Bible Readings for August 16, 2019

Today our passages are Nehemiah 11:1 - 12:26; 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:2; Psalm 34:11-22; and Proverbs 21:14-16. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Nehemiah 11-12:26 (Contemporary English Version)

Nehemiah 11

People Who Settled in Jerusalem

 ¹The nation's leaders and their families settled in Jerusalem. But there was room for only one out of every ten of the remaining families, and so they asked God to show them ^[a] who would live there. ²Then everyone else asked God to bless those who were willing to live in Jerusalem. ³Some of the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple workers, and the descendants of Solomon's servants lived on their own property in the towns of Judah. But the leaders of the province lived in Jerusalem with their families.   

The Judah Tribe

 ^4-6From the Judah tribe, two leaders settled in Jerusalem with their relatives. One of them was Athaiah son of Uzziah. His ancestors were Zechariah, Amariah, Shephatiah, Mahalalel, and Perez, the son of Judah. From the descendants of Perez, four hundred sixty-eight of the best men lived in Jerusalem.

   The other leader from Judah was Maaseiah the son of Baruch. His ancestors were Colhozeh, Hazaiah, Adaiah, Joiarib, Zechariah, and Shelah, the son of Judah.   

The Benjamin Tribe

 ^7-8From the Benjamin tribe, three leaders settled in Jerusalem. The first was Sallu son of Meshullam, and the others were Gabbai and Sallai. Sallu's ancestors were Joed, Pedaiah, Kolaiah, Maaseiah, Ithiel, and Jeshaiah. Altogether, there were nine hundred twenty-eight men of the Benjamin tribe living in Jerusalem. ⁹Joel son of Zichri was their leader, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command.   

Priests

 ¹⁰Four priests settled in Jerusalem. The first was Jedaiah; he was the son of Joiarib and the uncle of Jachin. ^[b] ¹¹The second priest to settle there was Seraiah son of Hilkiah. His ancestors were Meshullam, Zadok, Meraioth, and Ahitub, who had been a high priest. ¹²Altogether, there were eight hundred twenty-two from his clan who served in the temple.

   The third priest to settle there was Adaiah son of Jeroham. His ancestors were Pelaliah, Amzi, Zechariah, Pashhur, and Malchijah. ¹³Altogether, there were two hundred forty-two clan leaders among his relatives.

   The fourth priest to settle there was Amashsai son of Azarel. His ancestors were Ahzai, Meshillemoth, and Immer. ¹⁴Altogether, there were one hundred twenty-eight brave warriors from their clans, and their leader was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.   

Levites

 ¹⁵Several Levites settled in Jerusalem. First, there was Shemaiah son of Hasshub. His ancestors were Azrikam, Hashabiah, and Bunni.

    ¹⁶Next, there were Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were in charge of the work outside the temple.

    ¹⁷Then there was Mattaniah son of Mica. His ancestors were Zabdi and Asaph. Mattaniah led the temple choir in the prayer of praise. Bakbukiah, who also settled in Jerusalem, was his assistant.

   Finally, there was Abda son of Shammua; his grandfather was Galal, and his great-grandfather was Jeduthun.

    ¹⁸Altogether, two hundred eighty-four Levites settled in the holy city.   

Temple Guards and Others

 ¹⁹One hundred seventy-two temple guards settled in Jerusalem; their leaders were Akkub and Talmon.

    ²⁰The rest of the Israelites, including priests and Levites, lived on their own property in the other towns of Judah. ²¹But the temple workers lived in the section of Jerusalem known as Ophel, and the two men in charge of them were Ziha and Gishpa.

    ²²Uzzi son of Bani was the leader of the Levites in Jerusalem. His grandfather was Hashabiah, his great-grandfather was Mattaniah, and his great-great-grandfather was Mica. He belonged to the Asaph clan that was in charge of the music for the temple services, ²³though the daily choice of music and musicians was decided by royal decree of the Persian king.

    ²⁴The people of Israel were represented at the Persian court by Pethahiah son of Meshezabel from the Zerah clan of the Judah tribe.   

