Bible Readings for September 12, 2017

Today our passages are Isaiah 10:1–11:16; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21; Psalm 56:1-13; and Proverbs 23:6-8. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Isaiah 10-11:16 (Contemporary English Version)

Isaiah 10

 ¹You people are in for trouble! You have made cruel and unfair laws ²that let you cheat the poor and needy and rob widows and orphans. ³But what will you do when you are fiercely attacked and punished by foreigners? Where will you run for help? Where will you hide your valuables? ⁴How will you escape being captured ^[a] or killed? The Lord is still angry, and he isn't through with you yet! ^[b]

The Lord's Purpose and the King of Assyria

 ⁵The Lord says:    I am furious! And I will use the king of Assyria ^[c] as a club ⁶to beat down you godless people. I am angry with you, and I will send him to attack you. He will take what he wants and walk on you like mud in the streets. ⁷He has even bigger plans in mind, because he wants to destroy many nations. ⁸The king of Assyria says:
   My army commanders are kings! ⁹They have already captured ^[d] the cities of Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus. ^10-11The gods of Jerusalem and Samaria are weaker than the gods of those powerful nations. And I will destroy Jerusalem, together with its gods and idols, just as I did Samaria. ¹²The Lord will do what he has planned against Jerusalem and Mount Zion. Then he will punish the proud and boastful king of Assyria, ¹³who says:
   I did these things by my own power because I am smart and clever. I attacked kings like a wild bull, and I took the land and the treasures of their nations. ¹⁴I have conquered the whole world! And it was easier than taking eggs from an unguarded nest. No one even flapped a wing or made a peep.
    ¹⁵King of Assyria, can an ax or a saw overpower the one who uses it? Can a wooden pole lift whoever holds it? ¹⁶The mighty LORD All-Powerful will send a terrible disease to strike down your army, and you will burn with fever under your royal robes. ¹⁷The holy God, who is the light of Israel, will turn into a fire, and in one day you will go up in flames, just like a thornbush. ¹⁸The Lord will make your beautiful forests and fertile fields slowly rot. ¹⁹There will be so few trees that even a young child can count them.
   

Only a Few Will Come Back

 ²⁰A time is coming when the survivors from Israel and Judah will completely depend on the holy LORD of Israel, instead of the nation ^[e] that defeated them. ^21-22There were as many people as there are grains of sand along the seashore, but only a few will survive to come back to Israel's mighty God. This is because he has threatened to destroy their nation, just as they deserve. ²³The LORD All-Powerful has promised that everyone on this earth ^[f] will be punished. ²⁴Now the LORD God All-Powerful says to his people in Jerusalem:    The Assyrians will beat you with sticks and abuse you, just as the Egyptians did. But don't be afraid of them. ²⁵Soon I will stop being angry with you, and I will punish them for their crimes. ^[g] ²⁶I will beat the Assyrians with a whip, as I did the people of Midian near the rock at Oreb. And I will show the same mighty power that I used when I made a path through the sea in Egypt. ²⁷Then they will no longer rule your nation. All will go well for you, ^[h] and your burden will be lifted. ²⁸Enemy troops have reached the town of Aiath. ^[i] They have gone through Migron, and they stored their supplies at Michmash, ²⁹before crossing the valley and spending the night at Geba. ^[j] The people of Ramah are terrified; everyone in Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, has run away. ³⁰Loud crying can be heard in the towns of Gallim, Laishah, and sorrowful Anathoth. ³¹No one is left in Madmenah or Gebim. ³²Today the enemy will camp at Nob ^[k] and shake a threatening fist at Mount Zion in Jerusalem. ³³But the LORD All-Powerful
   will use his fearsome might
   to bring down the tallest trees
   and chop off every branch.
    ³⁴With an ax, the glorious Lord
   will destroy every tree
   in the forests of Lebanon. ^[l]

