Bible Readings for June 14, 2016

Today our passages are 1 Kings 12:20–13:34; Acts 9:26-43; Psalm 132:1-18; and Proverbs 17:6. 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.

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1 Kings 12:20-13:34 (The Message)

Jeroboam of Israel

²⁰ When the word was out that Jeroboam was back and available, the assembled people invited him and inaugurated him king over all Israel. The only tribe left to the Davidic dynasty was Judah.  ²¹ When Rehoboam got back to Jerusalem, he called up the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a 180,000 of their best soldiers, to go to war against Israel and recover the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.
 ^22-24 At this time the word of God came to Shemaiah, a man of God: "Tell this to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, along with everyone in Judah and Benjamin and anyone else who is around: This is God's word: Don't march out; don't fight against your brothers the Israelites; go back home, every last one of you; I'm in charge here." And they did it; they did what God said and went home.

²⁵ Jeroboam made a fort at Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and made that his headquarters. He also built a fort at Penuel.
 ^26-27 But then Jeroboam thought, "It won't be long before the kingdom is reunited under David. As soon as these people resume worship at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, they'll start thinking of Rehoboam king of Judah as their ruler. They'll then kill me and go back to King Rehoboam."
 ^28-30 So the king came up with a plan: He made two golden calves. Then he announced, "It's too much trouble for you to go to Jerusalem to worship. Look at these—the gods who brought you out of Egypt!" He put one calf in Bethel; the other he placed in Dan. This was blatant sin. Think of it—people traveling all the way to Dan to worship a calf!
 ^31-33 And that wasn't the end of it. Jeroboam built forbidden shrines all over the place and recruited priests from wherever he could find them, regardless of whether they were fit for the job or not. To top it off, he created a holy New Year festival to be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month to replace the one in Judah, complete with worship offered on the Altar at Bethel and sacrificing before the calves he had set up there. He staffed Bethel with priests from the local shrines he had made. This was strictly his own idea to compete with the feast in Judah; and he carried it off with flair, a festival exclusively for Israel, Jeroboam himself leading the worship at the Altar.

1 Kings 13

 ^1-3 And then this happened: Just as Jeroboam was at the Altar, about to make an offering, a holy man came from Judah by God's command and preached (these were God's orders) to the Altar: "Altar, Altar! God's message! 'A son will be born into David's family named Josiah. The priests from the shrines who are making offerings on you, he will sacrifice—on you! Human bones burned on you!'" At the same time he announced a sign: "This is the proof God gives—the Altar will split into pieces and the holy offerings spill into the dirt."  ^4-5 When the king heard the message the holy man preached against the Altar at Bethel, he reached out to grab him, yelling, "Arrest him!" But his arm was paralyzed and hung useless. At the same time the Altar broke apart and the holy offerings all spilled into the dirt—the very sign the holy man had announced by God's command.
 ⁶ The king pleaded with the holy man, "Help me! Pray to your God for the healing of my arm." The holy man prayed for him and the king's arm was healed—as good as new!
 ⁷ Then the king invited the holy man, "Join me for a meal; I have a gift for you."
 ^8-10 The holy man told the king, "Not on your life! You couldn't pay me enough to get me to sit down with you at a meal in this place. I'm here under God's orders, and he commanded, 'Don't eat a crumb, don't drink a drop, and don't go back the way you came.'" Then he left by a different road than the one on which he had walked to Bethel.
 ¹¹ There was an old prophet who lived in Bethel. His sons came and told him the story of what the holy man had done that day in Bethel, told him everything that had happened and what the holy man had said to the king.
 ¹² Their father said, "Which way did he go?" His sons pointed out the road that the holy man from Judah had taken.
 ^13-14 He told his sons, "Saddle my donkey." When they had saddled it, he got on and rode after the holy man. He found him sitting under an oak tree.
    He asked him, "Are you the holy man who came from Judah?"
    "Yes, I am," he said.
 ¹⁵ "Well, come home with me and have a meal."
 ^16-17 "Sorry, I can't do that," the holy man said. "I can neither go back with you nor eat with you in this country. I'm under strict orders from God: 'Don't eat a crumb; don't drink a drop; and don't come back the way you came.'"
 ^18-19 But he said, "I am also a prophet, just like you. And an angel came to me with a message from God: 'Bring him home with you, and give him a good meal!'" But the man was lying. So the holy man went home with him and they had a meal together.
 ^20-22 There they were, sitting at the table together, when the word of God came to the prophet who had brought him back. He confronted the holy man who had come from Judah: "God's word to you: You disobeyed God's command; you didn't keep the strict orders your God gave you; you came back and sat down to a good meal in the very place God told you, 'Don't eat a crumb; don't drink a drop.' For that you're going to die far from home and not be buried in your ancestral tomb."
 ^23-25 When the meal was over, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. Down the road a way, a lion met him and killed him. His corpse lay crumpled on the road, the lion on one side and the donkey on the other. Some passersby saw the corpse in a heap on the road, with the lion standing guard beside it. They went to the village where the old prophet lived and told what they had seen.
 ²⁶ When the prophet who had gotten him off track heard it, he said, "It's the holy man who disobeyed God's strict orders. God turned him over to the lion who knocked him around and killed him, just as God had told him."
 ^27-30 The prophet told his sons, "Saddle my donkey." They did it. He rode out and found the corpse in a heap in the road, with the lion and the donkey standing there. The lion hadn't bothered either the corpse or the donkey. The old prophet loaded the corpse of the holy man on his donkey and returned it to his own town to give it a decent burial. He placed the body in his own tomb. The people mourned, saying, "A sad day, brother!"
 ^31-32 After the funeral, the prophet said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the same tomb where the holy man is buried, my bones alongside his bones. The message that he preached by God's command against the Altar at Bethel and against all the sex-and-religion shrines in the towns of Samaria will come true."
 ^33-34 After this happened, Jeroboam kept right on doing evil, recruiting priests for the forbidden shrines indiscriminately—anyone who wanted to could be a priest at one of the local shrines. This was the root sin of Jeroboam's government. And it was this that ruined him.