The People in the Other Towns and Villages

 ²⁵Some of the people of Judah lived in the following towns near their farms: Kiriath-Arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel, ²⁶Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-Pelet, ²⁷Hazar-Shual, Beersheba, ²⁸Ziklag, Meconah, ²⁹Enrimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, ³⁰Zanoah, Adullam, Lachish, and Azekah. In fact, they settled the towns from Beersheba in the south to Hinnom Valley in the north.

    ³¹The people of Benjamin lived in the towns of Geba, Michmash, Aija, Bethel with its nearby villages, ³²Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, ³³Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, ³⁴Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, ³⁵Lod, and Ono, as well as in Craft Valley. ³⁶Several groups of Levites from the territory of Judah were sent to live among the people of Benjamin.

   

Nehemiah 12

A List of Priests and Levites

 ¹Many priests and Levites had returned from Babylonia with Zerubbabel ^[c] and Joshua as their leaders. Those priests were Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, ²Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, ³Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, ⁴Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, ⁵Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, ⁶Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, ⁷Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and another Jedaiah. These were the leading priests and their assistants during the time of Joshua. ^[d] ⁸The Levites who returned were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. They and their assistants were responsible for the songs of praise, ⁹while Bakbukiah and Unno, together with their assistants, were responsible for the choral responses.   

Descendants of Joshua the High Priest

 ¹⁰Joshua was the father of Joiakim, the grandfather of Eliashib, and the great-grandfather of Joiada. ¹¹Joiada was the father of Jonathan and the grandfather of Jaddua.   

Leaders of the Priestly Clans

 ¹²When Joiakim was high priest, the following priests were leaders of their clans: Meraiah of the Seraiah clan, Hananiah of Jeremiah, ¹³Meshullam of Ezra, Jehohanan of Amariah, ¹⁴Jonathan of Malluchi, Joseph of Shebaniah,¹⁵Adna of Harim, Helkai of Meraioth, ¹⁶Zechariah of Iddo, Meshullam of Ginnethon, ¹⁷Zichri of Abijah, ^[e] Piltai of Moadiah, ¹⁸Shammua of Bilgah, Jehonathan of Shemaiah, ¹⁹Mattenai of Joiarib, Uzzi of Jedaiah, ²⁰Kallai of Sallai, Eber of Amok, ²¹Hashabiah of Hilkiah, and Nethanel of Jedaiah.

The Priestly and Levite Families

 ²²During the time of the high priests Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, and including the time that Darius was king of Persia, a record was kept of the heads of the Levite and priestly families. ²³However, no official record was kept of the heads of the Levite clans after the death of Johanan, ^[f] the grandson of Eliashib. ²⁴Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, ^[g] and their assistants organized two choirs of Levites to offer praises to God, just as King David, the man of God, had commanded. ²⁵Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were responsible for guarding the storerooms near the temple gates.

    ²⁶All of these men lived during the time of Joiakim ^[h] and during the time that I was governor and Ezra, a teacher of the Law of Moses, was priest.

Footnotes:

1. Nehemiah 11:1 asked God to show them: The Hebrew text has " cast lots." These were made of wood or stone and were thrown on the ground by a priest or official to find out how and when to do something.
2. Nehemiah 11:10 son of Joiarib and the uncle of Jachin: See 1 Chronicles 9.10-12; the Hebrew text has " son of Joiarib, Jachin."
3. Nehemiah 12:1 Zerubbabel: Hebrew " Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel."
4. Nehemiah 12:7 Joshua: Joshua the high priest and friend of Zerubbabel (see verse 1 and Haggai 1.1; 2.2).
5. Nehemiah 12:17 of Abijah: The Hebrew text adds " . . . of Miniamin."
6. Nehemiah 12:23 death of Johanan: Probably between 408 and 405 B.C., when Darius II died.
7. Nehemiah 12:24 son of Kadmiel: Or possibly " Binnui, Kadmiel" (see 10.9; 12.8).
8. Nehemiah 12:26 Joiakim: Hebrew " Joiakim son of Joshua son of Jozadak."

