Bible Readings for October 29, 2019

Today our passages are Lamentations 1:1–2:19; Philemon 1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; and Proverbs 26:20.  The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Lamentations 1-2:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Lamentations 1

Lonely Jerusalem

The Prophet Speaks:

 ¹Jerusalem, once so crowded,   lies deserted and lonely.

   This city that was known

   all over the world

   is now like a widow.

   This queen of the nations

   has been made a slave.

    ²Each night, bitter tears

   flood her cheeks.

   None of her former lovers

   are there to offer comfort;

   her friends ^a] have betrayed her and are now her enemies.

    ³The people of Judah are slaves,

   suffering in a foreign land,

   with no rest from sorrow.

   Their enemies captured them

   and were terribly cruel. ^b] 4The roads to Zion mourn

   because no one travels there

   to celebrate the festivals.

   The city gates are deserted;

   priests are weeping.

   Young women are raped; ^c] Zion is in sorrow!

    ⁵Enemies now rule the city

   and live as they please.

   The LORD has punished Jerusalem

   because of her awful sins;

   he has let her people

   be dragged away.

    ⁶Zion's glory has disappeared.

   Her leaders are like deer

   that cannot find pasture;

   they are hunted down

   till their strength is gone.

    ⁷Her people recall the good life

   that once was theirs;

   now they suffer

   and are scattered.

   No one was there to protect them

   from their enemies

   who sneered

   when their city was taken.

    ⁸Jerusalem's horrible sins

   have made the city a joke.

   Those who once admired her

   now hate her instead--

   she has been disgraced;

   she groans and turns away.

    ⁹Her sins had made her filthy,

   but she wasn't worried

   about what could happen.

   And when Jerusalem fell,

   it was so tragic.

   No one gave her comfort

   when she cried out,

   "Help! I'm in trouble, LORD!

   The enemy has won."

    ¹⁰Zion's treasures were stolen.

   Jerusalem saw foreigners

   enter her place of worship,

   though the LORD

   had forbidden them

   to belong to his people. ^d] 11Everyone in the city groans

   while searching for food;

   they trade their valuables

   for barely enough scraps

   to stay alive.

   Jerusalem shouts to the LORD,

   "Please look and see

   how miserable I am!"   

Jerusalem Speaks:

 ¹²No passerby even cares. ^e] Why doesn't someone notice   my terrible sufferings?

   You were fiercely angry, LORD,

   and you punished me

   worst of all.

    ¹³From heaven you sent a fire

   that burned in my bones;

   you set a trap for my feet

   and made me turn back.

   All day long you leave me

   in shock from constant pain.

    ¹⁴You have tied my sins

   around my neck, ^f] and they weigh so heavily

   that my strength is gone.

   You have put me in the power

   of enemies

   too strong for me.

    ¹⁵You, LORD, have turned back

   my warriors

   and crushed

   my young heroes.

   Judah was a woman untouched,

   but you let her be trampled

   like grapes in a wine pit.

    ¹⁶Because of this, I mourn,

   and tears flood my eyes.

   No one is here to comfort

   or to encourage me;

   we have lost the war--

   my people are suffering.   

The Prophet Speaks:

 ¹⁷Zion reaches out her hands,   but no one offers comfort.

   The LORD has turned

   the neighboring nations

   against Jacob's descendants.

   Jerusalem is merely a filthy rag

   to her neighbors.   

Jerusalem Speaks:

 ¹⁸The LORD was right,   but I refused to obey him.

   Now I ask all of you to look

   at my sufferings--

   even my young people

   have been dragged away.

    ¹⁹I called out to my lovers,

   but they betrayed me.

   My priests and my leaders died

   while searching the city

   for scraps of food.

    ²⁰Won't you look and see

   how upset I am, our LORD?

   My stomach is in knots,

   and my heart is broken

   because I betrayed you.

   In the streets and at home,

   my people are slaughtered.

    ²¹Everyone heard my groaning,

   but no one offered comfort.

   My enemies know of the trouble

   that you have brought on me,

   and it makes them glad.

   Hurry and punish them,

   as you have promised.

    ²²Don't let their evil deeds

   escape your sight.

   Punish them as much

   as you have punished me

   because of my sins.

   I never stop groaning--

   I've lost all hope!

   

Lamentations 2

The LORD Was Like an Enemy

The Prophet Speaks:

 ¹The Lord was angry!   So he disgraced ^g] Zion though it was Israel's pride

   and his own place of rest.