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Acts 9:26-43 (The Message)

 ^26-27Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn't trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus' name.
 ^28-30After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. But then he ran afoul of a group called Hellenists—he had been engaged in a running argument with them—who plotted his murder. When his friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town, took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus.
 ³¹Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country—Judea, Samaria, Galilee—the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.

Tabitha

 ^32-35Peter went off on a mission to visit all the churches. In the course of his travels he arrived in Lydda and met with the believers there. He came across a man—his name was Aeneas—who had been in bed eight years paralyzed. Peter said, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!" And he did it—jumped right out of bed. Everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him walking around and woke up to the fact that God was alive and active among them.  ^36-37Down the road a way in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, "Gazelle" in our language. She was well-known for doing good and helping out. During the time Peter was in the area she became sick and died. Her friends prepared her body for burial and put her in a cool room.
 ^38-40Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was visiting in nearby Lydda and sent two men to ask if he would be so kind as to come over. Peter got right up and went with them. They took him into the room where Tabitha's body was laid out. Her old friends, most of them widows, were in the room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had made while she was with them. Peter put the widows all out of the room. He knelt and prayed. Then he spoke directly to the body: "Tabitha, get up."
 ^40-41She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. He took her hand and helped her up. Then he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive.
 ^42-43When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner.

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Psalm 132:1-18 (The Message)

Psalm 132

A Pilgrim Song

 ^1-5 O God, remember David, remember all his troubles!
   And remember how he promised God,
      made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob,
   "I'm not going home,
      and I'm not going to bed,
   I'm not going to sleep,
      not even take time to rest,
   Until I find a home for God,
      a house for the Strong God of Jacob."

 ^6-7 Remember how we got the news in Ephrathah,
      learned all about it at Jaar Meadows?
   We shouted, "Let's go to the shrine dedication!
      Let's worship at God's own footstool!"

 ^8-10 Up, God, enjoy your new place of quiet repose,
      you and your mighty covenant ark;
   Get your priests all dressed up in justice;
      prompt your worshipers to sing this prayer:
   "Honor your servant David;
      don't disdain your anointed one."

 ^11-18 God gave David his word,
      he won't back out on this promise:
   "One of your sons
      I will set on your throne;
   If your sons stay true to my Covenant
      and learn to live the way I teach them,
   Their sons will continue the line—
      always a son to sit on your throne.
   Yes—I, God, chose Zion,
      the place I wanted for my shrine;
   This will always be my home;
      this is what I want, and I'm here for good.
   I'll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here,
      and give supper to those who arrive hungry;
   I'll dress my priests in salvation clothes;
      the holy people will sing their hearts out!
   Oh, I'll make the place radiant for David!
      I'll fill it with light for my anointed!
   I'll dress his enemies in dirty rags,
      but I'll make his crown sparkle with splendor."

 

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Proverbs 17:6 (The Message)

 ⁶ Old people are distinguished by grandchildren;
   children take pride in their parents.

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Verse of the Day
“But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ” - Philippians 3:20

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer of the New York Pen League, Khalil Gibran wrote, “Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.”

