Bible Readings for May 12, 2015

Today our passages are 1 Samuel 12:1–13:22; John 7:1-29; Psalm 108:1-13; and Proverbs 15:4. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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1 Samuel 12-13:22 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Samuel 12

Samuel's Farewell Speech

 ¹Samuel told the Israelites:    I have given you a king, just as you asked. ²You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man. I'm already old. My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.
    ³Let me ask this. Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything? Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision? Answer me so the LORD and his chosen king can hear you. And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.
    ⁴"No," the Israelites answered. "You've never cheated us in any way!"
    ⁵Samuel said, "The LORD and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said."
   "That's true," they replied.
    ⁶Then Samuel told them:
   The LORD brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders. ⁷Now the LORD will be your judge. So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the LORD has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.
    ⁸After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron. They led your ancestors out of Egypt and had them settle in this land. ⁹But your ancestors forgot the LORD, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.
    ¹⁰Again your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help. They said, "We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our LORD, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte. But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you."
    ¹¹The LORD sent Gideon, ^[a] Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked. ¹²Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the LORD your God is your king, you told me, "This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!" ¹³You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the LORD who made him your king. ¹⁴If you and your king want to be followers of the LORD, you must worship him ^[b] and do what he says. Don't be stubborn! ¹⁵If you're stubborn and refuse to obey the LORD, he will turn against you and your king. ^{[c] 16}Just stand here and watch the LORD show his mighty power. ¹⁷Isn't this the dry season? ^[d] I'm going to ask the LORD to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king. ¹⁸Samuel prayed, and that same day the LORD sent a thunderstorm. Everyone was afraid of the LORD and of Samuel. ¹⁹They told Samuel, "Please, pray to the LORD your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king."
    ²⁰Samuel answered:
   Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the LORD and worship him with all your heart. ²¹Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble. ²²But the LORD has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.
    ²³I would be disobeying the LORD if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right. ²⁴You also must obey the LORD--you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you and your king do evil, the LORD will wipe you out.
   

1 Samuel 13

Saul Disobeys the LORD

 ¹Saul was a young man ^[e] when he became king, and he ruled Israel for two years. ²Then ^[f] he chose three thousand men from Israel to be full-time soldiers and sent everyone else ^[g] home. Two thousand of these troops stayed with him in the hills around Michmash and Bethel. The other thousand were stationed with Jonathan ^[h] at Gibeah ^[i] in the territory of Benjamin. ³Jonathan led an attack on the Philistine army camp at Geba. ^[j] The Philistine camp was destroyed, but ^[k] the other Philistines heard what had happened. Then Saul told his messengers, "Go to every village in the country. Give a signal with the trumpet, and when the people come together, tell them what has happened." ⁴The messengers then said to the people of Israel, "Saul has destroyed the Philistine army camp at Geba. ^[l] Now the Philistines really hate Israel, so every town and village must send men to join Saul's army at Gilgal." ⁵The Philistines called their army together to fight Israel. They had three thousand ^[m] chariots, six thousand cavalry, and as many foot soldiers as there are grains of sand on the beach. They went to Michmash and set up camp there east of Beth-Aven. ^{[n] 6}The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves or in clumps of bushes, ^[o] and some ran to places where they could hide among large rocks. Others hid in tombs ^[p] or in deep dry pits. ⁷Still others ^[q] went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River. Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers were shaking with fear, ⁸and they were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do, ^[r] but Samuel did not come. ⁹Finally, Saul commanded, "Bring me some animals, so we can offer sacrifices to please the LORD and ask for his help." Saul killed one of the animals, ¹⁰and just as he was placing it on the altar, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to welcome him.     ¹¹"What have you done?" Samuel asked.
   Saul answered, "My soldiers were leaving in all directions, and you didn't come when you were supposed to. The Philistines were gathering at Michmash, ¹²and I was worried that they would attack me here at Gilgal. I hadn't offered a sacrifice to ask for the LORD's help, so I forced myself to offer a sacrifice on the altar fire."
    ¹³"That was stupid!" Samuel said. "You didn't obey the LORD your God. If you had obeyed him, someone from your family would always have been king of Israel. ¹⁴But no, you disobeyed, and so the LORD won't choose anyone else from your family to be king. In fact, he has already chosen the one he wants to be the next leader of his people." ¹⁵Then Samuel left Gilgal.
   Part of Saul's army had not deserted him, and he led them to Gibeah in Benjamin to join his other troops. Then he counted them ^[s] and found that he still had six hundred men. ¹⁶Saul, Jonathan, and their army set up camp at Geba in Benjamin. The Philistine army was camped at Michmash.

