Bible Readings for October 28, 2019

Today our passages are Jeremiah 51:54–52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; and Proverbs 26:18-19. 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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Jeremiah 51:54-52:34 (Contemporary English Version)

Babylon Will Be Destroyed

The LORD said:

 ⁵⁴Listen to the cries for help   coming from Babylon.
   Everywhere in the country
   the sounds of destruction
   can be heard.
    ⁵⁵The shouts of the enemy,
   like crashing ocean waves,
   will drown out Babylon's cries
   as I level the city.
    ⁵⁶An enemy will attack
   and destroy Babylon.
   Its soldiers will be captured
   and their weapons broken,
   because I am a God
   who takes revenge against nations
   for what they do.
    ⁵⁷I, the LORD All-Powerful,
   the true King, promise
   that the officials and advisors,
   the governors and leaders
   and the soldiers of Babylon
   will get drunk, fall asleep,
   and never wake up.
    ⁵⁸The thick walls of that city
   will be torn down,
   and its huge gates burned.
   Everything that nation
   worked so hard to gain
   will go up in smoke.   

Jeremiah Gives Seraiah a Scroll

 ⁵⁹During Zedekiah's ^a] fourth year as king of Judah, he went to Babylon. And Baruch's brother Seraiah ^b] went along as the officer in charge of arranging for places to stay overnight. ^c] 60Before they left, I wrote on a scroll ^d] all the terrible things that would happen to Babylon. ⁶¹I gave the scroll to Seraiah and said: When you get to Babylon, read this scroll aloud, ⁶²then pray, "Our LORD, you promised to destroy this place and make it into a desert where no people or animals will ever live."    ⁶³When you finish praying, tie the scroll to a rock and throw it in the Euphrates River. Then say, ⁶⁴"This is how Babylon will sink when the LORD destroys it. Everyone in the city will die, and it won't have the strength to rise again."
   Jeremiah's writing ends here.
   

Jeremiah 52

The End of Jeremiah's Writing

Jerusalem Is Captured

(2 Kings 24.18--25.30; 2 Chronicles 36.11-21)

 ¹Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he was appointed king of Judah, ^e]and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years. ^f] His mother Hamutal was the daughter of Jeremiah from the town of Libnah. ^g] 2Zedekiah disobeyed the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done, ³and it was Zedekiah who finally rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. ^h] The people of Judah and Jerusalem had made the LORD so angry that he finally turned his back on them. That's why horrible things were happening.    ⁴In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^i] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls. ^5-6After a year and a half, ^j] all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth month, ^k] 7the Babylonian troops broke through the city wall. That same night, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape through the gate near the royal garden, even though they knew the enemy had the city surrounded. They headed toward the Jordan River valley, ⁸but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. The Babylonians arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction. ⁹Zedekiah was taken to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. ¹⁰Zedekiah's sons and the officials of Judah were killed while he watched, ¹¹then his eyes were poked out. He was put in chains, then dragged off to Babylon and kept in prison until he died. ¹²Jerusalem was captured during Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king of Babylonia.
   About a month later, ^l] Nebuchadnezzar's officer in charge of the guards arrived in Jerusalem. His name was Nebuzaradan, ¹³and he burned down the LORD's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses. ¹⁴Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹⁵He led away the people left in the city, including everyone who had become loyal to Nebuchadnezzar, the rest of the skilled workers, ^m] and even some of the poor people of Judah. ¹⁶Only the very poorest were left behind to work the vineyards and the fields. ^17-20Nebuzaradan ordered his soldiers to go to the temple and take everything made of gold or silver, including bowls, fire pans, sprinkling bowls, pans, lampstands, dishes for incense, and the cups for wine offerings. The Babylonian soldiers took all the bronze things used for worship at the temple, including the pans for hot ashes, and the shovels, lamp snuffers, sprinkling bowls, and dishes for incense. The soldiers also took everything else made of bronze, including the two columns that stood in front of the temple, the large bowl called the Sea, the twelve bulls that held it up, and the movable stands. ^n] The soldiers broke these things into pieces so they could take them to Babylonia. There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed. ²¹For example, the columns were about twenty-seven feet high and eighteen feet around. They were hollow, but the bronze was about three inches thick. ²²Each column had a bronze cap over seven feet high that was decorated with bronze designs. Some of these designs were like chains and others were like pomegranates. ^o] 23There were ninety-six pomegranates evenly spaced ^p]around each column, and a total of one hundred pomegranates were located above the chains. ²⁴Next, Nebuzaradan arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah his assistant, and three temple officials. ²⁵Then he arrested one of the army commanders, seven of King Zedekiah's personal advisors, and the officer in charge of gathering the troops for battle. He also found sixty more soldiers who were still in Jerusalem. ^26-27Nebuzaradan led them to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had them killed.
   The people of Judah no longer lived in their own country.   