Isaiah 11

Peace at Last

 ¹Like a branch that sprouts    from a stump,
   someone from David's family ^[m] will someday be king.
    ²The Spirit of the LORD
   will be with him
   to give him understanding,
   wisdom, and insight.
   He will be powerful,
   and he will know
   and honor the LORD.
    ³His greatest joy will be
   to obey the LORD.
   This king won't judge
   by appearances
   or listen to rumors.
    ⁴The poor and the needy
   will be treated with fairness
   and with justice.
   His word will be law
   everywhere in the land,
   and criminals
   will be put to death.
    ⁵Honesty and fairness
   will be his royal robes.
    ⁶Leopards will lie down
   with young goats,
   and wolves will rest
   with lambs.
   Calves and lions
   will eat together
   and be cared for
   by little children.
    ⁷Cows and bears will share
   the same pasture;
   their young will rest
   side by side.
   Lions and oxen
   will both eat straw.
    ⁸Little children will play
   near snake holes.
   They will stick their hands
   into dens of poisonous snakes
   and never be hurt.
    ⁹Nothing harmful will take place
   on the LORD's holy mountain.
   Just as water fills the sea,
   the land will be filled
   with people
   who know
   and honor the LORD.
   

God's People Will Come Back Home

 ¹⁰The time is coming when one of David's descendants ^[n] will be the signal for the people of all nations to come together. They will follow his advice, and his own nation will become famous. ¹¹When that day comes, the Lord will again reach out his mighty arm and bring home his people who have survived in Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, ^[o] Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the land along the coast. ^[p] ¹²He will give a signal to the nations, and he will bring together the refugees from Judah and Israel, who have been scattered all over the earth. ¹³Israel will stop being jealous of Judah, and Judah will no longer be the enemy of Israel. ¹⁴Instead, they will get together and attack the Philistines in the west. Then they will defeat the Edomites, the Moabites, and the Ammonites in the east. They will rule those people and take from them whatever they want. ¹⁵The Lord will dry up the arm of the Red Sea near Egypt, ^[q] and he will send a scorching wind to divide the Euphrates River into seven streams that anyone can step across. ¹⁶Then for his people who survive, there will be a good road from Assyria, just as there was a good road for their ancestors when they left Egypt.

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 10:4 escape being captured: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Isaiah 10:4 and he. . . yet: Or "but he hasn't given up on you yet!"
3. Isaiah 10:5 king of Assyria: Probably King Sennacherib who invaded Israel in 701 B.C.
4. Isaiah 10:9 already captured: Calno (in northern Syria), Carchemish (on the Euphrates River), Hamath (on the Orontes River), Arpad (near Aleppo in northern Syria), Samaria, and Damascus had already been captured by Assyrian kings (738-717 B.C.).
5. Isaiah 10:20 nation: That is, Assyria.
6. Isaiah 10:23 on this earth: Or "in this land."
7. Isaiah 10:25 punish. . . crimes: Or "completely destroy them."
8. Isaiah 10:27 All. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. Isaiah 10:28 Aiath: Probably Ai (Joshua 7.2).
10. Isaiah 10:29 Geba: Only six miles from Jerusalem.
11. Isaiah 10:32 Nob: Perhaps within two miles of Jerusalem.
12. Isaiah 10:34 Lebanon: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 34.
13. Isaiah 11:1 David's family: Hebrew "Jesse's family." Jesse was the father of King David.
14. Isaiah 11:10 David's descendants: Hebrew "Jesse's descendants" (see the note at 11.1).
15. Isaiah 11:11 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has "Cush," which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
16. Isaiah 11:11 land along the coast: Or "islands."
17. Isaiah 11:15 arm of the Red Sea near Egypt: Gulf of Suez.

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2 Corinthians 12:11-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Paul's Concern for the Lord's Followers at Corinth

 ¹¹I have been making a fool of myself. But you forced me to do it, when you should have been speaking up for me. I may be nothing at all, but I am as good as those super apostles. ¹²When I was with you, I was patient and worked all the powerful miracles and signs and wonders of a true apostle. ¹³You missed out on only one blessing that the other churches received. That is, you didn't have to support me. Forgive me for doing you wrong.     ¹⁴I am planning to visit you for the third time. But I still won't make a burden of myself. What I really want is you, and not what you have. Children are not supposed to save up for their parents, but parents are supposed to take care of their children. ¹⁵So I will gladly give all that I have and all that I am. Will you love me less for loving you too much? ¹⁶You agree that I wasn't a burden to you. Maybe that's because I was trying to catch you off guard and trick you. ¹⁷Were you cheated by any of those I sent to you? ¹⁸I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent another follower with him. But Titus didn't cheat you, and we felt and behaved the same way he did.
    ¹⁹Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? Actually, we have been speaking to God as followers of Christ. But, my friends, we did it all for your good.
    ²⁰I am afraid that when I come, we won't be pleased with each other. I fear that some of you may be arguing or jealous or angry or selfish or gossiping or insulting each other. I even fear that you may be proud and acting like a mob. ²¹I am afraid God will make me ashamed when I visit you again. I will feel like crying because many of you have never given up your old sins. You are still doing things that are immoral, indecent, and shameful.

