Bible Readings for January 24, 2020

Today, our passages are  Genesis 48:1–49:33; Matthew 15:29–16:12; Psalm 20:1-9; and Proverbs 4:20-27.  The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 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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Genesis 48-49:33 (The Message)

Genesis 48

 ^1-2 Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob. When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come," he roused himself and sat up in bed. ^3-7 Jacob said to Joseph, "The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said, 'I'm going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I'll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.' I'm adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon. But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance. I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem."
 ⁸ Just then Jacob noticed Joseph's sons and said, "Who are these?"
 ^9-11 Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place."
   "Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them." Israel's eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them and then said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!"
 ^12-16 Joseph took them from Israel's knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground. Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel's right, and stood them before him. But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. Then he blessed them:

   The God before whom walked
      my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
   The God who has been my shepherd
      all my life long to this very day,
   The Angel who delivered me from every evil,
      Bless the boys.
   May my name be echoed in their lives,
      and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers,
   And may they grow
      covering the Earth with their children.
 ^17-18 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's, saying, "That's the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head."
 ^19-20 But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son; but I know what I'm doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations." Then he blessed them both:

      Israel will use your names to give blessings:
       May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.
   In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
 ^21-22 Israel then said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers. As for me, I'm presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow." 

Genesis 49

 ¹ Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather around. I want to tell you what you can expect in the days to come."

 ² Come together, listen sons of Jacob,
      listen to Israel your father.

 ^3-4 Reuben, you're my firstborn,
      my strength, first proof of my manhood,
      at the top in honor and at the top in power,
   But like a bucket of water spilled,
      you'll be at the top no more,
   Because you climbed into your father's marriage bed,
      mounting that couch, and you defiled it.

 ^5-6 Simeon and Levi are two of a kind,
      ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
   I don't want anything to do with their vendettas,
      want no part in their bitter feuds;
   They kill men in fits of temper,
      slash oxen on a whim.

 ⁷ A curse on their uncontrolled anger,
      on their indiscriminate wrath.
   I'll throw them out with the trash;
      I'll shred and scatter them like confetti throughout Israel.

 ^8-12 You, Judah, your brothers will praise you:
      Your fingers on your enemies' throat,
      while your brothers honor you.
   You're a lion's cub, Judah,
      home fresh from the kill, my son.
   Look at him, crouched like a lion, king of beasts;
      who dares mess with him?
   The scepter shall not leave Judah;
      he'll keep a firm grip on the command staff
   Until the ultimate ruler comes
      and the nations obey him.
   He'll tie up his donkey to the grapevine,
      his purebred prize to a sturdy branch.
   He will wash his shirt in wine
      and his cloak in the blood of grapes,
   His eyes will be darker than wine,
      his teeth whiter than milk.

 ¹³ Zebulun settles down on the seashore;
      he's a safe harbor for ships,
      right alongside Sidon.

 ^14-15 Issachar is one tough donkey
      crouching between the corrals;
   When he saw how good the place was,
      how pleasant the country,
   He gave up his freedom
      and went to work as a slave.

 ^16-17 Dan will handle matters of justice for his people;
      he will hold his own just fine among the tribes of Israel.
   Dan is only a small snake in the grass,
      a lethal serpent in ambush by the road
   When he strikes a horse in the heel,
      and brings its huge rider crashing down.

 ¹⁸ I wait in hope
      for your salvation, God.

 ¹⁹ Gad will be attacked by bandits,
      but he will trip them up.

 ²⁰ Asher will become famous for rich foods,
      candies and sweets fit for kings.

 ^21-26 Naphtali is a deer running free
      that gives birth to lovely fawns.
   Joseph is a wild donkey,
      a wild donkey by a spring,
      spirited donkeys on a hill.
   The archers with malice attacked,
      shooting their hate-tipped arrows;
   But he held steady under fire,
      his bow firm, his arms limber,
   With the backing of the Champion of Jacob,
      the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
   The God of your father—may he help you!
      And may The Strong God—may he give you his blessings,
   Blessings tumbling out of the skies,
      blessings bursting up from the Earth—
      blessings of breasts and womb.
   May the blessings of your father
      exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains,
      surpass the delights of the eternal hills;
   May they rest on the head of Joseph,
      on the brow of the one consecrated among his brothers.

 ²⁷ Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
      all morning he gorges on his kill,
      at evening divides up what's left over.  ²⁸ All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing.

