Bible Readings for December 8, 2017

Today our passages are Hosea 10:1–14:9; Jude 1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; and Proverbs 29:15-17. 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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Hosea 10-14:9 (Contemporary English Version)

Hosea 10

 ¹You were a healthy vine   covered with grapes.
   But the more grapes you grew,
   the more altars you built;
   the better off you became,
   the better shrines you set up
   for pagan gods.
    ²You are deceitful and disloyal.
   So you will pay
   for your sins,
   because the LORD will destroy
   your altars and images.
    ³" We don't have a king,"
   you will say.
   " We don't fear the LORD.
   And what good are kings?"
    ⁴Israel, you break treaties
   and don't keep promises;
   you turn justice
   into poisonous weeds
   where healthy plants should grow. ^a] 5All who live in Samaria tremble
   with concern
   for the idols ^b] at sinful Bethel. ^c] The idol there was the pride
   of the priests,
   but it has been put to shame;
   now everyone will cry.
    ⁶It will be taken to Assyria
   and given to the great king.
   Then Israel will be disgraced
   for worshiping that idol.
    ⁷Like a twig in a stream,
   the king of Samaria
   will be swept away.
    ⁸The altars at sinful Bethel
   will be destroyed
   for causing Israel to sin;
   they will be grown over
   with thorns and thistles.
   Then everyone will beg
   the mountains and hills
   to cover and protect them.
   

The LORD Promises To Punish Israel

 ⁹Israel, you have never   stopped sinning ^d] since that time at Gibeah. ^e] That's why you
   will be attacked at Gibeah. ^f] 10Your sins have doubled,
   and you are rebellious.
   Now I have decided
   to send nations to attack
   and put you in chains.
    ¹¹Once you were obedient
   like a calf
   that loved to thresh grain.
   But I will put a harness
   on your powerful neck;
   you and Judah must plow
   and cultivate the ground.
    ¹²Plow your fields,
   scatter seeds of justice,
   and harvest faithfulness.
   Worship me, the LORD,
   and I will send my saving power
   down like rain.
    ¹³You have planted evil,
   harvested injustice,
   and eaten
   the fruit of your lies.
   You trusted your own strength
   and your powerful forces.
    ¹⁴So war will break out,
   and your fortresses
   will be destroyed.
   Your enemies will do to you
   what Shalman ^g] did to the people
   of Beth-Arbel--
   mothers and their children
   will be beaten to death
   against rocks.
    ¹⁵Bethel, this will be your fate
   because of your evil.
   Israel, at dawn your king
   will be killed.
   

Hosea 11

God's Love for His People

 ¹When Israel was a child,   I loved him,
   and I called
   my son out of Egypt.
    ²But as the saying goes,
   " The more they were called,
   the more they rebelled." ^h] They never stopped offering
   incense and sacrifices
   to the idols of Baal.
    ³I took Israel by the arm
   and taught them to walk.
   But they would not admit
   that I was the one
   who had healed them.
    ⁴I led them with kindness
   and with love,
   not with ropes.
   I held them close to me; ^i] I bent down to feed them.
    ⁵But they trusted Egypt
   instead of returning to me;
   now Assyria will rule them.
    ⁶War will visit their cities,
   and their plans will fail. ^j] 7My people are determined
   to reject me for a god
   they think is stronger,
   but he can't help. ^k] 8Israel, I can't let you go.
   I can't give you up.
   How could I possibly destroy you
   as I did the towns of Admah
   and Zeboiim? ^l] I just can't do it.
   My feelings for you
   are much too strong.
    ⁹Israel, I won't lose my temper
   and destroy you again.
   I am the Holy God--
   not merely some human,
   and I won't stay angry.
    ¹⁰I, the LORD, will roar like a lion,
   and my children will return,
   trembling
   from the west.
    ¹¹They will come back,
   fluttering like birds from Egypt
   or like doves from Assyria.
   Then I will bring them
   back to their homes.
   I, the LORD, have spoken!
   

Israel and Judah Compared

 ¹²Israel is deceitful to me,   their loyal and holy God;
   they surround me with lies,
   and Judah worships
   other gods. ^m]

Hosea 12

 ¹All day long Israel chases   wind from the desert;
   deceit and violence
   are found everywhere.
   Treaties are made with Assyria;
   olive oil is taken to Egypt.
   