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1 Corinthians 10:14-11:2 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴My friends, you must keep away from idols. ¹⁵I am speaking to you as people who have enough sense to know what I am talking about. ¹⁶When we drink from the cup that we ask God to bless, isn't that sharing in the blood of Christ? When we eat the bread that we break, isn't that sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷By sharing in the same loaf of bread, we become one body, even though there are many of us.
    ¹⁸Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices offered there? ¹⁹Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all? ²⁰No, I am not! That food is really sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with demons. ²¹You cannot drink from the cup of demons and still drink from the Lord's cup. You cannot eat at the table of demons and still eat at the Lord's table. ²²We would make the Lord jealous if we did that. And we are not stronger than the Lord.     

Always Honor God

 ²³Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. ²⁴We should think about others and not about ourselves. ²⁵However, when you buy meat in the market, go ahead and eat it. Keep your conscience clear by not asking where the meat came from. ²⁶The Scriptures say, "The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord."     ²⁷If an unbeliever invites you to dinner, and you want to go, then go. Eat whatever you are served. Don't cause a problem for someone's conscience by asking where the food came from. ^28-29But if you are told that it has been sacrificed to idols, don't cause a problem by eating it. I don't mean a problem for yourself, but for the one who told you. Why should my freedom be limited by someone else's conscience? ³⁰If I give thanks for what I eat, why should anyone accuse me of doing wrong?
    ³¹When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. ³²Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. ³³I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved.
    

1 Corinthians 11

 ¹You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.     

Rules for Worship

 ²I am proud of you, because you always remember me and obey the teachings I gave you.

 

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Psalm 34:11-22 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹Come, my children, listen

   as I teach you

   to respect the LORD.

    ¹²Do you want to live

   and enjoy a long life?

    ¹³Then don't say cruel things

   and don't tell lies.

    ¹⁴Do good instead of evil

   and try to live at peace.

    ¹⁵If you obey the LORD,

   he will watch over you

   and answer your prayers.

    ¹⁶But God despises evil people,

   and he will wipe them all

   from the earth,

   till they are forgotten.

    ¹⁷When his people pray for help,

   he listens and rescues them

   from their troubles.

    ¹⁸The LORD is there to rescue

   all

   who are discouraged

   and have given up hope.

    ¹⁹The LORD's people

   may suffer a lot,

   but he will always

   bring them safely through.

    ²⁰Not one of their bones

   will ever be broken.

    ²¹Wicked people are killed

   by their own evil deeds,

   and if you hate God's people

   you will be punished.

    ²²The LORD saves the lives

   of his servants.

   Run to him for protection,

   and you won't be punished.

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Proverbs 21:14-16 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴A secret bribe will save you

   from someone's fierce anger.

    ¹⁵When justice is done,

   good citizens are glad

   and crooks are terrified.

    ¹⁶If you stop using good sense,

   you will find yourself

   in the grave.

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Verse of the Day

My friends, God has made us these promises. So we should stay away from everything that keeps our bodies and spirits from being clean. We should honor God and try to be completely like him. (2 Corinthians 7:1 CEV - Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.)

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Thought for the Day

Luxembourgish-American inventor, writer, editor, and magazine publisher, best known for publications including the first science fiction magazine, Hugo Gernsback wrote, “What description of clouds and sunsets was to the old novelist, description of scientific apparatus and methods is to the modern Scientific Detective writer.”

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A Joke for Today

A tiny but dignified old lady was among a group looking at an art exhibition in a newly opened gallery. Suddenly one contemporary painting caught her eye.

"What on earth," she inquired of the artist standing nearby, "is that?"

He smiled condescendingly. "That, my dear lady, is supposed to be a mother and her child."

"Well, then," snapped the little old lady, "why isn't it?"

