Bible Readings for December 31, 2019

Today our passages are Malachi 3:1–4:6; Revelation 22:1-21; Psalm 150:1-6; and Proverbs 31:25-31. 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.

---

 

Malachi 3-4Contemporary English Version (CEV)

The Promised Messenger

3 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
will send my messenger
    to prepare the way for me.
Then suddenly the Lord
you are looking for
    will appear in his temple.
The messenger you desire
is coming with my promise,
    and he is on his way.

A Day of Change

2 On the day the Lord comes, he will be like a furnace that purifies silver or like strong soap in a washbasin. No one will be able to stand up to him. 3 TheLord will purify the descendants of Levi,a] as though they were gold or silver. Then they will bring the proper offerings to the Lord, 4 and the offerings of the people of Judah and Jerusalem will please him, just as they did in the past.

Don’t Cheat God

5 The Lord All-Powerful said:

I’m now on my way to judge you. And I will quickly condemn all who practice witchcraft or cheat in marriage or tell lies in court or rob workers of their pay or mistreat widows and orphans or steal the property of foreigners or refuse to respect me.

6 Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change. That’s why you haven’t been wiped out, 7 even though you have ignored and disobeyed my laws ever since the time of your ancestors. But if you return to me, I will return to you.

And yet you ask, “How can we return?”

8 You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, “How are we robbing you?”

You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me.b] 9 That’s why your whole nation is under a curse. 10 I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.c]11 I will also stop locustsd] from destroying your crops and keeping your vineyards from producing. 12 Everyone of every nation will talk about how I have blessed you and about your wonderful land. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

13 You have said horrible things about me, and yet you ask, “What have we said?”

14 Here is what you have said: “It’s foolish to serve the Lord God All-Powerful. What do we get for obeying him and from going around looking sad? 15 See how happy those arrogant people are. Everyone who does wrong is successful, and when they put God to the test, they always get away with it.”

Faithfulness Is Rewarded

16 All those who truly respected the Lord and honored his name started discussing these things, and when God saw what was happening, he had their namese] written as a reminder in his book.

17 Then the Lord All-Powerful said:

You people are precious to me, and when I come to bring justice, I will protect you, just as parents protect an obedient child. 18 Then everyone will once again see the difference between those who obey me by doing right and those who reject me by doing wrong.

The Day of Judgment

The Lord said:

4 The day of judgment is certain to come. And it will be like a red-hot furnace with flames that burn up proud and sinful people, as though they were straw. Not a branch or a root will be left. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken! 2 But for you that honor my name, victory will shine like the sun with healing in its rays, and you will jump around like calves at play. 3 When I come to bring justice, you will trample those who are evil, as though they were ashes under your feet. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

4 Don’t ever forget the laws and teachings I gave my servant Moses on Mount Sinai.f]

5 I, the Lord, promise to send the prophet Elijah before that great and terrible day comes. 6 He will lead children and parents to love each other more, so that when I come, I won’t bring doom to the land.

Footnotes:

1. 3.3 descendants of Levi: The priests.
2. 3.8 the ten percent. . . to me: The people of Israel were supposed to give a tenth of their harvests and of their flocks and herds to the Lord (see Leviticus 27.30-33; Deuteronomy 14.22-29).
3. 3.10 open the windows. . . blessing: This may refer to rain, since there seems to have been a terrible drought at this time.
4. 3.11 locusts: A kind of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to plant life.
5. 3.16 names: Or “deeds.”
6. 4.4 Sinai: Hebrew “Horeb.”

---

  

Revelation 22Contemporary English Version (CEV)

22 The angel showed me a river that was crystal clear, and its waters gave life. The river came from the throne where God and the Lamb were seated.2 Then it flowed down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river are treesa] that grow a different kind of fruit each month of the year. The fruit gives life, and the leaves are used as medicine to heal the nations.

3 God’s curse will no longer be on the people of that city. He and the Lamb will be seated there on their thrones, and its people will worship God 4 and will see him face to face. God’s name will be written on the foreheads of the people. 5 Never again will night appear, and no one who lives there will ever need a lamp or the sun. The Lord God will be their light, and they will rule forever.

The Coming of Christ

6 Then I was told:

These words are true and can be trusted. The Lord God controls the spirits of his prophets, and he is the one who sent his angel to show his servants what must happen right away. 7 Remember, I am coming soon! God will bless everyone who pays attention to the message of this book.

8 My name is John, and I am the one who heard and saw these things. Then after I had heard and seen all this, I knelt down and began to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown it to me.

9 But the angel said,

Don’t do that! I am a servant, just like you. I am the same as a follower or a prophet or anyone else who obeys what is written in this book. God is the one you should worship.