^29-32 Then he instructed them: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial plot. Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there; Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there; I also buried Leah there. The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites."
 ³³ Jacob finished instructing his sons, pulled his feet into bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

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Matthew 15:29-16:12 (The Message)

 ^29-31After Jesus returned, he walked along Lake Galilee and then climbed a mountain and took his place, ready to receive visitors. They came, tons of them, bringing along the paraplegic, the blind, the maimed, the mute—all sorts of people in need—and more or less threw them down at Jesus' feet to see what he would do with them. He healed them. When the people saw the mutes speaking, the maimed healthy, the paraplegics walking around, the blind looking around, they were astonished and let everyone know that God was blazingly alive among them.

 ³²But Jesus wasn't finished with them. He called his disciples and said, "I hurt for these people. For three days now they've been with me, and now they have nothing to eat. I can't send them away without a meal—they'd probably collapse on the road."

 ³³His disciples said, "But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?"

 ^34-39Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?"

   "Seven loaves," they said, "plus a few fish." At that, Jesus directed the people to sit down. He took the seven loaves and the fish. After giving thanks, he divided it up and gave it to the people. Everyone ate. They had all they wanted. It took seven large baskets to collect the leftovers. Over four thousand people ate their fill at that meal. After Jesus sent them away, he climbed in the boat and crossed over to the Magadan hills.

Matthew 16

Some Bad Yeast

 ^1-4 Some Pharisees and Sadducees were on him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, "You have a saying that goes, 'Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.' You find it easy enough to forecast the weather—why can't you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you'll get is the Jonah sign." Then he turned on his heel and walked away.

 ^5-6On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring along bread. In the meantime, Jesus said to them, "Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast."

 ^7-12Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in whispers what to do. Jesus knew what they were doing and said, "Why all these worried whispers about forgetting the bread? Runt believers! Haven't you caught on yet? Don't you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? Or the seven loaves that fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? Haven't you realized yet that bread isn't the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast." Then they got it: that he wasn't concerned about eating, but teaching—the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of teaching.

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Psalm 20:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 20

A David Psalm

 ^1-4 God answer you on the day you crash, The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm's reach,
   Send reinforcements from Holy Hill,
   Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies,
   Exclaim over your offerings,
   Celebrate your sacrifices,
   Give you what your heart desires,
   Accomplish your plans.

 ⁵ When you win, we plan to raise the roof
      and lead the parade with our banners.
   May all your wishes come true!

 ⁶ That clinches it—help's coming,
      an answer's on the way,
      everything's going to work out.

 ^7-8 See those people polishing their chariots,
      and those others grooming their horses?
      But we're making garlands for God our God.
   The chariots will rust,
      those horses pull up lame—
      and we'll be on our feet, standing tall.

 ⁹ Make the king a winner, God;
      the day we call, give us your answer. 

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Proverbs 4:20-27 (The Message)

Learn It by Heart

 ^20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
   tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
   Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
   body and soul, they're bursting with health.

 ^23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
   that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
   avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
   ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
   and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
   leave evil in the dust. 

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Verse of the Day

 

“My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself.” - Galatians 6:1 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American novelist, short story writer, playwright, and designer, Edith Wharton wrote, “After all, one knows one's weak points so well, that it's rather bewildering to have the critics overlook them and invent others.”

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A Joke for Today

You might be a redneck if...

Your most productive fishing lure is a Dupont drifter and a dip net.
City code enforcement officers use your property as a proving ground for new recruits.
You think Tang is in the fruit group.
You can hit a bullseye from up to 50 yards away, but still have trouble with your ABC's.
You've ever wrestled your mama for the last can of beer.
You surf the net primarily for tater gun building instructions.
Your car is the only one in a parking lot and you can't find it.
You think your IQ is the number of coons you shot out of season.
You ever wonder what happened to that nice John F. Kennedy boy.
The fuel for your main mode of transportation is oats.