Jonathan Attacks the Philistines

 ¹⁷Each day they sent out patrols to attack and rob villages and then destroy them. One patrol would go north along the road to Ophrah in the region of Shual. ¹⁸Another patrol would go west along the road to Beth-Horon. A third patrol would go east toward the desert on the road to the ridge that overlooks Zeboim Valley.     ¹⁹The Philistines would not allow any Israelites to learn how to make iron tools. "If we allowed that," they said, "those worthless Israelites would make swords and spears."
    ^20-21Whenever the Israelites wanted to get an iron point put on a cattle prod, ^[t] they had to go to the Philistines. Even if they wanted to sharpen plow-blades, picks, axes, sickles, ^[u] and pitchforks ^[v] they still had to go to them. And the Philistines charged high prices. ²²So, whenever the Israelite soldiers had to go into battle, none of them had a sword or a spear except Saul and his son Jonathan.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Samuel 12:11 Gideon: The Hebrew text has "Jerubbaal," another name for "Gideon."
2. 1 Samuel 12:14 If. . . him: Or "If you and your king want things to go well for you, then you must worship the LORD."
3. 1 Samuel 12:15 and your king: One ancient translation; Hebrew "and your ancestors" or "as he was against your ancestors."
4. 1 Samuel 12:17 the dry season: The Hebrew text has "time for wheat harvest," which was usually in the spring, the beginning of the dry season.
5. 1 Samuel 13:1 a young man: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text; several manuscripts of one ancient translation have "thirty years old."
6. 1 Samuel 13:2 for. . . Then: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. 1 Samuel 13:2 everyone else: People who were not full-time soldiers, but fought together with the army when the nation was in danger.
8. 1 Samuel 13:2 Jonathan: Saul's son (see verse 16).
9. 1 Samuel 13:2 Michmash. . . Bethel. . . Gibeah: These three towns form a triangle, with Bethel to the north.
10. 1 Samuel 13:3 Geba: Geba was between Gibeah and Michmash.
11. 1 Samuel 13:3 led an attack. . . destroyed, but: Or "killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba, and. . . "
12. 1 Samuel 13:4 destroyed. . . Geba: Or "killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba."
13. 1 Samuel 13:5 three thousand: Some ancient translations; Hebrew "thirty thousand."
14. 1 Samuel 13:5 Beth-Aven: This Beth-Aven was probably located about a mile southwest of Michmash, between Michmash and Geba.
15. 1 Samuel 13:6 in. . . bushes: Or "in cracks in the rocks."
16. 1 Samuel 13:6 tombs: The Hebrew word may mean a room cut into solid rock and used as a burial place, or it may mean a cellar.
17. 1 Samuel 13:7 Still others: This translates a Hebrew word which may be used of wandering groups of people who sometimes became outlaws or hired soldiers (see also 14.21).
18. 1 Samuel 13:8 Samuel. . . to do: See 10.8.
19. 1 Samuel 13:15 Then Samuel. . . counted them: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "Then Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted his army."
20. 1 Samuel 13:20 cattle prod: A pole used to poke cattle and make them move.
21. 1 Samuel 13:20 sickles: One ancient translation; Hebrew "plow-blades."
22. 1 Samuel 13:20 pitchforks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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John 7:1-29 (Contemporary English Version)

John 7

Jesus' Brothers Don't Have Faith in Him

 ¹Jesus decided to leave Judea and to start going through Galilee because the Jewish leaders of the people wanted to kill him. ²It was almost time for the Festival of Shelters, ³and Jesus' brothers said to him, "Why don't you go to Judea? Then your disciples can see what you are doing. ⁴No one does anything in secret, if they want others to know about them. So let the world know what you are doing!" ⁵Even Jesus' own brothers had not yet become his followers.     ⁶Jesus answered, "My time hasn't yet come, ^[a] but your time is always here. ⁷The people of this world cannot hate you. They hate me, because I tell them that they do evil things. ⁸Go on to the festival. My time hasn't yet come, and I am not going." ⁹Jesus said this and stayed on in Galilee.