Bible Readings for November 1, 2014

Today our passages are Ezekiel 1:1–3:15; Hebrews 3:1-19; Psalm 104:1-23; and Proverbs 26:24-26. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Ezekiel 1-3:15 (The Message)

Ezekiel 1

Wheels Within Wheels, Like a Gyroscope

 ¹When I was thirty years of age, I was living with the exiles on the Kebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the sky opened up and I saw visions of God.  ^2-3 (It was the fifth day of the month in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin that God's Word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, on the banks of the Kebar River in the country of Babylon. God's hand came upon him that day.)
 ^4-9 I looked: I saw an immense dust storm come from the north, an immense cloud with lightning flashing from it, a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze. Within the fire were what looked like four creatures vibrant with life. Each had the form of a human being, but each also had four faces and four wings. Their legs were as sturdy and straight as columns, but their feet were hoofed like those of a calf and sparkled from the fire like burnished bronze. On all four sides under their wings they had human hands. All four had both faces and wings, with the wings touching one another. They turned neither one way nor the other; they went straight forward.
 ^10-12 Their faces looked like this: In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in back the face of an eagle. So much for the faces. The wings were spread out with the tips of one pair touching the creature on either side; the other pair of wings covered its body. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They didn't turn as they went.
 ^13-14 The four creatures looked like a blazing fire, or like fiery torches. Tongues of fire shot back and forth between the creatures, and out of the fire, bolts of lightning. The creatures flashed back and forth like strikes of lightning.
 ^15-16 As I watched the four creatures, I saw something that looked like a wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures. This is what the wheels looked like: They were identical wheels, sparkling like diamonds in the sun. It looked like they were wheels within wheels, like a gyroscope.
 ^17-21 They went in any one of the four directions they faced, but straight, not veering off. The rims were immense, circled with eyes. When the living creatures went, the wheels went; when the living creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off. Wherever the spirit went, they went, the wheels sticking right with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures went, the wheels went; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; when the creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
 ^22-24 Over the heads of the living creatures was something like a dome, shimmering like a sky full of cut glass, vaulted over their heads. Under the dome one set of wings was extended toward the others, with another set of wings covering their bodies. When they moved I heard their wings—it was like the roar of a great waterfall, like the voice of The Strong God, like the noise of a battlefield. When they stopped, they folded their wings.
 ^25-28 And then, as they stood with folded wings, there was a voice from above the dome over their heads. Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne. From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere! The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day—that's what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God!
    When I saw all this, I fell to my knees, my face to the ground. Then I heard a voice.

Ezekiel 2

 ¹ It said, "Son of man, stand up. I have something to say to you." ² The moment I heard the voice, the Spirit entered me and put me on my feet. As he spoke to me, I listened. ^3-7 He said, "Son of man, I'm sending you to the family of Israel, a rebellious nation if there ever was one. They and their ancestors have fomented rebellion right up to the present. They're a hard case, these people to whom I'm sending you—hardened in their sin. Tell them, 'This is the Message of God, the Master.' They are a defiant bunch. Whether or not they listen, at least they'll know that a prophet's been here. But don't be afraid of them, son of man, and don't be afraid of anything they say. Don't be afraid when living among them is like stepping on thorns or finding scorpions in your bed. Don't be afraid of their mean words or their hard looks. They're a bunch of rebels. Your job is to speak to them. Whether they listen is not your concern. They're hardened rebels.  ⁸ "Only take care, son of man, that you don't rebel like these rebels. Open your mouth and eat what I give you."
 ^9-10 When I looked he had his hand stretched out to me, and in the hand a book, a scroll. He unrolled the scroll. On both sides, front and back, were written lamentations and mourning and doom.

Ezekiel 3

Warn These People

 ¹ He told me, "Son of man, eat what you see. Eat this book. Then go and speak to the family of Israel." ^2-3 As I opened my mouth, he gave me the scroll to eat, saying, "Son of man, eat this book that I am giving you. Make a full meal of it!" So I ate it. It tasted so good—just like honey.  ^4-6 Then he told me, "Son of man, go to the family of Israel and speak my Message. Look, I'm not sending you to a people who speak a hard-to-learn language with words you can hardly pronounce. If I had sent you to such people, their ears would have perked up and they would have listened immediately.
 ^7-9 "But it won't work that way with the family of Israel. They won't listen to you because they won't listen to me. They are, as I said, a hard case, hardened in their sin. But I'll make you as hard in your way as they are in theirs. I'll make your face as hard as rock, harder than granite. Don't let them intimidate you. Don't be afraid of them, even though they're a bunch of rebels."
 ^10-11 Then he said, "Son of man, get all these words that I'm giving you inside you. Listen to them obediently. Make them your own. And now go. Go to the exiles, your people, and speak. Tell them, 'This is the Message of God, the Master.' Speak your piece, whether they listen or not."
 ^12-13 Then the Spirit picked me up. Behind me I heard a great commotion—"Blessed be the Glory of God in his Sanctuary!"—the wings of the living creatures beating against each other, the whirling wheels, the rumble of a great earthquake.
 ^14-15 The Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went bitterly and angrily. I didn't want to go. But God had me in his grip. I arrived among the exiles who lived near the Kebar River at Tel Aviv. I came to where they were living and sat there for seven days, appalled.