10 Don’t keep the prophecies in this book a secret. These things will happen soon.

11 Evil people will keep on being evil, and everyone who is dirty-minded will still be dirty-minded. But good people will keep on doing right, and God’s people will always be holy.

12 Then I was told:

I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done. 13 I am Alpha and Omega,b] the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

14 God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city. 15 But outside the city will be dogs, witches, immoral people, murderers, idol worshipers, and everyone who loves to tell lies and do wrong.

16 I am Jesus! And I am the one who sent my angel to tell all of you these things for the churches. I am David’s Great Descendant,c] and I am also the bright morning star.d]

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”

Everyone who hears thise] should say, “Come!”

If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It’s free!

18 Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book:

If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. 19 If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book.

20 The one who has spoken these things says, “I am coming soon!”

So, Lord Jesus, please come soon!

21 I pray that the Lord Jesus will be kind to all of you.

Footnotes:

1. 22.2 trees: The Greek has “tree,” which is used in a collective sense of trees on both sides of the heavenly river.
2. 22.13 Alpha and Omega: See the note at 1.8.
3. 22.16 David’s Great Descendant: See the note at 5.5.
4. 22.16 the bright morning star: Probably thought of as the brightest star (see 2.27,28).
5. 22.17 who hears this: The reading of the book of Revelation in a service of worship.

---

 

Psalm 150Contemporary English Version (CEV)

The Lord Is Good to His People

Shout praises to the Lord!
    Praise God in his temple.
    Praise him in heaven,
    his mighty fortress.
2 Praise our God!
    His deeds are wonderful,
    too marvelous to describe.

3 Praise God with trumpets
    and all kinds of harps.
4 Praise him with tambourines
    and dancing,
    with stringed instruments
    and woodwinds.
5 Praise God with cymbals,
    with clashing cymbals.
6 Let every living creature
praise the Lord.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

---

 

Proverbs 31:25-31Contemporary English Version (CEV)

25 She is strong and graceful,a]
    as well as cheerful
    about the future.
26 Her words are sensible,
    and her advice
    is thoughtful.
27 She takes good care
of her family
    and is never lazy.
28 Her children praise her,
    and with great pride
    her husband says,
29 “There are many good women,
    but you are the best!”

30 Charm can be deceiving,
    and beauty fades away,
but a woman
who honors the Lord
    deserves to be praised.
31 Show her respect—
    praise her in public
    for what she has done.

Footnotes:

1. 31.25 She. . . graceful: Or “The clothes she makes are attractive and of good quality.”

---

 

Verse of the Day

 

I am the one who cut a path through the mighty ocean. [ Forget the Past ] The Lord said: Forget what happened long ago! Don’t think about the past. I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 CEV

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

 

Thought for the Day

 

German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories, Jean Paul wrote, “Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of time.”

Bible Readings for February 17, 2019

Today our passages are Leviticus 4:1–5:19; Mark 2:13–3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; and Proverbs 10:1-2. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

 

---

Leviticus 4-5:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Leviticus 4

Sacrifices for Sin

(Leviticus 6.24-30)

 ¹The LORD told Moses ²to say to the community of Israel:    Offer a sacrifice to ask forgiveness when you sin by accidentally doing something I have told you not to do.
    

When the High Priest Sins

The LORD said:

 ³When the high priest sins, he makes everyone else guilty too. And so, he must sacrifice a young bull that has nothing wrong with it. ⁴The priest will lead the bull to the entrance of the sacred tent, lay his hand on its head, and kill it there. ⁵He will take a bowl of the blood inside the tent, ⁶dip a finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times toward the sacred chest behind the curtain. ⁷Then, in my presence, he will smear some of the blood on each of the four corners of the incense altar, before pouring out the rest at the foot of the bronze altar ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} near the entrance to the tent. ^8-10The priest will remove the fat from the bull, just as he does when he sacrifices a bull to ask my blessing. ^[b<="">] This includes the fat on the insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. He will then send it all up in smoke. ^11-12The skin and flesh of the bull, together with its legs, insides, and the food still in its stomach, are to be taken outside the camp and burned on a wood fire near the ash heap. ^[c<="">]

When the Whole Nation Sins

The LORD said:

 ¹³When the nation of Israel disobeys me without meaning to, the whole nation is still guilty. ¹⁴Once you realize what has happened, you must sacrifice a young bull to ask my forgiveness. Lead the bull to the entrance of the sacred tent, ¹⁵where your tribal leaders will lay their hands on its head, before having it killed in my presence.     ¹⁶The priest will take a bowl of the animal's blood inside the sacred tent, ¹⁷dip a finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of it seven times toward the sacred chest behind the curtain. ¹⁸Then, in my presence, he must smear some of the blood on each of the four corners of the incense altar, before pouring out the rest at the foot of the bronze altar ^[d<="">] near the entrance to the tent. ^19-21After this, the priest will remove the fat from the bull and send it up in smoke on the altar. Finally, he will burn its remains outside the camp, just as he did with the other bull. By this sacrifice the sin of the whole nation will be forgiven. 