Israel and Judah Condemned

 ²The LORD also brings charges   against the people of Judah,
   the descendants of Jacob.
   He will punish them
   for what they have done.
    ³Even before Jacob was born,
   he cheated his brother, ^n] and when he grew up,
   he fought against God. ^o] 4At Bethel, Jacob wrestled
   with an angel and won;
   then with tears in his eyes,
   he asked for a blessing,
   and God spoke to us ^p] there. ⁵God's name is the LORD,
   the LORD God All-Powerful.
    ⁶So return to your God.
   Patiently trust him,
   and show love and justice.
    ⁷Israel, you enjoy cheating
   and taking advantage
   of others.
    ⁸You say to yourself, " I'm rich!
   I earned it all on my own,
   without committing a sin." ^q]

The LORD Is Still the God of Israel

 ⁹Israel, I, the LORD,   am still your God,
   just as I have been
   since the time
   you were in Egypt.
   Now I will force you
   to live in tents once again,
   as you did in the desert. ^r] 10I spoke to the prophets--
   often I spoke in visions.
   And so, I will send my prophets
   with messages of doom.
    ¹¹Gilead is terribly sinful
   and will end up ruined.
   Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal
   on altars made of stones,
   but those stones will be scattered
   in every field.
    ¹²Jacob ^s] escaped to Syria ^t] where he tended sheep
   to earn himself a wife.
    ¹³I sent the prophet Moses
   to lead Israel from Egypt
   and to keep them safe.
    ¹⁴Israel, I will make you pay
   for your terrible sins
   and for insulting me.
   

Hosea 13

Israel Is Doomed

The LORD said:

 ¹When your leaders ^u] spoke, everyone in Israel trembled   and showed great respect.
   But you sinned by worshiping Baal,
   and you were destroyed.
    ²Now you continue to sin
   by designing and making
   idols of silver
   in the shape of calves.
   You are told to sacrifice
   to these idols ^v] -- yes, even to kiss them.
    ³And so, all of you will vanish
   like the mist
   or the dew
   of early morning,
   or husks of grain in the wind
   or smoke from a chimney.
    ⁴I, the LORD, have been your God
   since the time
   you were in Egypt.
   I am the only God you know,
   the only one who can save.
    ⁵I took care of you
   in a thirsty desert. ^w] 6I fed you till you were satisfied,
   then you became proud
   and forgot about me.
    ⁷Now I will attack like a lion,
   ambush you like a leopard,
    ⁸and rip you apart like a bear
   robbed of her cubs.
   I will gnaw on your bones,
   as though I were a lion
   or some other wild animal.
    ⁹Israel, you are done for.
   Don't expect help from me. ^x] 10You wanted a king and rulers.
   Where is your king now?
   What cities have rulers?
    ¹¹In my anger, I gave you a king;
   in my fury, I took him away.
   
   

Israel's Terrible Fate

The LORD said:

 ¹²Israel, your terrible sins   are written down
   and stored away.
    ¹³You are like a senseless child
   who refuses to be born
   at the proper time.
    ¹⁴Should I, the LORD, rescue you
   from death and the grave?
   No! I call death and the grave
   to strike you like a plague.
   I refuse to show mercy.
    ¹⁵No matter how much you prosper
   more than the other tribes, ^y] I, the LORD, will wipe you out,
   just as a scorching desert wind
   dries up streams of water.
   I will take away
   your precious treasures.
    ¹⁶Samaria ^z] will be punished for turning against me.
   It will be destroyed in war--
   children will be beaten
   against rocks,
   and pregnant women
   will be ripped open.
   

Hosea 14

Turn Back to the LORD

 ¹Israel, return! Come back   to the LORD, your God.
   Sin has made you fall.
    ²Return to the LORD and say,
   " Please forgive our sins.
   Accept our good sacrifices
   of praise instead of bulls. ^aa] 3Assyria can't save us,
   and chariots can't help.
   So we will no longer worship
   the idols we have made.
   Our LORD, you show mercy
   to orphans."
   

The LORD Promises To Forgive

 ⁴Israel, you have rejected me,   but my anger is gone;
   I will heal you and love you
   without limit.
    ⁵I will be like the dew--
   then you will blossom like lilies
   and have roots like a tree. ^ab] 6Your branches will spread
   with the beauty
   of an olive tree
   and with the aroma
   of Lebanon Forest.
    ⁷You will rest in my shade,
   and your grain will grow.
   You will blossom
   like a vineyard
   and be famous as the wine
   from Lebanon.
    ⁸Israel, give up your idols!
   I will answer your prayers
   and take care of you. ^ac] I am that glorious tree,
   the source of your fruit. ^ad] 9If you are wise, you will know
   and understand what I mean.
   I am the LORD, and I lead you
   along the right path.
   If you obey me,
   we will walk together,
   but if you are wicked,
   you will stumble.
   