   In his anger he threw Zion down

   from heaven to earth.

    ²The LORD had no mercy!

   He destroyed the homes

   of Jacob's descendants.

   In his anger he tore down

   every walled city in Judah;

   he toppled the nation

   together with its leaders,

   leaving them in shame.

    ³The Lord was so furiously angry

   that he wiped out

   the whole army ^h] of Israel by not supporting them

   when the enemy attacked.

   He was like a raging fire

   that swallowed up

   the descendants of Jacob.

    ⁴He attacked like an enemy

   with a bow and arrows,

   killing our loved ones.

   He has burned to the ground

   the homes on Mount Zion. ^i] 5The Lord was like an enemy!

   He left Israel in ruins

   with its palaces

   and fortresses destroyed,

   and with everyone in Judah

   moaning and weeping.

    ⁶He shattered his temple

   like a hut in a garden; ^j] he completely wiped out

   his meeting place,

   and did away with festivals

   and Sabbaths

   in the city of Zion.

   In his fierce anger he rejected

   our king and priests.

    ⁷The Lord abandoned his altar

   and his temple;

   he let Zion's enemies

   capture her fortresses.

   Noisy shouts were heard

   from the temple,

   as if it were a time

   of celebration.

    ⁸The LORD had decided

   to tear down the walls of Zion

   stone by stone.

   So he started destroying

   and did not stop

   until walls and fortresses

   mourned and trembled.

    ⁹Zion's gates have fallen

   facedown on the ground;

   the bars that locked the gates

   are smashed to pieces.

   Her king and royal family

   are prisoners

   in foreign lands.

   Her priests don't teach,

   and her prophets don't have

   a message from the LORD.

    ¹⁰Zion's leaders are silent.

   They just sit on the ground,

   tossing dirt on their heads

   and wearing sackcloth.

   Her young women can do nothing

   but stare at the ground.

    ¹¹My eyes are red from crying,

   my stomach is in knots,

   and I feel sick all over.

   My people are being wiped out,

   and children lie helpless

   in the streets of the city.

    ¹²A child begs its mother

   for food and drink,

   then blacks out

   like a wounded soldier

   lying in the street.

   The child slowly dies

   in its mother's arms.

    ¹³Zion, how can I comfort you?

   How great is your pain? ^k] Lovely city of Jerusalem,

   how can I heal your wounds,

   gaping as wide as the sea?

    ¹⁴Your prophets deceived you

   with false visions

   and lying messages--

   they should have warned you

   to leave your sins

   and be saved from disaster.

    ¹⁵Those who pass by

   shake their heads and sneer

   as they make fun and shout,

   "What a lovely city you were,

   the happiest on earth,

   but look at you now!"

    ¹⁶Zion, your enemies curse you

   and snarl like wild animals,

   while shouting,

   "This is the day

   we've waited for!

   At last, we've got you!"

    ¹⁷The LORD has done everything

   that he had planned

   and threatened long ago.

   He destroyed you without mercy

   and let your enemies boast

   about

   their powerful forces. ^l] 18Zion, deep in your heart

   you cried out to the Lord.

   Now let your tears overflow

   your walls day and night.

   Don't ever lose hope

   or let your tears stop.

    ¹⁹Get up and pray for help

   all through the night.

   Pour out your feelings

   to the Lord,

   as you would pour water

   out of a jug.

   Beg him to save your people,

   who are starving to death

   at every street crossing.   

Footnotes:

1. Lamentations 1:2 lovers. . . friends: Israel's former allies.
2. Lamentations 1:3 Their. . . cruel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Lamentations 1:4 raped: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Lamentations 1:10 to. . . people: Or "to enter his temple."
5. Lamentations 1:12 No. . . cares: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6. Lamentations 1:14 You. . . neck: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. Lamentations 2:1 disgraced: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Lamentations 2:3 army: The Hebrew text has "horn," which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.
9. Lamentations 2:4 the homes on Mount Zion: Or "the temple on Mount Zion."
10. Lamentations 2:6 He. . . garden: Or "He shattered the temple walls, as if they were the walls of a garden."
11. Lamentations 2:13 How great. . . pain: Or "What are you really like?" or "What can I say about you?"
12. Lamentations 2:17 powerful forces: The Hebrew text has "horn," which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.

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Philemon 1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

Philemon 1

 ¹From Paul, who is in jail for serving Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is like a brother because of our faith.   Philemon, you work with us and are very dear to us. This letter is to you

   ²and to the church that meets in your home. It is also to our dear friend Apphia and to Archippus, who serves the Lord as we do.

