Bible Readings for June 20, 2017

Today our passages are 1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 13:16-41; Psalm 138:1-8; and Proverbs 17:17-18. 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 22:1-53 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Kings 22

Micaiah Warns Ahab about Disaster

(2 Chronicles 18.2-27)

 ¹For the next three years there was peace between Israel and Syria. ²During the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel.     ³Ahab asked his officials, "Why haven't we tried to get Ramoth in Gilead back from the Syrians? It belongs to us." ⁴Then he asked Jehoshaphat, "Would you go to Ramoth with me and attack the Syrians?"
   "Just tell me what to do," Jehoshaphat answered. "My army and horses are at your command. ⁵But first, let's ask the LORD."
    ⁶Ahab sent for about four hundred prophets and asked, "Should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?"
   "Yes!" the prophets answered. "The Lord will help you defeat them."
    ⁷But Jehoshaphat said, "Just to make sure, is there another of the LORD's prophets we can ask?"
    ⁸"We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah," Ahab said. "But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me."
   "Don't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied. ⁹Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.
    ¹⁰All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria. They were listening to the prophets tell them what the LORD had said.
    ¹¹Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, "Ahab, the LORD says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!"
    ¹²All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth, and they promised that the LORD would help him defeat them.
    ¹³Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, "Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing."
    ¹⁴"I'll say whatever the living LORD tells me to say," Micaiah replied.
    ¹⁵Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, "Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?"
   "Yes!" Micaiah answered. "The LORD will help you defeat them."
    ¹⁶"Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth!" Ahab shouted. "What does the LORD really say?"
    ¹⁷He answered, "In a vision ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The LORD said, `This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight.' " ¹⁸Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "I told you he would bring bad news!"
    ¹⁹Micaiah replied:
   Listen to this! I also saw the LORD seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him. ²⁰The LORD asked, "Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?"
   They talked about it for a while, ²¹then finally a spirit came forward and said to the LORD, "I can trick Ahab."
   "How?" the LORD asked.
    ²²"I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him."
   "Good!" the LORD replied. "Now go and do it."
    ²³This is exactly what has happened, Ahab. The LORD made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.
    ²⁴Zedekiah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him on the face. Then he asked, "Do you really think the LORD would speak to you and not to me?"
    ²⁵Micaiah answered, "You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house."
    ²⁶Ahab shouted, "Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria. ²⁷Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely."
    ²⁸Micaiah said, "If you do come back, I was wrong about what the LORD wanted me to say." Then he told the crowd, "Don't forget what I said!"
   

Ahab Dies at Ramoth

(2 Chronicles 18.28-34)

 ²⁹Ahab and Jehoshaphat led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead. ³⁰Before they went into battle, Ahab said, "Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe." Then Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.     ³¹The king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders to attack only Ahab. ³²So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat shouted out to them, ³³they realized he wasn't Ahab, and they left him alone.
    ³⁴However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab where two pieces of his armor joined. He shouted to his chariot driver, "I've been hit! Get me out of here!"
    ³⁵The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He bled so much that the bottom of the chariot was covered with blood, and by evening he was dead.
    ³⁶As the sun was going down, someone in Israel's army shouted to the others, "Retreat! Go back home!"
    ³⁷Ahab's body was taken to Samaria and buried there. ³⁸Some workers washed his chariot near a spring in Samaria, and prostitutes washed themselves in his blood. ^[b<="">] Dogs licked Ahab's blood off the ground, just as the LORD had warned. ³⁹Everything else Ahab did while he was king, including the towns he strengthened and the palace he built and furnished with ivory, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ⁴⁰Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became king.
   