Bible Readings for August 15, 2019

Today our passages are Nehemiah 9:22–10:39; 1 Corinthians 9:19–10:13; Psalm 34:1-10; and Proverbs 21:13. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Nehemiah 9:22-10:39 (Contemporary English Version)

²²You let them conquer kings
   and take their land,
   including King Sihon of Heshbon
   and King Og of Bashan. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 23}You brought them into the land
   that you had promised
   their ancestors,
   and you blessed their nation
   with people
   that outnumbered
   the stars in the sky.
    ²⁴Then their descendants
   conquered the land.
   You helped them defeat
   the kings and nations
   and treat their enemies
   however they wished.
    ²⁵They captured strong cities
   and rich farmland;
   they took furnished houses,
   as well as cisterns, ^[b<="">] vineyards, olive orchards,
   and numerous fruit trees.
   They ate till they were satisfied,
   and they celebrated
   your abundant blessings.
    ²⁶In spite of this, they rebelled
   and disobeyed your laws.
   They killed your prophets,
   who warned them
   to turn back to you,
   and they cursed your name.
    ²⁷So you handed them over
   to their enemies,
   who treated them terribly.
   But in their sufferings,
   they begged you to help.
   From heaven you listened
   to their prayers
   and because of your great mercy,
   you sent leaders to rescue them.
    ²⁸But when they were at peace,
   they would turn against you,
   and you would hand them over
   to their enemies.
   Then they would beg for help,
   and because you are merciful,
   you rescued them
   over and over again.
    ²⁹You warned them to turn back
   and discover true life
   by obeying your laws.
   But they stubbornly refused
   and continued to sin.
    ³⁰For years, you were patient,
   and your Spirit ^[c<="">] warned them with messages spoken
   by your prophets.
   Still they refused to listen,
   and you handed them over
   to their enemies.
    ³¹But you are merciful and kind,
   and so you never forgot them
   or let them be destroyed.
    ³²Our God, you are powerful,
   fearsome, and faithful,
   always true to your word.
   So please keep in mind
   the terrible sufferings
   of our people, kings, leaders,
   priests, and prophets,
   from the time Assyria ruled
   until this very day.
    ³³You have always been fair
   when you punished us
   for our sins.
    ³⁴Our kings, leaders, and priests
   have never obeyed your commands
   or heeded your warnings.
    ³⁵You blessed them with a kingdom
   and with an abundance
   of rich, fertile land,
   but they refused to worship you
   or turn from their evil.
    ³⁶Now we are slaves
   in this fruitful land
   you gave to our ancestors.
    ³⁷Its plentiful harvest is taken
   by kings you placed over us
   because of our sins.
   Our suffering is unbearable,
   because they do as they wish
   to us and our livestock.     

The People Make an Agreement

 ³⁸And so, a firm agreement was made that had the official approval of the leaders, the Levites, and priests.   

  

Nehemiah 10

 ¹As governor, I ^[d<="">] signed the agreement together with Zedekiah and the following priests: ^2-8Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. ⁹The Levites who signed were: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the clan of Henadad, Kadmiel, ¹⁰Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, ¹¹Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, ¹²Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, ¹³Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.     ¹⁴The leaders who signed were: Parosh, Pahath Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, ¹⁵Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, ¹⁶Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, ¹⁷Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, ¹⁸Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, ¹⁹Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, ²⁰Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, ²¹Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, ²²Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, ²³Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, ²⁴Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, ²⁵Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, ²⁶Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, ²⁷Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.     

