Bible Readings for June 5, 2014

Today our passages are 2 Samuel 23:24–24:25; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 123:1-4; and Proverbs 16:21-23. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you missed a day, you can find all the readings at our blog, The Bible in a Year.

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2 Samuel 23:24-24:25 (The Message)

The Thirty

^24-39 "The Thirty" consisted of:
   Asahel brother of Joab;
   Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
   Shammah the Harodite;
   Elika the Harodite;
   Helez the Paltite;
   Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;
   Abiezer the Anathothite;
   Sibbecai the Hushathite;
   Zalmon the Ahohite;
   Maharai the Netophathite;
   Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite;
   Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites;
   Benaiah the Pirathonite;
   Hiddai from the badlands of Gaash;
   Abi-Albon the Arbathite;
   Azmaveth the Barhumite;
   Eliahba the Shaalbonite;
   Jashen the Gizonite;
   Jonathan son of Shammah the Hararite;
   Ahiam son of Sharar the Urite;
   Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite;
   Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;
   Hezro the Carmelite;
   Paarai the Arbite;
   Igal son of Nathan, commander of the army of Hagrites;
   Zelek the Ammonite;
   Naharai the Beerothite, weapon bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah;
   Ira the Ithrite;
   Gareb the Ithrite;
   Uriah the Hittite. Thirty-seven, all told.

2 Samuel 24

 ^1-2 Once again God's anger blazed out against Israel. He tested David by telling him, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah." So David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number."  ³ But Joab resisted the king: "May your God multiply people by the hundreds right before the eyes of my master the king, but why on earth would you do a thing like this?"
 ^4-9 Nevertheless, the king insisted, and so Joab and the army officers left the king to take a census of Israel. They crossed the Jordan and began with Aroer and the town in the canyon of the Gadites near Jazer, proceeded through Gilead, passed Hermon, then on to Dan, but detoured Sidon. They covered Fort Tyre and all the Hivite and Canaanite cities, and finally reached the Negev of Judah at Beersheba. They canvassed the whole country and after nine months and twenty days arrived back in Jerusalem. Joab gave the results of the census to the king: 800,000 able-bodied fighting men in Israel; in Judah 500,000.
 ¹⁰ But when it was all done, David was overwhelmed with guilt because he had counted the people, replacing trust with statistics. And David prayed to God, "I have sinned badly in what I have just done. But now God forgive my guilt—I've been really stupid."
 ^11-12 When David got up the next morning, the word of God had already come to Gad the prophet, David's spiritual advisor, "Go and give David this message: 'God has spoken thus: There are three things I can do to you; choose one out of the three and I'll see that it's done.'"
 ¹³ Gad came to deliver the message: "Do you want three years of famine in the land, or three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of an epidemic on the country? Think it over and make up your mind. What shall I tell the one who sent me?"
 ¹⁴ David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by God, whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands."
 ^15-16 So God let loose an epidemic from morning until suppertime. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand people died. But when the angel reached out over Jerusalem to destroy it, God felt the pain of the terror and told the angel who was spreading death among the people, "Enough's enough! Pull back!"
    The angel of God had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap.
 ¹⁷ When David saw the angel about to destroy the people, he prayed, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I, the shepherd, did the wrong. But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me and my family, not them."
 ^18-19 That same day Gad came to David and said, "Go and build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." David did what Gad told him, what God commanded.
 ^20-21 Araunah looked up and saw David and his men coming his way; he met them, bowing deeply, honoring the king and saying, "Why has my master the king come to see me?"
    "To buy your threshing floor," said David, "so I can build an altar to God here and put an end to this disaster."
 ^22-23 "Oh," said Araunah, "let my master the king take and sacrifice whatever he wants. Look, here's an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles and ox-yokes for fuel—Araunah gives it all to the king! And may God, your God, act in your favor."
 ^24-25 But the king said to Araunah, "No. I've got to buy it from you for a good price; I'm not going to offer God, my God, sacrifices that are no sacrifice."
    So David bought the threshing floor and the ox, paying out fifty shekels of silver. He built an altar to God there and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. God was moved by the prayers and that was the end of the disaster.

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Acts 3:1-26 (The Message)

Acts 3

 ^1-5One day at three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." He looked up, expecting to get something from them.  ^6-8Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.
 ^8-10The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.
 ¹¹The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it for themselves.

Turn to Face God

 ^12-16When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people:    "Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we're the witnesses. Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.
 ^17-18"And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans.
 ^19-23"Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. Moses, for instance, said, 'Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.'
 ^24-26"All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: 'By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.' But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways."

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Psalm 123:1-4 (The Message)

Psalm 123

A Pilgrim Song

 ^1-4 I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to you for help.
   Like servants, alert to their master's commands,
      like a maiden attending her lady,
   We're watching and waiting, holding our breath,
      awaiting your word of mercy.
   Mercy, God, mercy!
      We've been kicked around long enough,
   Kicked in the teeth by complacent rich men,
      kicked when we're down by arrogant brutes.