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Hebrews 3:1-19 (The Message)

Hebrews 3

The Centerpiece of All We Believe

 ^1-6So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.  ^6-11Now, if we can only keep a firm grip on this bold confidence, we're the house! That's why the Holy Spirit says,

   Today, please listen;
      don't turn a deaf ear as in "the bitter uprising,"
      that time of wilderness testing!
   Even though they watched me at work for forty years,
      your ancestors refused to let me do it my way;
      over and over they tried my patience.
   And I was provoked, oh, so provoked!
      I said, "They'll never keep their minds on God;
      they refuse to walk down my road."
   Exasperated, I vowed,
      "They'll never get where they're going,
      never be able to sit down and rest."
 ^12-14So watch your step, friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it's still God's Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we're in this with Christ for the long haul.
   These words keep ringing in our ears:

   Today, please listen;
      don't turn a deaf ear as in the bitter uprising.
^15-19For who were the people who turned a deaf ear? Weren't they the very ones Moses led out of Egypt? And who was God provoked with for forty years? Wasn't it those who turned a deaf ear and ended up corpses in the wilderness? And when he swore that they'd never get where they were going, wasn't he talking to the ones who turned a deaf ear? They never got there because they never listened, never believed.

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Psalm 104:1-23 (The Message)

Psalm 104

    O my soul, bless God! God, my God, how great you are!
      beautifully, gloriously robed,
   Dressed up in sunshine,
      and all heaven stretched out for your tent.
   You built your palace on the ocean deeps,
      made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings.
   You commandeered winds as messengers,
      appointed fire and flame as ambassadors.
   You set earth on a firm foundation
      so that nothing can shake it, ever.
   You blanketed earth with ocean,
      covered the mountains with deep waters;
   Then you roared and the water ran away—
      your thunder crash put it to flight.
   Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out
      in the places you assigned them.
   You set boundaries between earth and sea;
      never again will earth be flooded.
   You started the springs and rivers,
      sent them flowing among the hills.
   All the wild animals now drink their fill,
      wild donkeys quench their thirst.
   Along the riverbanks the birds build nests,
      ravens make their voices heard.
   You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns;
      earth is supplied with plenty of water.
   You make grass grow for the livestock,
      hay for the animals that plow the ground.

 ^14-23 Oh yes, God brings grain from the land,
      wine to make people happy,
   Their faces glowing with health,
      a people well-fed and hearty.
   God's trees are well-watered—
      the Lebanon cedars he planted.
   Birds build their nests in those trees;
      look—the stork at home in the treetop.
   Mountain goats climb about the cliffs;
      badgers burrow among the rocks.
   The moon keeps track of the seasons,
      the sun is in charge of each day.
   When it's dark and night takes over,
      all the forest creatures come out.
   The young lions roar for their prey,
      clamoring to God for their supper.
   When the sun comes up, they vanish,
      lazily stretched out in their dens.
   Meanwhile, men and women go out to work,
      busy at their jobs until evening.

 

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Proverbs 26:24-26 (The Message)

 ^24-26 Your enemy shakes hands and greets you like an old friend,
   all the while conniving against you.
When he speaks warmly to you, don't believe him for a minute;
   he's just waiting for the chance to rip you off.
No matter how cunningly he conceals his malice,
   eventually his evil will be exposed in public.

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Verse of the Day

“My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people.” - Ephesians 1:18

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Lebanese artist, poet, and writer, Khalil Gibran wrote, “Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.”

Bible Readings for September 1, 2013

Today our passages are Job 40:1–42:17; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Psalm 45:1-17; and Proverbs 22:14. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Job 40-42:17 (Contemporary English Version)

Job 40

The LORD Continues

I Am the LORD All-Powerful

 ¹I am the LORD All-Powerful,     ²but you have argued
   that I am wrong.
   Now you must answer me.
    ³Job said to the LORD:
    ⁴Who am I to answer you?
    ⁵I did speak once or twice,
   but never again.
    ⁶Then out of the storm
   the LORD said to Job:
    ⁷Face me and answer
   the questions I ask!
    ⁸Are you trying to prove
   that you are innocent
   by accusing me of injustice?
    ⁹Do you have a powerful arm
   and a thundering voice
   that compare with mine?
    ¹⁰If so, then surround yourself
   with glory and majesty.
    ¹¹Show your furious anger!
   Throw down and crush
    ¹²all who are proud and evil.
    ¹³Wrap them in grave clothes
   and bury them together
   in the dusty soil.
    ¹⁴Do this, and I will agree
   that you have won
   this argument.
   