Footnotes:

1. Hosea 10:4 you turn. . . grow: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Hosea 10:5 idols: The Hebrew text has " calves," referring to the idols made in the shape of calves.
3. Hosea 10:5 sinful Bethel: See the note at 4.15.
4. Hosea 10:9 never stopped sinning: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Hosea 10:9 Gibeah: See the note at 9.9.
6. Hosea 10:9 That's why. . . Gibeah: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. Hosea 10:14 Shalman: Perhaps a Moabite king, also known as Salamanu.
8. Hosea 11:2 But. . . rebelled: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. Hosea 11:4 I held. . . to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
10. Hosea 11:6 fail: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
11. Hosea 11:7 help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.
12. Hosea 11:8 Admah and Zeboiim: When the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he also destroyed these two towns (see Deuteronomy 29.23).
13. Hosea 11:12 and Judah worships other gods: Or " but Judah remains faithful."
14. Hosea 12:3 Jacob. . . cheated. . . brother: In Hebrew " Jacob" sounds like " cheat" and also like " heel." Jacob grabbed his twin brother Esau by the heel at the time of their birth (see Genesis 25.26). Later he cheated him out of his rights and blessings as the first-born son (see Genesis 25.29-34; 27.1-40).
15. Hosea 12:3 fought against God: See Genesis 32.22-32.
16. Hosea 12:4 us: Hebrew; two ancient translations " him."
17. Hosea 12:8 without. . . sin: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
18. Hosea 12:9 as. . . desert: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. This probably refers to the forty years of wandering through the desert after leaving Egypt, though it could refer to the " tents" (or " shelters" ) in which the Israelites lived during the Festival of Shelters (see 9.5,6).
19. Hosea 12:12 Jacob: His name was later changed to Israel (see Genesis 32.28), and he became the ancestor of the nation by that name.
20. Hosea 12:12 Syria: The Hebrew text has " Aram," probably referring to northern Syria in the region of Haran.
21. Hosea 13:1 your leaders: The Hebrew text has " Ephraim," here meaning Mount Ephraim, where the royal palace of Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel) was located.
22. Hosea 13:2 You are told. . . idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
23. Hosea 13:5 thirsty desert: The forty years that Israel wandered through the desert, after leaving Egypt.
24. Hosea 13:9 Don't. . . me: Or " You are against me, the one who helps you."
25. Hosea 13:15 more. . . tribes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
26. Hosea 13:16 Samaria: The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.
27. Hosea 14:2 Accept. . . bulls: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
28. Hosea 14:5 like a tree: The Hebrew text has " like Lebanon," probably referring to the famous cedar trees on Mount Lebanon.
29. Hosea 14:8 Israel. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
30. Hosea 14:8 I am. . . fruit: This is the only place in the Old Testament where the LORD is compared to a tree. Hosea reminds the people that it is the LORD who is the source of life, rather than the Canaanite gods and goddesses that are worshiped under trees at the local shrines.

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Jude 1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

Jude 1

 ¹From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James.   To all who are chosen and loved by God the Father and are kept safe by Jesus Christ.
    ²I pray that God will greatly bless you with kindness, peace, and love!
   

