Bible Readings for June 7, 2017

Today our passages are 1 Kings 2:1–3:3; Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; and Proverbs 16:25. 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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1 Kings 2-3:3 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Kings 2

David's Instructions to Solomon

 ¹Not long before David died, he told Solomon:     ²My son, I will soon die, as everyone must. But I want you to be strong and brave. ³Do what the LORD your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will be a success, no matter what you do or where you go. ⁴You and your descendants must always faithfully obey the LORD. If you do, he will keep the solemn promise he made to me that someone from our family will always be king of Israel.
    ⁵Solomon, don't forget what Joab did to me by killing Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of Israel's army. He killed them as if they were his enemies in a war, but he did it when there was no war. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} He is guilty, and now it's up to you to punish him ⁶in the way you think best. Whatever you do, don't let him die peacefully in his old age. ⁷The sons of Barzillai from Gilead helped me when I was running from your brother Absalom. ^[b<="">] Be kind to them and let them eat at your table. ⁸Be sure to do something about Shimei son of Gera from Bahurim in the territory of Benjamin. He cursed and insulted me the day I went to Mahanaim. But later, when he came to meet me at the Jordan River, I promised that I wouldn't kill him. ^{[c<="">] 9}Now you must punish him. He's an old man, but you're wise enough to know that you must have him killed.

David Dies

 ^10-11David was king of Israel forty years. He ruled seven years from Hebron and thirty-three years from Jerusalem. Then he died and was buried in Jerusalem. ^{[d<="">] 12}His son Solomon became king and took control of David's kingdom.

Adonijah Is Killed

 ¹³One day, Adonijah went to see Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, and she asked, "Is this a friendly visit?"    "Yes. ¹⁴I just want to talk with you."
   "All right," she told him, "go ahead."
    ¹⁵"You know that I was king for a little while," Adonijah replied. "And everyone in Israel accepted me as their ruler. But the LORD wanted my brother to be king, so now things have changed. ¹⁶Would you do me a favor?"
   "What do you want?" Bathsheba asked.
    ¹⁷"Please ask Solomon to let me marry Abishag. He won't say no to you."
    ¹⁸"All right," she said. "I'll ask him."
    ¹⁹When Bathsheba went to see Solomon, he stood up to meet her, then bowed low. He sat back down and had another throne brought in, so his mother could sit at his right side. ^{[e<="">] 20}Bathsheba sat down and then asked, "Would you do me a small favor?" Solomon replied, "Mother, just tell me what you want, and I will do it."
    ²¹"Allow your brother Adonijah to marry Abishag," she answered.
    ²²Solomon said:
   What? Let my older brother marry Abishag? You may as well ask me to let him rule the kingdom! And why don't you ask such favors for Abiathar and Joab? ^{[f<="">] 23}I swear in the name of the LORD that Adonijah will die because he asked for this! If he doesn't, I pray that God will severely punish me. ²⁴The LORD made me king in my father's place and promised that the kings of Israel would come from my family. Yes, I swear by the living LORD that Adonijah will die today.
    ²⁵"Benaiah," Solomon shouted, "go kill Adonijah." So Adonijah died.
   

Abiathar Is Sent Back Home

 ²⁶Solomon sent for Abiathar the priest and said:    Abiathar, go back home to Anathoth! You ought to be killed too, but I won't do it now. When my father David was king, you were in charge of the sacred chest, and you went through a lot of hard times with my father. ²⁷But I won't let you be a priest of the LORD anymore.
   And so the promise that the LORD had made at Shiloh about the family of Eli came true. ^[g<="">]