People of Judah Taken Prisoner

 ^28-30Here is a list of the number of the people of Judah that Nebuchadnezzar ^q]took to Babylonia as prisoners: In his seventh year as king, he took 3,023 people.   In his eighteenth year as king, he took 832 from Jerusalem.
   In his twenty-third year as king, his officer Nebuzaradan took 745 people.
   So, Nebuchadnezzar took a total of 4,600 people from Judah to Babylonia.   

Jehoiachin Is Set Free

(2 Kings 25.27-30)

 ³¹Jehoiachin was a prisoner in Babylon for thirty-seven years. Then Evil Merodach ^r] became king of Babylonia, and in the first year of his rule, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, ^s] he let Jehoiachin out of prison. ³²Evil Merodach was kind to Jehoiachin and honored him more than any of the other kings held prisoner there. ³³Jehoiachin was allowed to wear regular clothes instead of a prison uniform, and he even ate at the king's table every day. ³⁴As long as Jehoiachin lived, he was paid a daily allowance to buy whatever he needed.

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 51:59 Zedekiah's: See the note at 1.3.
2. Jeremiah 51:59 Baruch's brother Seraiah: Hebrew "Seraiah son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah"; Baruch helped Jeremiah write down his messages (see 32.12; 36.4-10).
3. Jeremiah 51:59 arranging for places to stay overnight: Hebrew and one ancient translation; two ancient translations, "the tax money."
4. Jeremiah 51:60 scroll: See the note at 30.1,2.
5. Jeremiah 52:1 appointed king of Judah: By Nebuchadnezzar (see 37.1).
6. Jeremiah 52:1 he ruled. . . years: Ruled 598-586 B.C.
7. Jeremiah 52:1 Jeremiah from the town of Libnah: Not the same Jeremiah as the author of this book (see 1.1).
8. Jeremiah 52:3 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
9. Jeremiah 52:4 tenth month: See the note at 39.1-3.
10. Jeremiah 52:5 After a year and a half: Jerusalem was captured in 586 B.C.
11. Jeremiah 52:5 fourth month: See the note at 39.1-3.
12. Jeremiah 52:12 About a month later: Hebrew "On the seventh day of the fifth month."
13. Jeremiah 52:15 the rest of the skilled workers: Nebuchadnezzar had taken away some of the skilled workers eleven years before (see 2 Kings 24.14-16).
14. Jeremiah 52:17 the large bowl called the Sea, the twelve bulls that held it up, and the movable stands: One ancient translation; Hebrew "the large bowl called the Sea, and the twelve bulls under the movable stands."
15. Jeremiah 52:22 pomegranates: A small red fruit that looks like an apple.
16. Jeremiah 52:23 evenly spaced: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
17. Jeremiah 52:28 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
18. Jeremiah 52:31 Evil Merodach: The son of Nebuchadnezzar who ruled Babylonia from 562-560 B.C.
19. Jeremiah 52:31 twelfth month: Adar, the twelfth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-February to mid-March.

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Titus 3:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)

Titus 3

Doing Helpful Things

 ¹Remind your people to obey the rulers and authorities and not to be rebellious. They must always be ready to do something helpful ²and not say cruel things or argue. They should be gentle and kind to everyone. ³We used to be stupid, disobedient, and foolish, as well as slaves of all sorts of desires and pleasures. We were evil and jealous. Everyone hated us, and we hated everyone.    ⁴God our Savior showed us
   how good and kind he is.
    ⁵He saved us because
   of his mercy,
   and not because
   of any good things
   that we have done.
   God washed us by the power
   of the Holy Spirit.
   He gave us new birth
   and a fresh beginning.
    ⁶God sent Jesus Christ
   our Savior
   to give us his Spirit.
    ⁷Jesus treated us much better
   than we deserve.
   He made us acceptable to God
   and gave us the hope
   of eternal life.
    ⁸This message is certainly true.
   These teachings are useful and helpful for everyone. I want you to insist that the people follow them, so that all who have faith in God will be sure to do good deeds. ⁹But don't have anything to do with stupid arguments about ancestors. And stay away from disagreements and quarrels about the Law of Moses. Such arguments are useless and senseless.
    ¹⁰Warn troublemakers once or twice. Then don't have anything else to do with them. ¹¹You know that their minds are twisted, and their own sins show how guilty they are.   

Personal Instructions and Greetings

 ¹²I plan to send Artemas or Tychicus to you. After he arrives, please try your best to meet me at Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there.    ¹³When Zenas the lawyer and Apollos get ready to leave, help them as much as you can, so they won't have need of anything.
    ¹⁴Our people should learn to spend their time doing something useful and worthwhile.
    ¹⁵Greetings to you from everyone here. Greet all of our friends who share in our faith.
   I pray that the Lord will be kind to all of you!

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Psalm 100:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 100

(A psalm of praise.)

The LORD Is God

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD,   everyone on this earth.
    ²Be joyful and sing
   as you come in
   to worship the LORD!
    ³You know the LORD is God!
   He created us,
   and we belong to him;
   we are his people,
   the sheep in his pasture.
    ⁴Be thankful and praise the LORD
   as you enter his temple.
    ⁵The LORD is good!
   His love and faithfulness
   will last forever.

