Bible Readings for December 20, 2019

Today our passages are Today our passages are Haggai 1:1–2:23; Revelation 11:1-9; Psalm 139:1-24; and Proverbs 30:15-16. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.  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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Haggai 1-2:23 (Contemporary English Version)

Haggai 1

Rebuild the Temple

 ¹On the first day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia, ^a] the LORD told Haggai the prophet to speak his message to the governor of Judah and to the high priest. So Haggai told Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua ^b]   2-5that the LORD All-Powerful had said to them and to the people: You say this isn't the right time to build a temple for me. But is it right for you to live in expensive houses, ^c] while my temple is a pile of ruins? Just look at what's happening.
   ⁶You harvest less than you plant, you never have enough to eat or drink, your clothes don't keep you warm, and your wages are stored in bags full of holes.
   ⁷Think about what I have said!
   ⁸But first, go to the hills and get wood for my temple, so I can take pride in it and be worshiped there.
   ⁹You expected much, but received only a little. And when you brought it home, I made that little disappear. Why have I done this? It's because you hurry off to build your own houses, while my temple is still in ruins.
   ¹⁰That's also why the dew doesn't fall and your harvest fails.
   ¹¹And so, at my command everything will become barren--your farmland and pastures, your vineyards and olive trees, your animals and you yourselves. All your hard work will be for nothing.
   ¹²Zerubbabel and Joshua, together with the others who had returned from exile in Babylonia, obeyed the LORD's message spoken by his prophet Haggai, and they started showing proper respect for the LORD.
   ¹³Haggai then told them that the LORD had promised to be with them.
   ¹⁴So the LORD God All-Powerful made everyone eager to work on his temple, especially Zerubbabel and Joshua.
   ¹⁵And the work began on the twenty-fourth day of that same month.
   

Haggai 2

The Glorious New Temple

 ^1-2On the twenty-first day of the next month, ^d] the LORD told Haggai the prophet to speak this message to Governor Zerubbabel, High Priest Joshua, and everyone else:   ³Does anyone remember how glorious this temple used to be? Now it looks like nothing.
   ⁴But cheer up! Because I, the LORD All-Powerful, will be here to help you with the work,
   ⁵just as I promised your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. Don't worry. My Spirit is ^e] right here with you.
   ⁶Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
   ⁷I will shake the nations, and their treasures ^f] will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple.
   ⁸All silver and gold belong to me,
   ⁹and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city ^g] with peace.   

The Past and the Future

 ¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, ^h] the LORD God All-Powerful told the prophet Haggai   ¹¹to ask the priests for their opinion on the following matter:
   ¹²Suppose meat ready to be sacrificed to God is being carried in the folds of someone's clothing, and the clothing rubs against some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or any other food. Would those foods that were touched then become acceptable for sacrifice?
   "Of course not," the priests answered.
   ¹³Then Haggai said, "Suppose someone has touched a dead body and is considered unacceptable to worship God. If that person touches these foods, would they become unclean?"
   "Of course they would," the priests answered.
   ¹⁴So the LORD told Haggai to say:
   That's how it is with this entire nation. Everything you do and every sacrifice you offer is unacceptable to me.
   ¹⁵But from now on, things will get better. Before you started laying the foundation for the temple,
   ¹⁶you recalled what life was like in the past. ^i] When you wanted twenty bushels of wheat, there were only ten, and when you wanted fifty jars of wine, there were only twenty.
   ¹⁷I made all of your hard work useless by sending mildew, mold, and hail--but you still did not return to me, your LORD.
   ¹⁸Today you have completed the foundation for my temple, so listen to what your future will be like.
   ¹⁹Although you have not yet harvested any grain, grapes, figs, pomegranates, ^j] or olives, I will richly bless you in the days ahead.   

God's Promise to Zerubbabel

 ²⁰That same day the LORD spoke to Haggai again and said:   ²¹Tell Governor Zerubbabel of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth
   ²²and wipe out kings and their kingdoms. I will overturn war chariots, and then cavalry troops will start slaughtering each other.
   ²³But tell my servant Zerubbabel that I, the LORD All-Powerful, have chosen him, and he will rule in my name. ^k]
   

Footnotes:

1. Haggai 1:1 sixth month. . . king of Persia: Elul, the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-August to mid-September; the second year of the rule of Darius was 520 B.C.
2. Haggai 1:1 Governor. . . Joshua: Hebrew "Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak."
3. Haggai 1:2 expensive houses: Either houses with paneled interiors or with roofs; the temple was not yet completely rebuilt at this time.
4. Haggai 2:1 the next month: Tishri (also called Ethanim), the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October (see the note at 1.1).
5. Haggai 2:5 My Spirit is: Or "I am."
6. Haggai 2:7 their treasures: Hebrew "what they most desire."
7. Haggai 2:9 city: Or "temple."
8. Haggai 2:10 ninth month: Chislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-November to mid-December.
9. Haggai 2:16 you recalled. . . past: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
10. Haggai 2:19 pomegranates: A bright red fruit that looks like an apple.
11. Haggai 2:23 rule in my name: The Hebrew text has "be my signet ring," which signified authority.