Bible Readings for January 23, 2017

Today our passages are Genesis 46:1–47:31; Matthew 15:1-28; Psalm 19:1-14; and Proverbs 4:14-19. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you missed a day, you can find all the readings at our blog, The Bible in a Year. 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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Genesis 46-47:31 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 46

Jacob and His Family Go to Egypt

 ¹Jacob packed up everything he owned and left for Egypt. On the way he stopped near the town of Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshiped. ²That night, God spoke to him and said, "Jacob! Jacob!"    "Here I am," Jacob answered.
    ³God said, "I am God, the same God your father worshiped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation. ⁴I will go with you to Egypt, and later I will bring your descendants back here. Your son Joseph will be at your side when you die."
    ^5-7Jacob and his family set out from Beersheba and headed for Egypt. His sons put him in the wagon that the king ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} had sent for him, and they put their small children and their wives in the other wagons. Jacob's whole family went to Egypt, including his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters. They took along their animals and everything else they owned. ^8-15When Jacob went to Egypt, his children who were born in northern Syria ^[b<="">] also went along with their families. Jacob and his wife Leah had a total of thirty-three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but two of their grandchildren had died in Canaan.
   Their oldest son Reuben took his sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
   Their son Simeon took his sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite.
   Their son Levi took his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
   Their son Judah took his sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan. Judah's son Perez took his sons Hezron and Hamul.
   Their son Issachar took his sons Tola, Puvah, Jashub, ^[c<="">] and Shimron. Their son Zebulun took his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
   Their daughter Dinah also went.
    ^16-18Jacob and Zilpah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Leah, had a total of sixteen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
   Their son Gad took his sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
   Their son Asher took his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, who took his sons, Heber and Malchiel.
   Serah, the daughter of Asher, also went.
    ^19-22Jacob and Rachel had fourteen children and grandchildren.
   Their son Joseph was already in Egypt, where he had married Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of Heliopolis. ^[d<="">] Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob and Rachel's son Benjamin took his sons Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
    ^23-25Jacob and Bilhah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Rachel, had seven children and grandchildren.
   Their son Dan took his son Hushim.
   Their son Naphtali took his sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
    ²⁶Sixty-six members of Jacob's family went to Egypt with him, not counting his daughters-in-law. ²⁷Jacob's two grandsons who were born there made it a total of seventy members of Jacob's family in Egypt.
    ²⁸Jacob had sent his son Judah ahead of him to ask Joseph to meet them in Goshen. ²⁹So Joseph got in his chariot and went to meet his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father around the neck and cried for a long time. ³⁰Jacob said to Joseph, "Now that I have seen you and know you are still alive, I am ready to die."
    ³¹Then Joseph said to his brothers and to everyone who had come with them:
   I must go and tell the king ^[e<="">] that you have arrived from Canaan. ³²I will tell him that you are shepherds and that you have brought your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. ³³The king will call you in and ask what you do for a living. ³⁴When he does, be sure to say, "We are shepherds. Our families have always raised sheep." If you tell him this, he will let you settle in the region of Goshen. Joseph wanted them to say this to the king, because the Egyptians did not like to be around anyone who raised sheep.
   

Genesis 47

 ^1-2Joseph took five of his brothers to the king and told him, "My father and my brothers have come from Canaan. They have brought their sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else they own to the region of Goshen."    Then he introduced his brothers to the king, ³who asked them, "What do you do for a living?"
   "Sir, we are shepherds," was their answer. "Our families have always raised sheep. ⁴But in our country all the pastures are dried up, and our sheep have no grass to eat. So we, your servants, have come here. Please let us live in the region of Goshen."
    ⁵The king said to Joseph, "It's good that your father and brothers have arrived. ⁶I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like for your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats."
    ⁷Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. Jacob gave the king his blessing, ⁸and the king asked him, "How old are you?"
    ⁹Jacob answered, "I have lived only a hundred thirty years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine." ¹⁰Then Jacob gave the king his blessing once again and left. ¹¹Joseph obeyed the king's orders and gave his father and brothers some of the best land in Egypt near the city of Rameses. ¹²Joseph also provided food for their families.
   

A Famine in Egypt

 ¹³The famine was bad everywhere in Egypt and Canaan, and the people were suffering terribly. ¹⁴So Joseph sold them the grain that had been stored up, and he put the money ^[f<="">] in the king's treasury. ¹⁵But when everyone had run out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and demanded, "Give us more grain! If you don't, we'll soon be dead, because our money's all gone." ¹⁶"If you don't have any money," Joseph answered, "give me your animals, and I'll let you have some grain." ¹⁷From then on, they brought him their horses and donkeys and their sheep and goats in exchange for grain.    Within a year Joseph had collected every animal in Egypt. ¹⁸Then the people came to him and said:
   Sir, there's no way we can hide the truth from you. We are broke, and we don't have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land. ¹⁹Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you'll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we'll sell ourselves and our land to the king. ^[g<="">] We'll become his slaves. ²⁰The famine became so severe that Joseph finally bought every piece of land in Egypt for the king ²¹and made everyone the king's slaves, ^{[h<="">] 22}except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land. ²³Then Joseph said to the people, "You and your land now belong to the king. I'm giving you seed to plant, ²⁴but one-fifth of your crops must go to the king. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families." ²⁵"Sir, you have saved our lives!" they answered. "We are glad to be slaves of the king." ²⁶Then Joseph made a law that one-fifth of the harvest would always belong to the king. Only the priests did not lose their land.
   