The Agreement

 ^28-29All of us, including priests, Levites, temple guards, singers, temple workers and leaders, together with our wives and children, have separated ourselves from the foreigners in this land and now enter into an agreement with a complete understanding of what we are doing. And so, we now place ourselves under the curse of the LORD our God, if we fail to obey his laws and teachings that were given to us by his servant Moses.     ³⁰We won't let our sons and daughters marry foreigners.
    ³¹We won't buy goods or grain on the Sabbath or on any other sacred day, not even from foreigners.
   Every seven years we will let our fields rest, and we will cancel all debts.
    ³²Once a year we will each donate a small amount of silver to the temple of our God. ³³This is to pay for the sacred bread, as well as for the daily sacrifices and special sacrifices such as those offered on the Sabbath and during the New Moon Festival and the other festivals. It will also pay for the sacrifices to forgive our sins and for all expenses connected with the worship of God in the temple.
    ³⁴We have decided that the families ^[e<="">] of priests, Levites, and ordinary people will supply firewood for the temple each year, so that sacrifices can be offered on the altar, just as the LORD our God has commanded. ³⁵Each year we will bring to the temple the first part of our harvest of grain and fruit.
    ³⁶We will bring our first-born sons and the first-born males of our herds and flocks and offer them to the priests who serve in the temple, because this is what is written in God's Law. ^[f<="">] 37To the priests in the temple of our God, we will bring the bread dough from the first harvest, together with our best fruit, and an offering of new wine and olive oil.
   We will bring ten percent of our grain harvest to those Levites who are responsible for collecting it in our towns. ³⁸A priest from the family of Aaron must be there when we give this to the Levites. Then the Levites will put one tenth of this part in the temple storeroom, ³⁹which is also the place for the sacred objects used by the priests, the temple guards, and the singers.
   Levites and everyone else must bring their gifts of grain, wine, and olive oil to this room.
   We will not neglect the temple of our God.
    

Footnotes:

1. Nehemiah 9:22 Bashan: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 22.
2. Nehemiah 9:25 cisterns: Pits dug into the ground to hold water.
3. Nehemiah 9:30 your Spirit: Or " you."
4. Nehemiah 10:1 I: Hebrew " Nehemiah son of Hacaliah."
5. Nehemiah 10:34 that the families: Or " which families."
6. Nehemiah 10:36 first-born sons. . . God's Law: See Exodus 13.2, 12-15; 34.19,20.

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1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so that I can win as many people as possible.²⁰When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. ²¹And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ. ²²When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. ²³I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.     

A Race and a Fight

 ²⁴You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! ²⁵Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. ²⁶I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. ²⁷I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.     

1 Corinthians 10

Don't Worship Idols

 ¹Friends, I want to remind you that all of our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea. ²This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. ³All of them also ate the same spiritual food ⁴and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ. ⁵But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the desert.     ⁶What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things. ⁷They worshiped idols, just as the Scriptures say, "The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around." So don't worship idols. ⁸Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about twenty-three thousand of them died. Don't do shameful things as they did. ⁹And don't try to test Christ, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} as some of them did and were later bitten by poisonous snakes. ¹⁰Don't even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. ¹¹These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days. ¹²Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. ¹³You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.
    

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 10:9 Christ: Some manuscripts have "the Lord."

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Psalm 34:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 34

(Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)

Honor the LORD

 ¹I will always praise the LORD.     ²With all my heart,
   I will praise the LORD.
   Let all who are helpless,
   listen and be glad.
    ³Honor the LORD with me!
   Celebrate his great name.
    ⁴I asked the LORD for help,
   and he saved me
   from all my fears.
    ⁵Keep your eyes on the LORD!
   You will shine like the sun
   and never blush with shame.
    ⁶I was a nobody, but I prayed,
   and the LORD saved me
   from all my troubles.
    ⁷If you honor the LORD,
   his angel will protect you.
    ⁸Discover for yourself
   that the LORD is kind.
   Come to him for protection,
   and you will be glad.
    ⁹Honor the LORD!
   You are his special people.
   No one who honors the LORD
   will ever be in need.
    ¹⁰Young lions ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} may go hungry or even starve,
   but if you trust the LORD,
   you will never miss out
   on anything good.
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 34:10 Young lions: In the Psalms wild animals often stand for God's enemies.

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Proverbs 21:13 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³If you won't help the poor,
   don't expect to be heard
   when you cry out for help.

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Verse of the Day

Whether we live or die, it must be for the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord. - 

Romans 14:8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American author, attorney, and member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South clergy, Edward McKendree Bounds wrote, "Men of prayer, before anything else, are indispensable to the furtherance of the kingdom of God on earth. No other sort will fit in the scheme or do the deed. Men, great and influential in other things but small in prayer, cannot do the work Almighty God has set out for His Church to do in this, His world."