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Proverbs 26:18-19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸It's no crazier to shoot
   sharp and flaming arrows
    ¹⁹than to cheat someone and say,
   "I was only fooling!"

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Verse of the Day

“The Scriptures say, "Humans wither like grass, and their glory fades like wild flowers. Grass dries up, and flowers fall to the ground. But what the Lord has said will stand forever." Our good news to you is what the Lord has said.” - 1 Peter 1:24-25

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Russian novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, translator and popularizer of Russian literature in the West, Ivan Turgenev wrote, “Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly.”

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A Joke for Today

Two long-time golfing buddies got to the course one day and decided that this day they would play the ball where it lies ... "No matter what!"

On the 14th hole, one of them sliced his drive and it ended up on the cart path. As he reached down to pick up his ball to get relief, his friend said, "Wait a minute! We agreed that we would not improve our lies! Remember? No matter what!"

The first player tried to explain that he was entitled to this relief, that it was in the rules of golf. But the second fellow would not allow it. Throwing up his hands in disgust, the man went to the cart and grabbed a club. As he stood near his ball, he took a few practice swings, each time scraping the club on the pavement and sending out showers of sparks. Finally, he took his shot. The club hit the path again, sparks went flying but his ball shot straight towards the green, landed and rolled to a stop two inches from the cup.

"Great shot!" his friend exclaimed. "What club did you use?"

The man gave him a wry smile, "Your 7 iron!"

Bible Readings for October 27, 2019

Today our passages are Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; and Proverbs 26:17. 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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Jeremiah 51:1-53 (Contemporary English Version)

Jeremiah 51

Babylon Will Be Destroyed

 ¹I, the LORD, am sending   a wind ^a] to destroy the people of Babylonia ^b] and Babylon, its capital.
    ²Foreign soldiers will come
   from every direction,
   and when the disaster is over,
   Babylonia will be empty
   and worthless.
    ³I will tell these soldiers,
   "Attack quickly,
   before the Babylonians
   can string their bows
   or put on their armor. ^c] Kill their best soldiers
   and destroy their army!"
    ⁴Their troops will fall wounded
   in the streets of Babylon.
    ⁵Everyone in Israel and Judah
   is guilty.
   But I, the LORD All-Powerful,
   their holy God,
   have not abandoned them.
    ⁶Get out of Babylon!
   Run for your lives!
   If you stay, you will be killed
   when I take revenge on the city
   and punish it for its sins.
    ⁷Babylon was my golden cup,
   filled with the wine
   of my anger.
   The nations of the world
   got drunk on this wine
   and went insane.
    ⁸But suddenly, Babylon will fall
   and be destroyed.
   I, the LORD, told the foreigners ^d] who lived there,
   "Weep for the city!
   Get medicine for its wounds;
   maybe they will heal."
    ⁹The foreigners answered,
   "We have already tried
   to treat Babylon's wounds,
   but they would not heal.
   Come on, let's all go home
   to our own countries.
   Nothing is left in Babylonia;
   everything is destroyed."
    ¹⁰The people of Israel said,
   "Tell everyone in Zion!
   The LORD has taken revenge
   for what Babylon did to us."   

The LORD Wants Babylon Destroyed

 ¹¹I, the LORD,   want Babylon destroyed,
   because its army
   destroyed my temple.
   So, you kings of Media, ^e] sharpen your arrows
   and pick up your shields.
    ¹²Raise the signal flag
   and attack the city walls.
   Post more guards.
   Have soldiers watch the city
   and set up ambushes.
   I have made plans
   to destroy Babylon,
   and nothing will stop me.
    ¹³People of Babylon, you live
   along the Euphrates River
   and are surrounded by canals.
   You are rich,
   but now the time has come
   for you to die. ^f] 14I, the LORD All-Powerful,
   swear by my own life
   that enemy soldiers
   will fill your streets
   like a swarm of locusts. ^g] They will shout
   and celebrate their victory.   

A Hymn of Praise

(Jeremiah 10.12-16)

 ¹⁵God used his wisdom and power   to create the earth
   and spread out the heavens.
    ¹⁶The waters in the heavens roar
   at his command.
   He makes clouds appear;
   he sends the wind
   from his storehouse
   and makes lightning flash
   in the rain.
    ¹⁷People who make idols
   are stupid!
   They will be disappointed,
   because their false gods
   cannot breathe.
    ¹⁸Idols are merely a joke,
   and when the time is right,
   they will be destroyed.
    ¹⁹But the LORD, Israel's God,
   is all-powerful.
   He created everything,
   and he chose Israel
   to be his very own.  