Jesus at the Festival of Shelters

 ¹⁰After Jesus' brothers had gone to the festival, he went secretly, without telling anyone.     ¹¹During the festival the Jewish leaders looked for Jesus and asked, "Where is he?" ¹²The crowds even got into an argument about him. Some were saying, "Jesus is a good man," while others were saying, "He is lying to everyone." ¹³But the people were afraid of their leaders, and none of them talked in public about him.
    ¹⁴When the festival was about half over, Jesus went into the temple and started teaching. ¹⁵The leaders were surprised and said, "How does this man know so much? He has never been taught!"
    ¹⁶Jesus replied:
   I am not teaching something that I thought up. What I teach comes from the one who sent me. ¹⁷If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me. ¹⁸If I wanted to bring honor to myself, I would speak for myself. But I want to honor the one who sent me. That is why I tell the truth and not a lie. ¹⁹Didn't Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you obey it! So why do you want to kill me?
    ²⁰The crowd replied, "You're crazy! What makes you think someone wants to kill you?"
    ²¹Jesus answered:
   I worked one miracle, ^[b] and it amazed you. ²²Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn't really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons ²³in order to obey the Law of Moses. Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? ²⁴Don't judge by appearances. Judge by what is right. ²⁵Some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, "Isn't this the man they want to kill? ²⁶Yet here he is, speaking for everyone to hear. And no one is arguing with him. Do you suppose the authorities know that he is the Messiah? ²⁷But how could that be? No one knows where the Messiah will come from, but we know where this man comes from."
    ²⁸As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he shouted, "Do you really think you know me and where I came from? I didn't come on my own! The one who sent me is truthful, and you don't know him. ²⁹But I know the one who sent me, because I came from him."
   

Footnotes:

1. John 7:6 My time hasn't yet come: See the note at 2.4.
2. John 7:21 one miracle: The healing of the lame man (5.1-18; see also the note at 2.11).

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Psalm 108:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 108

(A song and a psalm by David.)

With God on Our Side

 ¹Our God, I am faithful to you    with all my heart,
   and you can trust me.
   I will sing
   and play music for you
   with all that I am.
    ²I will start playing my harps
   before the sun rises.
    ³I will praise you, LORD,
   for everyone to hear;
   I will sing hymns to you
   in every nation.
    ⁴Your love reaches higher
   than the heavens,
   and your loyalty extends
   beyond the clouds.
    ⁵Our God, may you be honored
   above the heavens;
   may your glory be seen
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁶Answer my prayers
   and use your powerful arm
   to give us victory.
   Then the people you love
   will be safe.
    ⁷Our God, from your holy place
   you made this promise:
   "I will gladly divide up
   the city of Shechem
   and give away Succoth Valley
   piece by piece.
    ⁸The lands of Gilead
   and Manasseh are mine.
   Ephraim is my war helmet,
   and Judah is my symbol
   of royal power.
    ⁹Moab is merely my washbasin,
   and Edom belongs to me.
   I shout with victory
   over the Philistines."
    ¹⁰Our God, who will bring me
   to the fortress
   or lead me to Edom?
    ¹¹Have you rejected us?
   You don't lead our armies.
    ¹²Help us defeat our enemies!
   No one else can rescue us.
    ¹³You are the one
   who gives us victory
   and crushes our enemies.

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Proverbs 15:4 (Contemporary English Version)

⁴Kind words are good medicine,
   but deceitful words
   can really hurt.

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Verse of the Day

“[In Praise of a Good Wife]A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find! She takes good care of her family and is never lazy. Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says,” - Proverbs 31:10, 27-28

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

French writer and moralist, Luc de Clapiers wrote, “Patience is the art of hoping.”