 

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Proverbs 16:21-23 (The Message)

 ²¹ A wise person gets known for insight;
   gracious words add to one's reputation.

 ²² True intelligence is a spring of fresh water,
   while fools sweat it out the hard way.

 ²³ They make a lot of sense, these wise folks;
   whenever they speak, their reputation increases.

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Verse of the Day

“That's why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

American poet, novelist and memoirist, May Sarton wrote, “The more articulate one is, the more dangerous words become.”

Bible Readings for December 14, 2013

Today our passages are Jonah 1:1–4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; and Proverbs 29:26-27. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Jonah 1-4:11 (Contemporary English Version)

Jonah 1

Jonah Runs from the LORD

 ¹One day the LORD told Jonah, the son of Amittai, ²to go to the great city of Nineveh ^[a] and say to the people, "The LORD has seen your terrible sins. You are doomed!" ³Instead, Jonah ran from the LORD. He went to the seaport of Joppa and bought a ticket on a ship that was going to Spain. Then he got on the ship and sailed away to escape.     ⁴But the LORD made a strong wind blow, and such a bad storm came up that the ship was about to be broken to pieces. ⁵The sailors were frightened, and they all started praying to their gods. They even threw the ship's cargo overboard to make the ship lighter.
   All this time, Jonah was down below deck, sound asleep. ⁶The ship's captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep at a time like this? Get up and pray to your God! Maybe he will have pity on us and keep us from drowning."
    ⁷Finally, the sailors got together and said, "Let's ask our gods to show us ^[b] who caused all this trouble." It turned out to be Jonah. ⁸They started asking him, "Are you the one who brought all this trouble on us? What business are you in? Where do you come from? What is your country? Who are your people?"
    ⁹Jonah answered, "I'm a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."
    ¹⁰When the sailors heard this, they were frightened, because Jonah had already told them he was running from the LORD. Then they said, "Do you know what you have done?"
    ¹¹The storm kept getting worse, until finally the sailors asked him, "What should we do with you to make the sea calm down?"
    ¹²Jonah told them, "Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I'm the cause of this terrible storm."
    ¹³The sailors tried their best to row to the shore. But they could not do it, and the storm kept getting worse every minute. ¹⁴So they prayed to the LORD, "Please don't let us drown for taking this man's life. Don't hold us guilty for killing an innocent man. All of this happened because you wanted it to." ¹⁵Then they threw Jonah overboard, and the sea calmed down. ¹⁶The sailors were so terrified that they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made all kinds of promises.
    ¹⁷The LORD sent a big fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
   

Jonah 2

Jonah's Prayer

 ¹From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God:     ²When I was in trouble, LORD,
   I prayed to you,
   and you listened to me.
   From deep in the world
   of the dead,
   I begged for your help,
   and you answered my prayer.
    ³You threw me down
   to the bottom of the sea.
   The water was churning
   all around;
   I was completely covered
   by your mighty waves.
    ⁴I thought I was swept away
   from your sight,
   never again to see
   your holy temple.
    ⁵I was almost drowned
   by the swirling waters
   that surrounded me.
   Seaweed had wrapped
   around my head.
    ⁶I had sunk down below
   the underwater mountains;
   I knew that forever,
   I would be a prisoner there.
   But, you, LORD God,
   rescued me from that pit.
    ⁷When my life was slipping away,
   I remembered you--
   and in your holy temple
   you heard my prayer.
    ⁸All who worship worthless idols
   turn from the God
   who offers them mercy.
    ⁹But with shouts of praise,
   I will offer a sacrifice
   to you, my LORD.
   I will keep my promise,
   because you are the one
   with power to save.
    ¹⁰The LORD commanded the fish to vomit up Jonah on the shore. And it did.
   

Jonah 3

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

 ¹Once again the LORD told Jonah ²to go to that great city of Nineveh and preach his message of doom.     ³Jonah obeyed the LORD and went to Nineveh. The city was so big that it took three days just to walk through it. ⁴After walking for a day, Jonah warned the people, "Forty days from now, Nineveh will be destroyed!"
    ⁵They believed God's message and set a time when they would go without eating to show their sorrow. Then everyone in the city, no matter who they were, dressed in sackcloth.
    ⁶When the king of Nineveh heard what was happening, he also dressed in sackcloth; he left the royal palace and sat in dust. ^{[c] 7-9}Then he and his officials sent out an order for everyone in the city to obey. It said: None of you or your animals may eat or drink a thing. Each of you must wear sackcloth, and you must even put sackcloth on your animals.
   You must also pray to the LORD God with all your heart and stop being sinful and cruel. Maybe God will change his mind and have mercy on us, so we won't be destroyed.
    ¹⁰When God saw that the people had stopped doing evil things, he had pity and did not destroy them as he had planned.
   