God's Hammer

The LORD said:

 ²⁰Babylonia, you were my hammer;   I used you to pound nations
   and break kingdoms,
    ²¹to shatter cavalry and chariots,
    ²²as well as men and women,
   young and old,
    ²³shepherds and their flocks,
   farmers and their oxen,
   and governors and leaders.
    ²⁴But now, my people will watch,
   while I repay you
   for what you did to Zion.
    ²⁵You destroyed the nations
   and seem strong as a mountain,
   but I am your enemy.
   I might even grab you
   and roll you off a cliff.
   When I am finished,
   you'll only be a pile
   of scorched bricks.
    ²⁶Your stone blocks won't be reused
   for cornerstones
   or foundations,
   and I promise that forever
   you will be a desert.
   I, the LORD, have spoken.   

The Nations Will Attack Babylon

The LORD said:

 ²⁷Signal the nations   to get ready to attack.
   Raise a flag and blow a trumpet.
   Send for the armies of Ararat,
   Minni, and Ashkenaz. ^h] Choose a commander;
   let the cavalry attack
   like a swarm of locusts.
    ²⁸Tell the kings and governors,
   the leaders and the people
   of the kingdoms of the Medes
   to prepare for war!
    ²⁹The earth twists and turns
   in torment,
   because I have decided
   to make Babylonia a desert
   where no one can live,
   and I won't change my mind.
    ³⁰The Babylonian soldiers
   have lost their strength
   and courage. ^i] They stay in their fortresses,
   unable to fight,
   while the enemy breaks through
   the city gates,
   then sets their homes on fire.
    ³¹One messenger after another
   announces to the king,
   "Babylon has been captured!
    ³²The enemy now controls
   the river crossings!
   The marshes ^j] are on fire! Your army has panicked!"
    ³³I am the LORD All-Powerful,
   the God of Israel,
   and I make this promise--
   "Soon Babylon will be leveled
   and packed down
   like a threshing place
   at harvest time." ^k]

Babylonia Will Pay!

 ³⁴The people of Jerusalem say,   "King Nebuchadnezzar ^l] made us panic.
   That monster stuffed himself
   with us and our treasures,
   leaving us empty--
   he gobbled down
   what he wanted
   and spit out the rest.
    ³⁵The people of Babylonia
   harmed some of us ^m] and killed others.
   Now, LORD, make them pay!"  

The LORD Will Take Revenge on Babylon

 ³⁶My people, I am on your side,   and I will take revenge
   on Babylon.
   I will cut off its water supply,
   and its stream ^n] will dry up. ³⁷Babylon will be a pile of rubble
   where only jackals ^o] live. People will laugh,
   but they will be afraid
   to walk among the ruins.
    ³⁸The Babylonians roar and growl
   like young lions.
    ³⁹And since they are hungry,
   I will give them a banquet.
   They will celebrate, get drunk,
   then fall asleep,
   never to wake up!
    ⁴⁰I will lead them away to die,
   like sheep, lambs, and goats
   being led to the butcher.
    ⁴¹All nations now praise Babylon, ^p] but when it is captured,
   those same nations
   will be horrified.
    ⁴²Babylon's enemies will rise
   like ocean waves
   and flood the city.
    ⁴³Horrible destruction will strike
   the nearby towns.
   The land will become
   a barren desert,
   where no one can live
   or even travel.
    ⁴⁴I will punish Marduk, ^q] the god of Babylon,
   and make him vomit up
   everything he gobbled down.
   Then nations will no longer
   bring him gifts,
   and Babylon's walls will crumble.  

The LORD Offers Hope to His People

 ⁴⁵Get out of Babylon, my people,   and run for your lives,
   before I strike the city
   in my anger!
    ⁴⁶Don't be afraid or lose hope,
   though year after year
   there are rumors
   of leaders fighting for control
   in the city of Babylon.
    ⁴⁷The time will come
   when I will punish
   Babylon's false gods.
   Everyone there will die,
   and the whole nation
   will be disgraced,
    ⁴⁸when an army attacks
   from the north
   and brings destruction.
   Then the earth and the heavens
   and everything in them
   will celebrate.
    ⁴⁹Babylon must be overthrown,
   because it slaughtered
   the people of Israel
   and of many other nations.
    ⁵⁰My people, you escaped death
   when Jerusalem fell.
   Now you live far from home,
   but you should trust me
   and think about Jerusalem.
   Leave Babylon! Don't stay!
    ⁵¹You feel ashamed and disgraced,
   because foreigners have entered
   my sacred temple.
    ⁵²Soon I will send a war
   to punish Babylon's idols
   and leave its wounded people
   moaning everywhere.
    ⁵³Although Babylon's walls
   reach to the sky,
   the army I send
   will destroy that city.
   I, the LORD, have spoken. 

