Bible Readings for September 5, 2019

Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 10:1–12:14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Psalm 49:1-20; and Proverbs 22:20-21. 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 Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Ecclesiastes 10-12:14 (Contemporary English Version)

Ecclesiastes 10

 ¹A few dead flies in perfume    make all of it stink,
   and a little foolishness
   outweighs a lot of wisdom.
    ²Sensible thoughts lead you
   to do right;
   foolish thoughts lead you
   to do wrong.
    ³Fools show their stupidity
   by the way they live;
   it's easy to see
   they have no sense.
    ⁴Don't give up your job
   when your boss gets angry.
   If you stay calm,
   you'll be forgiven.
    ⁵Some things rulers do are terribly unfair: ⁶They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; ⁷they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
    ⁸If you dig a pit,
   you might fall in;
   if you break down a wall,
   a snake might bite you. ^[a] ⁹You could even get hurt
   by chiseling a stone
   or chopping a log.
    ¹⁰If you don't sharpen your ax,
   it will be harder to use;
   if you are smart,
   you'll know what to do. ^[b] ¹¹The power to charm a snake
   does you no good
   if it bites you anyway.
    ¹²If you talk sensibly,
   you will have friends;
   if you talk foolishly,
   you will destroy yourself.
    ¹³Fools begin with nonsense,
   and their stupid chatter
   ends with disaster.
    ¹⁴They never tire of talking,
   but none of us really know
   what the future will bring.
    ¹⁵Fools wear themselves out--
   they don't know enough
   to find their way home. ^[c] ¹⁶A country is in for trouble
   when its ruler is childish,
   and its leaders
   party all day long.
    ¹⁷But a nation will prosper
   when its ruler is mature,
   and its leaders
   don't party too much.
    ¹⁸Some people are too lazy
   to fix a leaky roof--
   then the house falls in.
    ¹⁹Eating and drinking
   make you feel happy,
   and bribes can buy
   everything you need.
    ²⁰Don't even think
   about cursing the king;
   don't curse the rich,
   not even in secret.
   A little bird might hear
   and tell everything.
   

Ecclesiastes 11

It Pays To Work Hard

 ¹Be generous, and someday    you will be rewarded. ^[d] ²Share what you have
   with seven or eight others,
   because you never know
   when disaster may strike.
    ³Rain clouds always bring rain;
   trees always stay
   wherever they fall.
    ⁴If you worry about the weather
   and don't plant seeds,
   you won't harvest a crop.
    ⁵No one can explain how a baby breathes before it is born. ^[e] So how can anyone explain what God does? After all, he created everything. ⁶Plant your seeds early in the morning and keep working in the field until dark. Who knows? Your work might pay off, and your seeds might produce.   

Youth and Old Age

 ⁷Nothing on earth is more beautiful than the morning sun. ⁸Even if you live to a ripe old age, you should try to enjoy each day, because darkness will come and will last a long time. Nothing makes sense. ^[f] ⁹Be cheerful and enjoy life while you are young! Do what you want and find pleasure in what you see. But don't forget that God will judge you for everything you do.     ¹⁰Rid yourself of all worry and pain, because the wonderful moments of youth quickly disappear.
   

Ecclesiastes 12

 ¹Keep your Creator in mind while you are young! In years to come, you will be burdened down with troubles and say, "I don't enjoy life anymore."     ²Someday the light of the sun
   and the moon and the stars
   will all seem dim to you.
   Rain clouds will remain
   over your head.
    ³Your body will grow feeble,
   your teeth will decay,
   and your eyesight fail.
    ⁴The noisy grinding of grain
   will be shut out
   by your deaf ears,
   but even the song of a bird
   will keep you awake.
    ⁵You will be afraid
   to climb up a hill
   or walk down a road.
   Your hair will turn as white
   as almond blossoms.
   You will feel lifeless
   and drag along
   like an old grasshopper.
   We each go to our eternal home,
   and the streets are filled
   with those who mourn.
    ⁶The silver cord snaps,
   the golden bowl breaks;
   the water pitcher is smashed,
   and the pulley at the well
   is shattered.
    ⁷So our bodies return
   to the earth,
   and the life-giving breath ^[g] returns to God.
    ⁸Nothing makes sense.
   I have seen it all--
   nothing makes sense.   