I Created You

 ¹⁵I created both you    and the hippopotamus. ^[a] It eats only grass like an ox,
    ¹⁶but look at the mighty muscles
   in its body ¹⁷and legs.
   Its tail is like a cedar tree,
   and its thighs are thick.
    ¹⁸The bones in its legs
   are like bronze or iron.
    ¹⁹I made it more powerful
   than any other creature,
   yet I am stronger still.
    ²⁰Undisturbed, it eats grass
   while the other animals
   play nearby. ^{[b] 21}It rests in the shade of trees
   along the riverbank
    ²²or hides among reeds
   in the swamp.
    ²³It remains calm and unafraid
   with the Jordan River rushing
   and splashing in its face.
    ²⁴There is no way to capture
   a hippopotamus--
   not even by hooking its nose
   or blinding its eyes.
   

Job 41

The LORD Continues

Can You Catch a Sea Monster?

 ¹Can you catch a sea monster ^[c] by using a fishhook?    Can you tie its mouth shut
   with a rope?
    ²Can it be led around
   by a ring in its nose
   or a hook in its jaw?
    ³Will it beg for mercy?
    ⁴Will it surrender
   as a slave for life?
    ⁵Can it be tied by the leg
   like a pet bird
   for little girls?
    ⁶Is it ever chopped up
   and its pieces bargained for
   in the fish-market?
    ⁷Can it be killed
   with harpoons or spears?
    ⁸Wrestle it just once--
   that will be the end.
    ⁹Merely a glimpse of this monster
   makes all courage melt.
    ¹⁰And if it is too fierce
   for anyone to attack,
   who would dare oppose me?
    ¹¹I am in command of the world
   and in debt to no one.
    ¹²What powerful legs,
   what a stout body
   this monster possesses!
    ¹³Who could strip off its armor
   or bring it under control
   with a harness?
    ¹⁴Who would try to open its jaws,
   full of fearsome teeth?
    ¹⁵Its back ^[d] is covered with shield after shield,
    ¹⁶firmly bound and closer together
    ¹⁷than breath to breath.
   

When This Monster Sneezes

 ¹⁸When this monster sneezes,    lightning flashes,
   and its eyes
   glow like the dawn.
    ¹⁹Sparks and fiery flames
   explode from its mouth.
    ²⁰And smoke spews from its nose
   like steam
   from a boiling pot,
    ²¹while its blazing breath
   scorches everything in sight.
    ²²Its neck is so tremendous
   that everyone trembles,
    ²³the weakest parts of its body
   are harder than iron,
    ²⁴and its heart is stone.
    ²⁵When this noisy monster appears,
   even the most powerful ^[e] turn and run in fear.
    ²⁶No sword or spear can harm it,
    ²⁷and weapons of bronze or iron
   are as useless
   as straw
   or rotten wood.
    ²⁸Rocks thrown from a sling
   cause it no more harm
   than husks of grain.
   This monster fears no arrows,
    ²⁹it simply smiles at spears,
   and striking it with a stick
   is like slapping it with straw.
    ³⁰As it crawls through the mud,
   its sharp and spiny hide
   tears the ground apart.
    ³¹And when it swims down deep,
   the sea starts churning
   like boiling oil,
    ³²and it leaves behind a trail
   of shining white foam.
    ³³No other creature on earth
   is so fearless.
    ³⁴It is king of all proud creatures,
   and it looks upon the others
   as nothing.
   

Job 42

Job's Reply to the LORD

No One Can Oppose You

 ¹Job said:     ²No one can oppose you,
   because you have the power
   to do what you want.
    ³You asked why I talk so much
   when I know so little.
   I have talked about things
   that are far beyond
   my understanding.
    ⁴You told me to listen
   and answer your questions. ^{[f] 5}I heard about you from others;
   now I have seen you
   with my own eyes.
    ⁶That's why I hate myself
   and sit here in dust and ashes
   to show my sorrow.
   

The LORD Corrects Job's Friends

 ⁷The LORD said to Eliphaz:    What my servant Job has said about me is true, but I am angry at you and your two friends for not telling the truth. ⁸So I want you to go over to Job and offer seven bulls and seven goats on an altar as a sacrifice to please me. ^[g] After this, Job will pray, and I will agree not to punish you for your foolishness. ⁹Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar obeyed the LORD, and he answered Job's prayer.
   

A Happy Ending

 ¹⁰After Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made Job twice as rich as he had been before. ¹¹Then Job gave a feast for his brothers and sisters and for his old friends. They expressed their sorrow for the suffering the LORD had brought on him, and they each gave Job some silver and a gold ring.     ¹²The LORD now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.
    ¹³In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters, ¹⁴whose names were Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren Happuch. ¹⁵They were the most beautiful women in that part of the world, and Job gave them shares of his property, along with their brothers.
    ¹⁶Job lived for another one hundred forty years--long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own-- ¹⁷and when he finally died, he was very old.
   