Joab Is Killed

 ²⁸Joab had not helped Absalom try to become king, but he had helped Adonijah. So when Joab learned that Adonijah had been killed, he ran to the sacred tent and grabbed hold of the corners of the altar for protection. ^{[h<="">] 29}When Solomon heard about this, he sent someone to ask Joab, "Why did you run to the altar?" Joab sent back his answer, "I was afraid of you, and I ran to the LORD for protection." ^[i<="">] Then Solomon shouted, "Benaiah, go kill Joab!"     ³⁰Benaiah went to the sacred tent and yelled, "Joab, the king orders you to come out!"
   "No!" Joab answered. "Kill me right here."
   Benaiah went back and told Solomon what Joab had said.
    ^31-32Solomon replied:
   Do what Joab said. Kill him and bury him! Then my family and I won't be responsible for what he did to Abner the commander of Israel's army and to Amasa the commander of Judah's army. He killed those innocent men without my father knowing about it. Both of them were better men than Joab. Now the LORD will make him pay for those murders. ³³Joab's family will always suffer because of what he did, but the LORD will always bless David's family and his kingdom with peace.
    ³⁴Benaiah went back and killed Joab. His body was taken away and buried near his home in the desert.
    ³⁵Solomon put Benaiah in Joab's place as army commander, and he put Zadok in Abiathar's place as priest.
   

Shimei Is Killed

 ³⁶Solomon sent for Shimei and said, "Build a house here in Jerusalem and live in it. But whatever you do, don't leave the city! ³⁷If you ever cross Kidron Valley and leave Jerusalem, you will be killed. And it will be your own fault."     ³⁸"That's fair, Your Majesty," Shimei answered. "I'll do that." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem from then on.
    ³⁹About three years later, two of Shimei's servants ran off to King Achish in Gath. When Shimei found out where they were, ⁴⁰he saddled his donkey and went after them. He found them and brought them back to Jerusalem.
    ⁴¹Someone told Solomon that Shimei had gone to Gath and was back. ⁴²Solomon sent for him and said:
   Shimei, you promised in the name of the LORD that you would never leave Jerusalem. I warned you that you would die if you did. You agreed that this was fair, didn't you? ⁴³You have disobeyed me and have broken the promise you made to the LORD.
    ⁴⁴I know you remember all the cruel things you did to my father David. Now the LORD is going to punish you for what you did. ⁴⁵But the LORD will bless me and make my father's kingdom strong forever.
    ⁴⁶"Benaiah," Solomon shouted, "kill Shimei." So Shimei died.
   Solomon was now in complete control of his kingdom.
   

1 Kings 3

The LORD Makes Solomon Wise

(2 Chronicles 1.1-13)

 ¹Solomon signed a treaty with the king of Egypt and married his daughter. She lived in the older part of Jerusalem ^[j<="">] until the palace, the LORD's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem were completed. ²At that time, there was no temple for worshiping the LORD, and everyone offered sacrifices at the local shrines. ^{[k<="">] 3}Solomon loved the LORD and followed his father David's instructions, but Solomon also offered sacrifices and burned incense at the shrines.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 2:5 war: See 2 Samuel 3.22-27 and 20.7-10.
2. 1 Kings 2:7 Absalom: See 2 Samuel 17.27-29.
3. 1 Kings 2:8 him: See 2 Samuel 16.5-14 and 19.16-23.
4. 1 Kings 2:10 Jerusalem: Hebrew "the city of David."
5. 1 Kings 2:19 at his right side: The place of honor.
6. 1 Kings 2:22 And why. . . Joab: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. 1 Kings 2:27 the promise. . . came true: See 1 Samuel 2.27-34.
8. 1 Kings 2:28 the corners. . . for protection: See the note at 1.50.
9. 1 Kings 2:29 he sent someone. . . for protection: One ancient translation; these words are not in the Hebrew text.
10. 1 Kings 3:1 the older. . . Jerusalem: Hebrew "the city of David."
11. 1 Kings 3:2 local shrines: The Hebrew text has "high places," which were local places to worship God or foreign gods.

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Acts 5:1-42 (Contemporary English Version)

Acts 5

Peter Condemns Ananias and Sapphira

 ¹Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property. ²But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves.    So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles, ³Peter said, "Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? ⁴The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!"
    ⁵As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened. ⁶Some young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.
    ⁷Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband. ⁸Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?"
   "Yes," she answered, "that's the amount."
    ⁹Then Peter said, "Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord's Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!" ¹⁰At once she fell at Peter's feet and died.
   When the young men came back in, they found Sapphira lying there dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹The church members were afraid, and so was everyone else who heard what had happened.
   