King Jehoshaphat of Judah

(2 Chronicles 20.31--21.1)

 ⁴¹Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in Ahab's fourth year as king of Israel. ⁴²Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled from Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.     ^43-46Jehoshaphat obeyed the LORD, just as his father Asa had done, and during his rule he was at peace with the king of Israel.
   He got rid of the rest of the prostitutes ^[c<="">] from the local shrines, but he did not destroy the shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices. Everything else Jehoshaphat did while he was king, including his brave deeds and military victories, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.
    ⁴⁷The country of Edom had no king at the time, so a lower official ruled the land.
    ⁴⁸Jehoshaphat had seagoing ships ^[d<="">] built to sail to Ophir for gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber and never sailed. ⁴⁹Ahaziah son of Ahab offered to let his sailors go with Jehoshaphat's sailors, but Jehoshaphat refused. ⁵⁰Jehoshaphat died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, ^[e<="">] and his son Jehoram became king.

King Ahaziah of Israel

 ⁵¹Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat's rule in Judah, and he ruled two years from Samaria.     ⁵²Ahaziah disobeyed the LORD, just as his father, his mother, and Jeroboam had done. They all led Israel to sin. ⁵³Ahaziah worshiped Baal and made the LORD God of Israel very angry, just as his father had done.
   

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 22:17 vision: In ancient times, prophets often told about future events from what they had seen in visions or dreams.
2. 1 Kings 22:38 prostitutes. . . blood: Or "they cleaned his weapons."
3. 1 Kings 22:43 prostitutes: See the note at 14.24.
4. 1 Kings 22:48 seagoing ships: See the note at 10.22.
5. 1 Kings 22:50 Jerusalem: Hebrew "the city of his ancestor David."

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Acts 13:16-41 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said:
   People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! ¹⁷The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, ¹⁸and for about forty years he took care of ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} them in the desert. ¹⁹He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to our people. ²⁰All this happened in about 450 years. Then God gave our people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel, ²¹but the people demanded a king. So for forty years God gave them King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. ²²Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his place. God said about him, "David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does everything I want him to do."
    ²³God promised that someone from David's family would come to save the people of Israel, and that one is Jesus. ²⁴But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized. ²⁵Then, when John's work was almost done, he said, "Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals."
    ²⁶Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God! Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. ²⁷The people of Jerusalem and their leaders didn't realize who Jesus was. And they didn't understand the words of the prophets that they read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said.
    ^28-29They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn't find any reason to put Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
   After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross ^[b<="">] and placed in a tomb. ³⁰But God raised him from death! ³¹Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him. ³²God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are here to tell you the good news ³³that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus,
   "You are my son because today
   I have become your Father."
    ³⁴God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,
   "I will make to you
   the same holy promise
   that I made to David."
    ³⁵And in another psalm it says, "God will never let the body of his Holy One decay."
    ³⁶When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body decayed. ³⁷But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay.
    ³⁸My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. ³⁹But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. ⁴⁰Make sure that what the prophets have said doesn't happen to you. They said,
    ⁴¹"Look, you people
   who make fun of God!
   Be amazed
   and disappear.
   I will do something today
   that you won't believe,
   even if someone
   tells you about it!"
   

Footnotes:

1. Acts 13:18 took care of: Some manuscripts have "put up with."
2. Acts 13:28 cross: This translates a Greek word that means "wood," "pole," or "tree."

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Psalm 138:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 138

(By David.)

Praise the LORD with All Your Heart

 ¹With all my heart    I praise you, LORD.
   In the presence of angels ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} I sing your praises.
    ²I worship at your holy temple
   and praise you for your love
   and your faithfulness.
   You were true to your word
   and made yourself more famous
   than ever before. ^{[b<="">] 3}When I asked for your help,
   you answered my prayer
   and gave me courage. ^{[c<="">] 4}All kings on this earth
   have heard your promises, LORD,
   and they will praise you.
    ⁵You are so famous
   that they will sing
   about the things you have done.
    ⁶Though you are above us all,
   you care for humble people,
   and you keep a close watch
   on everyone who is proud.
    ⁷I am surrounded by trouble,
   but you protect me
   against my angry enemies.
   With your own powerful arm
   you keep me safe.
    ⁸You, LORD, will always
   treat me with kindness.
   Your love never fails.
   You have made us what we are.
   Don't give up on us now! ^[d<="">]

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 138:1 angels: Or " gods" or " supernatural beings" who worship and serve God in heaven or " rulers" or " leaders."
2. Psalm 138:2 You were. . . before: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Psalm 138:3 and gave me courage: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Psalm 138:8 You have. . . now: Or " Please don't desert your people."