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Revelation 11:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

 ¹An angel gave me a measuring stick and said:   Measure around God's temple. Be sure to include the altar and everyone worshiping there. ²But don't measure the courtyard outside the temple building. Leave it out. It has been given to those people who don't know God, and they will trample all over the holy city for forty-two months. ³My two witnesses will wear sackcloth, ^a] while I let them preach for one thousand two hundred sixty days. ⁴These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in the presence of the Lord who rules the earth. ⁵Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouths. ⁶They have the power to lock up the sky and to keep rain from falling while they are prophesying. And whenever they want to, they can turn water to blood and cause all kinds of terrible troubles on earth.
    ⁷After the two witnesses have finished preaching God's message, the beast that lives in the deep pit will come up and fight against them. It will win the battle and kill them. ⁸Their bodies will be left lying in the streets of the same great city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. And that city is spiritually like the city of Sodom or the country of Egypt.
    ⁹For three and a half days the people of every nation, tribe, language, and race will stare at the bodies of these two witnesses and refuse to let them be buried.

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 11:3 sackcloth: See the note at 6.12.

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Psalm 139:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 139

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

The LORD Is Always Near

 ¹You have looked deep   into my heart, LORD,
   and you know all about me.
    ²You know when I am resting
   or when I am working,
   and from heaven
   you discover my thoughts.
    ³You notice everything I do
   and everywhere I go.
    ⁴Before I even speak a word,
   you know what I will say,
    ⁵and with your powerful arm
   you protect me
   from every side.
    ⁶I can't understand all of this!
   Such wonderful knowledge
   is far above me.
    ⁷Where could I go to escape
   from your Spirit
   or from your sight?
    ⁸If I were to climb up
   to the highest heavens,
   you would be there.
   If I were to dig down
   to the world of the dead
   you would also be there.
    ⁹Suppose I had wings
   like the dawning day
   and flew across the ocean.
    ¹⁰Even then your powerful arm
   would guide and protect me.
    ¹¹Or suppose I said, "I'll hide
   in the dark
   until night comes
   to cover me over."
    ¹²But you see in the dark
   because daylight and dark
   are all the same to you.
    ¹³You are the one
   who put me together
   inside my mother's body,
    ¹⁴and I praise you
   because of
   the wonderful way
   you created me.
   Everything you do is marvelous!
   Of this I have no doubt.
    ¹⁵Nothing about me
   is hidden from you!
   I was secretly woven together
   deep in the earth below,
    ¹⁶but with your own eyes
   you saw
   my body being formed.
   Even before I was born,
   you had written in your book
   everything I would do.
    ¹⁷Your thoughts are far beyond
   my understanding,
   much more than I
   could ever imagine.
    ¹⁸I try to count your thoughts,
   but they outnumber the grains
   of sand on the beach.
   And when I awake,
   I will find you nearby.
    ¹⁹How I wish that you would kill
   all cruel and heartless people
   and protect me from them!
    ²⁰They are always rebelling
   and speaking evil of you. ^a] 21You know I hate anyone
   who hates you, LORD,
   and refuses to obey.
    ²²They are my enemies too,
   and I truly hate them.
    ²³Look deep into my heart, God,
   and find out everything
   I am thinking.
    ²⁴Don't let me follow evil ways,
   but lead me in the way
   that time has proven true. 

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 139:20 you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.

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Proverbs 30:15-16 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁵Greed ^a] has twins, each named "Give me!"
   There are three or four things
   that are never satisfied:
    ¹⁶The world of the dead
   and a childless wife,
   the thirsty earth
   and a flaming fire. 

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 30:15 Greed: Or " A leech."

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Verse of the Day

“[The Birth of Jesus][(Matthew 1.18-25)]About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family. Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby,” - Luke 2:1, 4-5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Jacobean playwright, John Fletcher wrote, “He never is alone that is accompanied with noble thoughts.”