Peter's Unusual Power

 ¹²The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 13}No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much. ¹⁴Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. ¹⁵Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on cots and mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. ¹⁶A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.    

Trouble for the Apostles

 ¹⁷The high priest and all the other Sadducees who were with him became jealous. ¹⁸They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail. ¹⁹But that night an angel from the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles out. The angel said, ²⁰"Go to the temple and tell the people everything about this new life." ²¹So they went into the temple before sunrise and started teaching.    The high priest and his men called together their council, which included all of Israel's leaders. Then they ordered the apostles to be brought to them from the jail. ²²The temple police who were sent to the jail did not find the apostles. They returned and said, ²³"We found the jail locked tight and the guards standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in, we didn't find anyone there." ²⁴The captain of the temple police and the chief priests listened to their report, but they did not know what to think about it.
    ²⁵Just then someone came in and said, "Right now those men you put in jail are in the temple, teaching the people!" ²⁶The captain went with some of the temple police and brought the apostles back. But they did not use force. They were afraid that the people might start throwing stones at them.
    ²⁷When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them, ²⁸"We told you plainly not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem, and you are trying to blame us for his death."
    ²⁹Peter and the apostles replied:
   We don't obey people. We obey God. ³⁰You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life ³¹and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, ^[b<="">] so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. ³²We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to everyone who obeys God. ³³When the council members heard this, they became so angry that they wanted to kill the apostles. ³⁴But one of the members was the Pharisee Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher. He ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little while. ³⁵Then he said to the council:
   People of Israel, be careful what you do with these men. ³⁶Not long ago Theudas claimed to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed. All his followers were scattered, and that was the end of that.
    ³⁷Later, when the people of our nation were being counted, Judas from Galilee showed up. A lot of people followed him, but he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.
    ³⁸So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail. ³⁹But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God.
   The council members agreed with what he said, ⁴⁰and they called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.
    ⁴¹The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus. ⁴²Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
   

Footnotes:

1. Acts 5:12 Solomon's Porch: See the note at 3.11.
2. Acts 5:31 right side: See the note at 2.33.

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Psalm 125:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 125

(A song for worship.)

The LORD's People Are Safe

 ¹Everyone who trusts the LORD    is like Mount Zion
   that cannot be shaken
   and will stand forever.
    ²Just as Jerusalem is protected
   by mountains on every side,
   the LORD protects his people
   by holding them in his arms
   now and forever.
    ³He won't let the wicked
   rule his people
   or lead them to do wrong.
    ⁴Let's ask the LORD to be kind
   to everyone
   who is good
   and completely obeys him.
    ⁵When the LORD punishes
   the wicked,
   he will punish everyone else
   who lives a crooked life.
   Pray for peace in Israel!

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Proverbs 16:25 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁵Sometimes what seems right
   is really a road to death.

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Verse of the Day

“You have always been God-- long before the birth of the mountains, even before you created the earth and the world. but a thousand years mean nothing to you! They are merely a day gone by or a few hours in the night.” - Psalm 90:2,4

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Famous humor writer and lecturer in the United States, perhaps second only to Mark Twain, during the latter half of the 19th century, Josh Billings wrote, “Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.”

 

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A Joke for Today

 

At a church meeting, a very wealthy man rose to tell the rest of those present about his Christian faith. "I'm a millionaire," he said, "and I attribute it all to the rich blessings of God in my life. I remember that turning point in my faith. I had just earned my first dollar and I went to a church meeting that night. The speaker was a missionary who told about his work. I knew that I only had a dollar bill and I had to either give it all to God's work or give nothing at all. So at that moment, I decided to give my whole dollar to God. I believe that God blessed that decision, and that is why I am a rich man today." When he finished and moved toward his seat, there was an awed silence As he sat down, a little old lady sitting in the same pew leaned over and said to him, "I dare you to do it again."

Bible Readings for March 6, 2017

Today our passages are Numbers 6:1–7:89; Mark 12:38–13:13; Psalm 49:1-20; and Proverbs 10:27-28. 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.

