Bible Readings for October 8, 2015

Today our passages are Jeremiah 10:1–11:23; Colossians 3:18–4:18; Psalm 78:56-72; and Proverbs 24:28-29. 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. 

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Jeremiah 10-11:23 (Contemporary English Version)

Jeremiah 10

The LORD Talks about Idols

 ¹The LORD said:    Listen to me,
   you people of Israel.
    ²Don't follow the customs
   of those nations
   who become frightened
   when they see
   something strange
   happen in the sky.
    ³Their religion is worthless!
   They chop down a tree,
   carve the wood into an idol,
    ⁴cover it with silver and gold,
   and then nail it down
   so it won't fall over.
    ⁵An idol is no better
   than a scarecrow.
   It can't speak,
   and it has to be carried,
   because it can't walk.
   Why worship an idol
   that can't help or harm you?
   

Jeremiah Praises the LORD

 ⁶Our LORD, great and powerful,    you alone are God.
    ⁷You are King of the nations.
   Everyone should worship you.
   No human anywhere on earth
   is wiser than you.
    ⁸Idols are worthless,
   and anyone who worships them
   is a fool!
    ⁹Idols are made by humans.
   A carver shapes the wood.
   A metalworker hammers out
   a covering
   of gold from Uphaz
   or of silver from Tarshish.
   Then the idol is dressed
   in blue and purple clothes.
    ¹⁰You, LORD, are the only true
   and living God.
   You will rule for all time.
   When you are angry
   the earth shakes,
   and nations are destroyed.
    ¹¹You told me to say
   that idols did not create
   the heavens and the earth,
   and that you, the LORD,
   will destroy every idol.
    ¹²With your wisdom and power
   you created the earth
   and spread out the heavens.
    ¹³The waters in the heavens roar
   at your command.
   You make clouds appear--
   you send the winds
   from your storehouse
   and make lightning flash
   in the rain.
    ¹⁴People who make idols
   are so stupid!
   They will be disappointed,
   because their false gods
   are not alive.
    ¹⁵Idols are merely a joke,
   and when the time is right,
   they will be destroyed.
    ¹⁶But you, Israel's God,
   created all things,
   and you chose Israel
   to be your very own.
   Your name is the LORD
   All-Powerful.
   

Judah Will Be Thrown from Its Land

 ¹⁷I said to the people of Judah,    "Gather your things;
   you are surrounded.
    ¹⁸The LORD said these troubles
   will lead to your capture,
   and he will throw you
   from this land
   like a rock from a sling." ^{[a] 19}The people answered,
   "We are wounded
   and doomed to die.
   Why did we say
   we could stand the pain?
    ²⁰Our homes are destroyed;
   our children are dead.
   No one is left
   to help us find shelter."
    ²¹But I told them,
   "Our leaders were stupid failures,
   because they refused
   to listen to the LORD.
   And so we've been scattered
   like sheep.
    ²²"Sounds of destruction
   rumble from the north
   like distant thunder.
   Soon our towns will be ruins
   where jackals ^[b] live."

Jeremiah Prays

 ²³I know, LORD, that we humans    are not in control
   of our own lives.
    ²⁴Correct me, as I deserve,
   but not in your anger,
   or I will be dead.
    ²⁵Our enemies refuse
   to admit that you are God
   or to worship you.
   They have wiped out our people
   and left our nation
   lying in ruins.
   So get angry
   and sweep them away!
   

