Bible Readings for September 2, 2018

Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 1:1–3:22; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Psalm 46:1-11; and Proverbs 22:15. 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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Ecclesiastes 1-3:22 (The Message)

Ecclesiastes 1

The Quester

 ¹These are the words of the Quester, David's son and king in Jerusalem ^2-11 Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.] There's nothing to anything—it's all smoke.
   What's there to show for a lifetime of work,
      a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?
   One generation goes its way, the next one arrives,
      but nothing changes—it's business as usual for old planet earth.
   The sun comes up and the sun goes down,
      then does it again, and again—the same old round.
   The wind blows south, the wind blows north.
      Around and around and around it blows,
      blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind.
   All the rivers flow into the sea,
      but the sea never fills up.
   The rivers keep flowing to the same old place,
      and then start all over and do it again.
   Everything's boring, utterly boring—
      no one can find any meaning in it.
   Boring to the eye,
      boring to the ear.
   What was will be again,
      what happened will happen again.
   There's nothing new on this earth.
      Year after year it's the same old thing.
   Does someone call out, "Hey, this is new"?
      Don't get excited—it's the same old story.
   Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.
      And the things that will happen tomorrow?
   Nobody'll remember them either.
      Don't count on being remembered.

I've Seen It All

 ^12-14 Call me "the Quester." I've been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there's not much to write home about. God hasn't made it easy for us. I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke—smoke, and spitting into the wind.

 ¹⁵ Life's a corkscrew that can't be straightened,
   A minus that won't add up.

 ^16-17 I said to myself, "I know more and I'm wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I've stockpiled wisdom and knowledge." What I've finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind.

 ¹⁸ Much learning earns you much trouble.
   The more you know, the more you hurt.

Ecclesiastes 2

    I said to myself, "Let's go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!" But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.

   What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane!
      My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?
   With the help of a bottle of wine
      and all the wisdom I could muster,
   I tried my level best
      to penetrate the absurdity of life.
   I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do
      during the years we spend on this earth.

I Never Said No to Myself

 ^4-8 Oh, I did great things: built houses,
      planted vineyards,
      designed gardens and parks
         and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,
      made pools of water
         to irrigate the groves of trees.
   I bought slaves, male and female,
         who had children, giving me even more slaves;
      then I acquired large herds and flocks,
         larger than any before me in Jerusalem.
   I piled up silver and gold,
         loot from kings and kingdoms.
   I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,
      and—most exquisite of all pleasures—
      voluptuous maidens for my bed.  ^9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day's work!

I Hate Life

 ¹¹ Then I took a good look at everything I'd done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.  ^12-14 And then I took a hard look at what's smart and what's stupid. What's left to do after you've been king? That's a hard act to follow. You just do what you can, and that's it. But I did see that it's better to be smart than stupid, just as light is better than darkness. Even so, though the smart ones see where they're going and the stupid ones grope in the dark, they're all the same in the end. One fate for all—and that's it.
 ^15-16 When I realized that my fate's the same as the fool's, I had to ask myself, "So why bother being wise?" It's all smoke, nothing but smoke. The smart and the stupid both disappear out of sight. In a day or two they're both forgotten. Yes, both the smart and the stupid die, and that's it.
 ¹⁷ I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It's smoke—and spitting into the wind.
 ^18-19 And I hated everything I'd accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can't take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they're worthy or worthless—and who's to tell?—they'll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke.
 ^20-23 That's when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. What's the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that's what it is. A bad business from start to finish. So what do you get from a life of hard labor? Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night's rest. Nothing but smoke.
 ^24-26 The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that's it—divine fate. Whether we feast or fast, it's up to God. God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God's favorites. Nothing but smoke—and spitting into the wind. 

Ecclesiastes 3

There's a Right Time for Everything

 ¹ There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: 

 ^2-8 A right time for birth and another for death, 
   A right time to plant and another to reap, 
   A right time to kill and another to heal, 
   A right time to destroy and another to construct, 
   A right time to cry and another to laugh, 
   A right time to lament and another to cheer, 
   A right time to make love and another to abstain, 
   A right time to embrace and another to part, 
   A right time to search and another to count your losses, 
   A right time to hold on and another to let go, 
   A right time to rip out and another to mend, 
   A right time to shut up and another to speak up, 
   A right time to love and another to hate, 
   A right time to wage war and another to make peace.  ^9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift. 
 ¹⁴ I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. 
 ¹⁵ Whatever was, is. 
   Whatever will be, is. 
   That's how it always is with God. 