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Proverbs 17:17-18 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁷A friend is always a friend,
   and relatives are born
   to share our troubles.
    ¹⁸It's stupid to guarantee
   someone else's loan.

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Verse of the Day

“What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself?” - Mark 8:36

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American dramatist and screenwriter known for her success as a playwright on Broadway, as well as her left-wing sympathies and political activism, Lillian Hellman wrote, “I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashion.”

 

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A Joke for Today

 

An old country preacher was fishing one afternoon when he noticed a frog sitting next to him. The frog said, “Mister, I’ve had a spell cast on me. If you’ll kiss me, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess and I’ll make you happy for the rest of your life.”

 

The old preacher smiled, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket. After a while, he looked into his pocket to see how the frog was doing.

 

The frog said again, “Mister, I’ve had a spell cast on me. If you’ll kiss me, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess and I’ll make you happy for the rest of your life.”

 

The preacher just smiled and kept on fishing. When he checked on the frog again, it said, “What’s wrong with you, fella? I said I’ve been bewitched. Just kiss me and I’ll turn back into a beautiful princess and make you the happiest man on earth for the rest of your life!”

 

The old preacher just smiled and said, “Frog, I’m sorry to tell you this…but at my age, I’d rather have a talking frog than a beautiful princess!”

Bible Readings for April 28, 2017

Today our passages are Judges 8:18–9:21; Luke 23:44–24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; and Proverbs 14:9-10. 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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Judges 8:18-9:21 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸Then Gideon said, " Zebah and Zalmunna, tell me about the men you killed at Tabor."
   " They were a lot like you," the two kings answered. " They were dignified, almost like royalty."
    ¹⁹" They were my very own brothers!" Gideon said. " I swear by the living LORD that if you had let them live, I would let you live."
    ²⁰Gideon turned to Jether, his oldest son. " Kill them!" Gideon said.
   But Jether was young, ^[a] and he was too afraid to even pull out his sword.
    ²¹" What's the matter, Gideon?" Zebah and Zalmunna asked. " Do it yourself, if you're not too much of a coward!"
   Gideon jumped up and killed them both. Then he took the fancy gold ornaments from the necks of their camels.
   

The Israelites Ask Gideon To Be Their King

 ²²After the battle with the Midianites, the Israelites said, " Gideon, you rescued us! Now we want you to be our king. Then after your death, your son and then your grandson will rule."     ²³" No," Gideon replied, " I won't be your king, and my son won't be king either. Only the LORD is your ruler.
    ²⁴But I will ask you to do one thing: Give me all the earrings you took from the enemy."
   The enemy soldiers had been Ishmaelites, ^[b] and they wore gold earrings.
    ²⁵The Israelite soldiers replied, " Of course we will give you the earrings." Then they spread out a robe on the ground and tossed the earrings on it.
    ²⁶The total weight of this gold was over forty pounds. In addition, there was the gold from the camels' ornaments and from the beautiful jewelry worn by the Midianite kings. Gideon also took their purple robes.
    ^27-29Gideon returned to his home in Ophrah and had the gold made into a statue, which the Israelites soon started worshiping. They became unfaithful to God, and even Gideon and his family were trapped into worshiping the statue. ^[c] The Midianites had been defeated so badly that they were no longer strong enough to attack Israel. And so Israel was at peace for the remaining forty years of Gideon's life.
   