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A Joke for Today

Three buildings in town were overrun by squirrels—the town hall, the hardware store, and the church. The town hall brought in some cats. But after they tore up all the files, the mayor got rid of the predators, and soon the squirrels were back.

The hardware store humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free outside town. But three days later, the squirrels climbed back in.

Only the church came up with an effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and made them members. Now they see them only on Christmas and Easter.

Bible Readings for December 20, 2018

Today our passages are Haggai 1:1–2:23; Revelation 11:1-9; Psalm 139:1-24; and Proverbs 30:15-16. 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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Haggai 1-2:23 (The Message)

Haggai 1

Caught Up with Taking Care of Your Own Houses

 ¹ On the first day of the sixth month of the second year in the reign of King Darius of Persia, God's Message was delivered by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak:  ²A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: "The people procrastinate. They say this isn't the right time to rebuild my Temple, the Temple of God."
 ^3-4Shortly after that, God said more and Haggai spoke it: "How is it that it's the 'right time' for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God's Temple, is in ruins?"
 ^5-6And then a little later, God-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out again:
   "Take a good, hard look at your life.
   Think it over.
You have spent a lot of money,
   but you haven't much to show for it.
You keep filling your plates,
   but you never get filled up.
You keep drinking and drinking and drinking,
   but you're always thirsty.
You put on layer after layer of clothes,
   but you can't get warm.
And the people who work for you,
   what are they getting out of it?
Not much—
   a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that's what.
 ⁷That's why God-of-the-Angel-Armies said:
   "Take a good, hard look at your life.
   Think it over."
 ^8-9Then God said:
   "Here's what I want you to do:
   Climb into the hills and cut some timber.
Bring it down and rebuild the Temple.
   Do it just for me. Honor me.
You've had great ambitions for yourselves,
   but nothing has come of it.
The little you have brought to my Temple
   I've blown away—there was nothing to it.
 ^9-11"And why?" (This is a Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, remember.) "Because while you've run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. That's why. Because of your stinginess. And so I've given you a dry summer and a skimpy crop. I've matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive."
 ¹²Then the governor, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak, and all the people with them listened, really listened, to the voice of their God. When God sent the prophet Haggai to them, they paid attention to him. In listening to Haggai, they honored God.
 ¹³Then Haggai, God's messenger, preached God's Message to the people: "I am with you!" God's Word.
 ^14-15This is how God got Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people moving— got them working on the Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. This happened on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius. 

Haggai 2

This Temple Will End Up Better Than It Started Out

 ^1-3 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: "Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the people:
         'Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?  ^4-5"'So get to work, Zerubbabel!'—God is speaking.
   "'Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!'
   "'Get to work, all you people!'—God is speaking.
   "'Yes, get to work! For I am with you.' The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! 'Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I'm living and breathing among you right now. Don't be timid. Don't hold back.'
 ^6-7"This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: 'Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I'll shake down all the godless nations. They'll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.' God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

 ⁸'I own the silver,
   I own the gold.'
      Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
 ⁹"'This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.' Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies."
 ^10-12On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (again, this was in the second year of Darius), God's Message came to Haggai: "God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: Consult the priests for a ruling. If someone carries a piece of sacred meat in his pocket, meat that is set apart for sacrifice on the altar, and the pocket touches a loaf of bread, a dish of stew, a bottle of wine or oil, or any other food, will these foods be made holy by such contact?"
   The priests said, "No."
 ¹³Then Haggai said, "How about someone who is contaminated by touching a corpse—if that person touches one of these foods, will it be contaminated?"
   The priests said, "Yes, it will be contaminated."
 ¹⁴Then Haggai said, "'So, this people is contaminated. Their nation is contaminated. Everything they do is contaminated. Whatever they do for me is contaminated.' God says so.
 ^15-17"'Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple, how did it go with you? Isn't it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of God were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return on your crops—half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine? I hit you with drought and blight and hail. Everything you were doing got hit. But it didn't seem to faze you. You continued to ignore me.' God's Decree.
 ^18-19"'Now think ahead from this same date—this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Think ahead from when the Temple rebuilding was launched. Has anything in your fields—vine, fig tree, pomegranate, olive tree—failed to flourish? From now on you can count on a blessing.'"
 ^20-21God's Message came a second time to Haggai on that most memorable day, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month: "Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah:
 ^21-23"'I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom—overthrow governments, destroy foreign powers, dismantle the world of weapons and armaments, throw armies into confusion, so that they end up killing one another. And on that day'"—this is God's Message—"'I will take you, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, as my personal servant and I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority. I've looked over the field and chosen you for this work.'" The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

