through Achaia. So the Lord's followers wrote letters, encouraging the followers there to welcome him. After Apollos arrived in Achaia, he was a great help to everyone who had put their faith in the Lord Jesus because of God's kindness. ²⁸He got into fierce arguments with the Jewish people, and in public he used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.
   

Acts 19

Paul in Ephesus

 ¹While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord's followers. ²He asked them, "When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?"    "No!" they answered. "We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit."
    ³"Then why were you baptized?" Paul asked.
   They answered, "Because of what John taught." ^[b] ⁴Paul replied, "John baptized people so that they would turn to God. But he also told them that someone else was coming, and that they should put their faith in him. Jesus is the one that John was talking about." ⁵After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and they spoke unknown languages and prophesied. ⁷There were about twelve men in this group.
    ⁸For three months Paul went to the Jewish meeting place and talked bravely with the people about God's kingdom. He tried to win them over, ⁹but some of them were stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone they said terrible things about God's Way. Paul left and took the followers with him to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. He spoke there every day ¹⁰for two years, until every Jew and Gentile ^[c] in Asia had heard the Lord's message.

The Sons of Sceva

 ¹¹God gave Paul the power to work great miracles. ¹²People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul's body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All of the sick people were healed, and the evil spirits went out.    

Footnotes:

1. Acts 18:25 the Lord's Way: See the note at 9.2.
2. Acts 19:3 Then why were you baptized?. . . Because of what John taught: Or "In whose name were you baptized?. . . We were baptized in John's name."
3. Acts 19:10 Gentile(s): The text has "Greek(s)" (see the note at 14.1).

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Psalm 146:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 146

Shout Praises to the LORD

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD!    With all that I am,
   I will shout his praises.
    ²I will sing
   and praise
   the LORD God
   for as long as I live.
    ³You can't depend on anyone,
   not even a great leader.
    ⁴Once they die and are buried,
   that will be the end
   of all their plans.
    ⁵The LORD God of Jacob blesses
   everyone
   who trusts him
   and depends on him.
    ⁶God made heaven and earth;
   he created the sea
   and everything else.
   God always keeps his word.
    ⁷He gives justice to the poor
   and food to the hungry.
   The LORD sets prisoners free
    ⁸and heals blind eyes.
   He gives a helping hand
   to everyone who falls.
   The LORD loves good people
    ⁹and looks after strangers.
   He defends the rights
   of orphans and widows,
   but destroys the wicked.
    ¹⁰The LORD God of Zion
   will rule forever!
   Shout praises to the LORD!

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Proverbs 18:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)

²Fools have no desire to learn;
   they would much rather
   give their own opinion.
    ³Wrongdoing leads to shame
   and disgrace.

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Verse of the Day

“The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” - 2 Peter 3:9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American writer, E. B. White wrote, “Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.”

 

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A Joke for Today

 

A man was taking it easy, lying on the grass and looking up at the clouds. He was identifying shapes when he decided to talk to GOD.

 

"GOD", he said, "How long is a million years?"

 

GOD answered, "In my frame of reference, it's about a minute."

 

The man asked, "GOD, how much is a million dollars?"

 

GOD answered, "To Me, it's a dime."

 

The man then asked, "GOD, can I have a dime?"

 

GOD said, "In a minute."