   ³I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!   

Philemon's Love and Faith

 ⁴Philemon, each time I mention you in my prayers, I thank God.   ⁵I hear about your faith in our Lord Jesus and about your love for all of God's people.

   ⁶As you share your faith with others, I pray that they may come to know all the blessings Christ has given us.

   ⁷My friend, your love has made me happy and has greatly encouraged me. It has also cheered the hearts of God's people.   

Paul Speaks to Philemon about Onesimus

 ⁸Christ gives me the courage to tell you what to do.   ⁹But I would rather ask you to do it simply because of love. Yes, as someone ^a]in jail for Christ,

   ¹⁰I beg you to help Onesimus! ^b] He is like a son to me because I led him to Christ here in jail.

   ¹¹Before this, he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

   ¹²Sending Onesimus back to you makes me very sad.

   ¹³I would like to keep him here with me, where he could take your place in helping me while I am here in prison for preaching the good news.

   ¹⁴But I won't do anything unless you agree to it first. I want your act of kindness to come from your heart, and not be something you feel forced to do.

   ¹⁵Perhaps Onesimus was taken from you for a little while so that you could have him back for good,

   ¹⁶but not as a slave. Onesimus is much more than a slave. To me he is a dear friend, but to you he is even more, both as a person and as a follower of the Lord.

   ¹⁷If you consider me a friend because of Christ, then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me.

   ¹⁸If he has cheated you or owes you anything, charge it to my account.

   ¹⁹With my own hand I write: I, PAUL, WILL PAY YOU BACK. But don't forget that you owe me your life.

   ²⁰My dear friend and follower of Christ our Lord, please cheer me up by doing this for me.

   ²¹I am sure you will do all I have asked, and even more.

   ²²Please get a room ready for me. I hope your prayers will be answered, and I can visit you.

   ²³Epaphras is also here in jail for being a follower of Christ Jesus. He sends his greetings,

   ²⁴and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who work together with me.

   ²⁵I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you!   

Footnotes:

1. Philemon 1:9 someone: Greek "a messenger" or "an old man."
2. Philemon 1:10 Onesimus: In Greek this name means "useful."

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Psalm 101:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 101

(A psalm by David.)

A King and His Promises

 ¹I will sing to you, LORD!   I will celebrate your kindness

   and your justice.

    ²Please help me learn

   to do the right thing,

   and I will be honest and fair

   in my own kingdom.

    ³I refuse to be corrupt

   or to take part

   in anything crooked,

    ⁴and I won't be dishonest

   or deceitful.

    ⁵Anyone who spreads gossip

   will be silenced,

   and no one who is conceited

   will be my friend.

    ⁶I will find trustworthy people

   to serve as my advisors,

   and only an honest person

   will serve as an official.

    ⁷No one who cheats or lies

   will have a position

   in my royal court.

    ⁸Each morning I will silence

   any lawbreakers I find

   in the countryside

   or in the city of the LORD.

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Proverbs 26:20 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁰Where there is no fuel

   a fire goes out;

   where there is no gossip

   arguments come to an end.

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Verse of the Day

“[Christ Brings New Life]Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.” - Romans 12:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American former professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Paul Orndorff wrote, “You have to realize in this life and in your life that timing is everything.”

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A Joke for Today

A few housewives were sitting around the table talking, and the subject turned to their husbands.
One lady said "My husband just won't go to church with me, I think he's going to go to hell."

This led to talk around the table and it was generally agreed that, for one reason or another, all the husbands were going to end up in hell.

So, then the housewives started speculating about themselves. One woman said "I try to be good - I'm sure I'll make it to Heaven."

Another one said "No, I did this bad thing, I won't make it."

So, then they noticed that one of the ladies wasn't saying anything. And they looked at her and said "You're such a nice lady, surely you're going to Heaven...?"

The redhead says "No, first thing in the morning, I'm going to buy me a ticket straight to hell!"
They were shocked and asked why.

"Well, you don't expect me to live in a world without men, do you??!?"

Bible Readings for October 29, 2018

Today our passages are Lamentations 1:1–2:19; Philemon 1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; and Proverbs 26:20. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 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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Lamentations 1-2:19 (The Message)

Lamentations 1

Worthless, Cheap, Abject!