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Psalm 56:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 56

(For the music leader. To the tune "A Silent Dove in the Distance." (Psalm 56 A Silent. . . Distance: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.) A special psalm by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.)

A Prayer of Trust in God

 ¹Have pity, God Most High!    My enemies chase me all day.
    ²Many of them are pursuing
   and attacking me,
    ³but even when I am afraid,
   I keep on trusting you.
    ⁴I praise your promises!
   I trust you and am not afraid.
   No one can harm me.
    ⁵Enemies spend the whole day
   finding fault with me;
   all they think about
   is how to do me harm.
    ⁶They attack from ambush,
   watching my every step
   and hoping to kill me.
    ⁷They won't get away ^[a] with these crimes, God,
   because when you get angry,
   you destroy people.
    ⁸You have kept record
   of my days of wandering.
   You have stored my tears
   in your bottle
   and counted each of them.
    ⁹When I pray, LORD God,
   my enemies will retreat,
   because I know for certain
   that you are with me.
    ¹⁰I praise your promises!
    ¹¹I trust you and am not afraid.
   No one can harm me.
    ¹²I will keep my promises
   to you, my God,
   and bring you gifts.
    ¹³You protected me from death
   and kept me from stumbling,
   so that I would please you
   and follow the light
   that leads to life.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 56:7 They. . . away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 23:6-8 (Contemporary English Version)

-8-

 ⁶ Don't accept an invitation    to eat a selfish person's food,
   no matter how good it is.
    ⁷People like that take note
   of how much you eat. ^[a] They say, "Take all you want!"
   But they don't mean it.
    ⁸Each bite will come back up,
   and all your kind words
   will be wasted.

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Verse of the Day

“Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad.” - Philippians 4:4

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American journalist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of American English, H. L. Mencken wrote, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

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A Joke for Today

Two missionaries in Africa were apprehended by a tribe of very hostile cannibals who put them in a large pot of water, built a huge fire under it, and left them there. A few minutes later, one of the missionaries started to laugh uncontrollably. 

The other missionary couldn't believe it! He said, "What's wrong with you? We're being boiled alive! They're gonna eat us! What could possibly be funny at a time like this?" 

The other missionary said, "I just peed in the soup!"

Bible Readings for April 25, 2017

Today our passages are Judges 4:1–5:31; Luke 22:35-53; Psalm 94:1-23; and Proverbs 14:3-4. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

 

 

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Judges 4-5:31 (Contemporary English Version)