False Teachers

 ³My dear friends, I really wanted to write you about God's saving power at work in our lives. But instead, I must write and ask you to defend the faith that God has once for all given to his people.    ⁴Some godless people have sneaked in among us and are saying, "God treats us much better than we deserve, and so it is all right to be immoral." They even deny that we must obey Jesus Christ as our only Master and Lord. But long ago the Scriptures warned that these godless people were doomed.
    ⁵Don't forget what happened to those people that the Lord rescued from Egypt. Some of them did not have faith, and he later destroyed them.
    ⁶You also know about the angels ^a] who didn't do their work and left their proper places. God chained them with everlasting chains and is now keeping them in dark pits until the great day of judgment.
    ⁷We should also be warned by what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah ^b] and the nearby towns. Their people became immoral and did all sorts of sexual sins. Then God made an example of them and punished them with eternal fire.
    ⁸The people I am talking about are behaving just like those dreamers who destroyed their own bodies. They reject all authority and insult angels.
    ⁹Even Michael, the chief angel, didn't dare to insult the devil, when the two of them were arguing about the body of Moses. ^c]All Michael said was, "The Lord will punish you!"
    ¹⁰But these people insult powers they don't know anything about. They are like senseless animals that end up getting destroyed, because they live only by their feelings.
    ¹¹Now they are in for real trouble. They have followed Cain's example ^d] and have made the same mistake that Balaam ^e] did by caring only for money. They have also rebelled against God, just as Korah did. ^f] Because of all this, they will be destroyed.
    ¹²These people are filthy minded, and by their shameful and selfish actions they spoil the meals you eat together. They are like clouds blown along by the wind, but never bringing any rain. They are like leafless trees, uprooted and dead, and unable to produce fruit.
    ¹³Their shameful deeds show up like foam on wild ocean waves. They are like wandering stars forever doomed to the darkest pits of hell.
    ¹⁴Enoch was the seventh person after Adam, and he was talking about these people when he said:
   Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of holy angels
    ¹⁵to judge everyone. He will punish all those ungodly people for all the evil things they have done. The Lord will surely punish those ungodly sinners for every evil thing they have ever said about him.
    ¹⁶These people grumble and complain and live by their own selfish desires. They brag about themselves and flatter others to get what they want.
   

More Warnings

 ¹⁷My dear friends, remember the warning you were given by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.    ¹⁸They told you that near the end of time, selfish and godless people would start making fun of God.
    ¹⁹And now these people are already making you turn against each other. They think only about this life, and they don't have God's Spirit.
    ²⁰Dear friends, keep building on the foundation of your most holy faith, as the Holy Spirit helps you to pray.
    ²¹And keep in step with God's love, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to show how kind he is by giving you eternal life.
    ²²Be helpful to ^g] all who may have doubts.
    ²³Rescue any who need to be saved, as you would rescue someone from a fire. Then with fear in your own hearts, have mercy on everyone who needs it. But hate even the clothes of those who have been made dirty by their filthy deeds.
   

Final Prayer

 ^24-25Offer praise to God our Savior because of our Lord Jesus Christ! Only God can keep you from falling and make you pure and joyful in his glorious presence. Before time began and now and forevermore, God is worthy of glory, honor, power, and authority. Amen.   

Footnotes:

1. Jude 1:6 angels: This may refer to the angels who liked the women on earth so much that they came down and married them (see Genesis 6.2).
2. Jude 1:7 Sodom and Gomorrah: During the time of Abraham the Lord destroyed these cities because the people there were so evil.
3. Jude 1:9 Michael. . . the body of Moses: This refers to what was said in an ancient Jewish book about Moses.
4. Jude 1:11 Cain's example: Cain murdered his brother Abel.
5. Jude 1:11 Balaam: According to the biblical account, Balaam refused to curse the people of Israel for profit (see Numbers 22.18; 24.13), though he led them to be unfaithful to the Lord (see Numbers 25.1-3; 31.16). But by New Testament times, some Jewish teachers taught that Balaam was greedy and did accept money to curse them.
6. Jude 1:11 just as Korah did: Together with Dathan and Abiram, Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron (see Numbers 16.1-35; 26.9,10).
7. Jude 1:22 Be helpful to: Some manuscripts have "Correct."

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Psalm 127:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 127

(A song by Solomon for worship.)

Only the LORD Can Bless a Home

 ¹Without the help of the LORD   it is useless to build a home
   or to guard a city.
    ²It is useless to get up early
   and stay up late
   in order to earn a living.
   God takes care of his own,
   even while they sleep. ^a] 3Children are a blessing
   and a gift from the LORD.
    ⁴Having a lot of children
   to take care of you
   in your old age
   is like a warrior
   with a lot of arrows.
    ⁵The more you have,
   the better off you will be,
   because they will protect you
   when your enemies attack
   with arguments.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 127:2 God. . . sleep: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 29:15-17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁵Correct your children,
   and they will be wise;
   children out of control
   disgrace their mothers.
    ¹⁶Crime increases
   when crooks are in power,
   but law-abiding citizens
   will see them fall.
    ¹⁷If you correct your children,
   they will bring you peace
   and happiness.

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Verse of the Day

“I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father.” - John 14:6

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

The leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus, Horace wrote, “Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled.”

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A Joke for Today

A prisoner in jail receives a letter from his wife: "Dear Husband, I have decided to plant some lettuce in the back garden. When is the best time to plant them?" 