Jacob Becomes an Old Man

 ²⁷The people of Israel made their home in the land of Goshen, where they became prosperous and had large families. ²⁸Jacob himself lived there for seventeen years, before dying at the age of one hundred forty-seven. ²⁹When Jacob knew he did not have long to live, he called in Joseph and said, "If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt. ³⁰Instead, bury me in the place where my ancestors are buried."    "I will do what you have asked," Joseph answered.
    ³¹"Will you give me your word?" Jacob asked.
   "Yes, I will," Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.
   

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 46:5 the king: See the note at 12.15.
2. Genesis 46:8 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
3. Genesis 46:8 Jashub: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text "Iob."
4. Genesis 46:19 Heliopolis: See the note at 41.45.
5. Genesis 46:31 the king: See the note at 12.15.
6. Genesis 47:14 money: See the note at 42.25.
7. Genesis 47:19 the king: See the note at 12.15.
8. Genesis 47:21 made. . . slaves: One ancient translation and the Samaritan Hebrew Text; the Standard Hebrew Text "made everyone move to the cities."

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Matthew 15:1-28 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 15

The Teaching of the Ancestors

(Mark 7.1-13)

 ¹About this time some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem. They asked Jesus, ²"Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? They don't even wash their hands ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} before they eat." ³Jesus answered:    Why do you disobey God and follow your own teaching? ⁴Didn't God command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? ⁵But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they have has been offered to God. ^{[b<="">] 6}Is this any way to show respect to your parents? You ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. ⁷And you are nothing but show-offs! Isaiah the prophet was right when he wrote that God had said, ⁸"All of you praise me
   with your words,
   but you never really
   think about me.
    ⁹It is useless for you
   to worship me,
   when you teach rules
   made up by humans."
   

What Really Makes People Unclean

(Mark 7.14-23)

 ¹⁰Jesus called the crowd together and said, "Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. ¹¹The 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."     ¹²Then his disciples came over to him and asked, "Do you know that you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?"
    ¹³Jesus answered, "Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch."
    ¹⁵Peter replied, "What did you mean when you talked about the things that make people unclean?"
    ¹⁶Jesus then said:
   Don't any of you know what I am talking about by now? ¹⁷Don't you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? ¹⁸But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. ¹⁹Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. ²⁰These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.
   

A Woman's Faith

(Mark 7.24-30)

 ²¹Jesus left and went to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Suddenly a Canaanite woman ^[c<="">] from there came out shouting, "Lord and Son of David, ^[d<="">] have pity on me! My daughter is full of demons." ²³Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away. ²⁴Jesus said, "I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep."     ²⁵The woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, "Please help me, Lord!"
    ²⁶Jesus replied, "It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs." ^{[e<="">] 27}"Lord, that's true," the woman said, "but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table."
    ²⁸Jesus answered, "Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith, and you will be given what you want." At that moment her daughter was healed.
   

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 15:2 wash their hands: The Jewish people had strict laws about washing their hands before eating, especially if they had been out in public.
2. Matthew 15:5 has been offered to God: According to Jewish custom, when people said something was offered to God, it belonged to him and could not be used for anyone else, not even for their own parents.
3. Matthew 15:22 Canaanite woman: This woman was not Jewish.
4. Matthew 15:22 Son of David: See the note at 9.27.
5. Matthew 15:26 feed it to dogs: The Jewish people sometimes referred to Gentiles as dogs.