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A Joke for Today

You Might Be A College Student If…..
... you have ever price shopped for Top Ramen
.... you live in a house with three couches, none of which match.
... you consider Mac and Cheese a balanced meal.
... you have ever written a check for 45 cents.
... you get more e-mail than snail mail.
... your glass set is composed of McDonald's Extra Value Meal Plastic Cups
... your underwear supply dictates the time between laundry loads.
... your trash is overflowing and your bank account isn't.
... you are personally keeping the local pizza place from bankruptcy.
... you wake up 10 minutes before class.
... you get more sleep in class than in your room.

Bible Readings for August 14, 2019

Today our passages are Nehemiah 7:61–9:21; 1 Corinthians 9:1-18; Psalm 33:12-22; and Proverbs 21:11-12. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Nehemiah 7:61-9:21 (Contemporary English Version)

^61-62There were 642 who returned from the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, though they could not prove they were Israelites. They had lived in the Babylonian towns of Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer.

    ^63-64The families of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai could not prove they were priests. The ancestor of the family of Barzillai had married the daughter of Barzillai from Gilead and had taken his wife's family name. But the records of these three families could not be found, and none of them were allowed to serve as priests. ⁶⁵In fact, the governor told them, " You cannot eat the food offered to God until he lets us know if you really are priests." ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 66-69}There were 42,360 who returned, in addition to 7,337 servants, and 245 musicians. Altogether, they brought with them 736 horses, 245 mules, ^[b<="">] 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. ^70-72Many people gave gifts to help pay for the materials to rebuild the temple. The governor himself gave 17 pounds of gold, 50 bowls to be used in the temple, and 530 robes for the priests. Family leaders gave 337 pounds of gold and 3,215 pounds of silver. The rest of the people gave 337 pounds of gold, 2,923 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.

    ⁷³And so, by the seventh month, ^[c<="">] priests, Levites, temple guards, musicians, workers, and many of the ordinary people had settled in the towns of Judah.

   

Nehemiah 8

Ezra Reads God's Law to the People

 ^1-2On the first day of the seventh month, ^{[d<="" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">]}the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the LORD had given his people. Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand. ³From early morning till noon, he read the Law of Moses to them, and they listened carefully. ⁴Ezra stood on a high wooden platform that had been built for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah were standing to his right, while Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash Baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam were standing to his left.

    ⁵Ezra was up on the high platform, where he could be seen by everyone, and when he opened the book, they all stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the great LORD God, and the people shouted, " Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the LORD.

    ^7-8After this, the Levites Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah went among the people, explaining the meaning of what Ezra had read.

    ⁹The people started crying when God's Law was read to them. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher, and the Levites who had been teaching the people all said, " This is a special day for the LORD your God. So don't be sad and don't cry!"

    ¹⁰Nehemiah told the people, " Enjoy your good food and wine and share some with those who didn't have anything to bring. Don't be sad! This is a special day for the LORD, and he will make you happy and strong."

    ¹¹The Levites encouraged the people by saying, " This is a sacred day, so don't worry or mourn!" ¹²When the people returned to their homes, they celebrated by eating and drinking and by sharing their food with those in need, because they had understood what had been read to them.   

Celebrating the Festival of Shelters

 ¹³On the second day of the seventh month, ^{[e<="" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">]} the leaders of all the family groups came together with the priests and the Levites, so Ezra could teach them the Law ¹⁴that the LORD had given to Moses. They learned from the Law that the people of Israel were to live in shelters when they celebrated the festival in the seventh month of the year. ¹⁵They also learned that they were to go into the woods and gather branches of leafy trees such as olives, myrtles, and palms for making these shelters. ¹⁶So the people gathered branches and made shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the courtyard of the temple, and in the open areas around the Water Gate and Ephraim Gate. ¹⁷Everyone who had returned from Babylonia built shelters. They lived in them and joyfully celebrated the Festival of Shelters for the first time since the days of Joshua son of Nun. ¹⁸On each of the first seven days of the festival, Ezra read to the people from God's Law. Then on the eighth day, everyone gathered for worship, just as the Law had said they must.