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 51:1 wind: Or "spirit."
2. Jeremiah 51:1 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has "Leb-Qamai," a secret way of writing "Babylonia."
3. Jeremiah 51:3 I will tell. . . armor: Or "Attack quickly! String your bows and put on your armor."
4. Jeremiah 51:8 the foreigners: Or "my people."
5. Jeremiah 51:11 kings of Media: Probably kings of smaller kingdoms that were part of the Median Empire (see also verse 27 and the note there).
6. Jeremiah 51:13 for you to die: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. Jeremiah 51:14 locusts: See the note at 46.22,23.
8. Jeremiah 51:27 Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz: Kingdoms to the north of Babylonia that were part of the Median Empire (see also verse 28).
9. Jeremiah 51:30 have lost their strength and courage: Hebrew "have lost their strength and have become like women."
10. Jeremiah 51:32 marshes: The tall grass in the marshes could have provided hiding places for people trying to escape from Babylon.
11. Jeremiah 51:33 leveled. . . harvest time: A threshing place with a dirt surface had to be leveled and packed down before it could be used.
12. Jeremiah 51:34 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
13. Jeremiah 51:35 harmed some of us: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
14. Jeremiah 51:36 stream: Probably the Euphrates River.
15. Jeremiah 51:37 jackals: See the note at 9.11.
16. Jeremiah 51:41 Babylon: The Hebrew text has "Sheshach," a secret way of writing the name "Babylon."
17. Jeremiah 51:44 Marduk: Hebrew "Bel" (see the note at 50.2).

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Titus 2:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)

Titus 2

Instructions for Different Groups of People

 ¹Titus, you must teach only what is correct. ²Tell the older men to have self-control and to be serious and sensible. Their faith, love, and patience must never fail.    ³Tell the older women to behave as those who love the Lord should. They must not gossip about others or be slaves of wine. They must teach what is proper, ⁴so the younger women will be loving wives and mothers. ⁵Each of the younger women must be sensible and kind, as well as a good homemaker, who puts her own husband first. Then no one can say insulting things about God's message.
    ⁶Tell the young men to have self-control in everything.
    ⁷Always set a good example for others. Be sincere and serious when you teach. ⁸Use clean language that no one can criticize. Do this, and your enemies will be too ashamed to say anything against you.
    ⁹Tell slaves always to please their owners by obeying them in everything. Slaves must not talk back to their owners ¹⁰or steal from them. They must be completely honest and trustworthy. Then everyone will show great respect for what is taught about God our Savior.   

God's Kindness and the New Life

 ¹¹God has shown us how kind he is by coming to save all people. ¹²He taught us to give up our wicked ways and our worldly desires and to live decent and honest lives in this world. ¹³We are filled with hope, as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. ^a] 14He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right. ¹⁵Teach these things, as you use your full authority to encourage and correct people. Make sure you earn everyone's respect.  

Footnotes:

1. Titus 2:13 the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ: Or "the glorious return of our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" or "the return of Jesus Christ, who is the glory of our great God and Savior."

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Psalm 99:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 99

Our LORD Is King

 ¹Our LORD, you are King!   You rule from your throne
   above the winged creatures, ^a] as people tremble
   and the earth shakes.
    ²You are praised in Zion,
   and you control all nations.
    ³Only you are God!
   And your power alone,
   so great and fearsome,
   is worthy of praise.
    ⁴You are our mighty King, ^b] a lover of fairness,
   who sees that justice is done
   everywhere in Israel.
    ⁵Our LORD and our God,
   we praise you
   and kneel down to worship you,
   the God of holiness!
    ⁶Moses and Aaron were two
   of your priests.
   Samuel was also one of those
   who prayed in your name,
   and you, our LORD,
   answered their prayers.
    ⁷You spoke to them
   from a thick cloud,
   and they obeyed your laws.
    ⁸Our LORD and our God,
   you answered their prayers
   and forgave their sins,
   but when they did wrong,
   you punished them.
    ⁹We praise you, LORD God,
   and we worship you
   at your sacred mountain.
   Only you are God! 

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 99:1 winged creatures: See the note at 80.1.
2. Psalm 99:4 You. . . King: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 26:17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁷It's better to take hold
   of a mad dog by the ears
   than to take part
   in someone else's argument.

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Verse of the Day

“What God has said isn't only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.” - Hebrews 4:12

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, and naturalist, who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909, Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “We stand equally against government by a plutocracy and government by a mob. There is something to be said for government by a great aristocracy which has furnished leaders to the nation in peace and war for generations; even a democrat like myself must admit this. But there is absolutely nothing to be said for government by a plutocracy, for government by men very powerful in certain lines and gifted with ‘the money touch,’ but with ideals which in their essence are merely those of so many glorified pawnbrokers.”

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A Joke for Today 

A woman was trying hard to get the catsup to come out of the bottle. During her struggle, the phone rang, so she asked her four-year-old daughter to answer it.

"It's the Minister, Mommy," the child said to her mother. Then she said to him, "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."

Bible Readings for October 26, 2019

Today our passages are Jeremiah 49:23–50:46; Titus 1:1-6; Psalm 97:1–98:9; and Proverbs 26:13-16. 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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Jeremiah 49:23-50:46 (Contemporary English Version)

What the LORD Says about Damascus

 ²³The LORD says about Damascus:   The towns of Hamath and Arpad ^a] have heard your bad news.
   They have lost hope,
   and worries roll over them
   like ocean waves. ^b] 24You people of Damascus
   have lost your courage,
   and in panic you turn to run,
   gripped by fear and pain. ^c] 25I once was pleased
   with your famous city.
   But now I warn you, "Escape
   while you still can!" ^d] 26Soon, even your best soldiers
   will lie dead in your streets.
   I, the LORD All-Powerful,
   have spoken.
    ²⁷I will set fire to your city walls
   and burn down the fortresses
   King Benhadad built.   