God's Testing Us

 ^16-18 I took another good look at what's going on: The very place of judgment— corrupt! The place of righteousness—corrupt! I said to myself, "God will judge righteous and wicked." There's a right time for every thing, every deed—and there's no getting around it. I said to myself regarding the human race, "God's testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals."  ^19-22 Humans and animals come to the same end—humans die, animals die. We all breathe the same air. So there's really no advantage in being human. None. Everything's smoke. We all end up in the same place—we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth. So I made up my mind that there's nothing better for us men and women than to have a good time in whatever we do—that's our lot. Who knows if there's anything else to life?

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2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (The Message)

2 Corinthians 6

Staying at Our Post

 ^1-10Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us, 
   I heard your call in the nick of time; 
   The day you needed me, I was there to help.
Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing. Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.  ^11-13Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

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Psalm 46:1-11 (The Message)

Psalm 46

A Song of the Sons of Korah

 ^1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. 
   We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, 
      courageous in seastorm and earthquake, 
   Before the rush and roar of oceans, 
      the tremors that shift mountains.    Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, 
      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. 

 ^4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city, 
      this sacred haunt of the Most High. 
   God lives here, the streets are safe, 
      God at your service from crack of dawn. 
   Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, 
      but Earth does anything he says. 

 ⁷ Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, 
      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. 

 ^8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God! 
      He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, 
   Bans war from pole to pole, 
      breaks all the weapons across his knee. 
   "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, 
      loving look at me, your High God, 
      above politics, above everything." 

 ¹¹ Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, 
      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

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Proverbs 22:15 (The Message)

 ¹⁵ Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; 
   the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.

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Verse of the Day

“Our LORD, your love is seen all over the world. Teach me your laws.” - Psalm 119:64 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Ascetic and sage, Gautama Buddha wrote, “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

Bible Readings from March 12, 2017

Today our passages are Numbers 16:41–18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalm 55:1-23; and Proverbs 11:7. 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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Numbers 16:41-18:32 (Contemporary English Version)

The Israelites Rebel and Are Punished

 ⁴¹The next day the people of Israel again complained against Moses and Aaron, " The two of you killed some of the LORD's people!"

    ⁴²As the people crowded around them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the sacred tent, and the LORD appeared in his glory in the cloud covering the tent. ⁴³So Moses and Aaron walked to the front of the tent, ⁴⁴where the LORD said to them, ⁴⁵" Stand back! I am going to wipe out these Israelites once and for all."

   They immediately bowed down and prayed. ⁴⁶Then Moses told Aaron, " Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the LORD, so they can be forgiven. The LORD is very angry, and people have already started dying!"

    ^47-48Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the LORD and asked him to forgive the people's sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it. ⁴⁹But fourteen thousand seven hundred Israelites were dead, not counting those who had died with Korah and his followers.

    ⁵⁰Aaron walked back and stood with Moses at the sacred tent.

   

Numbers 17

Aaron's Walking Stick Blooms and Produces Almonds

 ¹The LORD told Moses:

    ^2-3Call together the twelve tribes of Israel and tell the leader of each tribe to write his name on the walking stick he carries as a symbol of his authority. Make sure Aaron's name is written on the one from the Levi tribe, then collect all the sticks.

    ⁴Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you. ⁵I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won't have to listen to any more complaints about you.

    ⁶Moses told the people what the LORD had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron's from the Levi tribe. ⁷Moses took them and placed them in the LORD's sacred tent.

    ⁸The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron's stick. ⁹Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.

    ¹⁰But the LORD told Moses, " Put Aaron's stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think about rebelling. If these people don't stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out." ¹¹Moses did what he was told.

    ¹²The Israelites cried out to Moses, " We're done for ¹³and doomed if we even get near the sacred tent!"