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Revelation 11:1-9 (The Message)

Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

 ^1-2I was given a stick for a measuring rod and told, "Get up and measure God's Temple and Altar and everyone worshiping in it. Exclude the outside court; don't measure it. It's been handed over to non-Jewish outsiders. They'll desecrate the Holy City for forty-two months.  ^3-6"Meanwhile, I'll provide my two Witnesses. Dressed in sackcloth, they'll prophesy for 1,260. These are the two Olive Trees, the two Lampstands, standing at attention before God on earth. If anyone tries to hurt them, a blast of fire from their mouths will incinerate them—burn them to a crisp just like that. They'll have power to seal the sky so that it doesn't rain for the time of their prophesying, power to turn rivers and springs to blood, power to hit earth with any and every disaster as often as they want.
 ^7-10"When they've completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them, conquer and kill them, leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their Master was crucified. For three and a half days they'll be there—exposed, prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all over the world. Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting 'Good riddance!' and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy their sins.

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Psalm 139:1-24 (The Message)

Psalm 139

A David Psalm

 ^1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
   I'm an open book to you;
      even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
   You know when I leave and when I get back;
      I'm never out of your sight.
   You know everything I'm going to say
      before I start the first sentence.
   I look behind me and you're there,
      then up ahead and you're there, too—
      your reassuring presence, coming and going.
   This is too much, too wonderful—
      I can't take it all in!

 ^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
      to be out of your sight?
   If I climb to the sky, you're there!
      If I go underground, you're there!
   If I flew on morning's wings
      to the far western horizon,
   You'd find me in a minute—
      you're already there waiting!
   Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
      At night I'm immersed in the light!"
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

 ^13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
      you formed me in my mother's womb.
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
      I worship in adoration—what a creation!
   You know me inside and out,
      you know every bone in my body;
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
   The days of my life all prepared
      before I'd even lived one day.

 ^17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
      God, I'll never comprehend them!
   I couldn't even begin to count them—
      any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
   Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
      And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
   And you murderers—out of here!—
      all the men and women who belittle you, God,
      infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
   See how I hate those who hate you, God,
      see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
   I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
      Your enemies are my enemies!

 ^23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
      find out everything about me;
   Cross-examine and test me,
      get a clear picture of what I'm about;
   See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—
      then guide me on the road to eternal life.

 

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Proverbs 30:15-16 (The Message)

 ^15-16 A leech has twin daughters
   named "Gimme" and "Gimme more." 

Four Insatiables

Three things are never satisfied,
   no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"—
      hell,
      a barren womb,
      a parched land,
      a forest fire.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“[The Birth of Jesus][(Matthew 1.18-25)]About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family. Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby,” - Luke 2:1, 4-5 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American children's author, political cartoonist, and animator, Theodor Seuss Geisel/Dr. Seuss wrote, “Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.”

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A Joke for Today

One-Liners

Middle age is when you are warned to slow down by a doctor instead of a policeman.

A clean desk is a sign of a cluttered desk drawer.

Anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of.

Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.

To sit alone with my conscience will be judgment enough for me.

An escalator never breaks... it only becomes stairs.

When you get older, lack of pep is often mistaken for patience.

The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows.

What will today's younger generation tell their children they had to do "without"?

If you're doing the speed limit, you're in the way.

18 out of 10 schizophrenics agree.

It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.

Bumper Sticker: Excuse me for driving so closely in front of you.

Today is the last day of your life, so far.

No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.

People never grow up; they just learn how to act in public.

One half of the world will never understand the other half and it doesn't matter which half you're in.

I've discovered the whole problem with the National Debt. Most of us work 5 days a week and the government spends 7.

You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

No matter how bad it gets, I'm rich at the dollar store.

The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can't hold it.

The minute a man is convinced that he is interesting, he isn't.

If you want to know more about paranoids, follow them around.

Anything not nailed down is a cat toy.

The reason Las Vegas is so crowded is that no one has the plane fare to leave.