Respect and Obey God

 ⁹I was a wise teacher with much understanding, and I collected a number of proverbs that I had carefully studied. ¹⁰Then I tried to explain these things in the best and most accurate way.     ¹¹Words of wisdom are like the stick a farmer uses to make animals move. These sayings come from God, our only shepherd, and they are like nails that fasten things together. ^[h] ¹²My child, I warn you to stay away from any teachings except these. There is no end to books,
   and too much study
   will wear you out.
    ¹³Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
   Respect and obey God!
   This is what life
   is all about.
    ¹⁴God will judge
   everything we do,
   even what is done in secret,
   whether good or bad.
   

Footnotes:

1. Ecclesiastes 10:8 a snake might bite you: Walls of houses were often made of stones with mud to fill in the cracks between them. If some of the mud washed out, a snake could be living inside the wall.
2. Ecclesiastes 10:10 do: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
3. Ecclesiastes 10:15 home: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
4. Ecclesiastes 11:1 Be generous. . . rewarded: Or "Don't be afraid to invest. Someday it will pay off."
5. Ecclesiastes 11:5 how. . . born: Or "what makes the wind blow or how a baby grows inside its mother."
6. Ecclesiastes 11:8 Nothing makes sense: Or "There's nothing to look forward to!"
7. Ecclesiastes 12:7 life-giving breath: Or "spirit."
8. Ecclesiastes 12:11 These sayings. . . together: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Corinthians 8

Generous Giving

 ¹My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia ^[a] have shown others how kind God is. ²Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. ³They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. ⁴They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people. ⁵And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do. ⁶Titus was the one who got you started doing this good thing, so we begged him to have you finish what you had begun. ⁷You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better. ^[b] Now you must give more generously than anyone else. ⁸I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown. ⁹You know that our Lord Jesus Christ was kind enough to give up all his riches and become poor, so that you could become rich.     ¹⁰A year ago you were the first ones to give, and you gave because you wanted to. So listen to my advice. ¹¹I think you should finish what you started. If you give according to what you have, you will prove that you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. ¹²It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
    ¹³I am not trying to make life easier for others by making life harder for you. But it is only fair ¹⁴for you to share with them when you have so much, and they have so little. Later, when they have more than enough, and you are in need, they can share with you. Then everyone will have a fair share, ¹⁵just as the Scriptures say,
   "Those who gathered
   too much
   had nothing left.
   Those who gathered
   only a little
   had all they needed."
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 8:1 churches in Macedonia: The churches that Paul had started in Philippi and Thessalonica. The church in Berea is probably also meant.
2. 2 Corinthians 8:7 you love us better: Some manuscripts have "we love you better."

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Psalm 49:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 49

(A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)

Don't Depend on Wealth

 ¹Everyone on this earth,    now listen to what I say!
    ²Listen, no matter who you are,
   rich or poor.
    ³I speak words of wisdom,
   and my thoughts make sense.
    ⁴I have in mind a mystery
   that I will explain
   while playing my harp.
    ⁵Why should I be afraid
   in times of trouble,
   when I am surrounded
   by vicious enemies?
    ⁶They trust in their riches
   and brag about
   all of their wealth.
    ⁷You cannot buy back your life
   or pay off God!
    ⁸It costs far too much
   to buy back your life.
   You can never pay God enough
    ⁹to stay alive forever
   and safe from death.
    ¹⁰We see that wise people die,
   and so do stupid fools.
   Then their money is left
   for someone else.
    ¹¹The grave ^[a] will be their home forever and ever,
   although they once had land
   of their own.
    ¹²Our human glory disappears,
   and, like animals, we die.
    ¹³Here is what happens to fools
   and to those who trust
   the words of fools:
    ¹⁴They are like sheep
   with death as their shepherd,
   leading them to the grave. ^[b] In the morning God's people
   will walk all over them,
   as their bodies lie rotting
   in their home, the grave.
    ¹⁵But God will rescue me
   from the power of death.
    ¹⁶Don't let it bother you
   when others get rich
   and live in luxury.
    ¹⁷Soon they will die
   and all of their wealth
   will be left behind.
    ¹⁸We humans are praised
   when we do well,
   and all of us are glad
   to be alive.
    ¹⁹But we each will go down
   to our ancestors,
   never again to see
   the light of day.
    ²⁰Our human glory disappears,
   and, like animals, we die.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 49:11 The grave: Some ancient translations; Hebrew " Their inward thoughts."
2. Psalm 49:14 as their. . . grave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 22:20-21 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁰I have written thirty sayings
   filled with sound advice.
    ²¹You can trust them completely
   to give you the right words
   for those in charge of you.