¹Oh, oh, oh... How empty the city, once teeming with people.
A widow, this city, once in the front rank of nations,
once queen of the ball, she's now a drudge in the kitchen. ²She cries herself to sleep each night, tears soaking her pillow.
No one's left among her lovers to sit and hold her hand.
Her friends have all dumped her.
³After years of pain and hard labor, Judah has gone into exile.
She camps out among the nations, never feels at home.
Hunted by all, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
⁴Zion's roads weep, empty of pilgrims headed to the feasts.
All her city gates are deserted, her priests in despair.
Her virgins are sad. How bitter her fate.
⁵Her enemies have become her masters. Her foes are living it up
because God laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions.
Her children, prisoners of the enemy, trudge into exile.
⁶All beauty has drained from Daughter Zion's face.
Her princes are like deer famished for food,
chased to exhaustion by hunters.
⁷Jerusalem remembers the day she lost everything,
when her people fell into enemy hands, and not a soul there to help.
Enemies looked on and laughed, laughed at her helpless silence.
⁸Jerusalem, who outsinned the whole world, is an outcast.
All who admired her despise her now that they see beneath the surface.
Miserable, she groans and turns away in shame.
⁹She played fast and loose with life, she never considered tomorrow,
and now she's crashed royally, with no one to hold her hand:
"Look at my pain, O God! And how the enemy cruelly struts."
¹⁰The enemy reached out to take all her favorite things. She watched
as pagans barged into her Sanctuary, those very people for whom
you posted orders: keep out: this assembly off-limits.
¹¹All the people groaned, so desperate for food, so desperate to stay alive
that they bartered their favorite things for a bit of breakfast:
"O God, look at me! Worthless, cheap, abject!
¹²"And you passersby, look at me! Have you ever seen anything like this?
Ever seen pain like my pain, seen what he did to me,
what God did to me in his rage?
¹³"He struck me with lightning, skewered me from head to foot,
then he set traps all around so I could hardly move.
He left me with nothing—left me sick, and sick of living.
¹⁴"He wove my sins into a rope
and harnessed me to captivity's yoke.
I'm goaded by cruel taskmasters.
¹⁵"The Master piled up my best soldiers in a heap,
then called in thugs to break their fine young necks.
The Master crushed the life out of fair virgin Judah.
¹⁶"For all this I weep, weep buckets of tears,
and not a soul within miles around cares for my soul.
My children are wasted, my enemy got his way."
¹⁷Zion reached out for help, but no one helped.
God ordered Jacob's enemies to surround him,
and now no one wants anything to do with Jerusalem.
¹⁸"God has right on his side. I'm the one who did wrong.
Listen everybody! Look at what I'm going through!
My fair young women, my fine young men, all herded into exile!
¹⁹"I called to my friends; they betrayed me.
My priests and my leaders only looked after themselves,
trying but failing to save their own skins.
²⁰"O God, look at the trouble I'm in! My stomach in knots,
my heart wrecked by a life of rebellion.
Massacres in the streets, starvation in the houses.
²¹"Oh, listen to my groans. No one listens, no one cares.
When my enemies heard of the trouble you gave me, they cheered.
Bring on Judgment Day! Let them get what I got!
²²"Take a good look at their evil ways and give it to them!
Give them what you gave me for my sins.
Groaning in pain, body and soul, I've had all I can take." 