   

Numbers 18

The Duties of the Priests and Levites

 ¹The LORD said to Aaron:

   You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent. ^a] And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do. ²The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent. ³You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die. ⁴No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or to do anything connected with it. ⁵Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again. ⁶I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers. ⁷But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.

   

The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the LORD

(Deuteronomy 18.1-8)

 ^8-9The LORD said to Aaron:

   I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. ¹⁰Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.

    ¹¹You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. ¹²For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. ¹³And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.

    ¹⁴Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me ^b] will now belong to you. ¹⁵The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But a first-born son and every first-born donkey ^c] must be bought back from me. ¹⁶The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ¹⁷However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. ¹⁸You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices. ¹⁹From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.

    ²⁰You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the LORD, and I will give you whatever you need.

   

What the Levites Receive

The LORD said to Aaron:

 ²¹Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent. ^22-23They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.

   Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own, ²⁴they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.

   

What the Levites Must Give

 ²⁵The LORD told Moses ²⁶to say to the Levites:

   When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. ²⁷Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive ²⁸as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron, ²⁹so the best of what you receive will be mine.

    ³⁰After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me. ^d]31Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. ³²You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me. The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.

   

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 18:1 are responsible. . . sacred tent: Or " are to make sure that no one gets near the sacred tent."
2. Numbers 18:14 that has been completely dedicated to me: This translates a Hebrew word that describes property and things that were taken away from humans and given to God forever. Sometimes such things had to be completely destroyed (see Joshua 6.15-19).
3. Numbers 18:15 donkey: The Hebrew text has " unclean animal," which probably refers to a donkey (see Exodus 13.13; 34.20).
4. Numbers 18:30 just as the Israelites. . . to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Mark 16:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Mark 16

Jesus Is Alive

(Matthew 28.1-8; Luke 24.1-12; John 20.1-10)

 ¹After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. ²Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. ³On their way, they were asking one another, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?" ⁴But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!

    ⁵The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed.

    ⁶The man said, "Don't be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn't here. You can see the place where they put his body. ⁷Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you."

    ⁸When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.

   

ONE OLD ENDING

TO MARK'S GOSPEL ^a]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

(Matthew 28.9,10; John 20.11-18)

 ⁹Very early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen to life, he appeared to Mary Magdalene. Earlier he had forced seven demons out of her. ¹⁰She left and told his friends, who were crying and mourning. ¹¹Even though they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him, they would not believe it.

   

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

(Luke 24.13-35)

 ¹²Later, Jesus appeared in another form to two disciples, as they were on their way out of the city. ¹³But when these disciples told what had happened, the others would not believe.

   

What Jesus' Followers Must Do

(Matthew 28.16-20; Luke 24.36-49; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)

 ¹⁴Afterwards, Jesus appeared to his eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them because they were too stubborn to believe the ones who had seen him after he had been raised to life. ¹⁵Then he told them:

   Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. ¹⁶Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned. ¹⁷Everyone who believes me will be able to do wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak new languages. ¹⁸They will handle snakes and will drink poison and not be hurt. They will also heal sick people by placing their hands on them.

   

Jesus Returns to Heaven

(Luke 24.50-53; Acts 1.9-11)

 ¹⁹After the Lord Jesus had said these things to the disciples, he was taken back up to heaven where he sat down at the right side ^b] of God. ²⁰Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true.

   

ANOTHER OLD ENDING

TO MARK'S GOSPEL ^c]

 ^9-10The women quickly told Peter and his friends what had happened. Later, Jesus sent the disciples to the east and to the west with his sacred and everlasting message of how people can be saved forever.

   

Footnotes:

1. Mark 16:9 One Old Ending to Mark's Gospel: Verses 9-20 are not in some manuscripts.
2. Mark 16:19 right side: See the note at 12.36.
3. Mark 16:9 Another Old Ending to Mark's Gospel: Some manuscripts and early translations have both this shorter ending and the longer one (verses 9-20).

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Psalm 55:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 55

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)

Betrayed by a Friend

 ¹Listen, God, to my prayer!

   Don't reject my request.

    ²Please listen and help me.

   My thoughts are troubled,

   and I keep groaning

    ³because my loud enemies

   shout and attack.