Judges 4

Deborah and Barak

 ¹After the death of Ehud, the Israelites again started disobeying the LORD.     ²So the LORD let the Canaanite King Jabin of Hazor conquer Israel. Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, lived in Harosheth-Ha-Goiim.
    ³Jabin's army had nine hundred iron chariots, and for twenty years he made life miserable for the Israelites, until finally they begged the LORD for help.
    ⁴Deborah the wife of Lappidoth was a prophet and a leader ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} of Israel during those days.
    ⁵She would sit under Deborah's Palm Tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where Israelites would come and ask her to settle their legal cases.
    ⁶One day, Barak the son of Abinoam was in Kedesh in Naphtali, and Deborah sent word for him to come and talk with her. When he arrived, she said:
   I have a message for you from the LORD God of Israel! You are to get together an army of ten thousand men from the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes and lead them to Mount Tabor.
    ⁷The LORD will trick Sisera into coming out to fight you at the Kishon River. Sisera will be leading King Jabin's army as usual, and they will have their chariots, but the LORD has promised to help you defeat them.
    ⁸" I'm not going unless you go!" Barak told her.
    ⁹" All right, I'll go!" she replied. " But I'm warning you that the LORD is going to let a woman defeat Sisera, and no one will honor you for winning the battle."
   Deborah and Barak left for Kedesh,
    ¹⁰where Barak called together the troops from Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand soldiers gathered there, and Barak led them out from Kedesh. Deborah went too.
    ¹¹At this time, Heber of the Kenite clan was living near the village of Oak in Zaanannim, ^[b<="">] not far from Kedesh. The Kenites were descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, but Heber had moved and had set up his tents away from the rest of the clan.
    ¹²When Sisera learned that Barak had led an army to Mount Tabor,
    ¹³he called his troops together and got all nine hundred iron chariots ready. Then he led his army away from Harosheth-Ha-Goiim to the Kishon River.
    ¹⁴Deborah shouted, " Barak, it's time to attack Sisera! Because today the LORD is going to help you defeat him. In fact, the LORD has already gone on ahead to fight for you."
   Barak led his ten thousand troops down from Mount Tabor.
    ¹⁵And during the battle, the LORD confused Sisera, his chariot drivers, and his whole army. Everyone was so afraid of Barak and his army, that even Sisera jumped down from his chariot and tried to escape.
    ¹⁶Barak's forces went after Sisera's chariots and army as far as Harosheth-Ha-Goiim.
   Sisera's entire army was wiped out.
    ¹⁷Only Sisera escaped. He ran to Heber's camp, because Heber and his family had a peace treaty with the king of Hazor. Sisera went to the tent that belonged to Jael, Heber's wife.
    ¹⁸She came out to greet him and said, " Come in, sir! Please come on in. Don't be afraid."
   After they had gone inside, Sisera lay down, and Jael covered him with a blanket.
    ¹⁹" Could I have a little water?" he asked. " I'm thirsty."
   Jael opened a leather bottle and poured him some milk, then she covered him back up.
    ²⁰" Stand at the entrance to the tent," Sisera told her. " If someone comes by and asks if anyone is inside, tell them `No.' "
    ²¹Sisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died.
    ²²Meanwhile, Barak had been following Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. " The man you're looking for is inside," she said. " Come in and I'll show him to you."
   They went inside, and there was Sisera--dead and stretched out with a tent-peg through his skull.
    ²³That same day the Israelites defeated the Canaanite King Jabin, and his army was no longer powerful enough to attack the Israelites.
    ²⁴Jabin grew weaker while the Israelites kept growing stronger, and at last the Israelites destroyed him.
   

Judges 5

Deborah and Barak Sing for the LORD

 ¹After the battle was over that day, Deborah and Barak sang this song:     ²We praise you, LORD!
   Our soldiers volunteered,
   ready to follow you.
    ³Listen, kings and rulers,
   while I sing for the LORD,
   the God of Israel.
    ⁴Our LORD, God of Israel,
   when you came from Seir,
   where the Edomites live,
    ⁵rain poured from the sky,
   the earth trembled,
   and mountains shook.
    ⁶In the time of Shamgar
   son of Anath,
   and now again in Jael's time,
   roads were too dangerous
   for caravans.
   Travelers had to take
   the back roads,
    ⁷and villagers couldn't work
   in their fields. ^[c<="">] Then Deborah ^[d<="">] took command, protecting Israel
   as a mother
   protects her children.
    ⁸The Israelites worshiped
   other gods,
   and the gates of their towns
   were then attacked. ^[e<="">] But they had no shields
   or spears to fight with.
    ⁹I praise you, LORD,
   and I am grateful
   for those leaders and soldiers
   who volunteered.
    ¹⁰Listen, everyone!
   Whether you ride a donkey
   with a padded saddle
   or have to walk.
    ¹¹Even those who carry water ^[f<="">] to the animals will tell you,
   " The LORD has won victories,
   and so has Israel."
   Then the LORD's people marched
   down to the town gates
    ¹²and said, " Deborah, let's go!
   Let's sing as we march.
   Barak, capture our enemies."
    ¹³The LORD's people who were left
   joined with their leaders
   and fought at my side. ^{[g<="">]
    14}Troops came from Ephraim,
   where Amalekites once lived.
   Others came from Benjamin;
   officers and leaders
   came
   from Machir and Zebulun.
    ¹⁵The rulers of Issachar
   came along with Deborah,
   and Issachar followed Barak
   into the valley.
   But the tribe of Reuben
   was no help at all! ^{[h<="">]
    16}Reuben, why did you stay
   among your sheep pens? ^[i<="">] Was it to listen to shepherds
   whistling for their sheep?
   No one could figure out
   why Reuben wouldn't come. ^{[j<="">]
    17}The people of Gilead stayed
   across the Jordan.
   Why did the tribe of Dan
   remain on their ships
   and the tribe of Asher
   stay along the coast
   near the harbors?
    ¹⁸But soldiers of Zebulun
   and Naphtali
   risked their lives
   to attack the enemy. ^{[k<="">]
    19}Canaanite kings fought us
   at Taanach by the stream
   near Megiddo ^[l<="">] -- but they couldn't rob us
   of our silver. ^{[m<="">]
    20}From their pathways in the sky
   the stars ^[n<="">] fought Sisera,
    ²¹and his soldiers were swept away
   by the ancient Kishon River.
   I will march on and be brave.
    ²²Sisera's horses galloped off,
   their hoofs thundering
   in retreat.
    ²³The LORD's angel said,
   " Put a curse on Meroz Town!
   Its people refused
   to help the LORD fight
   his powerful enemies."
    ²⁴But honor Jael,
   the wife of Heber
   from the Kenite clan.
   Give more honor to her
   than to any other woman
   who lives in tents.
   Yes, give more honor to her
   than to any other woman.
    ²⁵Sisera asked for water,
   but Jael gave him milk--
   cream in a fancy cup.
    ²⁶She reached for a tent-peg
   and held a hammer
   in her right hand.
   And with a blow to the head,
   she crushed his skull.
    ²⁷Sisera sank to his knees
   and fell dead at her feet.
    ²⁸Sisera's mother looked out
   through her window.
   " Why is he taking so long?"
   she asked.
   " Why haven't we heard
   his chariots coming?"
    ²⁹She and her wisest women
   gave the same answer:
    ³⁰" Sisera and his troops
   are finding treasures
   to bring back--
   a woman, or maybe two,
   for each man,
   and beautiful dresses
   for those women to wear." ^{[o<="">]
    31}Our LORD, we pray
   that all your enemies
   will die like Sisera.
   But let everyone who loves you
   shine brightly
   like the sun
   at dawn.
   There was peace in Israel for about forty years.
   