 

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Numbers 6-7:89 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 6

Rules for Nazirites

 ¹The LORD told Moses ²to say to the people of Israel:

   If any of you want to dedicate yourself to me by vowing to become a Nazirite, ³you must no longer drink any wine or beer or use any kind of vinegar. Don't drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins-- ⁴not even the seeds or skins.

    ⁵Even the hair of a Nazirite is sacred to me, and as long as you are a Nazirite, you must never cut your hair.

    ⁶During the time that you are a Nazirite, you must never go close to a dead body, ^7-8not even that of your father, mother, brother, or sister. That would make you unclean. Your hair is the sign that you are dedicated to me, so remain holy.

    ⁹If someone suddenly dies near you, your hair is no longer sacred, and you must shave it seven days later during the ceremony to make you clean. ¹⁰Then on the next day, bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the sacred tent. ¹¹He will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me. ^] You will then be forgiven for being too near a dead body, and your hair will again become sacred. ¹²But the dead body made you unacceptable, so you must make another vow to become a Nazirite and be dedicated once more. Finally, a year-old ram must be offered as the sacrifice to make things right. ¹³When you have completed your promised time of being a Nazirite, go to the sacred tent ¹⁴and offer three animals that have nothing wrong with them: a year-old ram as a sacrifice to please me, a year-old female lamb as a sacrifice for sin, and a full-grown ram as a sacrifice to ask my blessing. ^] 15Wine offerings and grain sacrifices must also be brought with these animals. Finally, you are to bring a basket of bread made with your finest flour and olive oil, but without yeast. Also bring some thin wafers brushed with oil. ¹⁶The priest will take these gifts to my altar and offer them, so that I will be pleased and will forgive you. ¹⁷Then he will sacrifice the ram and offer the wine, grain, and bread.

    ¹⁸After that, you will stand at the entrance to the sacred tent, shave your head, and put the hair in the fire where the priest has offered the sacrifice to ask my blessing.

    ¹⁹Once the meat from the ram's shoulder has been boiled, the priest will take it, along with one loaf of bread and one wafer brushed with oil, and give them to you. ²⁰You will hand them back to the priest, who will lift them up ^] in dedication to me. Then he can eat the meat from the ram's shoulder, its choice ribs, and its hind leg, because this is his share of the sacrifice. After this, you will no longer be a Nazirite and will be free to drink wine. ²¹These are the requirements for Nazirites. However, if you can afford to offer more, you must do so.

   

The Blessing for the People

 ²²The LORD told Moses, ²³" When Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel, they must say:

    ²⁴I pray that the LORD

   will bless and protect you,

    ²⁵and that he will show you mercy

   and kindness.

    ²⁶May the LORD be good to you

   and give you peace."

    ²⁷Then the LORD said, " If Aaron and his sons ask me to bless the Israelites, I will give them my blessing."

   

Numbers 7

The Leaders Bring Gifts to the Sacred Tent

 ¹When Moses had finished setting up the sacred tent, he dedicated it to the LORD, together with its furnishings, the altar, and its equipment. ²Then the twelve tribal leaders of Israel, the same men who had been in charge of counting the people, ^] came to the tent ³with gifts for the LORD. They brought six strong carts and twelve oxen--one ox from each leader and a cart from every two. ⁴The LORD said to Moses, ⁵" Accept these gifts, so the Levites can use them here at the sacred tent for carrying the sacred things."

    ⁶Then Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites, ^7-8who were under the leadership of Ithamar son of Aaron. Moses gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work, and four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. ⁹But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were in charge of the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.

    ¹⁰On the day the altar was dedicated, the twelve leaders brought offerings for its dedication. ¹¹The LORD said to Moses, " Each day one leader is to give his offering for the dedication."