   They treat me terribly

   and hold angry grudges.

    ⁴My heart is racing fast,

   and I am afraid of dying.

    ⁵I am trembling with fear,

   completely terrified.

    ⁶I wish I had wings

   like a dove,

   so I could fly far away

   and be at peace.

    ⁷I would go and live

   in some distant desert.

    ⁸I would quickly find shelter

   from howling winds

   and raging storms.

    ⁹Confuse my enemies, Lord!

   Upset their plans.

   Cruelty and violence

   are all I see in the city,

    ¹⁰and they are like guards

   on patrol day and night.

   The city is full of trouble,

   evil, ¹¹and corruption.

   Troublemakers and liars

   freely roam the streets.

    ¹²My enemies are not the ones

   who sneer and make fun.

   I could put up with that

   or even hide from them.

    ¹³But it was my closest friend,

   the one I trusted most.

    ¹⁴We enjoyed being together,

   and we went with others

   to your house, our God.

    ¹⁵All who hate me are controlled

   by the power of evil.

   Sentence them to death

   and send them down alive

   to the world of the dead.

    ¹⁶I ask for your help, LORD God,

   and you will keep me safe.

    ¹⁷Morning, noon, and night

   you hear my concerns

   and my complaints.

    ¹⁸I am attacked from all sides,

   but you will rescue me

   unharmed by the battle.

    ¹⁹You have always ruled,

   and you will hear me.

   You will defeat my enemies

   because they won't turn

   and worship you.

    ²⁰My friend turned against me

   and broke his promise.

    ²¹His words were smoother

   than butter,

   and softer

   than olive oil.

   But hatred filled his heart,

   and he was ready to attack

   with a sword.

    ²²Our LORD, we belong to you.

   We tell you what worries us,

   and you won't let us fall.

    ²³But what about those people

   who are cruel and brutal?

   You will throw them down

   into the deepest pit

   long before their time.

   I trust you, LORD!

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Proverbs 11:7 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷When the wicked die,

   their hopes die with them.

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Verse of the Day

“God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” - 2 Peter 1:4

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

The sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded, Gautama Buddha wrote, “To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance.”

Bible Readings for September 2, 2016

Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 1:1–3:22; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Psalm 46:1-11; and Proverbs 22:15. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 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.

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Ecclesiastes 1-3:22 (The Message)

Ecclesiastes 1

The Quester

 ¹These are the words of the Quester, David's son and king in Jerusalem ^2-11 Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That's what the Quester says.] There's nothing to anything—it's all smoke.
   What's there to show for a lifetime of work,
      a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?
   One generation goes its way, the next one arrives,
      but nothing changes—it's business as usual for old planet earth.
   The sun comes up and the sun goes down,
      then does it again, and again—the same old round.
   The wind blows south, the wind blows north.
      Around and around and around it blows,
      blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind.
   All the rivers flow into the sea,
      but the sea never fills up.
   The rivers keep flowing to the same old place,
      and then start all over and do it again.
   Everything's boring, utterly boring—
      no one can find any meaning in it.
   Boring to the eye,
      boring to the ear.
   What was will be again,
      what happened will happen again.
   There's nothing new on this earth.
      Year after year it's the same old thing.
   Does someone call out, "Hey, this is new"?
      Don't get excited—it's the same old story.
   Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.
      And the things that will happen tomorrow?
   Nobody'll remember them either.
      Don't count on being remembered.

I've Seen It All

 ^12-14 Call me "the Quester." I've been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there's not much to write home about. God hasn't made it easy for us. I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke—smoke, and spitting into the wind.

 ¹⁵ Life's a corkscrew that can't be straightened,
   A minus that won't add up.

 ^16-17 I said to myself, "I know more and I'm wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I've stockpiled wisdom and knowledge." What I've finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind.

 ¹⁸ Much learning earns you much trouble.
   The more you know, the more you hurt.

Ecclesiastes 2

    I said to myself, "Let's go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!" But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.

   What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane!
      My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?
   With the help of a bottle of wine
      and all the wisdom I could muster,
   I tried my level best
      to penetrate the absurdity of life.
   I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do
      during the years we spend on this earth.