Footnotes:

1. Judges 4:4 leader: See 2.16 and the note there.
2. Judges 4:11 the village. . . Zaanannim: Or " the oak tree in the town of Zaanannim."
3. Judges 5:7 villagers. . . fields: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Judges 5:7 Deborah: Or " I, Deborah."
5. Judges 5:8 The Israelites. . . attacked: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6. Judges 5:11 Even. . . water: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. Judges 5:13 side: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.
8. Judges 5:15 But. . . at all: Or " But the people of Reuben couldn't make up their minds."
9. Judges 5:16 sheep pens: Or " campfires."
10. Judges 5:16 No. . . come: Or " The people of Reuben couldn't make up their minds."
11. Judges 5:18 to attack the enemy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
12. Judges 5:19 stream near Megiddo: Probably refers to one of the streams that flow into the Kishon River.
13. Judges 5:19 rob us of our silver: The army that won a battle would take everything of value from the dead enemy soldiers.
14. Judges 5:20 stars: In ancient times, the stars were sometimes regarded as supernatural beings.
15. Judges 5:30 and beautiful. . . wear: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Luke 22:35-53 (Contemporary English Version)

Moneybags, Traveling Bags, and Swords

 ³⁵Jesus asked his disciples, "When I sent you out without a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals, did you need anything?"    "No!" they answered.
    ³⁶Jesus told them, "But now, if you have a moneybag, take it with you. Also take a traveling bag, and if you don't have a sword, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} sell some of your clothes and buy one. ³⁷Do this because the Scriptures say, `He was considered a criminal.' This was written about me, and it will soon come true." ³⁸The disciples said, "Lord, here are two swords!"
   "Enough of that!" Jesus replied.
   

Jesus Prays

(Matthew 26.36-46; Mark 14.32-42)

 ³⁹Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. ⁴⁰When they got there, he told them, "Pray that you won't be tested."     ⁴¹Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed, ⁴²"Father, if you will, please don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. ^[b<="">] But do what you want, and not what I want." ⁴³Then an angel from heaven came to help him. ⁴⁴Jesus was in great pain and prayed so sincerely that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood. ^{[c<="">] 45}Jesus got up from praying and went over to his disciples. They were asleep and worn out from being so sad. ⁴⁶He said to them, "Why are you asleep? Wake up and pray that you won't be tested."
   