    ^12-83So each leader brought the following gifts:

   a silver bowl that weighed over three pounds and a silver sprinkling bowl weighing almost two pounds, both of them filled with flour and olive oil as grain sacrifices and weighed according to the official standards;

   a small gold dish filled with incense;

   a young bull, a full-grown ram, and a year-old ram as sacrifices to please the LORD; ^] a goat ^] as a sacrifice for sin; and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five goats, and five rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing. ^] The tribal leaders brought their gifts and offerings in the following order:

   On the first day

   Nahshon from Judah,

   on the second day

   Nethanel from Issachar,

   on the third day

   Eliab from Zebulun,

   on the fourth day

   Elizur from Reuben,

   on the fifth day

   Shelumiel from Simeon,

   on the sixth day

   Eliasaph from Gad,

   on the seventh day

   Elishama from Ephraim,

   on the eighth day

   Gamaliel from Manasseh,

   on the ninth day

   Abidan from Benjamin,

   on the tenth day

   Ahiezer from Dan,

   on the eleventh day

   Pagiel from Asher,

   on the twelfth day

   Ahira from Naphtali.

    ^84-88And so when the altar was dedicated to the LORD, these twelve leaders brought the following gifts:

   twelve silver bowls and twelve silver sprinkling bowls, weighing a total of about sixty pounds, according to the official standards;

   twelve gold dishes filled with incense and weighing about three pounds;

   twelve bulls, twelve full-grown rams, and twelve rams a year old as sacrifices to please the LORD, along with the proper grain sacrifices;

   twelve goats as sacrifices for sin;

   and twenty-four bulls, sixty full-grown rams, sixty goats, and sixty rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing.

    ⁸⁹Whenever Moses needed to talk with the LORD, he went into the sacred tent, where he heard the LORD's voice coming from between the two winged creatures above the lid of the sacred chest.

   

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 6:11 sacrifice to please me: This sacrifice has traditionally been called a " whole burnt offering," because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such a sacrifice was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV it is often called " a sacrifice to please the LORD."
2. Numbers 6:14 sacrifice to ask my blessing: This sacrifice has traditionally been called a " peace offering" or an " offering of well-being." A main purpose of such a sacrifice was to ask the LORD's blessing, and so in the CEV it is often called a " sacrifice to ask the LORD's blessing."
3. Numbers 6:20 lift them up: See the note at 5.25.
4. Numbers 7:2 the same men. . . the people: See 1.1-19.
5. Numbers 7:12 sacrifices to please the LORD: See the note at 6.11.
6. Numbers 7:12 goat: Hebrew " male goat."
7. Numbers 7:12 sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing: See the note at 6.14.

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Mark 12:38-13:13 (Contemporary English Version)

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

(Matthew 23.1-36; Luke 20.45-47)

 ³⁸As Jesus was teaching, he said:

   Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes and be greeted in the market. ³⁹They like the front seats in the meeting places and the best seats at banquets. ⁴⁰But they cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all.

   

A Widow's Offering

(Luke 21.1-4)

 ⁴¹Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. ⁴²Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies. ⁴³Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said:

   I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴⁴Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn't have a cent to live on.

   

Mark 13

The Temple Will Be Destroyed

(Matthew 24.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)

 ¹As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these beautiful stones and wonderful buildings!"

    ²Jesus replied, "Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place."

   

Warning about Trouble

(Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19)

 ³Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. ⁴They asked, "When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

    ⁵Jesus answered:

   Watch out and don't let anyone fool you! ⁶Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and fool many people.

    ⁷When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. ⁸Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles.

    ⁹Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their meeting places. And because of me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith. ¹⁰But before the end comes, the good news must be preached to all nations.

    ¹¹When you are arrested, don't worry about what you will say. You will be given the right words when the time comes. But you will not really be the ones speaking. Your words will come from the Holy Spirit.

    ¹²Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. ¹³Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.

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Psalm 49:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 49

(A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)

Don't Depend on Wealth

 ¹Everyone on this earth,

   now listen to what I say!

    ²Listen, no matter who you are,

   rich or poor.

    ³I speak words of wisdom,

   and my thoughts make sense.

    ⁴I have in mind a mystery

   that I will explain

   while playing my harp.

    ⁵Why should I be afraid

   in times of trouble,

   when I am surrounded

   by vicious enemies?

    ⁶They trust in their riches

   and brag about

   all of their wealth.

    ⁷You cannot buy back your life

   or pay off God!

    ⁸It costs far too much

   to buy back your life.

   You can never pay God enough

    ⁹to stay alive forever

   and safe from death.