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Psalm 19:1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 19

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

The Wonders of God and the Goodness of His Law

 ¹The heavens keep telling    the wonders of God,
   and the skies declare
   what he has done.
    ²Each day informs
   the following day;
   each night announces
   to the next.
    ³They don't speak a word,
   and there is never
   the sound of a voice.
    ⁴Yet their message reaches
   all the earth,
   and it travels
   around the world.
   In the heavens a tent
   is set up for the sun.
    ⁵It rises like a bridegroom
   and gets ready like a hero
   eager to run a race.
    ⁶It travels all the way
   across the sky.
   Nothing hides from its heat.
    ⁷The Law of the LORD is perfect;
   it gives us new life.
   His teachings last forever,
   and they give wisdom
   to ordinary people.
    ⁸The LORD's instruction is right;
   it makes our hearts glad.
   His commands shine brightly,
   and they give us light.
    ⁹Worshiping the LORD is sacred;
   he will always be worshiped.
   All of his decisions
   are correct and fair.
    ¹⁰They are worth more
   than the finest gold
   and are sweeter than honey
   from a honeycomb.
    ¹¹By your teachings, Lord,
   I am warned;
   by obeying them,
   I am greatly rewarded.
    ¹²None of us know our faults.
   Forgive me when I sin
   without knowing it.
    ¹³Don't let me do wrong
   on purpose, Lord,
   or let sin have control
   over my life.
   Then I will be innocent,
   and not guilty
   of some terrible fault.
    ¹⁴Let my words and my thoughts
   be pleasing to you, LORD,
   because you are my mighty rock ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} and my protector.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 19:14 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 4:14-19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴Don't follow the bad example
   of cruel and evil people.
    ¹⁵Turn aside and keep going.
   Stay away from them.
    ¹⁶They can't sleep or rest
   until they do wrong
   or harm
   some innocent victim.
    ¹⁷Their food and drink
   are violence and cruelty.
    ¹⁸The lifestyle of good people
   is like sunlight at dawn
   that keeps getting brighter
   until broad daylight.
    ¹⁹The lifestyle of the wicked
   is like total darkness,
   and they will never know
   what makes them stumble.

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Verse of the Day

 

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking.” - James 1:5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version. 

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Verse of the Day

Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer, Edith Wharton wrote, “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

Bible Readings for October 20, 2014

Today our passages are Jeremiah 35:1–36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; and Proverbs 25:25-27. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Jeremiah 35-36:32 (The Message)

Jeremiah 35

Meeting in God's Temple

 ¹ The Message that Jeremiah received from God ten years earlier, during the time of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Israel: ²"Go visit the Recabite community. Invite them to meet with you in one of the rooms in God's Temple. And serve them wine."  ^3-4So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with all his brothers and sons—the whole community of the Recabites as it turned out—and brought them to God's Temple and to the meeting room of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the meeting room of the Temple officials and just over the apartment of Maaseiah son of Shallum, who was in charge of Temple affairs.
 ⁵Then I set out chalices and pitchers of wine for the Recabites and said, "A toast! Drink up!"
 ^6-7But they wouldn't do it. "We don't drink wine," they said. "Our ancestor Jonadab son of Recab commanded us, 'You are not to drink wine, you or your children, ever. Neither shall you build houses or settle down, planting fields and gardens and vineyards. Don't own property. Live in tents as nomads so that you will live well and prosper in a wandering life.'
 ^8-10"And we've done it, done everything Jonadab son of Recab commanded. We and our wives, our sons and daughters, drink no wine at all. We don't build houses. We don't have vineyards or fields or gardens. We live in tents as nomads. We've listened to our ancestor Jonadab and we've done everything he commanded us.
 ¹¹"But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded our land, we said, 'Let's go to Jerusalem and get out of the path of the Chaldean and Aramean armies, find ourselves a safe place.' That's why we're living in Jerusalem right now."

Why Won't You Learn Your Lesson?

 ^12-15Then Jeremiah received this Message from God: "God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, wants you to go tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem that I say, 'Why won't you learn your lesson and do what I tell you?' God's Decree. 'The commands of Jonadab son of Recab to his sons have been carried out to the letter. He told them not to drink wine, and they haven't touched a drop to this very day. They honored and obeyed their ancestor's command. But look at you! I have gone to a lot of trouble to get your attention, and you've ignored me. I sent prophet after prophet to you, all of them my servants, to tell you from early morning to late at night to change your life, make a clean break with your evil past and do what is right, to not take up with every Tom, Dick, and Harry of a god that comes down the pike, but settle down and be faithful in this country I gave your ancestors.  ^15-16"'And what do I get from you? Deaf ears. The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab carried out to the letter what their ancestor commanded them, but this people ignores me.'
 ¹⁷"So here's what is going to happen. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, 'I will bring calamity down on the heads of the people of Judah and Jerusalem—the very calamity I warned you was coming—because you turned a deaf ear when I spoke, turned your backs when I called.'"
 ^18-19Then, turning to the Recabite community, Jeremiah said, "And this is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says to you: Because you have done what Jonadab your ancestor told you, obeyed his commands and followed through on his instructions, receive this Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: There will always be a descendant of Jonadab son of Recab at my service! Always!'"