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Verse of the Day

“Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” - Matthew 28:18-20

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Austrian Social Democrat who is considered one of the leading thinkers of the left-socialist Austro-Marxist grouping, Otto Bauer wrote, “A nation is a totality of men united through community of fate into a community of character.”

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A Joke for Today

A juggler, driving to his next performance, is stopped by the police. "What are these matches and lighter fluid doing in your car?" asks the cop.

"I'm a juggler and I juggle flaming torches in my act."

"Oh yeah?" says the doubtful cop. "Lets see you do it." The juggler gets out and starts juggling the blazing torches masterfully.

A couple driving by slows down to watch. "Wow," says the driver to his wife. "I'm glad I quit drinking. Look at the test they're giving now!"

Bible Readings for September 4, 2019

Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 7:1–9:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-16; Psalm 48:1-14; and Proverbs 22:17-19. 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 Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Ecclesiastes 7-9:18 (Contemporary English Version)

Ecclesiastes 7

The Best in Life

 ¹A good reputation    at the time of death
   is better than loving care
   at the time of birth. ^[a] ²It's better to go to a funeral
   than to attend a feast;
   funerals remind us
   that we all must die.
    ³Choose sorrow over laughter
   because a sad face
   may hide a happy heart.
    ⁴A sensible person mourns,
   but fools always laugh.
    ⁵Harsh correction is better
   than the songs of a fool.
    ⁶Foolish laughter is stupid.
   It sounds like thorns
   crackling in a fire.
    ⁷Corruption ^[b] makes fools of sensible people,
   and bribes can ruin you.
    ⁸Something completed is better
   than something just begun;
   patience is better
   than too much pride.
    ⁹Only fools get angry quickly
   and hold a grudge.
    ¹⁰It isn't wise to ask,
   "Why is everything worse
   than it used to be?"
    ¹¹Having wisdom is better
   than an inheritance.
    ¹²Wisdom will protect you
   just like money;
   knowledge with good sense
   will lead you to life.
    ¹³Think of what God has done!
   If God makes something crooked,
   can you make it straight?
    ¹⁴When times are good,
   you should be cheerful;
   when times are bad,
   think what it means.
   God makes them both
   to keep us from knowing
   what will happen next.     

Some of Life's Questions

 ¹⁵I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, and I have seen criminals live to a ripe old age. ¹⁶So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart! ¹⁷Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. ¹⁸Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.     ¹⁹Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
    ²⁰No one in this world always does right.
    ²¹Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. ²²Haven't you cursed many others?
    ²³I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all of this, but it was too much for me. ²⁴The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. ²⁵So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
    ²⁶Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. ²⁷With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, ²⁸but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. ²⁹I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.
    

Ecclesiastes 8

 ¹Who is smart enough    to explain everything?
   Wisdom makes you cheerful
   and gives you a smile.     

Obey the King

 ²If you promised God that you would be loyal to the king, I advise you to keep that promise. ³Don't quickly oppose the king or argue when he has already made up his mind. ⁴The king's word is law. No one can ask him, "Why are you doing this?" ⁵If you obey the king, you will stay out of trouble. So be smart and learn what to do and when to do it. ⁶Life is hard, but there is a time and a place for everything, ⁷though no one can tell the future. ⁸We cannot control the wind ^[c]or determine the day of our death. There is no escape in time of war, and no one can hide behind evil. ⁹I noticed all this and thought seriously about what goes on in the world. Why does one person have the power to hurt another?

Who Can Understand the Ways of God?