Nebuchadnezzar and the People of the Desert

 ²⁸Here is what the LORD says about the Kedar tribe and the desert villages ^e]that were conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar ^f] of Babylonia: Listen, you people of Kedar   and the other tribes
   of the eastern desert.
   I have told Nebuchadnezzar
   to attack and destroy you.
    ²⁹His fearsome army
   will surround you,
   taking your tents and possessions,
   your sheep and camels.
    ³⁰Run and hide,
   you people of the desert
   who live in villages! ^g] Nebuchadnezzar has big plans
   for you.
    ³¹You have no city walls
   and no neighbors to help,
   yet you think you're safe--
   so I told him to attack.
    ³²Then your camels
   and large herds
   will be yours no longer.
   People of the Arabian Desert, ^h] disaster will strike you
   from every side,
   and you will be scattered
   everywhere on earth.
    ³³Only jackals ^i] will live where your villages ^j] once stood. I, the LORD, have spoken.   

What the LORD Says about Elam

 ^34-35Not long after Zedekiah ^k] became king of Judah, the LORD told me to say: People of Elam, ^l] I, the LORD All-Powerful,   will kill the archers
   who make your army strong.
    ³⁶Enemies will attack
   from all directions,
   and you will be led captive
   to every nation on earth.
    ³⁷Their armies will crush
   and kill you,
   and you will face the disaster
   that my anger brings.
    ³⁸Your king and his officials
   will die,
   and I will rule
   in their place.
   I, the LORD, have spoken.
    ³⁹But I promise that someday
   I will bring your people
   back to their land.
   

Jeremiah 50

Babylon Will Be Captured

 ¹The LORD told me to say:   Announce what will happen
   and don't leave anything out.
    ²Raise the signal flags;
   shout so all nations can hear--
   Babylon will be captured!
   Marduk, ^m] Babylon's god, will be ashamed and terrified,
   and his idols broken.
    ³The attack on the Babylonians
   will come from the north;
   they and their animals will run,
   leaving the land empty.   

Israel and Judah Will Return to Their Land

 ⁴The LORD said:   People of Israel and Judah,
   when these things happen
   you will weep, and together
   you will return to your land
   and worship me,
   the LORD your God.
    ⁵You will ask the way to Zion
   and then come and join with me
   in making an agreement
   you won't break or forget.
    ⁶My people, you are lost sheep
   abandoned by their shepherds
   in the mountains.
   You don't even remember
   your resting place.
    ⁷I am your true pastureland,
   the one who gave hope
   to your ancestors.
   But you abandoned me,
   so when your enemies found you,
   they felt no guilt
   as they gobbled you down.
    ⁸Escape from Babylonia,
   my people.
   Get out of that country!
   Don't wait for anyone else.
    ⁹In the north I am bringing
   great nations together.
   They will attack Babylon
   and capture it.
   The arrows they shoot
   are like the best soldiers, ^n] always finding their target.
    ¹⁰Babylonia will be conquered,
   and its enemies will carry off
   everything they want.   

Babylon Will Be Disgraced

The LORD said:

 ¹¹People of Babylonia,   you were glad
   to rob my people.
   You had a good time,
   making more noise
   than horses
   and jumping around
   like calves threshing grain. ^o] 12The city of Babylon
   was like a mother to you.
   But it will be disgraced
   and become nothing
   but a barren desert.
    ¹³My anger will destroy Babylon,
   and no one will live there.
   Everyone who passes by
   will be shocked to see
   what has happened.
    ¹⁴Babylon has rebelled against me.
   Archers, take your places.
   Shoot all your arrows at Babylon.
    ¹⁵Attack from every side!
   Babylon surrenders!
   The enemy tears down
   its walls and towers.
   I am taking my revenge
   by doing to Babylon
   what it did
   to other cities.
    ¹⁶There is no one in Babylonia
   to plant or harvest crops.
   Even foreigners who lived there
   have left for their homelands,
   afraid of the enemy armies.
    ¹⁷Israel is a flock of sheep
   scattered by hungry lions.
   The king of Assyria ^p] first gobbled Israel down.
   Then Nebuchadnezzar, ^q] king of Babylonia,
   crunched on Israel's bones.
    ¹⁸I, the LORD All-Powerful,
   the God of Israel,
   punished the king of Assyria,
   and I will also punish
   the king of Babylonia.
    ¹⁹But I will bring Israel
   back to its own land.
   The people will be like sheep
   eating their fill
   on Mount Carmel
   and in Bashan,
   in the hill country of Ephraim
   and in Gilead.
    ²⁰I will rescue a few people
   from Israel and Judah.
   I will forgive them so completely
   that their sin and guilt
   will disappear,
   never to be found.   