I Never Said No to Myself

 ^4-8 Oh, I did great things: built houses,
      planted vineyards,
      designed gardens and parks
         and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,
      made pools of water
         to irrigate the groves of trees.
   I bought slaves, male and female,
         who had children, giving me even more slaves;
      then I acquired large herds and flocks,
         larger than any before me in Jerusalem.
   I piled up silver and gold,
         loot from kings and kingdoms.
   I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,
      and—most exquisite of all pleasures—
      voluptuous maidens for my bed.  ^9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day's work!

I Hate Life

 ¹¹ Then I took a good look at everything I'd done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.  ^12-14 And then I took a hard look at what's smart and what's stupid. What's left to do after you've been king? That's a hard act to follow. You just do what you can, and that's it. But I did see that it's better to be smart than stupid, just as light is better than darkness. Even so, though the smart ones see where they're going and the stupid ones grope in the dark, they're all the same in the end. One fate for all—and that's it.
 ^15-16 When I realized that my fate's the same as the fool's, I had to ask myself, "So why bother being wise?" It's all smoke, nothing but smoke. The smart and the stupid both disappear out of sight. In a day or two they're both forgotten. Yes, both the smart and the stupid die, and that's it.
 ¹⁷ I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It's smoke—and spitting into the wind.
 ^18-19 And I hated everything I'd accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can't take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they're worthy or worthless—and who's to tell?—they'll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke.
 ^20-23 That's when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. What's the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that's what it is. A bad business from start to finish. So what do you get from a life of hard labor? Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night's rest. Nothing but smoke.
 ^24-26 The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that's it—divine fate. Whether we feast or fast, it's up to God. God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God's favorites. Nothing but smoke—and spitting into the wind.

Ecclesiastes 3

There's a Right Time for Everything

 ¹ There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

 ^2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,
   A right time to plant and another to reap,
   A right time to kill and another to heal,
   A right time to destroy and another to construct,
   A right time to cry and another to laugh,
   A right time to lament and another to cheer,
   A right time to make love and another to abstain,
   A right time to embrace and another to part,
   A right time to search and another to count your losses,
   A right time to hold on and another to let go,
   A right time to rip out and another to mend,
   A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
   A right time to love and another to hate,
   A right time to wage war and another to make peace.  ^9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.
 ¹⁴ I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.
 ¹⁵ Whatever was, is.
   Whatever will be, is.
   That's how it always is with God.

God's Testing Us

 ^16-18 I took another good look at what's going on: The very place of judgment— corrupt! The place of righteousness—corrupt! I said to myself, "God will judge righteous and wicked." There's a right time for every thing, every deed—and there's no getting around it. I said to myself regarding the human race, "God's testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals."  ^19-22 Humans and animals come to the same end—humans die, animals die. We all breathe the same air. So there's really no advantage in being human. None. Everything's smoke. We all end up in the same place—we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth. So I made up my mind that there's nothing better for us men and women than to have a good time in whatever we do—that's our lot. Who knows if there's anything else to life?

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2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (The Message)

2 Corinthians 6

Staying at Our Post

 ^1-10Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,
   I heard your call in the nick of time;
   The day you needed me, I was there to help.
Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing. Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.  ^11-13Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

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Psalm 46:1-11 (The Message)

Psalm 46

A Song of the Sons of Korah

 ^1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
   We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
      courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
   Before the rush and roar of oceans,
      the tremors that shift mountains.    Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

 ^4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
      this sacred haunt of the Most High.
   God lives here, the streets are safe,
      God at your service from crack of dawn.
   Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
      but Earth does anything he says.

 ⁷ Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

 ^8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
      He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
   Bans war from pole to pole,
      breaks all the weapons across his knee.
   "Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
      loving look at me, your High God,
      above politics, above everything."

 ¹¹ Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
      God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

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Proverbs 22:15 (The Message)

 ¹⁵ Young people are prone to foolishness and fads;
   the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.

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Verse of the Day
“Our LORD, your love is seen all over the world. Teach me your laws.” - Psalm 119:64

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Ascetic and sage, Gautama Buddha wrote, “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

Bible Readings for March 12, 2015

Today our passages are Numbers 16:41–18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalm 55:1-23; and Proverbs 11:7. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.  