 ¹⁰I saw the wicked buried with honor, but God's people had to leave the holy city and were forgotten. ^[d] None of this makes sense. ¹¹When we see criminals commit crime after crime without being punished, it makes us want to start a life of crime. ¹²They commit hundreds of crimes and live to a ripe old age, in spite of the saying: Everyone who lives right    and respects God
   will prosper,
    ¹³but no one who sins
   and rejects God
   will prosper or live very long.
    ¹⁴There is something else that doesn't make sense to me. Good citizens are treated as criminals, while criminals are honored as though they were good citizens. ¹⁵So I think we should get as much out of life as we possibly can. There is nothing better than to enjoy our food and drink and to have a good time. Then we can make it through this troublesome life that God has given us here on earth.
    ¹⁶Day and night I went without sleep, trying to understand what goes on in this world. ¹⁷I saw everything God does, and I realized that no one can really understand what happens. We may be very wise, but no matter how much we try or how much we claim to know, we cannot understand it all.
    

Ecclesiastes 9

One Day at a Time

 ¹I thought about these things. Then I understood that God has power over everyone, even those of us who are wise and live right. Anything can happen to any of us, and so we never know if life will be good or bad. ^[e] ²But exactly ^[f] the same thing will finally happen to all of us, whether we live right and respect God or sin and don't respect God. Yes, the same thing will happen if we offer sacrifices to God or if we don't, if we keep our promises or break them. ³It's terribly unfair for the same thing to happen to each of us. We are mean and foolish while we live, and then we die. ⁴As long as we are alive, we still have hope, just as a live dog is better off than a dead lion. ⁵We know that we will die, but the dead don't know a thing. Nothing good will happen to them--they are gone and forgotten. ⁶Their loves, their hates, and their jealous feelings have all disappeared with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens on this earth.     ⁷Be happy and enjoy eating and drinking! God decided long ago that this is what you should do. ⁸Dress up, comb your hair, and look your best. ⁹Life is short, and you love your wife, so enjoy being with her. This is what you are supposed to do as you struggle through life on this earth. ¹⁰Work hard at whatever you do. You will soon go to the world of the dead, where no one works or thinks or reasons or knows anything.
    ¹¹Here is something else I have learned:
   The fastest runners
   and the greatest heroes
   don't always win races
   and battles.
   Wisdom, intelligence, and skill
   don't always make you healthy,
   rich, or popular.
   We each have our share
   of bad luck.
    ¹²None of us know when we might fall victim to a sudden disaster and find ourselves like fish in a net or birds in a trap.     

Better To Be Wise than Foolish

 ¹³Once I saw what people really think of wisdom. ¹⁴It happened when a powerful ruler surrounded and attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The enemy army was getting ready to break through the city walls. ¹⁵But the city was saved by the wisdom of a poor person who was soon forgotten. ¹⁶So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are.     ¹⁷Words of wisdom spoken softly
   make much more sense
   than the shouts of a ruler
   to a crowd of fools.
    ¹⁸Wisdom is more powerful
   than weapons,
   yet one mistake can destroy
   all the good you have done.
    

Footnotes:

1. Ecclesiastes 7:1 birth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 1.
2. Ecclesiastes 7:7 Corruption: Or "Oppression."
3. Ecclesiastes 8:8 control the wind: Or "escape from death."
4. Ecclesiastes 8:10 but. . . forgotten: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Ecclesiastes 9:1 or bad: Three ancient translations; the Hebrew text does not have these words.
6. Ecclesiastes 9:2 exactly: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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2 Corinthians 7:8-16 (Contemporary English Version)

⁸I don't feel bad anymore, even though my letter ^[a] hurt your feelings. I did feel bad at first, but I don't now. I know that the letter hurt you for a while. ⁹Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us. ¹⁰When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death. ¹¹Just look what God has done by making you feel sorry! You sincerely want to prove that you are innocent. You are angry. You are shocked. You are eager to see that justice is done. You have proved that you were completely right in this matter. ¹²When I wrote you, it wasn't to accuse the one who was wrong or to take up for the one who was hurt. I wrote, so that God would show you how much you do care for us. ¹³And we were greatly encouraged.
   Although we were encouraged, we felt even better when we saw how happy Titus was, because you had shown that he had nothing to worry about. ¹⁴We had told him how much we thought of you, and you did not disappoint us. Just as we have always told you the truth, so everything we told him about you has also proved to be true. ¹⁵Titus loves all of you very much, especially when he remembers how you obeyed him and how you trembled with fear when you welcomed him. ¹⁶It makes me really glad to know that I can depend on you.
    