Lamentations 2

God Walked Away from His Holy Temple

¹ Oh, oh, oh... How the Master has cut down Daughter Zion
from the skies, dashed Israel's glorious city to earth,
in his anger treated his favorite as throwaway junk.
²The Master, without a second thought, took Israel in one gulp.
Raging, he smashed Judah's defenses,
made hash of her king and princes.
³His anger blazing, he knocked Israel flat,
broke Israel's arm and turned his back just as the enemy approached,
came on Jacob like a wildfire from every direction.
⁴Like an enemy, he aimed his bow, bared his sword,
and killed our young men, our pride and joy.
His anger, like fire, burned down the homes in Zion.
⁵The Master became the enemy. He had Israel for supper.
He chewed up and spit out all the defenses.
He left Daughter Judah moaning and groaning.
⁶He plowed up his old trysting place, trashed his favorite rendezvous.
God wiped out Zion's memories of feast days and Sabbaths,
angrily sacked king and priest alike.
⁷God abandoned his altar, walked away from his holy Temple
and turned the fortifications over to the enemy.
As they cheered in God's Temple, you'd have thought it was a feast day!
⁸God drew up plans to tear down the walls of Daughter Zion.
He assembled his crew, set to work and went at it.
Total demolition! The stones wept!
⁹Her city gates, iron bars and all, disappeared in the rubble:
her kings and princes off to exile—no one left to instruct or lead;
her prophets useless—they neither saw nor heard anything from God.
¹⁰The elders of Daughter Zion sit silent on the ground.
They throw dust on their heads, dress in rough penitential burlap—
the young virgins of Jerusalem, their faces creased with the dirt.
¹¹My eyes are blind with tears, my stomach in a knot.
My insides have turned to jelly over my people's fate.
Babies and children are fainting all over the place,
¹²Calling to their mothers, "I'm hungry! I'm thirsty!"
then fainting like dying soldiers in the streets,
breathing their last in their mothers' laps.
¹³How can I understand your plight, dear Jerusalem?
What can I say to give you comfort, dear Zion?
Who can put you together again? This bust-up is past understanding.
¹⁴Your prophets courted you with sweet talk.
They didn't face you with your sin so that you could repent.
Their sermons were all wishful thinking, deceptive illusions.
¹⁵Astonished, passersby can't believe what they see.
They rub their eyes, they shake their heads over Jerusalem.
Is this the city voted "Most Beautiful" and "Best Place to Live"?
¹⁶But now your enemies gape, slack-jawed.
Then they rub their hands in glee: "We've got them!
We've been waiting for this! Here it is!"
¹⁷God did carry out, item by item, exactly what he said he'd do.
He always said he'd do this. Now he's done it—torn the place down.
He's let your enemies walk all over you, declared them world champions!
¹⁸Give out heart-cries to the Master, dear repentant Zion.
Let the tears roll like a river, day and night,
and keep at it—no time-outs. Keep those tears flowing!
¹⁹As each night watch begins, get up and cry out in prayer.
Pour your heart out face-to-face with the Master.
Lift high your hands. Beg for the lives of your children
who are starving to death out on the streets. 

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Philemon 1-25 (The Message)

Philemon 1

^1-3I, Paul, am a prisoner for the sake of Christ, here with my brother Timothy. I write this letter to you, Philemon, my good friend and companion in this work—also to our sister Apphia, to Archippus, a real trooper, and to the church that meets in your house. God's best to you! Christ's blessings on you! ^4-7Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, "Oh, thank you, God!" I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers. And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it. Friend, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel, doubly so when I see your hospitality to fellow believers. 

To Call the Slave Your Friend

^8-9In line with all this I have a favor to ask of you. As Christ's ambassador and now a prisoner for him, I wouldn't hesitate to command this if I thought it necessary, but I'd rather make it a personal request. ^10-14While here in jail, I've fathered a child, so to speak. And here he is, hand-carrying this letter—Onesimus! He was useless to you before; now he's useful to both of us. I'm sending him back to you, but it feels like I'm cutting off my right arm in doing so. I wanted in the worst way to keep him here as your stand-in to help out while I'm in jail for the Message. But I didn't want to do anything behind your back, make you do a good deed that you hadn't willingly agreed to.
^15-16Maybe it's all for the best that you lost him for a while. You're getting him back now for good—and no mere slave this time, but a true Christian brother! That's what he was to me—he'll be even more than that to you.
^17-20So if you still consider me a comrade-in-arms, welcome him back as you would me. If he damaged anything or owes you anything, chalk it up to my account. This is my personal signature—Paul—and I stand behind it. (I don't need to remind you, do I, that you owe your very life to me?) Do me this big favor, friend. You'll be doing it for Christ, but it will also do my heart good.
^21-22I know you well enough to know you will. You'll probably go far beyond what I've written. And by the way, get a room ready for me. Because of your prayers, I fully expect to be your guest again.
^23-25Epaphras, my cellmate in the cause of Christ, says hello. Also my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. All the best to you from the Master, Jesus Christ!

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Psalm 101:1-8 (The Message)

Psalm 101

A David Psalm

^1-8My theme song is God's love and justice, and I'm singing it right to you, God.
I'm finding my way down the road of right living,
but how long before you show up?
I'm doing the very best I can,
and I'm doing it at home, where it counts.
I refuse to take a second look
at corrupting people and degrading things.
I reject made-in-Canaan gods,
stay clear of contamination.
The crooked in heart keep their distance;
I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil.
I put a gag on the gossip
who bad-mouths his neighbor;
I can't stand
arrogance.
But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people—
they're the ones I want working with me;
Men and women on the straight and narrow—
these are the ones I want at my side.
But no one who traffics in lies
gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars.
I've rounded up all the wicked like cattle
and herded them right out of the country.
I purged God's city
of all who make a business of evil.