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Numbers 16:41-18:32 (Contemporary English Version)

The Israelites Rebel and Are Punished

 ⁴¹The next day the people of Israel again complained against Moses and Aaron, " The two of you killed some of the LORD's people!"     ⁴²As the people crowded around them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the sacred tent, and the LORD appeared in his glory in the cloud covering the tent. ⁴³So Moses and Aaron walked to the front of the tent, ⁴⁴where the LORD said to them, ⁴⁵" Stand back! I am going to wipe out these Israelites once and for all."
   They immediately bowed down and prayed. ⁴⁶Then Moses told Aaron, " Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the LORD, so they can be forgiven. The LORD is very angry, and people have already started dying!"
    ^47-48Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the LORD and asked him to forgive the people's sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it. ⁴⁹But fourteen thousand seven hundred Israelites were dead, not counting those who had died with Korah and his followers.
    ⁵⁰Aaron walked back and stood with Moses at the sacred tent.
   

Numbers 17

Aaron's Walking Stick Blooms and Produces Almonds

 ¹The LORD told Moses:     ^2-3Call together the twelve tribes of Israel and tell the leader of each tribe to write his name on the walking stick he carries as a symbol of his authority. Make sure Aaron's name is written on the one from the Levi tribe, then collect all the sticks.
    ⁴Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you. ⁵I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won't have to listen to any more complaints about you.
    ⁶Moses told the people what the LORD had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron's from the Levi tribe. ⁷Moses took them and placed them in the LORD's sacred tent.
    ⁸The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron's stick. ⁹Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.
    ¹⁰But the LORD told Moses, " Put Aaron's stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think about rebelling. If these people don't stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out." ¹¹Moses did what he was told.
    ¹²The Israelites cried out to Moses, " We're done for ¹³and doomed if we even get near the sacred tent!"
   

Numbers 18

The Duties of the Priests and Levites

 ¹The LORD said to Aaron:    You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent. ^[a] And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do. ²The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent. ³You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die. ⁴No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or to do anything connected with it. ⁵Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again. ⁶I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers. ⁷But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.
   

The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the LORD

(Deuteronomy 18.1-8)

 ^8-9The LORD said to Aaron:    I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. ¹⁰Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.
    ¹¹You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. ¹²For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. ¹³And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.
    ¹⁴Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me ^[b] will now belong to you. ¹⁵The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But a first-born son and every first-born donkey ^[c] must be bought back from me. ¹⁶The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ¹⁷However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. ¹⁸You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices. ¹⁹From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.
    ²⁰You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the LORD, and I will give you whatever you need.
   

What the Levites Receive

The LORD said to Aaron:

 ²¹Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent. ^22-23They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.    Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own, ²⁴they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.
   

What the Levites Must Give

 ²⁵The LORD told Moses ²⁶to say to the Levites:    When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. ²⁷Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive ²⁸as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron, ²⁹so the best of what you receive will be mine.
    ³⁰After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me. ^{[d] 31}Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. ³²You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me. The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.
   

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 18:1 are responsible. . . sacred tent: Or " are to make sure that no one gets near the sacred tent."
2. Numbers 18:14 that has been completely dedicated to me: This translates a Hebrew word that describes property and things that were taken away from humans and given to God forever. Sometimes such things had to be completely destroyed (see Joshua 6.15-19).
3. Numbers 18:15 donkey: The Hebrew text has " unclean animal," which probably refers to a donkey (see Exodus 13.13; 34.20).
4. Numbers 18:30 just as the Israelites. . . to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Mark 16:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Mark 16

Jesus Is Alive

(Matthew 28.1-8; Luke 24.1-12; John 20.1-10)

 ¹After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. ²Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. ³On their way, they were asking one another, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?" ⁴But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!     ⁵The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed.
    ⁶The man said, "Don't be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn't here. You can see the place where they put his body. ⁷Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you."
    ⁸When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.
   