Bible Readings for December 20, 2017

Today our passages are Today our passages are Haggai 1:1–2:23; Revelation 11:1-9; Psalm 139:1-24; and Proverbs 30:15-16. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.  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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Haggai 1-2:23 (Contemporary English Version)

Haggai 1

Rebuild the Temple

 ¹On the first day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia, ^a] the LORD told Haggai the prophet to speak his message to the governor of Judah and to the high priest. So Haggai told Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua ^b]   2-5that the LORD All-Powerful had said to them and to the people: You say this isn't the right time to build a temple for me. But is it right for you to live in expensive houses, ^c] while my temple is a pile of ruins? Just look at what's happening.
   ⁶You harvest less than you plant, you never have enough to eat or drink, your clothes don't keep you warm, and your wages are stored in bags full of holes.
   ⁷Think about what I have said!
   ⁸But first, go to the hills and get wood for my temple, so I can take pride in it and be worshiped there.
   ⁹You expected much, but received only a little. And when you brought it home, I made that little disappear. Why have I done this? It's because you hurry off to build your own houses, while my temple is still in ruins.
   ¹⁰That's also why the dew doesn't fall and your harvest fails.
   ¹¹And so, at my command everything will become barren--your farmland and pastures, your vineyards and olive trees, your animals and you yourselves. All your hard work will be for nothing.
   ¹²Zerubbabel and Joshua, together with the others who had returned from exile in Babylonia, obeyed the LORD's message spoken by his prophet Haggai, and they started showing proper respect for the LORD.
   ¹³Haggai then told them that the LORD had promised to be with them.
   ¹⁴So the LORD God All-Powerful made everyone eager to work on his temple, especially Zerubbabel and Joshua.
   ¹⁵And the work began on the twenty-fourth day of that same month.
   

Haggai 2

The Glorious New Temple

 ^1-2On the twenty-first day of the next month, ^d] the LORD told Haggai the prophet to speak this message to Governor Zerubbabel, High Priest Joshua, and everyone else:   ³Does anyone remember how glorious this temple used to be? Now it looks like nothing.
   ⁴But cheer up! Because I, the LORD All-Powerful, will be here to help you with the work,
   ⁵just as I promised your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. Don't worry. My Spirit is ^e] right here with you.
   ⁶Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
   ⁷I will shake the nations, and their treasures ^f] will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple.
   ⁸All silver and gold belong to me,
   ⁹and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city ^g] with peace.
   

The Past and the Future

 ¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, ^h] the LORD God All-Powerful told the prophet Haggai   ¹¹to ask the priests for their opinion on the following matter:
   ¹²Suppose meat ready to be sacrificed to God is being carried in the folds of someone's clothing, and the clothing rubs against some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or any other food. Would those foods that were touched then become acceptable for sacrifice?
   "Of course not," the priests answered.
   ¹³Then Haggai said, "Suppose someone has touched a dead body and is considered unacceptable to worship God. If that person touches these foods, would they become unclean?"
   "Of course they would," the priests answered.
   ¹⁴So the LORD told Haggai to say:
   That's how it is with this entire nation. Everything you do and every sacrifice you offer is unacceptable to me.
   ¹⁵But from now on, things will get better. Before you started laying the foundation for the temple,
   ¹⁶you recalled what life was like in the past. ^i] When you wanted twenty bushels of wheat, there were only ten, and when you wanted fifty jars of wine, there were only twenty.
   ¹⁷I made all of your hard work useless by sending mildew, mold, and hail--but you still did not return to me, your LORD.
   ¹⁸Today you have completed the foundation for my temple, so listen to what your future will be like.
   ¹⁹Although you have not yet harvested any grain, grapes, figs, pomegranates, ^j] or olives, I will richly bless you in the days ahead.
   

God's Promise to Zerubbabel

 ²⁰That same day the LORD spoke to Haggai again and said:   ²¹Tell Governor Zerubbabel of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth
   ²²and wipe out kings and their kingdoms. I will overturn war chariots, and then cavalry troops will start slaughtering each other.
   ²³But tell my servant Zerubbabel that I, the LORD All-Powerful, have chosen him, and he will rule in my name. ^k]
   

Footnotes:

1. Haggai 1:1 sixth month. . . king of Persia: Elul, the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-August to mid-September; the second year of the rule of Darius was 520 B.C.
2. Haggai 1:1 Governor. . . Joshua: Hebrew "Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak."
3. Haggai 1:2 expensive houses: Either houses with paneled interiors or with roofs; the temple was not yet completely rebuilt at this time.
4. Haggai 2:1 the next month: Tishri (also called Ethanim), the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October (see the note at 1.1).
5. Haggai 2:5 My Spirit is: Or "I am."
6. Haggai 2:7 their treasures: Hebrew "what they most desire."
7. Haggai 2:9 city: Or "temple."
8. Haggai 2:10 ninth month: Chislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-November to mid-December.
9. Haggai 2:16 you recalled. . . past: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
10. Haggai 2:19 pomegranates: A bright red fruit that looks like an apple.
11. Haggai 2:23 rule in my name: The Hebrew text has "be my signet ring," which signified authority.