Jeremiah 36

Reading God's Message

 ¹ In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah,    Jeremiah received this Message from God: ²"Get a scroll and write down everything I've told you regarding Israel and Judah and all the other nations from the time I first started speaking to you in Josiah's reign right up to the present day. ³"Maybe the community of Judah will finally get it, finally understand the catastrophe that I'm planning for them, turn back from their bad lives, and let me forgive their perversity and sin."
 ⁴So Jeremiah called in Baruch son of Neriah. Jeremiah dictated and Baruch wrote down on a scroll everything that God had said to him.
 ^5-6Then Jeremiah told Baruch, "I'm blacklisted. I can't go into God's Temple, so you'll have to go in my place. Go into the Temple and read everything you've written at my dictation. Wait for a day of fasting when everyone is there to hear you. And make sure that all the people who come from the Judean villages hear you.
 ⁷"Maybe, just maybe, they'll start praying and God will hear their prayers. Maybe they'll turn back from their bad lives. This is no light matter. God has certainly let them know how angry he is!"
 ⁸Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do. In the Temple of God he read the Message of God from the scroll.
 ⁹It came about in December of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah that all the people of Jerusalem, along with all the people from the Judean villages, were there in Jerusalem to observe a fast to God.
 ¹⁰Baruch took the scroll to the Temple and read out publicly the words of Jeremiah. He read from the meeting room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary of state, which was in the upper court right next to the New Gate of God's Temple. Everyone could hear him.
 ^11-12The moment Micaiah the son of Gemariah heard what was being read from the scroll—God's Message!—he went straight to the palace and to the chambers of the secretary of state where all the government officials were holding a meeting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other government officials.
 ¹³Micaiah reported everything he had heard Baruch read from the scroll as the officials listened.
 ¹⁴Immediately they dispatched Jehudi son of Nethaniah, son of Semaiah, son of Cushi, to Baruch, ordering him, "Take the scroll that you have read to the people and bring it here." So Baruch went and retrieved the scroll.
 ¹⁵The officials told him, "Sit down. Read it to us, please." Baruch read it.
 ¹⁶When they had heard it all, they were upset. They talked it over. "We've got to tell the king all this."
 ¹⁷They asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Was it at Jeremiah's dictation?"
 ¹⁸Baruch said, "That's right. Every word right from his own mouth. And I wrote it down, word for word, with pen and ink."
 ¹⁹The government officials told Baruch, "You need to get out of here. Go into hiding, you and Jeremiah. Don't let anyone know where you are!"
 ^20-21The officials went to the court of the palace to report to the king, having put the scroll for safekeeping in the office of Elishama the secretary of state. The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. He brought it from the office of Elishama the secretary. Jehudi then read it to the king and the officials who were in the king's service.
 ^22-23It was December. The king was sitting in his winter quarters in front of a charcoal fire. After Jehudi would read three or four columns, the king would cut them off the scroll with his pocketknife and throw them in the fire. He continued in this way until the entire scroll had been burned up in the fire.
 ^24-26Neither the king nor any of his officials showed the slightest twinge of conscience as they listened to the messages read. Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah tried to convince the king not to burn the scroll, but he brushed them off. He just plowed ahead and ordered Prince Jerahameel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Jeremiah the prophet and his secretary Baruch. But God had hidden them away.
 ^27-28After the king had burned the scroll that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, Jeremiah received this Message from God: "Get another blank scroll and do it all over again. Write out everything that was in that first scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up.
 ²⁹"And send this personal message to Jehoiakim king of Judah: 'God says, You had the gall to burn this scroll and then the nerve to say, "What kind of nonsense is this written here—that the king of Babylon will come and destroy this land and kill everything in it?"
 ^30-31"'Well, do you want to know what God says about Jehoiakim king of Judah? This: No descendant of his will ever rule from David's throne. His corpse will be thrown in the street and left unburied, exposed to the hot sun and the freezing night. I will punish him and his children and the officials in his government for their blatant sin. I'll let loose on them and everyone in Jerusalem the doomsday disaster of which I warned them but they spit at.'"
 ³²So Jeremiah went and got another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, his secretary. At Jeremiah's dictation he again wrote down everything that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. There were also generous additions, but of the same kind of thing.