When a Tribal Leader Sins

The LORD God said:

 ²²Any tribal leader who disobeys me without meaning to is still guilty. ²³As soon as the leader realizes what has happened, he must sacrifice a goat ^[e<="">] that has nothing wrong with it. ²⁴This is a sacrifice for sin. So he will lay his hand on the animal's head, before having it killed in my presence at the north side of the bronze altar. ²⁵The priest will dip a finger in the blood, smear some of it on each of the four corners of the altar, and pour out the rest at the foot of the altar. ²⁶Then he must send all of the fat up in smoke, just as he does when a sacrifice is offered to ask my blessing. ^[f<="">] By this sacrifice the leader's sin will be forgiven.

When Ordinary People Sin

The LORD said:

 ²⁷When any of you ordinary people disobey me without meaning to, you are still guilty. ²⁸As soon as you realize what you have done, you must sacrifice a female goat that has nothing wrong with it. ²⁹Lead the goat to the north side of the bronze altar and lay your hand on its head, before having it killed. ³⁰Then a priest will dip a finger in the blood; he will smear some of it on each of the four corners of the altar and pour out the rest at the foot of the altar. ³¹After this, the priest will remove all of the fat, just as he does when an animal is sacrificed to ask my blessing. ^[g<="">] The priest will then send the fat up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. This animal is sacrificed so that I will forgive you ordinary people when you sin. ³²If you offer a lamb instead of a goat as a sacrifice for sin, it must be a female that has nothing wrong with it. ³³Lead the lamb to the altar and lay your hand on its head, before having it killed. ³⁴The priest will dip a finger in the blood, smear some of it on each of the four corners of the altar, and pour out the rest at the foot of the altar. ³⁵After this, all of the fat must be removed, just as when an animal is sacrificed to ask my blessing. Then the priest will send it up in smoke to me, together with a food offering, and your sin will be forgiven.     

Leviticus 5

The LORD said:

 ¹If you refuse to testify in court about something you saw or know has happened, you have sinned and can be punished.     ²You are guilty and unfit to worship me, if you accidentally touch the dead body of any kind of unclean animal.
    ³You are guilty if you find out that you have accidentally touched any waste that comes from a human body.
    ⁴You are guilty the moment you realize that you have made a hasty promise to do something good or bad.
    ⁵As soon as you discover that you have committed any of these sins, you must confess what you have done. ⁶Then you must bring a female sheep or goat to me as the price for your sin. A priest will sacrifice the animal, and you will be forgiven.
    ⁷If you are poor and cannot afford to bring an animal, you may bring two doves or two pigeons. One of these will be a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness, and the other will be a sacrifice to please me.
    ⁸Give both birds to the priest, who will offer one as a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness. He will wring its neck without tearing off its head, ⁹splatter some of its blood on one side of the bronze altar, and drain out the rest at the foot of the altar. ¹⁰Then he will follow the proper rules for offering the other bird as a sacrifice to please me.
   You will be forgiven when the priest offers these sacrifices as the price for your sin.
    ¹¹If you are so poor that you cannot afford doves or pigeons, you may bring two pounds of your finest flour. This is a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness, so don't sprinkle olive oil or sweet-smelling incense on it. ¹²Give the flour to a priest, who will scoop up a handful and send it up in smoke together with the other offerings. This is a reminder that all of the flour belongs to me. ¹³By offering this sacrifice, the priest pays the price for any of these sins you may have committed. The priest gets the rest of the flour, just as he does with grain sacrifices.
    

Sacrifices To Make Things Right

(Leviticus 7.1-10)

 ^14-15The LORD told Moses what the people must do to make things right when they find out they have cheated the LORD without meaning to:    If this happens, you must either sacrifice a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay the price of a ram with the official money used by the priests. ¹⁶In addition, you must pay what you owe plus a fine of twenty percent. Then the priest will offer the ram as a sacrifice to make things right, and you will be forgiven.
    ^17-19If you break any of my commands without meaning to, you are still guilty, and you can be punished. When you realize what you have done, you must either bring to the priest a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay him for one. The priest will then offer it as a sacrifice to make things right, and you will be forgiven.
    

