Bible Readings for January 7, 2017

Today our passages are Genesis 16:1–18:19; Matthew 6:1-24; Psalm 7:1-17; and Proverbs 2:1-5. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Genesis 16-18:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 16

Hagar and Ishmael

 ¹Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar, ²and Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine." ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} Abram agreed, ³and Sarai gave him Hagar to be his wife. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years. ⁴Later, when Hagar knew she was going to have a baby, she became proud and was hateful to Sarai. ⁵Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's all your fault! ^[b<="">] I gave you my slave woman, but she has been hateful to me ever since she found out she was pregnant. You have done me wrong, and you will have to answer to the LORD for this." ⁶Abram said, "All right! She's your slave, and you can do whatever you want with her." But Sarai began treating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.     ⁷Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. While she was there, the angel of the LORD came to her ⁸and asked, "Hagar, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
   She answered, "I'm running away from Sarai, my owner."
    ⁹The angel said, "Go back to Sarai and be her slave. ^10-11I will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael, ^[c<="">] because I have heard your cry for help. And later I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all. ¹²But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him." ¹³Hagar thought, "Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?" ^[d<="">] So from then on she called him, "The God Who Sees Me." ^{[e<="">] 14}That's why people call the well between Kadesh and Bered, "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me." ^{[f<="">] 15-16}Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to their son, and he named him Ishmael.
   

Genesis 17

God's Promise to Abraham

 ¹Abram was ninety-nine years old when the LORD appeared to him again and said, "I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right, ²I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted." ³Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:     ^4-5I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham. ^{[g<="">] 6}I will give you a lot of descendants, and in the future they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings. ⁷I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. ⁸I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.
    ⁹Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me. ^10-11As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family. ^12-13From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. This will be a sign that my promise to you will last forever. ¹⁴Any man who isn't circumcised hasn't kept his promise to me and cannot be one of my people.
    ¹⁵Abraham, your wife's name will now be Sarah instead of Sarai. ¹⁶I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings.
    ¹⁷Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing. ¹⁸Then he asked God, "Why not let Ishmael ^[h<="">] inherit what you have promised me?" ¹⁹But God answered:
   No! You and Sarah will have a son. His name will be Isaac, ^[i<="">] and I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants. ²⁰I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make his family a great nation. ²¹But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.
    ²²God finished speaking to Abraham and then left.
    ^23-27On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was ninety-nine years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was thirteen.
   

Genesis 18

The LORD Promises Abraham a Son

 ¹One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, when the LORD appeared to him. ²Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, ³and said, "Please come to my home where I can serve you. ⁴I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under the tree. ⁵Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you."    "Thank you very much," they answered. "We accept your offer."
    ⁶Abraham quickly went to his tent and said to Sarah, "Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread." ⁷After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared. ⁸He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat.
   While they were eating, he stood near them under the trees, ⁹and they asked, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
   "She is right there in the tent," Abraham answered.
    ¹⁰One of the guests was the LORD, and he said, "I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son."
   Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent. ¹¹Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children. ¹²So she laughed and said to herself, "Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?" ^{[j<="">] 13}The LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? ¹⁴I am the LORD! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son."
    ¹⁵Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, "I didn't laugh."
   "Yes, you did!" he answered.
   

Abraham Prays for Sodom

 ¹⁶When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.     ¹⁷The LORD said to himself, "I should tell Abraham what I am going to do, ¹⁸since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all other nations on earth. ^{[k<="">] 19}I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. Then I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised."