Bible Readings for August 24, 2013

Today our passages are Job 12:1–15:35; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58; Psalm 39:1-13; and Proverbs 21:30-31. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Job 12-15:35 (Contemporary English Version)

Job 12

Job's Reply to Zophar

You Think You Are So Great

 ¹Job said to his friends:     ²You think you are so great,
   with all the answers.
    ³But I know as much as you do,
   and so does everyone else.
    ⁴I have always lived right,
   and God answered my prayers;
   now friends make fun of me.
    ⁵It's easy to condemn
   those who are suffering,
   when you have no troubles.
    ⁶Robbers and other godless people
   live safely at home
   and say,
   "God is in our hands!" ^[a]

If You Want To Learn

 ⁷If you want to learn,    then go and ask
   the wild animals and the birds,
    ⁸the flowers and the fish.
    ⁹Any of them can tell you
   what the LORD has done. ^[b] ¹⁰Every living creature
   is in the hands of God.
    ¹¹We hear with our ears,
   taste with our tongues,
    ¹²and gain some wisdom from those
   who have lived a long time.
    ¹³But God is the real source
   of wisdom and strength.
    ¹⁴No one can rebuild
   what he destroys,
   or release
   those he has imprisoned.
    ¹⁵God can hold back the rain
   or send a flood,
    ¹⁶just as he rules over liars
   and those they lie to.
    ¹⁷God destroys counselors,
   turns judges into fools,
    ¹⁸and makes slaves of kings.
    ¹⁹God removes priests and others
   who have great power--
    ²⁰he confuses wise,
   experienced advisors,
    ²¹puts mighty kings to shame,
   and takes away their power.
    ²²God turns darkness to light;
    ²³he makes nations strong,
   then shatters their strength.
    ²⁴God strikes their rulers senseless,
   then leaves them to roam
   through barren deserts,
    ²⁵lost in the dark, staggering
   like someone drunk.
   

Job 13

Job Continues

I Know and Understand

 ¹I know and understand    every bit of this.
    ²None of you are smarter
   than I am;
   there's nothing you know
   that I don't.
    ³But I prefer to argue my case
   with God All-Powerful--
    ⁴you are merely useless doctors,
   who treat me with lies.
    ⁵The wisest thing you can do
   is to keep quiet
    ⁶and listen
   to my argument.
    ⁷Are you telling lies for God
    ⁸and not telling the whole truth
   when you argue his case?
    ⁹If he took you to court,
   could you fool him,
   just as you fool others?
    ¹⁰If you were secretly unfair,
   he would correct you,
    ¹¹and his glorious splendor
   would make you terrified.
    ¹²Your wisdom and arguments
   are as delicate as dust.
   

Be Quiet While I Speak

 ¹³Be quiet while I speak,    then say what you will.
    ¹⁴I will be responsible
   for what happens to me.
    ¹⁵God may kill me, but still
   I will trust him ^[c] and offer my defense.
    ¹⁶This may be what saves me,
   because no guilty person
   would come to his court.
    ¹⁷Listen carefully to my words!
    ¹⁸I have prepared my case well,
   and I am certain to win.
    ¹⁹If you can prove me guilty,
   I will give up and die.
   

Job Prays

I Ask Only Two Things

 ²⁰I ask only two things    of you, my God,
   and I will no longer
   hide from you--
    ²¹stop punishing
   and terrifying me!
    ²²Then speak, and I will reply;
   or else let me speak,
   and you reply.
    ²³Please point out my sins,
   so I will know them.
    ²⁴Why have you turned your back
   and count me your enemy?
    ²⁵Do you really enjoy
   frightening a fallen leaf?
    ²⁶Why do you accuse me
   of horrible crimes
   and make me pay for sins
   I did in my youth?
    ²⁷You have tied my feet down
   and keep me surrounded;
    ²⁸I am rotting away like cloth
   eaten by worms.
   

Job 14

Job Continues his Prayer

Life Is Short and Sorrowful

 ¹Life is short and sorrowful    for every living soul.
    ²We are flowers that fade
   and shadows that vanish.
    ³And so, I ask you, God,
   why pick on me?
    ⁴There's no way a human
   can be completely pure.
    ⁵Our time on earth is brief;
   the number of our days
   is already decided by you.
    ⁶Why don't you leave us alone
   and let us find some happiness
   while we toil and labor?
   