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 7:8 my letter: There is no copy of this letter that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.

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Psalm 48:1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 48

(A song and a psalm for the people of Korah.)

The City of God

 ¹The LORD God is wonderful!    He deserves all praise
   in the city where he lives.
   His holy mountain,
    ²beautiful and majestic,
   brings joy to all on earth.
   Mount Zion, truly sacred,
   is home for the Great King.
    ³God is there to defend it
   and has proved to be
   its protector.
    ⁴Kings joined forces
   to attack the city,
    ⁵but when they saw it,
   they were terrified
   and ran away.
    ⁶They trembled all over
   like women giving birth
    ⁷or like seagoing ships ^[a] wrecked by eastern winds.
    ⁸We had heard about it,
   and now we have seen it
   in the city of our God,
   the LORD All-Powerful.
   This is the city that God
   will let stand forever.
    ⁹Our God, here in your temple
   we think about your love.
    ¹⁰You are famous and praised
   everywhere on earth,
   as you win victories
   with your powerful arm.
    ¹¹Mount Zion will celebrate,
   and all Judah will be glad,
   because you bring justice.
    ¹²Let's walk around Zion
   and count its towers.
    ¹³We will see its strong walls
   and visit each fortress.
   Then you can say
   to future generations,
    ¹⁴"Our God is like this forever
   and will always ^[b] guide us." 

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 48:7 seagoing ships: The Hebrew text has " ships of Tarshish," which probably means large, seagoing ships.
2. Psalm 48:14 always: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 22:17-19 (Contemporary English Version)

Thirty Wise Sayings

 ¹⁷Here are some sayings    of people with wisdom,
   so listen carefully
   as I teach.
    ¹⁸You will be glad
   that you know these sayings
   and can recite them.
    ¹⁹I am teaching them today,
   so that you
   may trust the LORD. 

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Verse of the Day

Now follow the example of the correct teaching I gave you, and let the faith and love of Christ Jesus be your model. You have been trusted with a wonderful treasure. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you.” - 2 Timothy 1:13-14 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American poet, Phoebe Cary wrote, “One sweetly solemn thought, comes to me o'er and o'er; I am nearer home today, than I ever have been before.”

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A Joke for Today

Jon's working at the lumberyard, pushing a tree through the buzz saw, and accidentally shears off all ten of his fingers. He goes to the emergency room.

The doctor says, "Yuck! Well, give me the fingers, and I'll see what I can do."

Jon says, "I haven't got the fingers."

The doctor says, "What do you mean, you haven't got the fingers? It's 1998. We've got microsurgery and all kinds of incredible techniques. I could have put them back on and made you like new. Why didn't you bring the fingers?"

Jon says, "Well, heck, Doc, I couldn't pick 'em up."

Bible Readings for September 3, 2019

Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 4:1–6:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:7; Psalm 47:1-9; and Proverbs 22:16. 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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Ecclesiastes 4-6:12 (Contemporary English Version)

Ecclesiastes 4

 ¹I looked again and saw people being mistreated everywhere on earth. They were crying, but no one was there to offer comfort, and those who mistreated them were powerful. ²I said to myself, "The dead are better off than the living. ³But those who have never been born are better off than anyone else, because they have never seen the terrible things that happen on this earth."     ⁴Then I realized that we work and do wonderful things just because we are jealous of others. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind. ^[a] ⁵Fools will fold their hands 
   and starve to death. 
    ⁶Yet a very little food 
   eaten in peace 
   is better than twice as much 
   earned from overwork 
   and chasing the wind. ^[b] 
    ⁷Once again I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. ⁸For example, some people don't have friends or family. But they are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, "Why am I always working to have more? Who will get what I leave behind?" What a senseless and miserable life!     