The LORD's Commands to the Enemies of Babylonia

 ²¹The LORD said:   I have told
   the enemies of Babylonia,
   "Attack the people of Merathaim
   and Pekod. ^r] Kill them all!
   Destroy their possessions!"
    ²²Sounds of war
   and the noise of destruction
   can be heard.
    ²³Babylonia was a hammer
   pounding every country,
   but now it lies broken.
   What a shock to the nations
   of the world!
    ²⁴Babylonia challenged me,
   the LORD God All-Powerful,
   but that nation doesn't know
   it is caught in a trap
   that I set.
    ²⁵I've brought out my weapons,
   and with them
   I will put a curse
   on Babylonia.
    ²⁶Come from far away,
   you enemies of Babylon!
   Pile up the grain
   from its storehouses,
   and destroy it completely,
   along with everything else.
    ²⁷Kill the soldiers of Babylonia,
   because the time has come
   for them to be punished.
    ²⁸The Babylonian army
   destroyed my temple,
   but soon I will take revenge.
   Then refugees from Babylon
   will tell about it in Zion.
    ²⁹Attack Babylon, enemy archers;
   set up camp around the city,
   and don't let anyone escape.
   It challenged me, the holy God,
   so do to it
   what it did to other cities.   

Proud Babylon Will Fall

 ³⁰People of Babylon,   I, the LORD, promise
   that even your best soldiers
   will lie dead in the streets.
    ³¹Babylon, you should be named,
   "The Proud One."
   But the time has come when I,
   the LORD All-Powerful,
   will punish you.
    ³²You are proud,
   but you will stumble and fall,
   and no one will help you up.
   I will set your villages on fire,
   and everything around you
   will go up in flames.
    ³³You Babylonians were cruel
   to Israel and Judah.
   You took them captive, and now
   you refuse to let them go.
    ³⁴But I, the LORD All-Powerful,
   will rescue and protect them.
   I will bring peace to their land
   and trouble to yours.
    ³⁵I have declared war on you,
   your officials, and advisors.
    ³⁶This war will prove
   that your prophets
   are liars and fools.
   And it will frighten
   your warriors.
    ³⁷Then your chariot horses
   and the foreigners in your army
   will refuse to go into battle,
   and the enemy will carry away
   everything you treasure.
    ³⁸Your rivers and canals
   will dry up.
   All of this will happen,
   because your land
   is full of idols,
   and they have made fools
   of you.
    ³⁹Never again will people live
   in your land--
   only desert animals, jackals, ^s] and unclean birds.
    ⁴⁰I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
   and the nearby towns,
   and I will destroy Babylon
   just as completely.
   No one will live there again.   

Babylonia Is Invaded

The LORD said:

 ⁴¹Far to the north,   a nation and its allies
   have been awakened.
   They are powerful
   and ready for war.
    ⁴²Bows and arrows and swords
   are in their hands.
   The soldiers are cruel
   and show no pity.
   The hoofbeats of their horses
   echo
   like ocean waves
   crashing against the shore.
   The army has lined up for battle
   and is coming to attack you,
   people of Babylonia!
    ⁴³Ever since your king heard
   about this army,
   he has been weak with fear;
   he twists and turns in pain
   like a woman giving birth.
    ⁴⁴Babylonia, I will attack you
   like a lion from the forest,
   attacking sheep in a meadow
   along the Jordan.
   In a moment the flock runs,
   and the land is empty.
   Who will I choose to attack you?
   I will do it myself!
   No one can force me to fight
   or chase me away.
    ⁴⁵Listen to my plans for you,
   people of Babylonia.
   Your children will be dragged off,
   and your country destroyed.
    ⁴⁶The sounds of your destruction
   will be heard among the nations,
   and the earth will shake. 

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 49:23 Hamath and Arpad: Two towns in Syria that had been the capitals of small kingdoms allied with the more powerful kingdom whose capital was Damascus.
2. Jeremiah 49:23 worries. . . waves: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Jeremiah 49:24 gripped by fear and pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Jeremiah 49:25 can: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 25.
5. Jeremiah 49:28 desert villages: The Hebrew text has "kingdoms of Hazor," which probably refers to several kingdoms of desert peoples who were not nomads, but who lived in small villages.
6. Jeremiah 49:28 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
7. Jeremiah 49:30 villages: See the note at 49.28.
8. Jeremiah 49:32 People of the Arabian Desert: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. Jeremiah 49:33 jackals: See the note at 9.11.
10. Jeremiah 49:33 villages: See the note at 49.28.
11. Jeremiah 49:34 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3.
12. Jeremiah 49:34 Elam: A nation east of Babylonia, attacked by Nebuchadnezzar about 596 B.C.
13. Jeremiah 50:2 Marduk: The Hebrew text has "Bel" and "Marduk," two names for the same god.
14. Jeremiah 50:9 the best soldiers: Some Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations; most Hebrew manuscripts "soldiers that kill children."
15. Jeremiah 50:11 threshing grain: Hebrew; two ancient translations "in a pasture."
16. Jeremiah 50:17 king of Assyria: Either Shalmaneser V, who ruled 726-722 B.C., conquered most of the northern kingdom, and surrounded its capital city Samaria; or Sargon II, who ruled 721-705 B.C. and took thousands of prisoners back to Assyria.
17. Jeremiah 50:17 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
18. Jeremiah 50:21 Merathaim. . . Pekod: Hebrew forms of two Babylonian names that refer to the land of Babylonia. Merathaim probably referred to lagoons near the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers or to the Persian Gulf, but in Hebrew it means "Twice as Rebellious." Pekod referred to a tribe of southeastern Babylonia, but in Hebrew it means "Punishment."
19. Jeremiah 50:39 jackals: See the note at 9.11.