Footnotes:

1. Leviticus 4:7 incense altar. . . bronze altar: See the note at 1.1-3.
2. Leviticus 4:8 to ask my blessing: See the note at 3.1.
3. Leviticus 4:11 ash heap: See the note at 1.16.
4. Leviticus 4:18 incense altar. . . bronze altar: See the note at 1.1-3.
5. Leviticus 4:23 goat: See the note at 1.1-3.
6. Leviticus 4:26 sacrifice. . . blessing: See the note at 3.1.
7. Leviticus 4:31 sacrifice. . . blessing: See the note at 3.1.

---

Mark 2:13-3:6 (Contemporary English Version)

Jesus Chooses Levi

(Matthew 9.9-13; Luke 5.27-32)

 ¹³Once again, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee. A large crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. ¹⁴As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the place for paying taxes, and Jesus said to him, "Come with me!" So he got up and went with Jesus.     ¹⁵Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Levi's house. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} Many tax collectors ^[b<="">] and other sinners had become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at the dinner.
    ¹⁶Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
    ¹⁷Jesus heard them and answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners."
    

People Ask about Going without Eating

(Matthew 9.14-17; Luke 5.33-39)

 ¹⁸The followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees often went without eating. ^[c<="">] Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why do the followers of John and those of the Pharisees often go without eating, while your disciples never do?"     ¹⁹Jesus answered:
   The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. ²⁰But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.
    ²¹No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a bigger hole.
    ²²No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. ^[d<="">] Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.
    

A Question about the Sabbath

(Matthew 12.1-8; Luke 6.1-5)

 ²³One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were picking grains of wheat as they went along. ^[e<="">] 24Some Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!"     ²⁵Jesus answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need? ²⁶It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his followers."
    ²⁷Jesus finished by saying, "People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath."
    

Mark 3

A Man with a Crippled Hand

(Matthew 12.9-14; Luke 6.6-11)

 ¹The next time that Jesus went into the meeting place, a man with a crippled hand was there. ²The Pharisees ^[f<="">]wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, and they kept watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath.     ³Jesus told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. ⁴Then he asked, "On the Sabbath should we do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone's life or destroy it?" But no one said a word.
    ⁵Jesus was angry as he looked around at the people. Yet he felt sorry for them because they were so stubborn. Then he told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his bad hand was healed.
    ⁶The Pharisees left. And right away they started making plans with Herod's followers ^[g<="">] to kill Jesus.
    

Footnotes:

1. Mark 2:15 Levi's house: Or "Jesus' house."
2. Mark 2:15 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.
3. Mark 2:18 without eating: The Jewish people sometimes went without eating (also called "fasting") to show their love for God or to show sorrow for their sins.
4. Mark 2:22 swell and burst the old skins: While the juice from grapes was becoming wine, it would swell and stretch the skins in which it had been stored. If the skins were old and stiff, they would burst.
5. Mark 2:23 went along: It was the custom to let hungry travelers pick grains of wheat.
6. Mark 3:2 Pharisees: The Greek text has "they" (but see verse 6).
7. Mark 3:6 Herod's followers: People who were political followers of the family of Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas.

---

Psalm 36:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 36

(For the music leader by David, the LORD's servant.)

Human Sin and God's Goodness

 ¹Sinners don't respect God;    sin is all they think about.
    ²They like themselves too much
   to hate their own sins
   or even to see them.
    ³They tell deceitful lies,
   and they don't have the sense
   to live right.
    ⁴Those people stay awake,
   thinking up mischief,
   and they follow the wrong road,
   refusing to turn from sin.
    ⁵Your love is faithful, LORD,
   and even the clouds in the sky
   can depend on you.
    ⁶Your decisions are always fair.
   They are firm like mountains,
   deep like the sea,
   and all people and animals
   are under your care.
    ⁷Your love is a treasure,
   and everyone finds shelter
   in the shadow of your wings.
    ⁸You give your guests a feast
   in your house,
   and you serve a tasty drink
   that flows like a river.
    ⁹The life-giving fountain
   belongs to you,
   and your light gives light
   to each of us.
    ¹⁰Our LORD, keep showing love
   to everyone who knows you,
   and use your power to save
   all whose thoughts please you.
    ¹¹Don't let those proud
   and merciless people
   kick me around
   or chase me away.
    ¹²Look at those wicked people!
   They are knocked down,
   never to get up again.

---

Proverbs 10:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 10

Solomon's Wise Sayings

 ¹Here are some proverbs    of Solomon:
   Children with good sense
   make their parents happy,
   but foolish children
   make them sad.
    ²What you gain by doing evil
   won't help you at all,
   but being good ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} can save you from death.
    

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 10:2 good: Or " generous."

---

 

Verse of the Day

 

“Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us.” - Romans 8:35,37 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

 

Thought for the Day

German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories, Jean Paul wrote, “Be great in act, as you have been in thought.”