It Is Better To Have a Friend

 ⁹You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. ¹⁰If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. ¹¹If you sleep alone, you won't have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night. ¹²Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, "A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break."     ¹³You may be poor and young. But if you are wise, you are better off than a foolish old king who won't listen to advice. ¹⁴Even if you were not born into the royal family and have been a prisoner and poor, you can still be king. ¹⁵I once saw everyone in the world follow a young leader who came to power after the king was gone. ¹⁶His followers could not even be counted. But years from now, no one will praise him--this makes no more sense than chasing the wind. 
    

Ecclesiastes 5

Be Careful How You Worship

 ¹Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Some fools go there to offer sacrifices, even though they haven't sinned. But it's best just to listen when you go to worship. ²Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much. ³If you keep thinking about something, you will dream about it. If you talk too much, you will say the wrong thing.     ⁴God doesn't like fools. So don't be slow to keep your promises to God. ⁵It's better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it. ⁶Don't let your mouth get you in trouble! And don't say to the worship leader, ^[c] "I didn't mean what I said." God can destroy everything you have worked for, so don't say something that makes God angry. ⁷Respect and obey God! Daydreaming leads to a lot of senseless talk. ^[d] ⁸Don't be surprised if the poor of your country are abused, and injustice takes the place of justice. After all, the lower officials must do what the higher ones order them to do. ⁹And since the king is the highest official, he benefits most from the taxes paid on the land. ^[e] ¹⁰If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have. This doesn't make sense either. ¹¹The more you have, the more everyone expects from you. Your money won't do you any good--others will just spend it for you. ¹²If you have to work hard for a living, you can rest well at night, even if you don't have much to eat. But if you are rich, you can't even sleep. 
    ¹³I have seen something terribly unfair. People get rich, but it does them no good. ¹⁴Suddenly they lose everything in a bad business deal, then have nothing to leave for their children. ¹⁵They came into this world naked, and when they die, they will be just as naked. They can't take anything with them, and they won't have anything to show for all their work. ¹⁶That's terribly unfair. They leave the world just as they came into it. They gained nothing from running after the wind. ¹⁷Besides all this, they are always gloomy at mealtime, and they are troubled, sick, and bitter. ^[f] ¹⁸What is the best thing to do in the short life that God has given us? I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard. This is what God intends for us to do. ¹⁹Suppose you are very rich and able to enjoy everything you own. Then go ahead and enjoy working hard--this is God's gift to you. ²⁰God will keep you so happy that you won't have time to worry about each day. 
    

Ecclesiastes 6

Don't Depend on Wealth

 ¹There is something else terribly unfair, and it troubles everyone on earth. ²God may give you everything you want--money, property, and wealth. Then God doesn't let you enjoy it, and someone you don't even know gets it all. That's senseless and terribly unfair!     ³You may live a long time and have a hundred children. But a child born dead is better off than you, unless you enjoy life and have a decent burial. ^4-5That child will never live to see the sun or to have a name, and it will go straight to the world of darkness. But it will still find more rest than you, ⁶even if you live two thousand years and don't enjoy life. As you know, we all end up in the same place. 
    ⁷We struggle just to have enough to eat, but we are never satisfied. ⁸We may be sensible, yet we are no better off than a fool. And if we are poor, it still doesn't do us any good to try to live right. ⁹It's better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes no more sense than chasing the wind. ^[g] ¹⁰Everything that happens was decided long ago. We humans know what we are like, and we can't argue with God, because he is ^[h] too strong for us. ¹¹The more we talk, the less sense we make, so what good does it do to talk? ¹²Life is short and meaningless, and it fades away like a shadow. Who knows what is best for us? Who knows what will happen after we are gone? 

Footnotes:

1. Ecclesiastes 4:4 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14.
2. Ecclesiastes 4:6 even. . . sinned: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Ecclesiastes 5:6 worship leader: Or "messenger."
4. Ecclesiastes 5:7 Daydreaming. . . talk: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Ecclesiastes 5:9 land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 9.
6. Ecclesiastes 5:17 bitter: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.
7. Ecclesiastes 6:9 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14,17.
8. Ecclesiastes 6:10 with God, because he is: Or "with anyone who is."