The prisoner, knowing that the prison guards read all mail, replied in a letter: "Dear Wife, whatever you do, do not touch the back garden. That is where I hid all the money." 

A week or so later, he received another letter from his wife: "Dear Husband, You wouldn't believe what happened, some men came with shovels to the house, and dug up all the back garden." 

The prisoner wrote another letter back: "Dear wife, now is the best time to plant the lettuce." 

Bible Readings for May 2, 2017

Today our passages are Judges 15:1–16:31; John 2:1-25; Psalm 103:1-22; and Proverbs 14:17-19. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Judges 15-16:31 (Contemporary English Version)

Judges 15

 ¹Later, during the wheat harvest, Samson went to visit the young woman he thought was still his wife. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} He brought along a young goat as a gift and said to her father, " I want to go into my wife's bedroom." " You can't do that," he replied.     ²" When you left the way you did, I thought you were divorcing ^[b<="">] her. So I arranged for her to marry one of the young men who were at your party. But my younger daughter is even prettier, and you can have her as your wife."
    ³" This time," Samson answered, " I have a good reason for really hurting some Philistines."

Samson Takes Revenge

 ⁴Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them together in pairs with oil-soaked rags around their tails.     ⁵Then Samson took the foxes into the Philistine wheat fields that were ready to be harvested. He set the rags on fire and let the foxes go. The wheat fields went up in flames, and so did the stacks of wheat that had already been cut. Even the Philistine vineyards and olive orchards burned.
    ⁶Some of the Philistines started asking around, " Who could have done such a thing?"
   "It was Samson," someone told them. "He married the daughter of that man in Timnah, but then the man gave Samson's wife to one of the men at the wedding."
   The Philistine leaders went to Timnah and burned to death Samson's wife and her father. ^{[c<="">]
    7}When Samson found out what they had done, he went to them and said, " You killed them! And I won't rest until I get even with you."
    ⁸Then Samson started hacking them to pieces with his sword. ^[d<="">] Samson left Philistia and went to live in the cave at Etam Rock.
    ⁹But it wasn't long before the Philistines invaded Judah ^[e<="">] and set up a huge army camp at Jawbone. ^{[f<="">]
    10}The people of Judah asked, " Why have you invaded our land?"
   The Philistines answered, " We've come to get Samson. We're going to do the same things to him that he did to our people."
    ¹¹Three thousand men from Judah went to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, " Don't you know that the Philistines rule us, and they will punish us for what you did?"
   " I was only getting even with them," Samson replied. " They did the same things to me first."
    ¹²" We came here to tie you up and turn you over to them," said the men of Judah.
   " I won't put up a fight," Samson answered, " but you have to promise not to hurt me yourselves."
    ^13-14" We promise," the men said. " We will only tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines. We won't kill you." Then they tied up his hands and arms with two brand-new ropes and led him away from Etam Rock.
   When the Philistines saw that Samson was being brought to their camp at Jawbone, they started shouting and ran toward him. But the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson, and Samson broke the ropes, as though they were pieces of burnt cloth.
    ¹⁵Samson glanced around and spotted the jawbone of a donkey. The jawbone had not yet dried out, so it was still hard and heavy. Samson grabbed it and started hitting Philistines--he killed a thousand of them!
    ¹⁶After the fighting was over, he made up this poem about what he had done to the Philistines:
   I used a donkey's jawbone
   to kill a thousand men;
   I beat them with this jawbone
   over and over again. ^{[g<="">]
    17}Samson tossed the jawbone on the ground and decided to call the place Jawbone Hill. ^[h<="">] It is still called that today.
    ¹⁸Samson was so thirsty that he prayed, " Our LORD, you helped me win a battle against a whole army. Please don't let me die of thirst now. Those heathen Philistines will carry off my dead body."
    ¹⁹Samson was tired and weary, but God sent water gushing from a rock. ^[i<="">] Samson drank some and felt strong again. Samson named the place Caller Spring, ^[j<="">] because he had called out to God for help. The spring is still there at Jawbone.
    ²⁰Samson was a leader ^[k<="">] of Israel for twenty years, but the Philistines were still the rulers of Israel.
   

Judges 16

Samson Carries Off the Gates of Gaza

 ¹One day while Samson was in Gaza, he saw a prostitute and went to her house to spend the night.     ²The people who lived in Gaza found out he was there, and they decided to kill him at sunrise. So they went to the city gate and waited all night in the guardrooms on each side of the gate. ^{[l<="">]
    3}But Samson got up in the middle of the night and went to the town gate. He pulled the gate doors and doorposts out of the wall and put them on his shoulders. Then he carried them all the way to the top of the hill that overlooks Hebron, ^[m<="">] where he set the doors down, still closed and locked.
   