Jeremiah 11

Judah Has Broken the LORD's Agreement

 ^1-3The LORD God told me to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:    I, the LORD, am warning you that I will put a curse on anyone who doesn't keep the agreement I made with Israel. So pay attention to what it says. ⁴My commands haven't changed since I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, a nation that seemed like a blazing furnace where iron ore is melted. I told your ancestors that if they obeyed my commands, I would be their God, and they would be my people. ⁵Then I did what I had promised and gave them this wonderful land, where you now live.
   "Yes, LORD," I replied, "that's true."
    ⁶Then the LORD told me to say to everyone on the streets of Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah:
   Pay attention to the commands in my agreement with you. ⁷Ever since I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I have been telling your people to obey me. But you and your ancestors ⁸have always been stubborn. You have refused to listen, and instead you have done whatever your sinful hearts have desired.
   You have not kept the agreement we made, so I will make you suffer every curse that goes with it.
    ⁹The LORD said to me:
   Jeremiah, the people of Judah and Jerusalem are plotting against me. ¹⁰They have sinned in the same way their ancestors did, by turning from me and worshiping other gods. The northern kingdom of Israel broke the agreement I made with your ancestors, and now the southern kingdom of Judah ^[c] has done the same. ¹¹Here is what I've decided to do. I will bring suffering on the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and no one will escape. They will beg me to help, but I won't listen to their prayers. ^12-13Then they will offer sacrifices to their other gods and ask them for help. After all, the people of Judah have more gods than towns, and more altars for Baal than there are streets in Jerusalem. But those gods won't be able to rescue the people of Judah from disaster.
    ¹⁴Jeremiah, don't pray for these people or beg me to rescue them. If you do, I won't listen, and I certainly won't listen if they pray!
    ¹⁵Then the LORD told me to say to the people of Judah:
   You are my chosen people,
   but you have no right
   to be here in my temple,
   doing such terrible things.
   The sacrifices you offer me
   won't protect you from disaster,
   so stop celebrating. ^{[d] 16}Once you were like an olive tree
   covered with fruit.
   But soon I will send a noisy mob
   to break off your branches
   and set you on fire.
    ¹⁷I am the LORD All-Powerful. You people of Judah were like a tree that I had planted, but you have made me angry by offering sacrifices to Baal, just as the northern kingdom did. And now I'm going to pull you up by the roots.
   

The Plot To Kill Jeremiah

 ¹⁸Some people plotted to kill me.    And like a lamb
   being led to the butcher,
   I knew nothing
   about their plans.
    ¹⁹But then the LORD told me
   that they had planned
   to chop me down like a tree--
   fruit and all--
   so that no one would ever
   remember me again.
    ²⁰I prayed, "LORD All-Powerful,
   you always do what is right,
   and you know every thought.
   So I trust you to help me
   and to take revenge."
    ²¹Then the LORD said:
   Jeremiah, some men from Anathoth ^[e] say they will kill you, if you keep on speaking for me. ²²But I will punish them. Their young men will die in battle, and their children will starve to death. ²³And when I am finished, no one from their families will be left alive.

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 10:18 like a rock from a sling: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Jeremiah 10:22 jackals: See the note at 9.11.
3. Jeremiah 11:10 Israel. . . Judah: See the note at 2.4.
4. Jeremiah 11:15 celebrating: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
5. Jeremiah 11:21 Anathoth: Jeremiah's hometown (see 1.1).

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Colossians 3:18-4:18 (Contemporary English Version)

Some Rules for Christian Living

 ¹⁸A wife must put her husband first. This is her duty as a follower of the Lord.    ¹⁹A husband must love his wife and not abuse her.
   ²⁰Children must always obey their parents. This pleases the Lord.
   ²¹Parents, don't be hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.
   ²²Slaves, you must always obey your earthly masters. Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. Honor the Lord and serve your masters with your whole heart.
   ²³Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master.
   ²⁴In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know that he will reward you.
   ²⁵But Christ has no favorites! He will punish evil people, just as they deserve.
   

Colossians 4

 ¹Slave owners, be fair and honest with your slaves. Don't forget that you have a Master in heaven.    ²Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful.
   ³Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing this.
   ⁴Please pray that I will make the message as clear as possible.
   ⁵When you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time.
   ⁶Be pleasant and hold their interest when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions.
   

Final Greetings

 ⁷Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me.    ⁸I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along.
   ⁹Onesimus, that dear and faithful follower from your own group, is coming with him. The two of them will tell you everything that has happened here.
   ¹⁰Aristarchus is in jail with me. He sends greetings to you, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have already been told to welcome Mark, if he visits you.
   ¹¹Jesus, who is known as Justus, sends his greetings. These three men are the only Jewish followers who have worked with me for the kingdom of God. They have given me much comfort.
   ¹²Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely.
   ¹³I have seen how much trouble he has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
   ¹⁴Our dear doctor Luke sends you his greetings, and so does Demas.
   ¹⁵Give my greetings to the followers at Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that meets in her home.
   ¹⁶After this letter has been read to your people, be sure to have it read in the church at Laodicea. And you should read the letter that I have sent to them. ^[a]
   17Remind Archippus to do the work that the Lord has given him to do.
   ¹⁸I am signing this letter myself: PAUL.
   Don't forget that I am in jail.
   I pray that God will be kind to you.
   