Jesus Is Arrested

(Matthew 26.47-56; Mark 14.43-50; John 18.3-11)

 ⁴⁷While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up. It was led by Judas, one of the twelve apostles. He went over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss. ^{[d<="">] 48}Jesus asked Judas, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"     ⁴⁹When Jesus' disciples saw what was about to happen, they asked, "Lord, should we attack them with a sword?" ⁵⁰One of the disciples even struck at the high priest's servant with his sword and cut off the servant's right ear.
    ⁵¹"Enough of that!" Jesus said. Then he touched the servant's ear and healed it.
    ⁵²Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the temple police, and the leaders who had come to arrest him. He said, "Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? ⁵³I was with you every day in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But this is your time, and darkness ^[e<="">] is in control."

Footnotes:

1. Luke 22:36 moneybag. . . traveling bag. . . sword: These were things that someone would take on a dangerous journey. Jesus was telling his disciples to be ready for anything that might happen. They seem to have understood what he meant (see 22.49-51).
2. Luke 22:42 having me drink from this cup: In the Scriptures " to drink from a cup" sometimes means to suffer.
3. Luke 22:44 Then an angel. . . like drops of blood: Verses 43,44 are not in some manuscripts.
4. Luke 22:47 greeted him with a kiss: It was the custom for people to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
5. Luke 22:53 darkness: Darkness stands for the power of the devil.

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Psalm 94:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 94

The LORD Punishes the Guilty

 ¹LORD God, you punish    the guilty.
   Show what you are like
   and punish them now.
    ²You judge the earth.
   Come and help us!
   Pay back those proud people
   for what they have done.
    ³How long will the wicked
   celebrate and be glad?
    ⁴All of those cruel people
   strut and boast,
    ⁵and they crush and wound
   your chosen nation, LORD.
    ⁶They murder widows,
   foreigners, and orphans.
    ⁷Then they say,
   "The LORD God of Jacob
   doesn't see or know."
    ⁸Can't you fools see?
   Won't you ever learn?
    ⁹God gave us ears and eyes!
   Can't he hear and see?
    ¹⁰God instructs the nations
   and gives knowledge to us all.
   Won't he also correct us?
    ¹¹The LORD knows how useless
   our plans really are.
    ¹²Our LORD, you bless everyone
   that you instruct and teach
   by using your Law.
    ¹³You give them rest
   from their troubles,
   until a pit can be dug
   for the wicked.
    ¹⁴You won't turn your back
   on your chosen nation.
    ¹⁵Justice and fairness
   will go hand in hand,
   and all who do right
   will follow along.
    ¹⁶Who will stand up for me
   against those cruel people?
    ¹⁷If you had not helped me, LORD,
   I would soon have gone
   to the land of silence. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 18}When I felt my feet slipping,
   you came with your love
   and kept me steady.
    ¹⁹And when I was burdened
   with worries,
   you comforted me
   and made me feel secure.
    ²⁰But you are opposed
   to dishonest lawmakers
    ²¹who gang up to murder
   innocent victims.
    ²²You, LORD God, are my fortress,
   that mighty rock ^[b<="">] where I am safe.
    ²³You will pay back my enemies,
   and you will wipe them out
   for the evil they did.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 94:17 land of silence: The grave or the world of the dead.
2. Psalm 94:22 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 14:3-4 (Contemporary English Version)

³Proud fools are punished
   for their stupid talk,
   but sensible talk
   can save your life.
    ⁴Without the help of an ox
   there can be no crop,
   but with a strong ox
   a big crop is possible.

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Verse of the Day

“God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory. We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature.” - Colossians 1:27-28

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American journalist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of American English, H. L. Mencken wrote, “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”

Bible Readings for May 15, 2015

Today our passages are 1 Samuel 17:1–18:4; John 8:21-30; Psalm 111:1-10; and Proverbs 15:11. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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1 Samuel 17-18:4 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Samuel 17