Delilah Tricks Samson

 ⁴Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in Sorek Valley.     ⁵The Philistine rulers ^[n<="">] went to Delilah and said, " Trick Samson into telling you what makes him so strong and what can make him weak. Then we can tie him up so he can't get away. If you find out his secret, we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver." ^{[o<="">]
    6}The next time Samson was at Delilah's house, she asked, " Samson, what makes you so strong? How can I tie you up so you can't get away? Come on, you can tell me."
    ⁷Samson answered, " If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that have never been dried, ^[p<="">] it will make me just as weak as anyone else."
    ^8-9The Philistine rulers gave seven new bowstrings to Delilah. They also told some of their soldiers to go to Delilah's house and hide in the room where Samson and Delilah were. If the bowstrings made Samson weak, they would be able to capture him.
   Delilah tied up Samson with the bowstrings and shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking!"
   Samson snapped the bowstrings, as though they were pieces of scorched string. The Philistines had not found out why Samson was so strong.
    ¹⁰" You lied and made me look like a fool," Delilah said. " Now tell me. How can I really tie you up?"
    ¹¹Samson answered, " Use some new ropes. If I'm tied up with ropes that have never been used, I'll be just as weak as anyone else."
    ¹²Delilah got new ropes and again had some Philistines hide in the room. Then she tied up Samson's arms and shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking!"
   Samson snapped the ropes as if they were threads.
    ¹³" You're still lying and making a fool of me," Delilah said. " Tell me how I can tie you up!"
   " My hair is in seven braids," Samson replied. " If you weave my braids into the threads on a loom and nail the loom ^[q<="">] to a wall, then I will be as weak as anyone else."
    ¹⁴While Samson was asleep, Delilah wove his braids into the threads on a loom and nailed the loom to a wall. ^[r<="">] Then she shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking !" Samson woke up and pulled the loom free from its posts in the ground and from the nails in the wall. Then he pulled his hair free from the woven cloth.
    ¹⁵" Samson," Delilah said, " you claim to love me, but you don't mean it! You've made me look like a fool three times now, and you still haven't told me why you are so strong."
    ¹⁶Delilah started nagging and pestering him day after day, until he couldn't stand it any longer.
    ¹⁷Finally, Samson told her the truth. " I have belonged to God ^[s<="">] ever since I was born, so my hair has never been cut. If it were ever cut off, my strength would leave me, and I would be as weak as anyone else."
    ¹⁸Delilah realized that he was telling the truth. So she sent someone to tell the Philistine rulers, " Come to my house one more time. Samson has finally told me the truth."
   The Philistine rulers went to Delilah's house, and they brought along the silver they had promised her.
    ¹⁹Delilah had lulled Samson to sleep with his head resting in her lap. She signaled to one of the Philistine men as she began cutting off Samson's seven braids. And by the time she was finished, Samson's strength was gone. Delilah tied him up
    ²⁰and shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking!"
   Samson woke up and thought, " I'll break loose and escape, just as I always do." He did not realize that the LORD had stopped helping him.
    ²¹The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain.
    ²²But they didn't cut his hair any more, so it started growing back.
    ²³The Philistine rulers threw a big party and sacrificed a lot of animals to their god Dagon. The rulers said:
   Samson was our enemy,
   but our god Dagon
   helped us capture him!
    ^24-25Everyone there was having a good time, and they shouted, " Bring out Samson--he's still good for a few more laughs!"
   The rulers had Samson brought from the prison, and when the people saw him, this is how they praised their god:
   Samson ruined our crops
   and killed our people.
   He was our enemy,
   but our god
   helped us
   capture him.
   They made fun of Samson for a while, then they told him to stand near the columns that supported the roof.
    ²⁶A young man was leading Samson by the hand, and Samson said to him, " I need to lean against something. Take me over to the columns that hold up the roof."
    ²⁷The Philistine rulers were celebrating in a temple packed with people and with three thousand ^[t<="">] more on the flat roof. They had all been watching Samson and making fun of him. ^{[u<="">]
    28}Samson prayed, " Please remember me, LORD God. The Philistines poked out my eyes, but make me strong one last time, so I can take revenge for at least one of my eyes!" ^{[v<="">]
    29}Samson was standing between the two middle columns that held up the roof. He felt around and found one column with his right hand, and the other with his left hand.
    ³⁰Then he shouted, " Let me die with the Philistines!" He pushed against the columns as hard as he could, and the temple collapsed with the Philistine rulers and everyone else still inside. Samson killed more Philistines when he died than he had killed during his entire life.
    ³¹His brothers and the rest of his family went to Gaza and took his body back home. They buried him in his father's tomb, ^[w<="">] which was located between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson was a leader ^[x<="">] of Israel for twenty years.
   