A Prayer of One Whose Life Is Falling to Pieces,

and Who Lets God Know Just How Bad It Is

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Proverbs 26:20 (The Message)

²⁰ When you run out of wood, the fire goes out;
when the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down.

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Verse of the Day

“[Christ Brings New Life]Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.” - Romans 12:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

German nobleman, General Staff officer and politician, serving as Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and as Vice-Chancellor under Adolf Hitler in 1933–34, Franz von Papen wrote, “It is to be hoped that the leaders of this movement will place the nation above the party.”

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A Joke for Today 

A guy was driving when a policeman pulled him over. He rolled down his window and said to the officer, "Is there a problem, Officer?" 

"No problem at all. I just observed your safe driving and am pleased to award you a $5,000 Safe Driver Award. Congratulations. What do you think you're going to do with the money?" 

The driver thought for a minute and said, "Well, I guess I'll go get that drivers' license." The lady sitting in the passenger seat said to the policeman, "Oh, don't pay attention to him - he thinks he’s so smart when he's drunk and stoned." The guy from the back seat said, "I TOLD you guys we wouldn't get far in a stolen car!" 

At that moment, there was a knock from the trunk and a muffled voice said, "Are we over the border yet?"

Bible Readings for October 29, 2017

Today our passages are Lamentations 1:1–2:19; Philemon 1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; and Proverbs 26:20.  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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Lamentations 1-2:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Lamentations 1

Lonely Jerusalem

The Prophet Speaks:

 ¹Jerusalem, once so crowded,   lies deserted and lonely.
   This city that was known
   all over the world
   is now like a widow.
   This queen of the nations
   has been made a slave.
    ²Each night, bitter tears
   flood her cheeks.
   None of her former lovers
   are there to offer comfort;
   her friends ^a] have betrayed her and are now her enemies.
    ³The people of Judah are slaves,
   suffering in a foreign land,
   with no rest from sorrow.
   Their enemies captured them
   and were terribly cruel. ^b] 4The roads to Zion mourn
   because no one travels there
   to celebrate the festivals.
   The city gates are deserted;
   priests are weeping.
   Young women are raped; ^c] Zion is in sorrow!
    ⁵Enemies now rule the city
   and live as they please.
   The LORD has punished Jerusalem
   because of her awful sins;
   he has let her people
   be dragged away.
    ⁶Zion's glory has disappeared.
   Her leaders are like deer
   that cannot find pasture;
   they are hunted down
   till their strength is gone.
    ⁷Her people recall the good life
   that once was theirs;
   now they suffer
   and are scattered.
   No one was there to protect them
   from their enemies
   who sneered
   when their city was taken.
    ⁸Jerusalem's horrible sins
   have made the city a joke.
   Those who once admired her
   now hate her instead--
   she has been disgraced;
   she groans and turns away.
    ⁹Her sins had made her filthy,
   but she wasn't worried
   about what could happen.
   And when Jerusalem fell,
   it was so tragic.
   No one gave her comfort
   when she cried out,
   "Help! I'm in trouble, LORD!
   The enemy has won."
    ¹⁰Zion's treasures were stolen.
   Jerusalem saw foreigners
   enter her place of worship,
   though the LORD
   had forbidden them
   to belong to his people. ^d] 11Everyone in the city groans
   while searching for food;
   they trade their valuables
   for barely enough scraps
   to stay alive.
   Jerusalem shouts to the LORD,
   "Please look and see
   how miserable I am!"
   

Jerusalem Speaks:

 ¹²No passerby even cares. ^e] Why doesn't someone notice   my terrible sufferings?
   You were fiercely angry, LORD,
   and you punished me
   worst of all.
    ¹³From heaven you sent a fire
   that burned in my bones;
   you set a trap for my feet
   and made me turn back.
   All day long you leave me
   in shock from constant pain.
    ¹⁴You have tied my sins
   around my neck, ^f] and they weigh so heavily
   that my strength is gone.
   You have put me in the power
   of enemies
   too strong for me.
    ¹⁵You, LORD, have turned back
   my warriors
   and crushed
   my young heroes.
   Judah was a woman untouched,
   but you let her be trampled
   like grapes in a wine pit.
    ¹⁶Because of this, I mourn,
   and tears flood my eyes.
   No one is here to comfort
   or to encourage me;
   we have lost the war--
   my people are suffering.
   