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 16:2 Sleep. . . mine: It was the custom for a wife who could not have children to let her husband sleep with one of her slave women. The children of the slave would belong to the wife.
2. Genesis 16:5 It's. . . fault: Or "I hope you'll be punished for what you did to me!"
3. Genesis 16:10 Ishmael: In Hebrew "Ishmael" sounds like "God hears."
4. Genesis 16:13 Have. . . it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Genesis 16:13 The God Who Sees Me: Or "The God I Have Seen."
6. Genesis 16:14 The Well. . . Me: Or "Beer-Lahai-Roi" (see 25.11).
7. Genesis 17:4 Abraham: In Hebrew "Abraham" sounds like "father of many nations."
8. Genesis 17:18 Ishmael: Ishmael was the son of Sarah's slave Hagar (see 16.1-16).
9. Genesis 17:19 Isaac: In Hebrew "Isaac" sounds like "laugh."
10. Genesis 18:12 know such happiness: Either the joy of making love or the joy of having children.
11. Genesis 18:18 that will be. . . on earth: Or "and all other nations on earth will ask me to bless them as I have blessed his family."

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Matthew 6:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 6

Giving

 ¹When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven.     ²When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.
    ³When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 4}Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

Prayer

(Luke 11.2-4)

 ⁵When you pray, don't be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.     ⁶When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you.
    ⁷When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. ⁸Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask.
    ⁹You should pray like this:
   Our Father in heaven,
   help us to honor
   your name.
    ¹⁰Come and set up
   your kingdom,
   so that everyone on earth
   will obey you,
   as you are obeyed
   in heaven.
    ¹¹Give us our food for today. ^{[b<="">] 12}Forgive us for doing wrong,
   as we forgive others.
    ¹³Keep us from being tempted
   and protect us from evil. ^{[c<="">] 14}If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. ¹⁵But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
   

Worshiping God by Going without Eating

 ¹⁶When you go without eating, ^[d<="">] don't try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward. ¹⁷Instead, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸Then others won't know that you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

(Luke 12.33,34)

 ¹⁹Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. ²⁰Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. ²¹Your heart will always be where your treasure is.    

Light

(Luke 11.34-36)

 ²²Your eyes are like a window for your body. When they are good, you have all the light you need. ²³But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.    

Money

(Luke 16.13)

 ²⁴You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.    

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 6:3 don't let anyone know about it: The Greek text has, "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
2. Matthew 6:11 our food for today: Or "the food that we need" or "our food for the coming day."
3. Matthew 6:13 evil: Or "the evil one," that is, the devil. Some manuscripts add, "The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen."
4. Matthew 6:16 without eating: See the note at 4.2.

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Psalm 7:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 7

(Written by David. (Psalm 7 Written by David: The Hebrew text has " a shiggaion by David," which may refer to a psalm of mourning.) He sang this to the LORD because of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin.)

The LORD Always Does Right

 ¹You, LORD God,    are my protector.
   Rescue me and keep me safe
   from all who chase me.
    ²Or else they will rip me apart
   like lions
   attacking a victim,
   and no one will save me.
    ³I am innocent, LORD God!
    ⁴I have not betrayed a friend
   or had pity on an enemy ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} who attacks for no reason.
    ⁵If I have done any of this,
   then let my enemies
   chase and capture me.
   Let them stomp me to death
   and leave me in the dirt.
    ⁶Get angry, LORD God!
   Do something!
   Attack my furious enemies.
   See that justice is done.
    ⁷Make the nations come to you,
   as you sit on your throne ^[b<="">] above them all.
    ⁸Our LORD, judge the nations!
   Judge me
   and show that I
   am honest and innocent.
    ⁹You know every heart and mind,
   and you always do right.
   Now make violent people stop,
   but protect all of us
   who obey you.
    ¹⁰You, God, are my shield,
   the protector of everyone
   whose heart is right.
    ¹¹You see that justice is done,
   and each day
   you take revenge.
    ¹²Whenever your enemies refuse
   to change their ways,
   you sharpen your sword
   and string your bow.
    ¹³Your deadly arrows are ready
   with flaming tips.
    ¹⁴An evil person is like a woman
   about to give birth
   to a hateful, deceitful,
   and rebellious child.
    ¹⁵Such people dig a deep hole,
   then fall in it themselves.
    ¹⁶The trouble they cause
   comes back on them,
   and their heads are crushed
   by their own evil deeds.
    ¹⁷I will praise you, LORD!
   You always do right.
   I will sing about you,
   the LORD Most High.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 7:4 had pity on an enemy: Or " failed to have pity on an enemy."
2. Psalm 7:7 sit. . . throne: Or " return to your place."