    ¹⁰We see that wise people die,

   and so do stupid fools.

   Then their money is left

   for someone else.

    ¹¹The grave ^] will be their home forever and ever,

   although they once had land

   of their own.

    ¹²Our human glory disappears,

   and, like animals, we die.

    ¹³Here is what happens to fools

   and to those who trust

   the words of fools:

    ¹⁴They are like sheep

   with death as their shepherd,

   leading them to the grave. ^] In the morning God's people

   will walk all over them,

   as their bodies lie rotting

   in their home, the grave.

    ¹⁵But God will rescue me

   from the power of death.

    ¹⁶Don't let it bother you

   when others get rich

   and live in luxury.

    ¹⁷Soon they will die

   and all of their wealth

   will be left behind.

    ¹⁸We humans are praised

   when we do well,

   and all of us are glad

   to be alive.

    ¹⁹But we each will go down

   to our ancestors,

   never again to see

   the light of day.

    ²⁰Our human glory disappears,

   and, like animals, we die.

   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 49:11 The grave: Some ancient translations; Hebrew " Their inward thoughts."
2. Psalm 49:14 as their. . . grave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 10:27-28 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁷If you respect the LORD,

   you will live longer;

   if you keep doing wrong,

   your life will be cut short.

    ²⁸If you obey the Lord,

   you will be happy,

   but there is no future

   for the wicked.

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Verse of the Day

“[A Prayer of Thanks to God]You, LORD, are my God! I will praise you for doing the wonderful things you had planned and promised since ancient times.” -Isaiah 25:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

19th-century American humorist, Josh Billings wrote, “There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory.”

Bible Readings for December 3, 2016

Today our passages are Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 3:7-24; Psalm 122:1-9; and Proverbs 29:1. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

 

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Daniel 11:2-35 (The Message)