Jonah 4

Jonah Gets Angry at the LORD

 ¹Jonah was really upset and angry. ²So he prayed:    Our LORD, I knew from the very beginning that you wouldn't destroy Nineveh. That's why I left my own country and headed for Spain. You are a kind and merciful God, and you are very patient. You always show love, and you don't like to punish anyone, not even foreigners.
    ³Now let me die! I'd be better off dead.
    ⁴The LORD replied, "What right do you have to be angry?"
    ⁵Jonah then left through the east gate of the city and made a shelter to protect himself from the sun. He sat under the shelter, waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh.
    ⁶The LORD made a vine grow up to shade Jonah's head and protect him from the sun. Jonah was very happy to have the vine, ⁷but early the next morning the LORD sent a worm to chew on the vine, and the vine dried up. ⁸During the day the LORD sent a scorching wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head, making him feel faint. Jonah was ready to die, and he shouted, "I wish I were dead!"
    ⁹But the LORD asked, "Jonah, do you have the right to be angry about the vine?"
   "Yes, I do," he answered, "and I'm angry enough to die."
    ¹⁰But the LORD said:
   You are concerned about a vine that you did not plant or take care of, a vine that grew up in one night and died the next. ¹¹In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong, and many cattle are also there. Don't you think I should be concerned about that big city?
   

Footnotes:

1. Jonah 1:2 Nineveh: Capital city of Assyria, a hated enemy of Israel.
2. Jonah 1:7 ask. . . show us: The Hebrew text has "cast lots," which were pieces of wood or stone used to find out how and when to do something. In this case, the lots would show who was the guilty person.
3. Jonah 3:6 dressed in sackcloth. . . sat in dust: Sackcloth was a rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. Sometimes people wore sackcloth and sat in dust to show how sorry they were for their sins.

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Revelation 5:1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 5

The Scroll and the Lamb

 ¹In the right hand of the one sitting on the throne I saw a scroll ^[a] that had writing on the inside and on the outside. And it was sealed in seven places. ²I saw a mighty angel ask with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" ³No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or see inside it. ⁴I cried hard because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or see inside it. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, "Stop crying and look! The one who is called both the `Lion from the Tribe of Judah' <sup>[b]</sup> and `King David's Great Descendant' ^[c] has won the victory. He will open the book and its seven seals."     ⁶Then I looked and saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne that was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb looked as if it had once been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits ^[d] of God, sent out to all the earth. ⁷The Lamb went over and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. ⁸After he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders knelt down before him. Each of them had a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, ^[e] which are the prayers of God's people. ⁹Then they sang a new song, "You are worthy
   to receive the scroll
   and open its seals,
   because you were killed.
   And with your own blood
   you bought for God
   people from every tribe,
   language, nation, and race.
    ¹⁰You let them become kings
   and serve God as priests,
   and they will rule on earth."
    ¹¹As I looked, I heard the voices of a lot of angels around the throne and the voices of the living creatures and of the elders. There were millions and millions of them, ¹²and they were saying in a loud voice,
   "The Lamb who was killed
   is worthy to receive power,
   riches, wisdom, strength,
   honor, glory, and praise."
    ¹³Then I heard all beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying,
   "Praise, honor, glory,
   and strength
   forever and ever
   to the one who sits
   on the throne
   and to the Lamb!"
    ¹⁴The four living creatures said "Amen," while the elders knelt down and worshiped.
   

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 5:1 scroll: A roll of paper or special leather used for writing on. Sometimes a scroll would be sealed on the outside with one or more pieces of wax.
2. Revelation 5:5 Lion from the Tribe of Judah': In Genesis 49.9 the tribe of Judah is called a young lion, and King David was from Judah.
3. Revelation 5:5 King David's Great Descendant': The Greek text has "the root of David" which is a title for the Messiah based on Isaiah 11.1,10.
4. Revelation 5:6 the seven spirits: Some manuscripts have "the spirits."
5. Revelation 5:8 incense: A material that produces a sweet smell when burned. Sometimes it is a symbol for the prayers of God's people.

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Psalm 133:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 133

(A song for worship.)

Living Together in Peace

 ¹It is truly wonderful    when relatives live together
   in peace.
    ²It is as beautiful as olive oil
   poured on Aaron's head ^[a] and running down his beard
   and the collar of his robe.
    ³It is like the dew
   from Mount Hermon,
   falling on Zion's mountains,
   where the LORD has promised
   to bless his people
   with life forevermore.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 133:2 head: Olive oil was poured on Aaron's head to show that God had chosen him to be the high priest.

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Proverbs 29:26-27 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁶Many try to make friends
   with a ruler,
   but justice comes
   from the LORD.
    ²⁷Good people and criminals
   can't stand each other.

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Verse of the Day

“[An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus]One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. The angel greeted Mary and said, "You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.” - Luke 1:26-28

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American poet, novelist, and memoirist, May Sarton wrote, “We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”