Goliath Challenges Israel's Army

 ¹The Philistines got ready for war and brought their troops together to attack the town of Socoh in Judah. They set up camp at Ephes-Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ^{[a] 2-3}King Saul and the Israelite army set up camp on a hill overlooking Elah Valley, and they got ready to fight the Philistine army that was on a hill on the other side of the valley. ⁴The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was over nine feet ^[b] tall. ^5-6He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor to protect his chest and legs. The chest armor alone weighed about one hundred twenty-five pounds. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back, ⁷and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed more than fifteen pounds. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield. ⁸Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel:    Why are you lining up for battle? I'm the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul's army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! ⁹If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. ¹⁰Here and now I challenge Israel's whole army! Choose someone to fight me!
    ¹¹Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn't do a thing.
   David Decides to Challenge Goliath
    ¹²David's father Jesse was an old man, who belonged to the Ephrath clan and lived in Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons: ^13-14the oldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and Shammah was the third. The three of them had gone off to fight in Saul's army.
   David was Jesse's youngest son. ¹⁵He took care of his father's sheep, and he went back and forth between Bethlehem and Saul's camp.
    ¹⁶Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for forty days.
    ¹⁷One day, Jesse told David, "Hurry and take this sack of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers at the army camp. ¹⁸And here are ten large chunks of cheese to take to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back something that shows that they're all right. ¹⁹They're with Saul's army, fighting the Philistines in Elah Valley."
    ²⁰David obeyed his father. He got up early the next morning and left someone else in charge of the sheep; then he loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the army camp just as the soldiers were taking their places and shouting the battle cry. ²¹The army of Israel and the Philistine army stood there facing each other.
    ²²David left his things with the man in charge of supplies and ran up to the battle line to ask his brothers if they were well. ²³While David was talking with them, Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and started boasting as usual. David heard him.
    ²⁴When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath, they were scared and ran off. ²⁵They said to each other, "Look how he keeps coming out to insult us. The king is offering a big reward to the man who kills Goliath. That man will even get to marry the king's daughter, and no one in his family will ever have to pay taxes again."
    ²⁶David asked some soldiers standing nearby, "What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He's making fun of the army of the living God!"
    ²⁷The soldiers told David what the king would give the man who killed Goliath.
    ²⁸David's oldest brother Eliab heard him talking with the soldiers. Eliab was angry at him and said, "What are you doing here, anyway? Who's taking care of that little flock of sheep out in the desert? You spoiled brat! You came here just to watch the fighting, didn't you?"
    ²⁹"Now what have I done?" David answered. "Can't I even ask a question?" ³⁰Then he turned and asked another soldier the same thing he had asked the others, and he got the same answer.
    ³¹Some soldiers overheard David talking, so they told Saul what David had said. Saul sent for David, and David came. ³²"Your Majesty," he said, "this Philistine shouldn't turn us into cowards. I'll go out and fight him myself!"
    ³³"You don't have a chance against him," Saul replied. "You're only a boy, and he's been a soldier all his life."
    ³⁴But David told him:
   Your Majesty, I take care of my father's sheep. And when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear, ³⁵I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. If the wild animal turns and attacks me, I grab it by the throat and kill it.
    ³⁶Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn't have made fun of the army of the living God! ³⁷The LORD has rescued me from the claws of lions and bears, and he will keep me safe from the hands of this Philistine.
   "All right," Saul answered, "go ahead and fight him. And I hope the LORD will help you."
    ³⁸Saul had his own military clothes and armor put on David, and he gave David a bronze helmet to wear. ³⁹David strapped on a sword and tried to walk around, but he was not used to wearing those things.
   "I can't move with all this stuff on," David said. "I'm just not used to it."
   David took off the armor ⁴⁰and picked up his shepherd's stick. He went out to a stream and picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.
   

David Kills Goliath

 ⁴¹Goliath came toward David, walking behind the soldier who was carrying his shield. ⁴²When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he made fun of him. ⁴³"Do you think I'm a dog?" Goliath asked. "Is that why you've come after me with a stick?" He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods ⁴⁴and shouted, "Come on! When I'm finished with you, I'll feed you to the birds and wild animals!"     ⁴⁵David answered:
   You've come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I've come out to fight you in the name of the LORD All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel's army, and you have insulted him too!
    ⁴⁶Today the LORD will help me defeat you. I'll knock you down and cut off your head, and I'll feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God. ⁴⁷Everybody here will see that the LORD doesn't need swords or spears to save his people. The LORD always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.
    ⁴⁸When Goliath started forward, David ran toward him. ⁴⁹He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell facedown on the ground. ⁵⁰David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock. He killed him without even using a sword.
    ⁵¹David ran over and pulled out Goliath's sword. Then he used it to cut off Goliath's head.
   When the Philistines saw what had happened to their hero, they started running away. ⁵²But the soldiers of Israel and Judah let out a battle cry and went after them as far as Gath ^[c] and Ekron. The bodies of the Philistines were scattered all along the road from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron. ⁵³When the Israelite army returned from chasing the Philistines, they took what they wanted from the enemy camp. ⁵⁴David took Goliath's head to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath's weapons in his own tent.
   