Footnotes:

1. Judges 15:1 Samson went to visit. . . his wife: See the note at 8.31.
2. Judges 15:2 divorcing: It was often very easy for a husband to divorce his wife.
3. Judges 15:6 and her father: Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations " and her family."
4. Judges 15:8 hacking. . . sword: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Judges 15:9 Judah: Samson belonged to the Dan tribe, but his hideout in the cave at Etam Rock was in Judah, a few miles southwest of Bethlehem.
6. Judges 15:9 Jawbone: Or " Lehi" (see verse 17).
7. Judges 15:16 I beat. . . again: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Judges 15:17 Jawbone Hill: Or " Ramath-Lehi."
9. Judges 15:19 God sent. . a rock: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
10. Judges 15:19 Caller Spring: Or " Enhakkore."
11. Judges 15:20 leader: See 2.16 and the note there.
12. Judges 16:2 guardrooms. . . gate: The gate was often in a part of the town wall that was thicker and taller than the rest of the wall, and that had rooms where guards stayed when they were on duty.
13. Judges 16:3 Hebron: About forty miles from Gaza.
14. Judges 16:5 Philistine rulers: There were five rulers, each one controlling part of Philistia.
15. Judges 16:5 silver: About 140 pounds of silver altogether.
16. Judges 16:7 new bowstrings. . . dried: The string for a bow was often made from sinews or internal organs of animals. These strings were made while the animal tissues were still moist, and they became much stronger, once they were dry.
17. Judges 16:13 loom: A large wooden frame on which cloth is woven.
18. Judges 16:14 If you weave. . . to a wall: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation; Hebrew " Weave my braids into the threads on a loom. She nailed the loom to a wall."
19. Judges 16:17 belonged to God: See the note at 13.3-5.
20. Judges 16:27 three thousand: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation " seven hundred."
21. Judges 16:27 They. . . him: Samson may have been in a courtyard visible from the roof.
22. Judges 16:28 one of my eyes: Or " my eyes."
23. Judges 16:31 buried him in his father's tomb: Several family members were often buried in one tomb.
24. Judges 16:31 leader: See 2.16 and the note there.

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John 2:1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

John 2

Jesus at a Wedding in Cana

 ¹Three days later Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at a wedding feast in the village of Cana in Galilee. ²Jesus and his disciples had also been invited and were there.     ³When the wine was all gone, Mary said to Jesus, "They don't have any more wine."
    ⁴Jesus replied, "Mother, my time hasn't yet come: ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} You must not tell me what to do." ⁵Mary then said to the servants, "Do whatever Jesus tells you to do."
    ⁶At the feast there were six stone water jars that were used by the people for washing themselves in the way that their religion said they must. Each jar held about twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷Jesus told the servants to fill them to the top with water. Then after the jars had been filled, ⁸he said, "Now take some water and give it to the man in charge of the feast."
   The servants did as Jesus told them, ⁹and the man in charge drank some of the water that had now turned into wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants did. He called the bridegroom over ¹⁰and said, "The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!"
    ¹¹This was Jesus' first miracle, ^[b<="">] and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. There Jesus showed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. ¹²After this, he went with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples to the town of Capernaum, where they stayed for a few days.

Jesus in the Temple

(Matthew 21.12,13; Mark 11.15-17; Luke 19.45,46)

 ¹³Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. ¹⁴There he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. ¹⁵So he took some rope and made a whip. Then he chased everyone out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins.     ¹⁶Jesus said to the people who had been selling doves, "Get those doves out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace."
    ¹⁷The disciples then remembered that the Scriptures say, "My love for your house burns in me like a fire."
    ¹⁸The Jewish leaders asked Jesus, "What miracle ^[c<="">] will you work to show us why you have done this?" ¹⁹"Destroy this temple," Jesus answered, "and in three days I will build it again!"
    ²⁰The leaders replied, "It took forty-six years to build this temple. What makes you think you can rebuild it in three days?"
    ²¹But Jesus was talking about his body as a temple. ²²And when he was raised from death, his disciples remembered what he had told them. Then they believed the Scriptures and the words of Jesus.
   