   

Nehemiah 9

The People Confess Their Sins

 ¹On the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month, ^{[f<="" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">]} the people of Israel went without eating, and they dressed in sackcloth and threw dirt on their heads to show their sorrow. ²They refused to let foreigners join them, as they met to confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors. ³For three hours they stood and listened to the Law of the LORD their God, and then for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD.

    ⁴Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the special platform for the Levites and prayed aloud to the LORD their God. ⁵Then the Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said:

   " Stand and shout praises

   to your LORD,

   the eternal God!

   Praise his wonderful name,

   though he is greater

   than words can express."   

The People Pray

 ⁶You alone are the LORD,

   Creator of the heavens

   and all the stars,

   Creator of the earth

   and those who live on it,

   Creator of the ocean

   and all its creatures.

   You are the source of life,

   praised by the stars

   that fill the heavens.

    ⁷You are the LORD our God,

   the one who chose Abram--

   you brought him from Ur

   in Babylonia

   and named him Abraham.

    ⁸Because he was faithful,

   you made an agreement

   to give his descendants

   the land of the Canaanites

   and Hittites,

   of the Amorites and Perizzites,

   and of the Jebusites

   and Girgashites.

   Now you have kept your promise,

   just as you always do.

    ⁹When our ancestors

   were in Egypt,

   you saw their suffering;

   when they were at the Red Sea, ^[g<="">] you heard their cry for help.

    ¹⁰You knew that the King of Egypt

   and his officials and his nation

   had mistreated your people.

   So you worked fearsome miracles

   against the Egyptians

   and earned a reputation

   that still remains.

    ¹¹You divided the deep sea,

   and your people walked through

   on dry land.

   But you tossed their enemies in,

   and they sank down

   like a heavy stone.

    ¹²Each day you led your people

   with a thick cloud,

   and at night you showed the way

   with a flaming fire.

    ¹³At Sinai you came down

   from heaven,

   and you gave your people

   good laws and teachings

   that are fair and honest.

    ¹⁴You commanded them to respect

   your holy Sabbath,

   and you instructed

   your servant Moses

   to teach them your laws.

    ¹⁵When they were hungry,

   you sent bread from heaven,

   and when they were thirsty,

   you let water flow

   from a rock.

   Then you commanded them

   to capture the land

   that you had solemnly promised.

    ¹⁶Our stubborn ancestors

   refused to obey--

   they forgot about the miracles

   you had worked for them,

   and they were determined

   to return to Egypt

   and become slaves again.

    ¹⁷But, our God, you are merciful

   and quick to forgive;

   you are loving, kind,

   and very patient.

   So you never turned away

   from them--

    ¹⁸not even when they made

   an idol shaped like a calf

   and insulted you by claiming,

   " This is the god who rescued us

   from Egypt."

    ¹⁹Because of your great mercy,

   you never abandoned them

   in the desert.

   And you always guided them

   with a cloud by day

   and a fire at night.

    ²⁰Your gentle Spirit

   instructed them, ^[h<="">] and you gave them manna ^[i<="">] to eat and water to drink.

    ²¹You took good care of them,

   and for forty years

   they never lacked a thing.

   Their shoes didn't wear out,

   and their feet were never swollen.

   

Footnotes:

1. Nehemiah 7:65 until. . . priests: The Hebrew text has " until a priest comes with the urim and thummim," sacred objects which were used in some way to receive answers from God.
2. Nehemiah 7:66 736 horses, 245 mules: A few Hebrew manuscripts; this is not found in most Hebrew manuscripts of verse 68.
3. Nehemiah 7:73 seventh month: Tishri(also called Ethanim,) the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October.
4. Nehemiah 8:1 e
5. Nehemiah 8:13 seventh month: Hebrew " same month."
6. Nehemiah 9:1 shout. . . God: Or " shout eternal praises to the LORD your God."
7. Nehemiah 9:9 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph " Sea of Reeds," one of the marshes of fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17--14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 B.C., the " Sea of Reeds" was named " Red Sea."
8. Nehemiah 9:20 Your gentle Spirit instructed them: Or " You gently instructed them."
9. Nehemiah 9:20 manna: This was something like a thin wafer (see Exodus 16.1-36).