Gideon Dies

 ³⁰Gideon had many wives and seventy sons.     ³¹He even had a wife ^[d] who lived at Shechem. ^[e] They had a son, and Gideon named him Abimelech.
    ³²Gideon lived to be an old man. And when he died, he was buried in the family tomb in his hometown of Ophrah, which belonged to the Abiezer clan.
    ³³Soon after Gideon's death, the Israelites turned their backs on God again. They set up idols of Baal and worshiped Baal Berith ^[f] as their god.
    ³⁴The Israelites forgot that the LORD was their God, and that he had rescued them from the enemies who lived around them.
    ³⁵Besides all that, the Israelites were unkind to Gideon's family, even though Gideon had done so much for Israel.
   

Judges 9

Abimelech Tries To Be King

 ¹Abimelech the son of Gideon ^[g] went to Shechem. While there, he met with his mother's relatives     ²and told them to say to the leaders of Shechem, " Do you think it would be good to have all seventy of Gideon's sons ruling us? Wouldn't you rather have just one man be king? Abimelech would make a good king, and he's related to us."
    ³Abimelech's uncles talked it over with the leaders of Shechem who agreed, " Yes, it would be better for one of our relatives to be king."
    ⁴Then they gave Abimelech seventy pieces ^[h] of silver from the temple of their god Baal Berith. ^[i] Abimelech used the silver to hire a gang of rough soldiers who would do anything for money.
    ⁵Abimelech and his soldiers went to his father's home in Ophrah and brought out Gideon's other sons to a large rock, where they murdered all seventy. Gideon's youngest son Jotham hid from the soldiers, but he was the only one who escaped.
    ⁶The leaders of Shechem, including the priests and the military officers, ^[j] met at the tree next to the sacred rock ^[k] in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.
    ⁷Jotham heard what they were doing. So he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted down to the people who were there at the meeting: Leaders of Shechem,
   listen to me,
   and maybe God
   will listen to you.
    ⁸Once the trees searched
   for someone to be king;
   they asked the olive tree,
   " Will you be our king?"
    ⁹But the olive tree replied,
   " My oil brings honor
   to people and gods.
   I won't stop making oil,
   just to have my branches wave
   above the other trees."
    ¹⁰Then they asked the fig tree,
   " Will you be our king?"
    ¹¹But the fig tree replied,
   " I won't stop growing
   my delicious fruit,
   just to have my branches wave
   above the other trees."
    ¹²Next they asked the grape vine,
   " Will you be our king?"
    ¹³But the grape vine replied,
   " My wine brings cheer
   to people and gods.
   I won't stop making wine,
   just to have my branches wave
   above the other trees."
    ¹⁴Finally, they went
   to the thornbush and asked,
   " Will you be our king?"
    ¹⁵The thornbush replied,
   " If you really want me
   to be your king,
   then come into my shade
   and I will protect you.
   But if you're deceiving me,
   I'll start a fire
   that will spread out and destroy
   the cedars of Lebanon." ^[l] After Jotham had finished telling this story, he said:
    ^16-18My father Gideon risked his life for you when he fought to rescue you from the Midianites. Did you reward Gideon by being kind to his family? No, you did not! You attacked his family and killed all seventy of his sons on that rock.
   And was it right to make Abimelech your king? He's merely the son of my father's slave girl. ^[m] But just because he's your relative, you made him king of Shechem.
    ¹⁹So, you leaders of Shechem, if you treated Gideon and his family the way you should have, then I hope you and Abimelech will make each other very happy.
    ²⁰But if it was wrong to treat Gideon and his family the way you did, then I pray that Abimelech will destroy you with fire, and I pray that you will do the same to him.
    ²¹Jotham ran off and went to live in the town of Beer, where he could be safe from his brother Abimelech.
   