The Prophet Speaks:

 ¹⁷Zion reaches out her hands,   but no one offers comfort.
   The LORD has turned
   the neighboring nations
   against Jacob's descendants.
   Jerusalem is merely a filthy rag
   to her neighbors.
   

Jerusalem Speaks:

 ¹⁸The LORD was right,   but I refused to obey him.
   Now I ask all of you to look
   at my sufferings--
   even my young people
   have been dragged away.
    ¹⁹I called out to my lovers,
   but they betrayed me.
   My priests and my leaders died
   while searching the city
   for scraps of food.
    ²⁰Won't you look and see
   how upset I am, our LORD?
   My stomach is in knots,
   and my heart is broken
   because I betrayed you.
   In the streets and at home,
   my people are slaughtered.
    ²¹Everyone heard my groaning,
   but no one offered comfort.
   My enemies know of the trouble
   that you have brought on me,
   and it makes them glad.
   Hurry and punish them,
   as you have promised.
    ²²Don't let their evil deeds
   escape your sight.
   Punish them as much
   as you have punished me
   because of my sins.
   I never stop groaning--
   I've lost all hope!
   

Lamentations 2

The LORD Was Like an Enemy

The Prophet Speaks:

 ¹The Lord was angry!   So he disgraced ^g] Zion though it was Israel's pride
   and his own place of rest.
   In his anger he threw Zion down
   from heaven to earth.
    ²The LORD had no mercy!
   He destroyed the homes
   of Jacob's descendants.
   In his anger he tore down
   every walled city in Judah;
   he toppled the nation
   together with its leaders,
   leaving them in shame.
    ³The Lord was so furiously angry
   that he wiped out
   the whole army ^h] of Israel by not supporting them
   when the enemy attacked.
   He was like a raging fire
   that swallowed up
   the descendants of Jacob.
    ⁴He attacked like an enemy
   with a bow and arrows,
   killing our loved ones.
   He has burned to the ground
   the homes on Mount Zion. ^i] 5The Lord was like an enemy!
   He left Israel in ruins
   with its palaces
   and fortresses destroyed,
   and with everyone in Judah
   moaning and weeping.
    ⁶He shattered his temple
   like a hut in a garden; ^j] he completely wiped out
   his meeting place,
   and did away with festivals
   and Sabbaths
   in the city of Zion.
   In his fierce anger he rejected
   our king and priests.
    ⁷The Lord abandoned his altar
   and his temple;
   he let Zion's enemies
   capture her fortresses.
   Noisy shouts were heard
   from the temple,
   as if it were a time
   of celebration.
    ⁸The LORD had decided
   to tear down the walls of Zion
   stone by stone.
   So he started destroying
   and did not stop
   until walls and fortresses
   mourned and trembled.
    ⁹Zion's gates have fallen
   facedown on the ground;
   the bars that locked the gates
   are smashed to pieces.
   Her king and royal family
   are prisoners
   in foreign lands.
   Her priests don't teach,
   and her prophets don't have
   a message from the LORD.
    ¹⁰Zion's leaders are silent.
   They just sit on the ground,
   tossing dirt on their heads
   and wearing sackcloth.
   Her young women can do nothing
   but stare at the ground.
    ¹¹My eyes are red from crying,
   my stomach is in knots,
   and I feel sick all over.
   My people are being wiped out,
   and children lie helpless
   in the streets of the city.
    ¹²A child begs its mother
   for food and drink,
   then blacks out
   like a wounded soldier
   lying in the street.
   The child slowly dies
   in its mother's arms.
    ¹³Zion, how can I comfort you?
   How great is your pain? ^k] Lovely city of Jerusalem,
   how can I heal your wounds,
   gaping as wide as the sea?
    ¹⁴Your prophets deceived you
   with false visions
   and lying messages--
   they should have warned you
   to leave your sins
   and be saved from disaster.
    ¹⁵Those who pass by
   shake their heads and sneer
   as they make fun and shout,
   "What a lovely city you were,
   the happiest on earth,
   but look at you now!"
    ¹⁶Zion, your enemies curse you
   and snarl like wild animals,
   while shouting,
   "This is the day
   we've waited for!
   At last, we've got you!"
    ¹⁷The LORD has done everything
   that he had planned
   and threatened long ago.
   He destroyed you without mercy
   and let your enemies boast
   about
   their powerful forces. ^l] 18Zion, deep in your heart
   you cried out to the Lord.
   Now let your tears overflow
   your walls day and night.
   Don't ever lose hope
   or let your tears stop.
    ¹⁹Get up and pray for help
   all through the night.
   Pour out your feelings
   to the Lord,
   as you would pour water
   out of a jug.
   Beg him to save your people,
   who are starving to death
   at every street crossing.
   