David Becomes One of Saul's Officers

 ⁵⁵After King Saul had watched David go out to fight Goliath, Saul turned to the commander of his army and said, "Abner, who is that young man?"    "Your Majesty," Abner answered, "I swear by your life that I don't know."
    ⁵⁶"Then find out!" Saul told him.
    ⁵⁷When David came back from fighting Goliath, he was still carrying Goliath's head.
   Abner took David to Saul, ⁵⁸and Saul asked, "Who are you?"
   "I am David the son of Jesse, a loyal Israelite from Bethlehem."
   

1 Samuel 18

 ¹David and Saul finished talking, and soon David and Jonathan ^[d] became best friends. Jonathan thought as much of David as he did of himself. ²From that time on, Saul kept David in his service and would not let David go back to his own family. ³Jonathan liked David so much that they promised to always be loyal friends. ⁴Jonathan took off the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his military clothes, ^[e] his sword, his bow and arrows, and his belt.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Samuel 17:1 Socoh and Azekah: Socoh was controlled by the Israelites, while Azekah was in Philistine hands.
2. 1 Samuel 17:4 over nine feet: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of one ancient translation have "almost seven feet."
3. 1 Samuel 17:52 Gath: One ancient translation; Hebrew "a valley."
4. 1 Samuel 18:1 Jonathan: Saul's oldest son (see chapter 14).
5. 1 Samuel 18:4 military clothes: Or "armor."

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John 8:21-30 (Contemporary English Version)

You Cannot Go Where I Am Going

 ²¹Jesus also told them, "I am going away, and you will look for me. But you cannot go where I am going, and you will die with your sins unforgiven."     ²²The Jewish leaders asked, "Does he intend to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying we cannot go where he is going?"
    ²³Jesus answered, "You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't. ²⁴That is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am, ^[a] you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven." ²⁵"Who are you?" they asked Jesus.
   Jesus answered, "I am exactly who I told you at the beginning. ²⁶There is a lot more I could say to condemn you. But the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the people of this world only what I have heard from him."
    ²⁷No one understood that Jesus was talking to them about the Father.
    ²⁸Jesus went on to say, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, ^[b] you will know who I am. You will also know that I don't do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. ²⁹The one who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him, and he will never leave me." ³⁰After Jesus said this, many of the people put their faith in him.
   

Footnotes:

1. John 8:24 I am: For the Jewish people the most holy name of God is " Yahweh," which may be translated " I am." In the Gospel of John " I am" is sometimes used by Jesus to show that he is that one.
2. John 8:28 lifted up the Son of Man: See the note at 7.39.

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Psalm 111:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 111

Praise the LORD for All He Has Done

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD!    With all my heart
   I will thank the LORD
   when his people meet.
    ²The LORD has done
   many wonderful things!
   Everyone who is pleased
   with God's marvelous deeds
   will keep them in mind.
    ³Everything the LORD does
   is glorious and majestic,
   and his power to bring justice
   will never end.
    ⁴The LORD God is famous
   for his wonderful deeds,
   and he is kind and merciful.
    ⁵He gives food to his worshipers
   and always keeps his agreement
   with them.
    ⁶He has shown his mighty power
   to his people
   and has given them the lands
   of other nations.
    ⁷God is always honest and fair,
   and his laws can be trusted.
    ⁸They are true and right
   and will stand forever.
    ⁹God rescued his people,
   and he will never break
   his agreement with them.
   He is fearsome and holy.
    ¹⁰Respect and obey the LORD!
   This is the first step
   to wisdom and good sense. ^[a] God will always be respected.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 111:10 This. . . sense: Or " This is what wisdom and good sense are all about."

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Proverbs 15:11 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹If the LORD can see everything
   in the world of the dead,
   he can see in our hearts.

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Verse of the Day

“No one can explain how a baby breathes before it is born. So how can anyone explain what God does? After all, he created everything.” - Ecclesiastes 11:5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

American journalist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of American English, H. L. Mencken wrote, “The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.”