When a Tree Is Chopped Down

 ⁷When a tree is chopped down,    there is always the hope
   that it will sprout again.
    ⁸Its roots and stump may rot,
    ⁹but at the touch of water,
   fresh twigs shoot up.
    ¹⁰Humans are different--
   we die, and that's the end.
    ¹¹We are like streams and lakes
   after the water has gone;
    ¹²we fall into the sleep of death,
   never to rise again,
   until the sky disappears.
    ¹³Please hide me, God,
   deep in the ground--
   and when you are angry no more,
   remember to rescue me.
   

Will We Humans Live Again?

 ¹⁴Will we humans live again?    I would gladly suffer
   and wait for my time.
    ¹⁵My Creator, you would want me;
   you would call out,
   and I would answer.
    ¹⁶You would take care of me,
   but not count my sins--
    ¹⁷you would put them in a bag,
   tie it tight,
   and toss them away.
    ¹⁸But in the real world,
   mountains tumble,
   and rocks crumble;
    ¹⁹streams wear away stones
   and wash away soil.
   And you destroy our hopes!
    ²⁰You change the way we look,
   then send us away,
   wiped out forever.
    ²¹We never live to know
   if our children are praised
   or disgraced.
    ²²We feel no pain but our own,
   and when we mourn,
   it's only for ourselves.
   

Job 15

Eliphaz's Second Speech

If You Had Any Sense

 ¹Eliphaz from Teman ^[d] said: ²Job, if you had any sense,     ³you would stop spreading
   all of this hot air.
    ⁴Your words are enough
   to make others turn from God
   and lead them to doubt.
    ⁵And your sinful, scheming mind
   is the source of all you say.
    ⁶I am not here as your judge;
   your own words are witnesses
   against you.
    ⁷Were you the first human?
   Are you older than the hills?
    ⁸Have you ever been present
   when God's council ^[e] meets? Do you alone have wisdom?
    ⁹Do you know and understand
   something we don't?
    ¹⁰We have the benefit of wisdom
   older than your father.
    ¹¹And you have been offered
   comforting words from God.
   Isn't this enough?
    ¹²Your emotions are out of control,
   making you look fierce;
    ¹³that's why you attack God
   with everything you say.
    ¹⁴No human is pure and innocent,
    ¹⁵and neither are angels--
   not in the sight of God.
   If God doesn't trust his angels,
    ¹⁶what chance do humans have?
   We are so terribly evil
   that we thirst for sin.
   

Just Listen to What I Know

 ¹⁷Just listen to what I know,    and you will learn
    ¹⁸wisdom known by others
   since ancient times.
    ¹⁹Those who gained such insights
   also gained the land,
   and they were not influenced
   by foreign teachings.
    ²⁰But suffering is in store
   each day for those who sin.
    ²¹Even in times of success,
   they constantly hear
   the threat of doom.
    ²²Darkness, despair, and death
   are their destiny.
    ²³They scrounge around for food,
   all the while dreading
   the approaching darkness.
    ²⁴They are overcome with despair,
   like a terrified king
   about to go into battle.
    ²⁵This is because they rebelled
   against God All-Powerful
    ²⁶and have attacked him
   with their weapons.
    ²⁷They may be rich and fat,
    ²⁸but they will live in the ruins
   of deserted towns.
    ²⁹Their property and wealth
   will shrink and disappear.
    ³⁰They won't escape the darkness,
   and the blazing breath of God
   will set their future aflame.
    ³¹They have put their trust
   in something worthless;
   now they will become worthless
    ³²like a date palm tree
   without a leaf. ^[f] ³³Or like vineyards or orchards
   whose blossoms and unripe fruit
   drop to the ground.
    ³⁴Yes, the godless and the greedy
   will have nothing but flames
   feasting on their homes,
    ³⁵because they are the parents
   of trouble and vicious lies.
   