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Proverbs 2:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 2

Wisdom and Bad Friends

 ¹My child, you must follow    and treasure
   my teachings
   and my instructions.
    ²Keep in tune with wisdom
   and think what it means
   to have common sense.
    ³Beg as loud as you can
   for good common sense.
    ⁴Search for wisdom
   as you would search for silver
   or hidden treasure.
    ⁵Then you will understand
   what it means to respect
   and to know the LORD God.

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Verse of the Day

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” - Ephesians 5:1-2

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

The 13th President of the United States (1850–1853), the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, Millard Fillmore wrote, “May God save the country, for it is evident that the people will not.”

Bible Readings for December 3, 2013

Today our passages are Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 3:7-24; Psalm 122:1-9; and Proverbs 29:1. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Daniel 11:2-35 (Contemporary English Version)

The Angel's Message to Daniel

Part One: The Four Kings and their Successors

 ² What I am going to tell you is certain to happen. Four kings will rule Persia, one after the other, but the fourth one will become much richer than the others. In fact, his wealth will make him so powerful that he will turn everyone against the kingdom of Greece. ³Then a mighty king will come to power and will be able to do whatever he pleases. ⁴But suddenly his kingdom will be crushed and scattered to the four corners of the earth, where four more kingdoms will rise. But these won't be ruled by his descendants or be as powerful as his kingdom.     ⁵The king of the south will grow powerful. Then one of his generals will rebel and take over most of the kingdom. ⁶Years later the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom will make a treaty, and the daughter of the king of the south will marry the king of the north. But she will lose her power. Then she, her husband, their child, ^[a] and the servants who came with her will all be killed. After this, ⁷one of her relatives will become the ruler of the southern kingdom. He will attack the army of the northern kingdom and capture its fortresses. ⁸Then he will carry their idols to Egypt, together with their precious treasures of silver and gold, but it will be a long time before he attacks the northern kingdom again. Some years later ⁹the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom, but he will be forced back to his own country.
    ¹⁰The sons of the king of the north will gather a huge army that will sweep down like a roaring flood, reaching all the way to the fortress of the southern kingdom. ¹¹But this will make the king of the south angry, and he will defeat this large army from the north. ¹²The king of the south will feel proud because of the many thousands he has killed. But his victories won't last long, ¹³because the king of the north will gather a larger and more powerful army than ever before. Then in a few years, he will start invading other countries.
    ¹⁴At this time many of your own people will try to make this vision come true by rebelling against the king of the south, but their rebellion will fail. ¹⁵Then the army from the north will surround and capture a fortress in the south, and not even the most experienced troops of the southern kingdom will be able to make them retreat. ¹⁶The king who invaded from the north will do as he pleases, and he will even capture and destroy the holy land. ^{[b] 17}In fact, he will decide to invade the south with his entire army. Then he will attempt to make peace by giving the king of the south a bride from the northern kingdom, but this won't be successful. ¹⁸Afterwards, this proud king of the north will invade and conquer many of the nations along the coast, but a military leader will defeat him and make him lose his pride. ¹⁹He will retreat to his fortresses in his own country, but on the way he will be defeated and never again be seen.
    ²⁰The next king of the north will try to collect taxes for the glory of his kingdom. However, he will come to a sudden end in some mysterious way, instead of in battle or because of someone's anger.
   