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1 Corinthians 9:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Corinthians 9

The Rights of an Apostle

 ¹I am free. I am an apostle. I have seen the Lord Jesus and have led you to have faith in him. ²Others may think that I am not an apostle, but you are proof that I am an apostle to you.

    ³When people question me, I tell them ⁴that Barnabas and I have the right to our food and drink. ⁵We each have the right to marry one of the Lord's followers and to take her along with us, just as the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} do. ⁶Are we the only ones who have to support ourselves by working at another job? ⁷Do soldiers pay their own salaries? Don't people who raise grapes eat some of what they grow? Don't shepherds get milk from their own goats? ^8-9I am not saying this on my own authority. The Law of Moses tells us not to muzzle an ox when it is grinding grain. But was God concerned only about an ox? ¹⁰No, he wasn't! He was talking about us. This was written in the Scriptures so that all who plow and all who grind the grain will look forward to sharing in the harvest.

    ¹¹When we told the message to you, it was like planting spiritual seed. So we have the right to accept material things as our harvest from you. ¹²If others have the right to do this, we have an even greater right. But we haven't used this right of ours. We are willing to put up with anything to keep from causing trouble for the message about Christ.

    ¹³Don't you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple? Don't you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered? ¹⁴In the same way, the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.

    ¹⁵But I have never used these privileges of mine, and I am not writing this because I want to start now. I would rather die than have someone rob me of the right to take pride in this. ¹⁶I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am doomed. ¹⁷If I preach because I want to, I will be paid. But even if I don't want to, it is still something God has sent me to do. ¹⁸What pay am I given? It is the chance to preach the good news free of charge and not to use the privileges that are mine because I am a preacher.

   

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 9:5 Peter: See the note at 1.12.

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Psalm 33:12-22 (Contemporary English Version)

¹²The LORD blesses each nation

   that worships only him.

   He blesses his chosen ones.

    ¹³The LORD looks at the world

    ¹⁴from his throne in heaven,

   and he watches us all.

    ¹⁵The LORD gave us each a mind,

   and nothing we do

   can be hidden from him.

    ¹⁶Mighty armies alone

   cannot win wars for a king;

   great strength by itself

   cannot keep a soldier safe.

    ¹⁷In war the strength of a horse

   cannot be trusted

   to take you to safety.

    ¹⁸But the LORD watches over

   all

   who honor him

   and trust his kindness.

    ¹⁹He protects them from death

   and starvation.

    ²⁰We depend on you, LORD,

   to help and protect us.

    ²¹You make our hearts glad

   because we trust you,

   the only God.

    ²²Be kind and bless us!

   We depend on you.

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Proverbs 21:11-12 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹An ignorant fool learns

   by seeing others punished;

   a sensible person learns

   by being instructed.

    ¹²God is always fair!

   He knows what the wicked do

   and will punish them.  

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Verse of the Day

 

“[ The Letter to Laodicea ] This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: I am the one called Amen! I am the faithful and true witness and the source of God’s creation. Listen to what I say. Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together.” - Revelation 3:14,20

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English novelist and playwright, John Galsworthy wrote, “There is one rule for politicians all over the world: Don't say in Power what you say in opposition; if you do, you only have to carry out what the other fellows have found impossible.”

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A Joke for Today

A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience would be different each week, so the magician allowed himself to do the same tricks over and over again. There was only one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows every week and began to understand what the magician does in every trick. 

Once he understood that, he started shouting in the middle of the show: Look, it's not the same hat. Look, he is hiding the flowers under the table! Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades?

The magician was furious but couldn't do anything, it was the captain's parrot after all. One day the ship had an accident and sunk. The magician found himself on a piece of wood, in the middle of the ocean, with the parrot of course. They stared at each other with hate, but did not utter a word. This went on for a day, and another, and another.

After a week the parrot finally said: OK. I give up. What'd you do with the boat?