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2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7 (Contemporary English Version)

The Temple of the Living God

 ¹⁴Stay away from people who are not followers of the Lord! Can someone who is good get along with someone who is evil? Are light and darkness the same? ¹⁵Is Christ a friend of Satan? ^[a] Can people who follow the Lord have anything in common with those who don't? ¹⁶Do idols belong in the temple of God? We are the temple of the living God, as God himself says, "I will live with these people    and walk among them. 
   I will be their God, 
   and they will be 
   my people." 
    ¹⁷The Lord also says, 
   "Leave them and stay away! 
   Don't touch anything 
   that isn't clean. 
   Then I will welcome you 
    ¹⁸and be your Father. 
   You will be my sons 
   and my daughters, 
   as surely as I am God, 
   the All-Powerful." 
    

2 Corinthians 7

 ¹My friends, God has made us these promises. So we should stay away from everything that keeps our bodies and spirits from being clean. We should honor God and try to be completely like him.     

The Church Makes Paul Happy

 ²Make a place for us in your hearts! We haven't mistreated or hurt anyone. We haven't cheated anyone. ³I am not saying this to be hard on you. But, as I have said before, you will always be in our thoughts, whether we live or die. ⁴I trust you completely. ^[b] I am always proud of you, and I am greatly encouraged. In all my trouble I am still very happy. ⁵After we came to Macedonia, we didn't have any chance to rest. We were faced with all kinds of problems. We were troubled by enemies and troubled by fears. ⁶But God cheers up people in need, and that is what he did when he sent Titus to us. ⁷Of course, we were glad to see Titus, but what really made us glad is the way you cheered him up. He told how sorry you were and how concerned you were about me. And this made me even happier.     

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Satan: The Greek text has "Beliar," which is another form of the Hebrew word "Belial," meaning "wicked" or "useless." The Jewish people sometimes used this as a name for Satan.
2. 2 Corinthians 7:4 I trust you completely: Or "I have always spoken the truth to you" or "I can speak freely to you."

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Psalm 47:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 47

(A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)

God Rules the Nations

 ¹All of you nations,    clap your hands 
   and shout 
   joyful praises to God. 
    ²The LORD Most High is fearsome, 
   the ruler of all the earth. 
    ³God has put every nation 
   under our power, 
    ⁴and he chose for us the land 
   that was the pride of Jacob, 
   his favorite. 
    ⁵God goes up to his throne, 
   as people shout 
   and trumpets blast. 
    ⁶Sing praises to God our King, 
    ⁷the ruler of all the earth! 
   Praise God with songs. 
    ⁸God rules the nations 
   from his sacred throne. 
    ⁹Their leaders come together 
   and are now the people 
   of Abraham's God. 
   All rulers on earth 
   surrender their weapons, 
   and God is greatly praised! 

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Proverbs 22:16 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶Cheat the poor to make profit
   or give gifts to the rich--
   either way you lose.

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Verse of the Day

“[It Is Best To Obey the LORD]with this message: People of Israel, I am the holy LORD God, the one who rescues you. For your own good, I teach you, and I lead you along the right path.” - Isaiah 48:17 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Austrian automotive engineer and founder of the Porsche car company, Ferdinand Porsche wrote, “If one does not fail at times, then one has not challenged himself.”

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A Joke for Today

Two men were digging a ditch on a very hot day. One said to the other, 'Why are we down in this hole digging a ditch when our boss is standing up there in the shade of a tree?' 

'I don't know,' responded the other. 'I'll ask him.' So he climbed out of the hole and went to his boss. 'Why are we digging in the hot sun and you're standing in the shade?'

'Intelligence,' the boss said. 

'What do you mean, ‘intelligence'?' 

The boss said, 'Well, I'll show you. I'll put my hand on this tree and I want you to hit it with your fist as hard as you can.' 

The ditch digger took a mighty swing and tried to hit the boss' hand. The boss removed his hand and the ditch digger hit the tree. 

The boss said, 'That's intelligence!' 

The ditch digger went back to his hole. His friend asked, 'What did he say?' 

'He said we are down here because of intelligence.' 

'What's intelligence?' said the friend. 

The ditch digger put his hand on his face and said, 'Take your shovel and hit my hand.'