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1 Timothy 5:1-25 (The Message)

1 Timothy 5

The Family of Faith

 ^1-2Don't be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters.  ^3-8Take care of widows who are destitute. If a widow has family members to take care of her, let them learn that religion begins at their own doorstep and that they should pay back with gratitude some of what they have received. This pleases God immensely. You can tell a legitimate widow by the way she has put all her hope in God, praying to him constantly for the needs of others as well as her own. But a widow who exploits people's emotions and pocketbooks—well, there's nothing to her. Tell these things to the people so that they will do the right thing in their extended family. Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That's worse than refusing to believe in the first place.
 ^9-10Sign some widows up for the special ministry of offering assistance. They will in turn receive support from the church. They must be over sixty, married only once, and have a reputation for helping out with children, strangers, tired Christians, the hurt and troubled.
 ^11-15Don't put young widows on this list. No sooner will they get on than they'll want to get off, obsessed with wanting to get a husband rather than serving Christ in this way. By breaking their word, they're liable to go from bad to worse, frittering away their days on empty talk, gossip, and trivialities. No, I'd rather the young widows go ahead and get married in the first place, have children, manage their homes, and not give critics any foothold for finding fault. Some of them have already left and gone after Satan.
 ¹⁶Any Christian woman who has widows in her family is responsible for them. They shouldn't be dumped on the church. The church has its hands full already with widows who need help.
 ^17-18Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, "Don't muzzle a working ox" and "A worker deserves his pay."
 ¹⁹Don't listen to a complaint against a leader that isn't backed up by two or three responsible witnesses.
 ²⁰If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can't get by with it.
 ^21-23God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. Don't appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don't want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. And don't worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it's good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you.
 ^24-25The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don't show up until much later. The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever.

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Psalm 89:14-37 (The Message)

 ^5-18 God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
      the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
   Search high and low, scan skies and land,
      you'll find nothing and no one quite like God.
   The holy angels are in awe before him;
      he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
   God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
      powerful and faithful from every angle?
   You put the arrogant ocean in its place
      and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
   You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
      you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
   You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
      everything from atom to archangel.
   You positioned the North and South Poles;
      the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
   With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
      nobody trifles with you!
   The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
      Love and Truth are its fruits.
   Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
      who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
   Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
      who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
   Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
      you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
   All we are and have we owe to God,
      Holy God of Israel, our King!

 ^19-37 A long time ago you spoke in a vision,
      you spoke to your faithful beloved:
   "I've crowned a hero,
      I chose the best I could find;
   I found David, my servant,
      poured holy oil on his head,
   And I'll keep my hand steadily on him,
      yes, I'll stick with him through thick and thin.
   No enemy will get the best of him,
      no scoundrel will do him in.
   I'll weed out all who oppose him,
      I'll clean out all who hate him.
   I'm with him for good and I'll love him forever;
      I've set him on high—he's riding high!
   I've put Ocean in his one hand, River in the other;
      he'll call out, 'Oh, my Father—my God, my Rock of Salvation!'
   Yes, I'm setting him apart as the First of the royal line,
      High King over all of earth's kings.
   I'll preserve him eternally in my love,
      I'll faithfully do all I so solemnly promised.
   I'll guarantee his family tree
      and underwrite his rule.
   If his children refuse to do what I tell them,
      if they refuse to walk in the way I show them,
   If they spit on the directions I give them
      and tear up the rules I post for them—
   I'll rub their faces in the dirt of their rebellion
      and make them face the music.
   But I'll never throw them out,
      never abandon or disown them.
   Do you think I'd withdraw my holy promise?
      or take back words I'd already spoken?
   I've given my word, my whole and holy word;
      do you think I would lie to David?
   His family tree is here for good,
      his sovereignty as sure as the sun,
   Dependable as the phases of the moon,
      inescapable as weather."

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Proverbs 25:25-27 (The Message)

 ²⁵ Like a cool drink of water when you're worn out and weary
   is a letter from a long-lost friend.

 ²⁶ A good person who gives in to a bad person
   is a muddied spring, a polluted well.

 ²⁷ It's not smart to stuff yourself with sweets,
   nor is glory piled on glory good for you.

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Verse for the Day

“Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey!” - Psalm 51:12

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer, Edith Wharton wrote, “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”