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 4:16 the letter that I have sent to them: This is the only mention of the letter to the church at Laodicea.

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Psalm 78:56-72 (Contemporary English Version)

⁵⁶But the people tested
   God Most High,
   and they refused
   to obey his laws.
    ⁵⁷They were as unfaithful
   as their ancestors,
   and they were as crooked
   as a twisted arrow.
    ⁵⁸God demanded all their love,
   but they made him angry
   by worshiping idols.
    ⁵⁹So God became furious
   and completely rejected
   the people of Israel.
    ⁶⁰Then he deserted his home
   at Shiloh,
   where he lived
   here on earth.
    ⁶¹He let enemies capture
   the sacred chest ^[a] and let them dishonor him.
    ⁶²God took out his anger
   on his chosen ones
   and let them be killed
   by enemy swords.
    ⁶³Fire destroyed the young men,
   and the young women were left
   with no one to marry.
    ⁶⁴Priests died violent deaths,
   but their widows
   were not allowed to mourn.
    ⁶⁵Finally the Lord woke up,
   and he shouted
   like a drunken soldier.
    ⁶⁶God scattered his enemies
   and made them ashamed
   forever.
    ⁶⁷Then the Lord decided
   not to make his home
   with Joseph's descendants
   in Ephraim. ^{[b] 68}Instead he chose the tribe
   of Judah,
   and he chose Mount Zion,
   the place he loves.
    ⁶⁹There he built his temple
   as lofty as the mountains
   and as solid as the earth
   that he had made
   to last forever.
    ⁷⁰The Lord God chose David
   to be his servant
   and took him
   from tending sheep
    ⁷¹and from caring for lambs.
   Then God made him the leader
   of Israel, his own nation.
    ⁷²David treated the people fairly
   and guided them with wisdom.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 78:61 sacred chest: The Hebrew text has " his power," which refers to the sacred chest. In Psalm 132.8 it is called " powerful."
2. Psalm 78:67 with. . . Ephraim: Ephraim was Joseph's youngest son. One of the twelve tribes was named after him, and sometimes the northern kingdom of Israel was also known as Ephraim. The town of Shiloh was in the territory of Ephraim, but the place where God was worshiped was moved from there to Zion (Jerusalem) in the territory of Judah.

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Proverbs 24:28-29 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁸Don't accuse anyone
   who isn't guilty.
   Don't ever tell a lie
    ²⁹or say to someone,
   "I'll get even with you!"

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Verse of the Day

“I alone am the LORD; only I can rescue you. I promised to save you, and I kept my promise. You are my witnesses that no other god did this. I, the LORD, have spoken.” - Isaiah 43:11-12

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American industrialist, J. Paul Getty wrote, “The meek shall inherit the Earth, but not its mineral rights.”

Bible Readings for September 22, 2014

Today our passages are Isaiah 39:1–41:16; Ephesians 1:1-23; Psalm 66:1-20; and Proverbs 23:26-28. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Isaiah 39-41:16 (The Message)

Isaiah 39

There Will Be Nothing Left

 ¹ Sometime later, King Merodach-baladan son of Baladan of Babylon sent messengers with greetings and a gift to Hezekiah. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and was now well.  ²Hezekiah received the messengers warmly. He took them on a tour of his royal precincts, proudly showing them all his treasures: silver, gold, spices, expensive oils, all his weapons—everything out on display. There was nothing in his house or kingdom that Hezekiah didn't show them.
 ³Later the prophet Isaiah showed up. He asked Hezekiah, "What were these men up to? What did they say? And where did they come from?"
   Hezekiah said, "They came from a long way off, from Babylon."
 ⁴"And what did they see in your palace?"
   "Everything," said Hezekiah. "I showed them the works, opened all the doors and impressed them with it all."
 ^5-7Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Now listen to this Message from God-ofthe-Angel-Armies: I have to warn you, the time is coming when everything in this palace, along with everything your ancestors accumulated before you, will be hauled off to Babylon. God says that there will be nothing left. Nothing. And not only your things but your sons. Some of your sons will be taken into exile, ending up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
 ⁸Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, "Good. If God says so, it's good." Within himself he was thinking, "But surely nothing bad will happen in my lifetime. I'll enjoy peace and stability as long as I live."