Footnotes:

1. Judges 8:20 young: Gideon wanted to insult the kings by having a young boy kill them.
2. Judges 8:24 Ishmaelites: According to Genesis 25.1,2,12, both Ishmaelites and Midianites were descendants of Abraham. It is possible that in this passage " Ishmaelites" has the meaning " nomadic traders," while " Midianites" (verses 22,26-29) refers to their ethnic origin.
3. Judges 8:27 statue. . . statue: Or " sacred priestly vest. . . vest."
4. Judges 8:31 wife: This translates a Hebrew word for a woman who was legally bound to a man, but without the full privileges of a wife.
5. Judges 8:31 who lived at Shechem: Sometimes marriages were arranged so that the wife lived with her parents, and the husband visited her from time to time.
6. Judges 8:33 Baal Berith: Or " Baal of the Agreement" or " the Lord of the Agreement."
7. Judges 9:1 Gideon: The Hebrew text has " Jerubbaal," another name for Gideon (see 6.32).
8. Judges 9:4 seventy pieces: About 28 ounces.
9. Judges 9:4 Baal Berith: See the note at 8.33.
10. Judges 9:6 including the priests and the military officers: The Hebrew text has " and the Millo house," another name for the temple of Baal Berith. It probably also served as a military fortress.
11. Judges 9:6 tree. . . rock: One ancient translation; Hebrew " propped-up sacred tree."
12. Judges 9:15 cedars of Lebanon: The cedars that grew in the Lebanon mountains were some of the largest trees in that part of the world.
13. Judges 9:16 son of. . . slave girl: See 8.31.

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Luke 23:44-24:12 (Contemporary English Version)

The Death of Jesus

(Matthew 27.45-56; Mark 15.33-41; John 19.28-30)

 ⁴⁴Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. ⁴⁵The sun stopped shining, and the curtain in the temple ^[a] split down the middle. ⁴⁶Jesus shouted, "Father, I put myself in your hands!" Then he died. ⁴⁷When the Roman officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, "Jesus must really have been a good man!"     ⁴⁸A crowd had gathered to see the terrible sight. Then after they had seen it, they felt brokenhearted and went home. ⁴⁹All of Jesus' close friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched.
   

Jesus Is Buried

(Matthew 27.57-61; Mark 15.42-47; John 19.38-42)

 ^50-51There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God's kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided.     ⁵²Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. ⁵³He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used. ⁵⁴It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin. ^[b] ⁵⁵The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. ⁵⁶Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands.
   

Luke 24

Jesus Is Alive

(Matthew 28.1-10; Mark 16.1-8; John 20.1-10)

 ¹Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. ²When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, ³they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord ^[c] Jesus, ⁴and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. ⁵The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, "Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? ⁶Jesus isn't here! He has been raised from death. Remember that while he was still in Galilee, he told you, ⁷'The Son of Man will be handed over to sinners who will nail him to a cross. But three days later he will rise to life.' " ⁸Then they remembered what Jesus had said.     ^9-10Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women were the ones who had gone to the tomb. When they returned, they told the eleven apostles and the others what had happened. ¹¹The apostles thought it was all nonsense, and they would not believe.
    ¹²But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes. Then he returned, wondering what had happened. ^[d]

Footnotes:

1. Luke 23:45 curtain in the temple: There were two curtains in the temple. One was at the entrance, and the other separated the holy place from the most holy place that the Jewish people thought of as God's home on earth. The second curtain is probably the one which is meant.
2. Luke 23:54 the Sabbath was about to begin: The Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday.
3. Luke 24:3 the Lord: These words are not in some manuscripts.
4. Luke 24:12 what had happened: Verse 12 is not in some manuscripts.

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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 14:9-10 (Contemporary English Version)

⁹Fools don't care
   if they are wrong, ^[a] but God is pleased
   when people do right.
    ¹⁰No one else can really know
   how sad or happy you are.
   

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 14:9 Fools. . . wrong: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Verse of the Day

 

“and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.” - Philippians 2:5-8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American dramatist and screenwriter known for her success as a playwright on Broadway, Lillian Hellman wrote, “People change and forget to tell each other.”