The Kings of the South and the North

 ² "'But now let me tell you the truth of how things stand: Three more kings of Persia will show up, and then a fourth will become richer than all of them. When he senses that he is powerful enough as a result of his wealth, he will go to war against the entire kingdom of Greece.  ^3-4 "'Then a powerful king will show up and take over a huge territory and run things just as he pleases. But at the height of his power, with everything seemingly under control, his kingdom will split into four parts, like the four points of the compass. But his heirs won't get in on it. There will be no continuity with his kingship. Others will tear it to pieces and grab whatever they can get for themselves.
 ^5-6 "'Next the king of the south will grow strong, but one of his princes will grow stronger than he and rule an even larger territory. After a few years, the two of them will make a pact, and the daughter of the king of the south will marry the king of the north to cement the peace agreement. But her influence will weaken and her child will not survive. She and her servants, her child, and her husband will be betrayed.
 ^6-9 "'Sometime later a member of the royal family will show up and take over. He will take command of his army and invade the defenses of the king of the north and win a resounding victory. He will load up their tin gods and all the gold and silver trinkets that go with them and cart them off to Egypt. Eventually, the king of the north will recover and invade the country of the king of the south, but unsuccessfully. He will have to retreat.
 ¹⁰ "'But then his sons will raise a huge army and rush down like a flood, a torrential attack, on the defenses of the south.
 ^11-13 "'Furious, the king of the south will come out and engage the king of the north and his huge army in battle and rout them. As the corpses are cleared from the field, the king, inflamed with bloodlust, will go on a bloodletting rampage, massacring tens of thousands. But his victory won't last long, for the king of the north will put together another army bigger than the last one, and after a few years he'll come back to do battle again with his immense army and endless supplies.
 ¹⁴ "'In those times, many others will get into the act and go off to fight against the king of the south. Hotheads from your own people, drunk on dreams, will join them. But they'll sputter out.
 ^15-17 "'When the king of the north arrives, he'll build siege works and capture the outpost fortress city. The armies of the south will fall to pieces before him. Not even their famous commando shock troops will slow down the attacker. He'll march in big as you please, as if he owned the place. He'll take over that beautiful country, Palestine, and make himself at home in it. Then he'll proceed to get everything, lock, stock, and barrel, in his control. He'll cook up a peace treaty and even give his daughter in marriage to the king of the south in a plot to destroy him totally. But the plot will fizzle. It won't succeed.
 ^18-19 "'Later, he'll turn his attention to the coastal regions and capture a bunch of prisoners, but a general will step in and put a stop to his bullying ways. The bully will be bullied! He'll go back home and tend to his own military affairs. But by then he'll be washed up and soon will be heard of no more.
 ²⁰ "'He will be replaced shortly by a real loser, his rule, reputation, and authority already in shreds. And he won't last long. He'll slip out of history quietly, without even a fight.
 ^21-24 "'His place will be taken by a reject, a man spurned and passed over for advancement. He'll surprise everyone, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and will seize the kingdom. He'll come in like a steamroller, flattening the opposition. Even the Prince of the Covenant will be crushed. After negotiating a cease-fire, he'll betray its terms. With a few henchmen, he'll take total control. Arbitrarily and impulsively, he'll invade the richest provinces. He'll surpass all his ancestors, near and distant, in his rape of the country, grabbing and looting, living with his cronies in corrupt and lavish luxury.
 ^24-26 "'He will make plans against the fortress cities, but they'll turn out to be shortsighted. He'll get a great army together, all charged up to fight the king of the south. The king of the south in response will get his army—an even greater army—in place, ready to fight. But he won't be able to sustain that intensity for long because of the treacherous intrigue in his own ranks, his court having been honeycombed with vicious plots. His army will be smashed, the battlefield filled with corpses.
 ²⁷ "'The two kings, each with evil designs on the other, will sit at the conference table and trade lies. Nothing will come of the treaty, which is nothing but a tissue of lies anyway. But that's not the end of it. There's more to this story.
 ²⁸ "'The king of the north will go home loaded down with plunder, but his mind will be set on destroying the holy covenant as he passes through the country on his way home.
 ^29-32 "'One year later he will mount a fresh invasion of the south. But the second invasion won't compare to the first. When the Roman ships arrive, he will turn tail and go back home. But as he passes through the country, he will be filled with anger at the holy covenant. He will take up with all those who betray the holy covenant, favoring them. The bodyguards surrounding him will march in and desecrate the Sanctuary and citadel. They'll throw out the daily worship and set up in its place the obscene sacrilege. The king of the north will play up to those who betray the holy covenant, corrupting them even further with his seductive talk, but those who stay courageously loyal to their God will take a strong stand.
 ^33-35 "'Those who keep their heads on straight will teach the crowds right from wrong by their example. They'll be put to severe testing for a season: some killed, some burned, some exiled, some robbed. When the testing is intense, they'll get some help, but not much. Many of the helpers will be halfhearted at best. The testing will refine, cleanse, and purify those who keep their heads on straight and stay true, for there is still more to come.

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1 John 3:7-24 (The Message)

 ^7-8So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from the truth. It's the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil's ways.
 ^9-10People conceived and brought into life by God don't make a practice of sin. How could they? God's seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It's not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. Here's how you tell the difference between God's children and the Devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister. A simple test.
 ¹¹For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.
 ^12-13We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.
 ^14-15The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together.
 ^16-17This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

When We Practice Real Love

 ^18-20My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.  ^21-24And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

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Psalm 122:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 122

A Pilgrim Song of David

 ^1-2 When they said, "Let's go to the house of God," my heart leaped for joy.
   And now we're here, O Jerusalem,
      inside Jerusalem's walls!

 ^3-5 Jerusalem, well-built city,
      built as a place for worship!
   The city to which the tribes ascend,
      all God's tribes go up to worship,
   To give thanks to the name of God—
      this is what it means to be Israel.
   Thrones for righteous judgment
      are set there, famous David-thrones.

 ^6-9 Pray for Jerusalem's peace!
      Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!
   Friendly insiders, get along!
      Hostile outsiders, keep your distance!
   For the sake of my family and friends,
      I say it again: live in peace!
   For the sake of the house of our God, God,
      I'll do my very best for you.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty.” - John 6:35

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Famous humor writer and lecturer in the United States, Josh Billings wrote, “Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.”