Part Two: The Evil King from the North

 ²¹ The successor of this king of the north will be a worthless nobody, who doesn't come from a royal family. He will suddenly appear and gain control of the kingdom by treachery. ²²Then he will destroy armies and remove God's chosen high priest. ²³He will make a treaty, but he will be deceitful and break it, even though he has only a few followers. ²⁴Without warning, he will successfully invade a wealthy province, which is something his ancestors never did. Then he will divide among his followers all of its treasures and property. But none of this will last very long.     ²⁵He will gather a large and powerful army, and with great courage he will attack the king of the south. The king of the south will meet him with a much stronger army, but he will lose the battle, because he will be betrayed ²⁶by members of the royal court. He will be ruined, and most of his army will be slaughtered.
    ²⁷The two kings will meet around a table and tell evil lies to each other. But their plans will fail, because God has already decided what will happen. ²⁸Then the king of the north will return to his country with great treasures. But on the way, he will attack the religion of God's people and do whatever else he pleases.
    ²⁹At the time God has decided, the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom again, but this time, things will be different. ³⁰Ships from the west will come to attack him, and he will be discouraged. Then he will start back to his own country and take out his anger on the religion of God's faithful people, while showing kindness to those who are unfaithful. ³¹He will send troops to pollute the temple and the fortress, and he will stop the daily sacrifices. Then he will set up that " Horrible Thing" that causes destruction. ³²The king will use deceit to win followers from those who are unfaithful to God, but those who remain faithful will do everything possible to oppose him.
    ³³Wise leaders will instruct many of the people. But for a while, some of these leaders will either be killed with swords or burned alive, or else robbed of their possessions and thrown into prison. ³⁴They will receive only a little help in their time of trouble, and many of their followers will be treacherous. ³⁵Some of those who are wise will suffer, so that God will make them pure and acceptable until the end, which will still come at the time he has decided.
   

Footnotes:

1. Daniel 11:6 their child: One Hebrew manuscript and two ancient translations; most Hebrew manuscripts " her father."
2. Daniel 11:16 the holy land: See the note at 8.9.

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1 John 3:7-24 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷Children, don't be fooled. Anyone who does right is good, just like Christ himself. ⁸Anyone who keeps on sinning belongs to the devil. He has sinned from the beginning, but the Son of God came to destroy all that he has done. ⁹God's children cannot keep on being sinful. His life-giving power ^[a] lives in them and makes them his children, so that they cannot keep on sinning. ¹⁰You can tell God's children from the devil's children, because those who belong to the devil refuse to do right or to love each other.

Love Each Other

 ¹¹From the beginning you were told that we must love each other. ¹²Don't be like Cain, who belonged to the devil and murdered his own brother. Why did he murder him? He did it because his brother was good, and he was evil. ¹³My friends, don't be surprised if the people of this world hate you. ¹⁴Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life. But if you don't love each other, you are still under the power of death.     ¹⁵If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know that murderers do not have eternal life. ¹⁶We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. That's why we must give our lives for each other. ¹⁷If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. ¹⁸Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.
    ¹⁹When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. ²⁰But even if we don't feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. ²¹Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. ²²He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him. ²³God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other. This is also what Jesus taught us to do. ²⁴If we obey God's commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit that he has given us is proof that we are one with him.
   

Footnotes:

1. 1 John 3:9 His life-giving power: The Greek text has "his seed."

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Psalm 122:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 122

(A song by David for worship.)

A Song of Praise

 ¹It made me glad    to hear them say,
   "Let's go to the house
   of the LORD!"
    ²Jerusalem, we are standing
   inside your gates.
    ³Jerusalem, what a strong
   and beautiful city you are!
    ⁴Every tribe of the LORD
   obeys him
   and comes to you
   to praise his name.
    ⁵David's royal throne is here
   where justice rules.
    ⁶Jerusalem, we pray
   that you will have peace,
   and that all will go well
   for those who love you.
    ⁷May there be peace
   inside your city walls
   and in your palaces.
    ⁸Because of my friends
   and my relatives,
   I will pray for peace.
    ⁹And because of the house
   of the LORD our God,
   I will work for your good.

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Proverbs 29:1 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 29

Use Good Sense

 ¹If you keep being stubborn    after many warnings,
   you will suddenly discover
   you have gone too far.

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Verse of the Day

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

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

The 13th President of the United States Millard Fillmore wrote, “It is not strange...to mistake change for progress.”