Footnotes:

1. Job 40:15 the hippopotamus: The Hebrew text has "Behemoth," which was sometimes understood to be a sea monster like Rahab (9.13; 26.12), Leviathan (3.8; 41.1), and Tannin (7.12).
2. Job 40:20 nearby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.
3. Job 41:1 sea monster: The Hebrew text has "Leviathan," which may refer to a sea monster or possibly to a crocodile in this verse (see the note at 3.8).
4. Job 41:15 back: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "pride."
5. Job 41:25 most powerful: Or "gods."
6. Job 42:4 questions: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.
7. Job 42:8 sacrifice to please me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called "whole burnt offerings" because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called "sacrifices to please the LORD."

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2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Bringing People to God

 ¹¹We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to him. God himself knows what we are like, and I hope you also know what kind of people we are. ¹²We are not trying once more to brag about ourselves. But we want you to be proud of us, when you are with those who are not sincere and brag about what others think of them.     ¹³If we seem out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. ¹⁴We are ruled by Christ's love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. ¹⁵And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.
    ¹⁶We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way. ¹⁷Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. ¹⁸God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
    ¹⁹What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. ²⁰We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. ²¹Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.

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Psalm 45:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 45

(A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies." A love song.)

For a Royal Wedding

 ¹My thoughts are filled    with beautiful words
   for the king,
   and I will use my voice
   as a writer would use
   pen and ink.
    ²No one is as handsome as you!
   Your words are always kind.
   That is why God
   will always bless you.
    ³Mighty king, glorious ruler,
   strap on your sword
    ⁴and ride out in splendor!
   Win victories for truth
   and mercy and justice.
   Do fearsome things
   with your powerful arm.
    ⁵Send your sharp arrows
   through enemy hearts
   and make all nations fall
   at your feet.
    ⁶You are God, and you will rule
   forever as king. ^[a] Your royal power
   brings about justice.
    ⁷You love justice and hate evil.
   And so, your God chose you
   and made you happier
   than any of your friends.
    ⁸The sweet aroma of the spices
   myrrh, aloes, and cassia,
   covers your royal robes.
   You enjoy the music of harps
   in palaces decorated
   with ivory.
    ⁹Daughters of kings are here,
   and your bride stands
   at your right side,
   wearing a wedding gown
   trimmed with pure gold. ^{[b] 10}Bride of the king,
   listen carefully to me.
   Forget your own people
   and your father's family.
    ¹¹The king is your husband,
   so do what he desires.
    ¹²All of the richest people
   from the city of Tyre
   will try to influence you
    ¹³with precious treasures.
   Your bride, my king,
   has inward beauty, ^[c] and her wedding gown is woven
   with threads of gold.
    ¹⁴Wearing the finest garments,
   she is brought to you,
   followed by her young friends,
   the bridesmaids.
    ¹⁵Everyone is excited,
   as they follow you
   to the royal palace.
    ¹⁶Your sons and your grandsons
   will also be kings
   as your ancestors were.
   You will make them the rulers
   everywhere on earth.
    ¹⁷I will make your name famous
   from now on,
   and you will be praised
   forever and ever.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 45:6 You. . . king: Or " God has made you king, and you will rule forever."
2. Psalm 45:9 trimmed with pure gold: Hebrew has " with gold from Ophir," which may have been in Africa or India. Gold from there was considered the very best.
3. Psalm 45:13 has inward beauty: Or " is dressed in her room."

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Proverbs 22:14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴The words of a bad woman
   are like a deep pit;
   if you make the LORD angry,
   you will fall right in.

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Verse of the Day

“Teach your children right from wrong, and when they are grown they will still do right.” - Proverbs 22:6

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Khalil Gibran,  Lebanese artist, poet, and writer, wrote, “Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.”

Bible Readings for June 28, 2013

Today our passages are 2 Kings 13:1–14:29; Acts 18:23–19:12; Psalm 146:1-10; and Proverbs 18:2-3. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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2 Kings 13-14:29 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Kings 13

King Jehoahaz of Israel

 ¹Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in the twenty-third year of Joash's rule in Judah. Jehoahaz ruled seventeen years from Samaria ²and disobeyed the LORD by doing wrong. He never stopped following the example of Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ³The LORD was angry at the Israelites, so he let King Hazael of Syria and his son Benhadad rule over them for a long time. ⁴Jehoahaz prayed to the LORD for help, and the LORD saw how terribly Hazael was treating the Israelites. He answered Jehoahaz ⁵by sending Israel a leader who rescued them from the Syrians, ^[a] and the Israelites lived in peace as they had before. ^6-7But Hazael had defeated Israel's army so badly that Jehoahaz had only ten chariots, fifty cavalry troops, and ten thousand regular soldiers left in his army. The Israelites kept sinning and following the example of Jeroboam's family. They did not tear down the sacred poles ^[b] that had been set up in Samaria for the worship of the goddess Asherah. ⁸Everything else Jehoahaz did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ⁹Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoash became king.
   