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Titus 1:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)

Titus 1

 ¹From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.   I encourage God's own people to have more faith and to understand the truth about religion. ²Then they will have the hope of eternal life that God promised long ago. And God never tells a lie! ³So, at the proper time, God our Savior gave this message and told me to announce what he had said.
    ⁴Titus, because of our faith, you are like a son to me. I pray that God our Father and Christ Jesus our Savior will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!   

What Titus Was To Do in Crete

 ⁵I left you in Crete to do what had been left undone and to appoint leaders ^a]for the churches in each town. As I told you, ⁶they must have a good reputation and be faithful in marriage. ^b] Their children must be followers of the Lord and not have a reputation for being wild and disobedient.

Footnotes:

1. Titus 1:5 leaders: Or "elders" or "presbyters" or "priests."
2. Titus 1:6 be faithful in marriage: Or "be the husband of only one wife" or "have never been divorced."

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Psalm 97-98:9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 97

The LORD Brings Justice

 ¹The LORD is King!   Tell the earth to celebrate
   and all islands to shout.
    ²Dark clouds surround him,
   and his throne is supported
   by justice and fairness.
    ³Fire leaps from his throne,
   destroying his enemies,
    ⁴and his lightning is so bright
   that the earth sees it
   and trembles.
    ⁵Mountains melt away like wax
   in the presence of the LORD
   of all the earth.
    ⁶The heavens announce,
   "The LORD brings justice!"
   Everyone sees God's glory.
    ⁷Those who brag about
   the useless idols they worship
   are terribly ashamed,
   and all the false gods
   bow down to the LORD.
    ⁸When the people of Zion
   and of the towns of Judah
   hear that God brings justice,
   they will celebrate.
    ⁹The LORD rules the whole earth,
   and he is more glorious
   than all the false gods.
    ¹⁰Love the LORD
   and hate evil!
   God protects his loyal people
   and rescues them
   from violence.
    ¹¹If you obey and do right,
   a light will show you the way
   and fill you with happiness.
    ¹²You are the LORD's people!
   So celebrate and praise
   the only God.
   

Psalm 98

The LORD Works Miracles

 ¹Sing a new song to the LORD!   He has worked miracles,
   and with his own powerful arm,
   he has won the victory.
    ²The LORD has shown the nations
   that he has the power to save
   and to bring justice.
    ³God has been faithful
   in his love for Israel,
   and his saving power is seen
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁴Tell everyone on this earth
   to sing happy songs
   in praise of the LORD.
    ⁵Make music for him on harps.
   Play beautiful melodies!
    ⁶Sound the trumpets and horns
   and celebrate with joyful songs
   for our LORD and King!
    ⁷Command the ocean to roar
   with all of its creatures,
   and the earth to shout
   with all of its people.
    ⁸Order the rivers
   to clap their hands,
   and all of the hills
   to sing together.
    ⁹Let them worship the LORD!
   He is coming to judge
   everyone on the earth,
   and he will be honest
   and fair.

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Proverbs 26:13-16 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³Don't be lazy and keep saying,
   "There's a lion outside!"
    ¹⁴A door turns on its hinges,
   but a lazy person
   just turns over in bed.
    ¹⁵Some of us are so lazy
   that we won't lift a hand
   to feed ourselves.
    ¹⁶A lazy person says,
   "I am smarter
   than everyone else."

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Verse of the Day

“Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds.” - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

United Methodist pastor, American politician and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Emanuel Cleaver wrote. “God did not burden the United States with a diversity of backgrounds, ideas and religions, He blessed America with them.”

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A Joke for Today

One night, a man on his way home happened upon a drunk, down on his hands and knees searching for something under a street light. The man asked the drunk what he was looking for so diligently and the drunk said he had tripped and his Rolex wrist watch had broken loose from his wrist. The man, being a kindhearted soul, got down on his hands and knees and began assisting the drunk looking for his watch. After about ten minutes without any success, the man asked the drunk exactly where he tripped. "About a half a block up the street," the drunk said. "Why, pray tell," the man asked the drunk, "are you looking for your watch here if you lost it a half a block up the street?" The drunk replied, "The light is a lot better here."