Footnotes:

1. Job 12:6 God is in our hands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Job 12:9 Any. . . done: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Job 13:15 God. . . trust him: Or "God will surely kill me; I have lost all hope."
4. Job 15:1 Teman: See the note at 2.11.
5. Job 15:8 God's council: The angels and others who gather to discuss matters with God (see 1.6; 2.1).
6. Job 15:32 leaf: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of Verse 32.

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1 Corinthians 15:29-58 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁹If the dead are not going to be raised to life, what will people do who are being baptized for them? Why are they being baptized for those dead people? ³⁰And why do we always risk our lives ³¹and face death every day? The pride that I have in you because of Christ Jesus our Lord is what makes me say this. ³²What do you think I gained by fighting wild animals in Ephesus? If the dead are not raised to life,
   "Let's eat and drink.
   Tomorrow we die."
    ³³Don't fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you. ³⁴Be sensible and stop sinning. You should be embarrassed that some people still don't know about God.
   

What Our Bodies Will Be Like

 ³⁵Some of you have asked, "How will the dead be raised to life? What kind of bodies will they have?" ³⁶Don't be foolish. A seed must die before it can sprout from the ground. ³⁷Wheat seeds and all other seeds look different from the sprouts that come up. ³⁸This is because God gives everything the kind of body he wants it to have. ³⁹People, animals, birds, and fish are each made of flesh, but none of them are alike. ⁴⁰Everything in the heavens has a body, and so does everything on earth. But each one is very different from all the others. ⁴¹The sun isn't like the moon, the moon isn't like the stars, and each star is different.     ⁴²That's how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. ⁴³These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. ⁴⁴As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies.
    ⁴⁵The first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. ⁴⁷The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. ⁴⁸Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. ⁴⁹Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven.
    ⁵⁰My friends, I want you to know that our bodies of flesh and blood will decay. This means that they cannot share in God's kingdom, which lasts forever. ⁵¹I will explain a mystery to you. Not every one of us will die, but we will all be changed. ⁵²It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so that we will never die again. ⁵³Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay. ⁵⁴The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true,
   "Death has lost the battle!
    ⁵⁵Where is its victory?
   Where is its sting?"
    ⁵⁶Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. ⁵⁷But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!
    ⁵⁸My dear friends, stand firm and don't be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.

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Psalm 39:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 39

(A psalm by David for Jeduthun, the music leader.)

A Prayer for Forgiveness

 ¹I told myself, "I'll be careful    not to sin by what I say,
   and I'll muzzle my mouth
   when evil people are near."
    ²I kept completely silent,
   but it did no good, ^[a] and I hurt even worse.
    ³I felt a fire burning inside,
   and the more I thought,
   the more it burned,
   until at last I said:
    ⁴"Please, LORD,
   show me my future.
   Will I soon be gone?
    ⁵You made my life short,
   so brief that the time
   means nothing to you.
   "Human life is but a breath,
    ⁶and it disappears
   like a shadow.
   Our struggles are senseless;
   we store up more and more,
   without ever knowing
   who will get it all.
    ⁷"What am I waiting for?
   I depend on you, Lord!
    ⁸Save me from my sins.
   Don't let fools sneer at me.
    ⁹You treated me like this,
   and I kept silent,
   not saying a word.
    ¹⁰"Won't you stop punishing me?
   You have worn me down.
    ¹¹You punish us severely
   because of our sins.
   Like a moth, you destroy
   what we treasure most.
   We are as frail as a breath.
    ¹²"Listen, LORD, to my prayer!
   My eyes are flooded with tears,
   as I pray to you.
   I am merely a stranger
   visiting in your home
   as my ancestors did.
    ¹³Stop being angry with me
   and let me smile again
   before I am dead and gone."
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 39:2 but. . . good: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 21:30-31 (Contemporary English Version)

³⁰No matter how much you know
   or what plans you make,
   you can't defeat the LORD.
    ³¹Even if your army has horses
   ready for battle,
   the LORD will always win.

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Verse of the Day

“[When the LORD Saves You from Death]I love you, LORD! You answered my prayers. You paid attention to me, and so I will pray to you as long as I live.” - Psalm 116:1-2

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Luc de Clapiers, French writer and moralist, wrote, “Great thoughts come from the heart.”