Isaiah 40

Messages of Comfort

Prepare for God's Arrival

 ^1-2 "Comfort, oh comfort my people,"
   says your God.
"Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,
   but also make it very clear
That she has served her sentence,
   that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
She's been punished enough and more than enough,
   and now it's over and done with."  ^3-5Thunder in the desert!
   "Prepare for God's arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
   a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys,
   level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts,
   clear out the rocks.
Then God's bright glory will shine
   and everyone will see it.
   Yes. Just as God has said."
 ^6-8A voice says, "Shout!"
   I said, "What shall I shout?"
   "These people are nothing but grass,
   their love fragile as wildflowers.
The grass withers, the wildflowers fade,
   if God so much as puffs on them.
   Aren't these people just so much grass?
True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade,
   but our God's Word stands firm and forever."
 ^9-11Climb a high mountain, Zion.
   You're the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.
   You're the preacher of good news.
   Speak loud and clear. Don't be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah,
   "Look! Your God!"
Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power,
   ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back his enemies
   and reward those who have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,
   gathering the lambs in his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them,
   leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.

The Creator of All You Can See or Imagine

 ^12-17Who has scooped up the ocean
   in his two hands,
   or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger,
Who has put all the earth's dirt in one of his baskets,
   weighed each mountain and hill?
Who could ever have told God what to do
   or taught him his business?
What expert would he have gone to for advice,
   what school would he attend to learn justice?
What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows,
   showed him how things work?
Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket,
   a mere smudge on a window.
Watch him sweep up the islands
   like so much dust off the floor!
There aren't enough trees in Lebanon
   nor enough animals in those vast forests
   to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship.
All the nations add up to simply nothing before him—
   less than nothing is more like it. A minus.  ^18-20So who even comes close to being like God?
   To whom or what can you compare him?
Some no-god idol? Ridiculous!
   It's made in a workshop, cast in bronze,
Given a thin veneer of gold,
   and draped with silver filigree.
Or, perhaps someone will select a fine wood—
   olive wood, say—that won't rot,
Then hire a woodcarver to make a no-god,
   giving special care to its base so it won't tip over!
 ^21-24Have you not been paying attention?
   Have you not been listening?
Haven't you heard these stories all your life?
   Don't you understand the foundation of all things?
God sits high above the round ball of earth.
   The people look like mere ants.
He stretches out the skies like a canvas—
   yes, like a tent canvas to live under.
He ignores what all the princes say and do.
   The rulers of the earth count for nothing.
Princes and rulers don't amount to much.
   Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted,
They shrivel when God blows on them.
   Like flecks of chaff, they're gone with the wind.
 ^25-26"So—who is like me?
   Who holds a candle to me?" says The Holy.
Look at the night skies:
   Who do you think made all this?
Who marches this army of stars out each night,
   counts them off, calls each by name
—so magnificent! so powerful!—
   and never overlooks a single one?
 ^27-31Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
   or, whine, Israel, saying,
"God has lost track of me.
   He doesn't care what happens to me"?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?
God doesn't come and go. God lasts.
   He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.
   And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
   gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
   young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
   They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don't get tired,
   they walk and don't lag behind.

Isaiah 41

Do You Feel Like a Lowly Worm?