Footnotes:

1. Lamentations 1:2 lovers. . . friends: Israel's former allies.
2. Lamentations 1:3 Their. . . cruel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Lamentations 1:4 raped: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Lamentations 1:10 to. . . people: Or "to enter his temple."
5. Lamentations 1:12 No. . . cares: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6. Lamentations 1:14 You. . . neck: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. Lamentations 2:1 disgraced: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Lamentations 2:3 army: The Hebrew text has "horn," which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.
9. Lamentations 2:4 the homes on Mount Zion: Or "the temple on Mount Zion."
10. Lamentations 2:6 He. . . garden: Or "He shattered the temple walls, as if they were the walls of a garden."
11. Lamentations 2:13 How great. . . pain: Or "What are you really like?" or "What can I say about you?"
12. Lamentations 2:17 powerful forces: The Hebrew text has "horn," which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.

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Philemon 1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

Philemon 1

 ¹From Paul, who is in jail for serving Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is like a brother because of our faith.   Philemon, you work with us and are very dear to us. This letter is to you
   ²and to the church that meets in your home. It is also to our dear friend Apphia and to Archippus, who serves the Lord as we do.
   ³I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
   

Philemon's Love and Faith

 ⁴Philemon, each time I mention you in my prayers, I thank God.   ⁵I hear about your faith in our Lord Jesus and about your love for all of God's people.
   ⁶As you share your faith with others, I pray that they may come to know all the blessings Christ has given us.
   ⁷My friend, your love has made me happy and has greatly encouraged me. It has also cheered the hearts of God's people.
   

Paul Speaks to Philemon about Onesimus

 ⁸Christ gives me the courage to tell you what to do.   ⁹But I would rather ask you to do it simply because of love. Yes, as someone ^a]in jail for Christ,
   ¹⁰I beg you to help Onesimus! ^b] He is like a son to me because I led him to Christ here in jail.
   ¹¹Before this, he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
   ¹²Sending Onesimus back to you makes me very sad.
   ¹³I would like to keep him here with me, where he could take your place in helping me while I am here in prison for preaching the good news.
   ¹⁴But I won't do anything unless you agree to it first. I want your act of kindness to come from your heart, and not be something you feel forced to do.
   ¹⁵Perhaps Onesimus was taken from you for a little while so that you could have him back for good,
   ¹⁶but not as a slave. Onesimus is much more than a slave. To me he is a dear friend, but to you he is even more, both as a person and as a follower of the Lord.
   ¹⁷If you consider me a friend because of Christ, then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me.
   ¹⁸If he has cheated you or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
   ¹⁹With my own hand I write: I, PAUL, WILL PAY YOU BACK. But don't forget that you owe me your life.
   ²⁰My dear friend and follower of Christ our Lord, please cheer me up by doing this for me.
   ²¹I am sure you will do all I have asked, and even more.
   ²²Please get a room ready for me. I hope your prayers will be answered, and I can visit you.
   ²³Epaphras is also here in jail for being a follower of Christ Jesus. He sends his greetings,
   ²⁴and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who work together with me.
   ²⁵I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you!
   

Footnotes:

1. Philemon 1:9 someone: Greek "a messenger" or "an old man."
2. Philemon 1:10 Onesimus: In Greek this name means "useful."

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Psalm 101:1-8 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 101

(A psalm by David.)

A King and His Promises

 ¹I will sing to you, LORD!   I will celebrate your kindness
   and your justice.
    ²Please help me learn
   to do the right thing,
   and I will be honest and fair
   in my own kingdom.
    ³I refuse to be corrupt
   or to take part
   in anything crooked,
    ⁴and I won't be dishonest
   or deceitful.
    ⁵Anyone who spreads gossip
   will be silenced,
   and no one who is conceited
   will be my friend.
    ⁶I will find trustworthy people
   to serve as my advisors,
   and only an honest person
   will serve as an official.
    ⁷No one who cheats or lies
   will have a position
   in my royal court.
    ⁸Each morning I will silence
   any lawbreakers I find
   in the countryside
   or in the city of the LORD.

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Proverbs 26:20 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁰Where there is no fuel
   a fire goes out;
   where there is no gossip
   arguments come to an end.

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Verse of the Day

“[Christ Brings New Life]Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.” - Romans 12:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright, Jean Giraudoux wrote, “Only the mediocre are always at their best.”