ONE OLD ENDING

TO MARK'S GOSPEL ^[a]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

(Matthew 28.9,10; John 20.11-18)

 ⁹Very early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen to life, he appeared to Mary Magdalene. Earlier he had forced seven demons out of her. ¹⁰She left and told his friends, who were crying and mourning. ¹¹Even though they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him, they would not believe it.    

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

(Luke 24.13-35)

 ¹²Later, Jesus appeared in another form to two disciples, as they were on their way out of the city. ¹³But when these disciples told what had happened, the others would not believe.    

What Jesus' Followers Must Do

(Matthew 28.16-20; Luke 24.36-49; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)

 ¹⁴Afterwards, Jesus appeared to his eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them because they were too stubborn to believe the ones who had seen him after he had been raised to life. ¹⁵Then he told them:    Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. ¹⁶Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned. ¹⁷Everyone who believes me will be able to do wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak new languages. ¹⁸They will handle snakes and will drink poison and not be hurt. They will also heal sick people by placing their hands on them.
   

Jesus Returns to Heaven

(Luke 24.50-53; Acts 1.9-11)

 ¹⁹After the Lord Jesus had said these things to the disciples, he was taken back up to heaven where he sat down at the right side ^[b] of God. ²⁰Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true.    

ANOTHER OLD ENDING

TO MARK'S GOSPEL ^[c]

 ^9-10The women quickly told Peter and his friends what had happened. Later, Jesus sent the disciples to the east and to the west with his sacred and everlasting message of how people can be saved forever.    

Footnotes:

1. Mark 16:9 One Old Ending to Mark's Gospel: Verses 9-20 are not in some manuscripts.
2. Mark 16:19 right side: See the note at 12.36.
3. Mark 16:9 Another Old Ending to Mark's Gospel: Some manuscripts and early translations have both this shorter ending and the longer one (verses 9-20).

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Psalm 55:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 55

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)

Betrayed by a Friend

 ¹Listen, God, to my prayer!    Don't reject my request.
    ²Please listen and help me.
   My thoughts are troubled,
   and I keep groaning
    ³because my loud enemies
   shout and attack.
   They treat me terribly
   and hold angry grudges.
    ⁴My heart is racing fast,
   and I am afraid of dying.
    ⁵I am trembling with fear,
   completely terrified.
    ⁶I wish I had wings
   like a dove,
   so I could fly far away
   and be at peace.
    ⁷I would go and live
   in some distant desert.
    ⁸I would quickly find shelter
   from howling winds
   and raging storms.
    ⁹Confuse my enemies, Lord!
   Upset their plans.
   Cruelty and violence
   are all I see in the city,
    ¹⁰and they are like guards
   on patrol day and night.
   The city is full of trouble,
   evil, ¹¹and corruption.
   Troublemakers and liars
   freely roam the streets.
    ¹²My enemies are not the ones
   who sneer and make fun.
   I could put up with that
   or even hide from them.
    ¹³But it was my closest friend,
   the one I trusted most.
    ¹⁴We enjoyed being together,
   and we went with others
   to your house, our God.
    ¹⁵All who hate me are controlled
   by the power of evil.
   Sentence them to death
   and send them down alive
   to the world of the dead.
    ¹⁶I ask for your help, LORD God,
   and you will keep me safe.
    ¹⁷Morning, noon, and night
   you hear my concerns
   and my complaints.
    ¹⁸I am attacked from all sides,
   but you will rescue me
   unharmed by the battle.
    ¹⁹You have always ruled,
   and you will hear me.
   You will defeat my enemies
   because they won't turn
   and worship you.
    ²⁰My friend turned against me
   and broke his promise.
    ²¹His words were smoother
   than butter,
   and softer
   than olive oil.
   But hatred filled his heart,
   and he was ready to attack
   with a sword.
    ²²Our LORD, we belong to you.
   We tell you what worries us,
   and you won't let us fall.
    ²³But what about those people
   who are cruel and brutal?
   You will throw them down
   into the deepest pit
   long before their time.
   I trust you, LORD!

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Proverbs 11:7 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷When the wicked die,
   their hopes die with them.

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Verse of the Day

“God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” - 2 Peter 1:4

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

The sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded, Gautama Buddha wrote, “To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance.”