 ¹ "Quiet down, far-flung ocean islands. Listen! Sit down and rest, everyone. Recover your strength.
Gather around me. Say what's on your heart.
   Together let's decide what's right.  ^2-3"Who got things rolling here,
   got this champion from the east on the move?
Who recruited him for this job,
   then rounded up and corralled the nations
   so he could run roughshod over kings?
He's off and running,
   pulverizing nations into dust,
   leaving only stubble and chaff in his wake.
He chases them and comes through unscathed,
   his feet scarcely touching the path.
 ⁴"Who did this? Who made it happen?
   Who always gets things started?
I did. God. I'm first on the scene.
   I'm also the last to leave.
 ^5-7"Far-flung ocean islands see it and panic.
   The ends of the earth are shaken.
   Fearfully they huddle together.
They try to help each other out,
   making up stories in the dark.
The godmakers in the workshops
   go into overtime production, crafting new models of no-gods,
Urging one another on—'Good job!' 'Great design!'—
   pounding in nails at the base
   so that the things won't tip over.
 ^8-10"But you, Israel, are my servant.
   You're Jacob, my first choice,
   descendants of my good friend Abraham.
I pulled you in from all over the world,
   called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
Telling you, 'You're my servant, serving on my side.
   I've picked you. I haven't dropped you.'
Don't panic. I'm with you.
   There's no need to fear for I'm your God.
I'll give you strength. I'll help you.
   I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
 ^11-13"Count on it: Everyone who had it in for you
   will end up out in the cold—
   real losers.
Those who worked against you
   will end up empty-handed—
   nothing to show for their lives.
When you go out looking for your old adversaries
   you won't find them—
Not a trace of your old enemies,
   not even a memory.
That's right. Because I, your God,
   have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go.
I'm telling you, 'Don't panic.
   I'm right here to help you.'
 ^14-16"Do you feel like a lowly worm, Jacob?
   Don't be afraid.
Feel like a fragile insect, Israel?
   I'll help you.
I, God, want to reassure you.
   The God who buys you back, The Holy of Israel.
I'm transforming you from worm to harrow,
   from insect to iron.
As a sharp-toothed harrow you'll smooth out the mountains,
   turn those tough old hills into loamy soil.
You'll open the rough ground to the weather,
   to the blasts of sun and wind and rain.
But you'll be confident and exuberant,
   expansive in The Holy of Israel!

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Ephesians 1:1-23 (The Message)

Ephesians 1

 ^1-2I, Paul, am under God's plan as an apostle, a special agent of Christ Jesus, writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus. I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ.

The God of Glory

 ^3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.  ^7-10Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
 ^11-12It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
 ^13-14It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.
 ^15-19That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
 ^20-23All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

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Psalm 66:1-20 (The Message)

Psalm 66

    All together now—applause for God! Sing songs to the tune of his glory,
      set glory to the rhythms of his praise.
   Say of God, "We've never seen anything like him!"
      When your enemies see you in action,
      they slink off like scolded dogs.
   The whole earth falls to its knees—
      it worships you, sings to you,
      can't stop enjoying your name and fame.

 ^5-6 Take a good look at God's wonders—
      they'll take your breath away.
   He converted sea to dry land;
      travelers crossed the river on foot.
      Now isn't that cause for a song?

 ⁷ Ever sovereign in his high tower, he keeps
      his eye on the godless nations.
   Rebels don't dare
      raise a finger against him.

 ^8-12 Bless our God, O peoples!
      Give him a thunderous welcome!
   Didn't he set us on the road to life?
      Didn't he keep us out of the ditch?
   He trained us first,
      passed us like silver through refining fires,
   Brought us into hardscrabble country,
      pushed us to our very limit,
   Road-tested us inside and out,
      took us to hell and back;
   Finally he brought us
      to this well-watered place.

 ^13-15 I'm bringing my prizes and presents to your house.
      I'm doing what I said I'd do,
   What I solemnly swore I'd do
      that day when I was in so much trouble:
   The choicest cuts of meat
      for the sacrificial meal;
   Even the fragrance
      of roasted lamb is like a meal!
   Or make it an ox
      garnished with goat meat!

 ^16-20 All believers, come here and listen,
      let me tell you what God did for me.
   I called out to him with my mouth,
      my tongue shaped the sounds of music.
   If I had been cozy with evil,
      the Lord would never have listened.
   But he most surely did listen,
      he came on the double when he heard my prayer.
   Blessed be God: he didn't turn a deaf ear,
      he stayed with me, loyal in his love.

 

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Proverbs 23:26-28 (The Message)

17

 ²⁶ Dear child, I want your full attention;
   please do what I show you.

 ^27-28 A whore is a bottomless pit;
   a loose woman can get you in deep trouble fast.
She'll take you for all you've got;
   she's worse than a pack of thieves.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“[The Good News Is for Jews and Gentiles]Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you.” - Romans 15:7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

American industrialist, J. Paul Getty wrote, “The meek shall inherit the Earth, but not its mineral rights.”