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Revelation 11:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

 ¹An angel gave me a measuring stick and said:   Measure around God's temple. Be sure to include the altar and everyone worshiping there. ²But don't measure the courtyard outside the temple building. Leave it out. It has been given to those people who don't know God, and they will trample all over the holy city for forty-two months. ³My two witnesses will wear sackcloth, ^a] while I let them preach for one thousand two hundred sixty days. ⁴These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in the presence of the Lord who rules the earth. ⁵Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouths. ⁶They have the power to lock up the sky and to keep rain from falling while they are prophesying. And whenever they want to, they can turn water to blood and cause all kinds of terrible troubles on earth.
    ⁷After the two witnesses have finished preaching God's message, the beast that lives in the deep pit will come up and fight against them. It will win the battle and kill them. ⁸Their bodies will be left lying in the streets of the same great city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. And that city is spiritually like the city of Sodom or the country of Egypt.
    ⁹For three and a half days the people of every nation, tribe, language, and race will stare at the bodies of these two witnesses and refuse to let them be buried.

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 11:3 sackcloth: See the note at 6.12.

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Psalm 139:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 139

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

The LORD Is Always Near

 ¹You have looked deep   into my heart, LORD,
   and you know all about me.
    ²You know when I am resting
   or when I am working,
   and from heaven
   you discover my thoughts.
    ³You notice everything I do
   and everywhere I go.
    ⁴Before I even speak a word,
   you know what I will say,
    ⁵and with your powerful arm
   you protect me
   from every side.
    ⁶I can't understand all of this!
   Such wonderful knowledge
   is far above me.
    ⁷Where could I go to escape
   from your Spirit
   or from your sight?
    ⁸If I were to climb up
   to the highest heavens,
   you would be there.
   If I were to dig down
   to the world of the dead
   you would also be there.
    ⁹Suppose I had wings
   like the dawning day
   and flew across the ocean.
    ¹⁰Even then your powerful arm
   would guide and protect me.
    ¹¹Or suppose I said, "I'll hide
   in the dark
   until night comes
   to cover me over."
    ¹²But you see in the dark
   because daylight and dark
   are all the same to you.
    ¹³You are the one
   who put me together
   inside my mother's body,
    ¹⁴and I praise you
   because of
   the wonderful way
   you created me.
   Everything you do is marvelous!
   Of this I have no doubt.
    ¹⁵Nothing about me
   is hidden from you!
   I was secretly woven together
   deep in the earth below,
    ¹⁶but with your own eyes
   you saw
   my body being formed.
   Even before I was born,
   you had written in your book
   everything I would do.
    ¹⁷Your thoughts are far beyond
   my understanding,
   much more than I
   could ever imagine.
    ¹⁸I try to count your thoughts,
   but they outnumber the grains
   of sand on the beach.
   And when I awake,
   I will find you nearby.
    ¹⁹How I wish that you would kill
   all cruel and heartless people
   and protect me from them!
    ²⁰They are always rebelling
   and speaking evil of you. ^a] 21You know I hate anyone
   who hates you, LORD,
   and refuses to obey.
    ²²They are my enemies too,
   and I truly hate them.
    ²³Look deep into my heart, God,
   and find out everything
   I am thinking.
    ²⁴Don't let me follow evil ways,
   but lead me in the way
   that time has proven true.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 139:20 you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.

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Proverbs 30:15-16 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁵Greed ^a] has twins, each named "Give me!"
   There are three or four things
   that are never satisfied:
    ¹⁶The world of the dead
   and a childless wife,
   the thirsty earth
   and a flaming fire.
   

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 30:15 Greed: Or " A leech."

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Verse of the Day

“[The Birth of Jesus][(Matthew 1.18-25)]About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family. Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby,” - Luke 2:1, 4-5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Jacobean playwright, John Fletcher wrote, “He never is alone that is accompanied with noble thoughts.”

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A Joke for Today

Three buildings in town were overrun by squirrels—the town hall, the hardware store, and the church. The town hall brought in some cats. But after they tore up all the files, the mayor got rid of the predators, and soon the squirrels were back.

The hardware store humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free outside town. But three days later, the squirrels climbed back in.

Only the church came up with an effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and made them members. Now they see them only on Christmas and Easter.