King Jehoash of Israel

 ¹⁰Jehoash became king of Israel in the thirty-seventh year of Joash's rule in Judah, and he ruled sixteen years from Samaria. ¹¹He disobeyed the LORD by doing just like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ¹²Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his war against King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ¹³Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.
   

Elisha the Prophet Dies

 ¹⁴Some time before the death of King Jehoash, Elisha the prophet was very sick and about to die. Jehoash went in and stood beside him, crying. He said, "Master, what will Israel's chariots and cavalry be able to do without you?" ^{[c] 15-16}"Grab a bow and some arrows," Elisha told him, "and hold them in your hand." Jehoash grabbed the bow and arrows and held them. Elisha placed his hand on the king's hand ¹⁷and said, "Open the window facing east." When it was open, Elisha shouted, "Now shoot!" Jehoash shot an arrow and Elisha said, "That arrow is a sign that the LORD will help you completely defeat the Syrian army at Aphek."     ¹⁸Elisha said, "Pick up the arrows and hit the ground with them." Jehoash grabbed the arrows and hit the ground three times, then stopped. ¹⁹Elisha became angry at the king and exclaimed, "If you had struck it five or six times, you would completely wipe out the Syrians. Now you will defeat them only three times."
    ²⁰Elisha died and was buried.
   Every year in the spring, Moab's leaders sent raiding parties into Israel. ²¹Once, while some Israelites were burying a man's body, they saw a group of Moabites. The Israelites quickly threw the body into Elisha's tomb and ran away. As soon as the man's body touched the bones of Elisha, the man came back to life and stood up.
   

Israel Defeats Syria

 ²²Israel was under the power of King Hazael of Syria during the entire rule of Jehoahaz. ²³But the LORD was kind to the Israelites and showed them mercy because of his solemn agreement with their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, he has never turned his back on them or let them be completely destroyed.     ²⁴Hazael died, and his son Benhadad then became king of Syria. ²⁵King Jehoash of Israel attacked and defeated the Syrian army three times. He took back from Benhadad all the towns Hazael had captured in battle from his father Jehoahaz.
   

2 Kings 14

King Amaziah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 25.1-24)

 ¹Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah in the second year of Jehoash's rule in Israel. ²Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled twenty-nine years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jehoaddin.     ³Amaziah followed the example of his father Joash by obeying the LORD and doing right. But he was not as faithful as his ancestor David. ⁴Amaziah did not destroy the local shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.
    ⁵As soon as Amaziah had control of Judah, he arrested and killed the officers who had murdered his father. ⁶But the children of those officers were not killed. The LORD had commanded in the Law of Moses that only the people who sinned were to be punished, not their parents or children. ^{[d] 7}While Amaziah was king, he killed ten thousand Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley. He captured the town of Sela and renamed it Joktheel, which is still its name.
    ⁸One day, Amaziah sent a message to King Jehoash of Israel: "Come out and face me in battle!"
    ⁹Jehoash sent back this reply:
   Once upon a time, a small thornbush in Lebanon announced that his son was going to marry the daughter of a large cedar tree. But a wild animal came along and trampled the small bush.
    ¹⁰Amaziah, you think you're so powerful because you defeated Edom. Go ahead and celebrate--but stay at home. If you cause any trouble, both you and your kingdom of Judah will be destroyed.
    ¹¹But Amaziah refused to listen. So Jehoash and his troops marched to the town of Beth-Shemesh in Judah to attack Amaziah and his troops. ¹²During the battle, Judah's army was crushed. Every soldier from Judah ran back home, ¹³and Jehoash captured Amaziah.
   Jehoash then marched to Jerusalem and broke down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to Corner Gate, a section about six hundred feet long. ¹⁴He took the gold and silver, as well as everything of value from the LORD's temple and the king's treasury. He took hostages, then returned to Samaria.
    ¹⁵Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he defeated King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ¹⁶Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.
    ¹⁷Fifteen years after Jehoash died, ^18-20some people in Jerusalem plotted against Amaziah. He was able to escape to the town of Lachish, but another group of people caught him and killed him there. His body was taken back to Jerusalem on horseback and buried beside his ancestors.
   Everything else Amaziah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²¹After his death the people of Judah made his son Azariah king, even though he was only sixteen at the time. ²²Azariah was the one who later recaptured and rebuilt the town of Elath.
   