Jesus Knows What People Are Like

 ²³In Jerusalem during Passover many people put their faith in Jesus, because they saw him work miracles. ^{[d<="">] 24}But Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and he would not let them have power over him. ²⁵No one had to tell him what people were like. He already knew.    

Footnotes:

1. John 2:4 my time hasn't yet come: The time when the true glory of Jesus would be seen, and he would be recognized as God's Son (see 12.23).
2. John 2:11 miracle: The Greek text has " sign." In the Gospel of John the word " sign" is used for the miracle itself and as a way of pointing to Jesus as the Son of God.
3. John 2:18 miracle: The Greek text has " sign." In the Gospel of John the word " sign" is used for the miracle itself and as a way of pointing to Jesus as the Son of God.
4. John 2:23 from above: Or " in a new way." The same Greek word is used in verses 7,31.

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Psalm 103:1-22 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 103

(By David.)

The LORD's Wonderful Love

 ¹With all my heart    I praise the LORD,
   and with all that I am
   I praise his holy name!
    ²With all my heart
   I praise the LORD!
   I will never forget
   how kind he has been.
    ³The LORD forgives our sins,
   heals us when we are sick,
    ⁴and protects us from death.
   His kindness and love
   are a crown on our heads.
    ⁵Each day that we live, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} he provides for our needs
   and gives us the strength
   of a young eagle.
    ⁶For all who are mistreated,
   the LORD brings justice.
    ⁷He taught his Law to Moses
   and showed all Israel
   what he could do.
    ⁸The LORD is merciful!
   He is kind and patient,
   and his love never fails.
    ⁹The LORD won't always be angry
   and point out our sins;
    ¹⁰he doesn't punish us
   as our sins deserve.
    ¹¹How great is God's love for all
   who worship him?
   Greater than the distance
   between heaven and earth!
    ¹²How far has the LORD taken
   our sins from us?
   Farther than the distance
   from east to west!
    ¹³Just as parents are kind
   to their children,
   the LORD is kind
   to all who worship him,
    ¹⁴because he knows
   we are made of dust.
    ¹⁵We humans are like grass
   or wild flowers
   that quickly bloom.
    ¹⁶But a scorching wind blows,
   and they quickly wither
   to be forever forgotten.
    ¹⁷The LORD is always kind
   to those who worship him,
   and he keeps his promises
   to their descendants
    ¹⁸who faithfully obey him.
    ¹⁹God has set up his kingdom
   in heaven,
   and he rules
   the whole creation.
    ²⁰All of you mighty angels,
   who obey God's commands,
   come and praise your LORD!
    ²¹All of you thousands
   who serve and obey God,
   come and praise your LORD!
    ²²All of God's creation
   and all that he rules,
   come and praise your LORD!
   With all my heart
   I praise the LORD!
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 103:5 Each. . . live: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 14:17-19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁷Fools have quick tempers,
   and no one likes you
   if you can't be trusted.
    ¹⁸Stupidity leads to foolishness;
   be smart and learn.
    ¹⁹The wicked will come crawling
   to those who obey God.

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Verse of the Day

“We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.” - 1 John 5:14-15

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

The leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus, Horace wrote, “The envious man grows lean at the success of his neighbor.”

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A Joke for the Day

An elderly couple who were childhood sweethearts had married & settled down in their old neighborhood.

To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary they walk down to their old school. There, they hold hands as they find the desk they shared & where he had carved "I love you, Sally".

On their way back home, a bag of money falls out of an armoured car practically at their feet. She quickly picks it up, & they don't know what to do with it so they take it home. There, she counts the money, & its fifty-thousand dollars.

The husband says: "We've got to give it back".

She says, "Finders keepers" & puts the money back in the bag & hides it up in their attic.

The next day, two policemen are going from door-to-door in the neighbourhood looking for the money show up at their home.

One knocks on the door & says: "Pardon me, but did either of you find any money that fell out of an armored car yesterday?"

She says: "No".

The husband says: "She's lying. She hid it up in the attic."

She says: "Don't believe him, he's getting senile."

But the policemen sit the man down & begin to question him.

One says: "Tell us the story from the beginning."

The old man says: "Well, when Sally & I were walking home from school yesterday ..."

At this, the policeman looks at his partner & says: "We're outta here ..."