King Jeroboam the Second of Israel

 ²³Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in the fifteenth year of Amaziah's rule in Judah. Jeroboam ruled forty-one years from Samaria. ²⁴He disobeyed the LORD by following the evil example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ²⁵Jeroboam extended the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-Hamath in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, just as the LORD had promised his servant Jonah son of Amittai, who was a prophet from Gath-Hepher. ²⁶The LORD helped Jeroboam do this because he had seen how terribly the Israelites were suffering, whether slave or free, and no one was left to help them. ²⁷And since the LORD had promised that he would not let Israel be completely destroyed, he helped Jeroboam rescue them.
    ²⁸Everything else Jeroboam did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he recaptured the towns of Damascus and Hamath, ^[e] is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ²⁹Jeroboam died and was buried, and his son Zechariah became king.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 13:5 by sending. . . the Syrians: The name of this leader is not given, but it may refer to Elisha the prophet, King Jehoash of Israel, or his son King Jeroboam.
2. 2 Kings 13:6 sacred poles: Or "trees," used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility.
3. 2 Kings 13:14 Master. . . without you: Or "Master, you were like chariots and cavalry for Israel!"
4. 2 Kings 14:6 The LORD had commanded. . . children: See Deuteronomy 24.16.
5. 2 Kings 14:28 how he recaptured. . . Hamath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Acts 18:23-19:12 (Contemporary English Version)

²³After staying there for a while, he left and visited several places in Galatia and Phrygia. He helped the followers there to become stronger in their faith.
   

Apollos in Ephesus

 ²⁴A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos had been born in the city of Alexandria. He was a very good speaker and knew a lot about the Scriptures. ²⁵He also knew much about the Lord's Way, ^[a] and he spoke about it with great excitement. What he taught about Jesus was right, but all he knew was John's message about baptism. ²⁶Apollos started speaking bravely in the Jewish meeting place. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better.     ²⁷Apollos decided to travel through Achaia. So the Lord's followers wrote letters, encouraging the followers there to welcome him. After Apollos arrived in Achaia, he was a great help to everyone who had put their faith in the Lord Jesus because of God's kindness. ²⁸He got into fierce arguments with the Jewish people, and in public he used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.
   

Acts 19

Paul in Ephesus

 ¹While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord's followers. ²He asked them, "When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?"    "No!" they answered. "We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit."
    ³"Then why were you baptized?" Paul asked.
   They answered, "Because of what John taught." ^{[b] 4}Paul replied, "John baptized people so that they would turn to God. But he also told them that someone else was coming, and that they should put their faith in him. Jesus is the one that John was talking about." ⁵After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and they spoke unknown languages and prophesied. ⁷There were about twelve men in this group.
    ⁸For three months Paul went to the Jewish meeting place and talked bravely with the people about God's kingdom. He tried to win them over, ⁹but some of them were stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone they said terrible things about God's Way. Paul left and took the followers with him to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. He spoke there every day ¹⁰for two years, until every Jew and Gentile ^[c] in Asia had heard the Lord's message.

The Sons of Sceva

 ¹¹God gave Paul the power to work great miracles. ¹²People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul's body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All of the sick people were healed, and the evil spirits went out.    

Footnotes:

1. Acts 18:25 the Lord's Way: See the note at 9.2.
2. Acts 19:3 Then why were you baptized?. . . Because of what John taught: Or "In whose name were you baptized?. . . We were baptized in John's name."
3. Acts 19:10 Gentile(s): The text has "Greek(s)" (see the note at 14.1).

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Psalm 146:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 146

Shout Praises to the LORD

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD!    With all that I am,
   I will shout his praises.
    ²I will sing
   and praise
   the LORD God
   for as long as I live.
    ³You can't depend on anyone,
   not even a great leader.
    ⁴Once they die and are buried,
   that will be the end
   of all their plans.
    ⁵The LORD God of Jacob blesses
   everyone
   who trusts him
   and depends on him.
    ⁶God made heaven and earth;
   he created the sea
   and everything else.
   God always keeps his word.
    ⁷He gives justice to the poor
   and food to the hungry.
   The LORD sets prisoners free
    ⁸and heals blind eyes.
   He gives a helping hand
   to everyone who falls.
   The LORD loves good people
    ⁹and looks after strangers.
   He defends the rights
   of orphans and widows,
   but destroys the wicked.
    ¹⁰The LORD God of Zion
   will rule forever!
   Shout praises to the LORD!

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Proverbs 18:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)

²Fools have no desire to learn;
   they would much rather
   give their own opinion.
    ³Wrongdoing leads to shame
   and disgrace.

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Verse of the Day

“The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” - 2 Peter 3:9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer Khalil Gibran wrote, “We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.”