Bible Readings for June 26, 2016

Today our passages are 2 Kings 9:14–10:31; Acts 17:1-34; Psalm 144:1-15; and Proverbs 17:27-28. 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.

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2 Kings 9:14-10:31 (The Message)

 ^14-15 That ignited the conspiracy of Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi against Joram.
    Meanwhile, Joram and the entire army were defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram. Except that Joram had pulled back to Jezreel to convalesce from the injuries he got from the Arameans in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.
    Jehu said, "If you really want me as king, don't let anyone sneak out of the city and blab the news in Jezreel."
 ¹⁶ Then Jehu mounted a chariot and rode to Jezreel, where Joram was in bed, resting. King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit Joram.
 ¹⁷ A sentry standing duty on the watchtower in Jezreel saw the company of Jehu arrive. He said, "I see a band of men."
    Joram said, "Get a horseman and send him out to meet them and inquire, 'Is anything wrong?'"
 ¹⁸ The horseman rode out to meet Jehu and said, "The king wants to know if there's anything wrong."
    Jehu said, "What's it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me."
    The sentry said, "The messenger reached them, but he's not returning."
 ¹⁹ The king then sent a second horseman. When he reached them he said, "The king wants to know if there's anything wrong."
    Jehu said, "What's it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me."
 ²⁰ The sentry said, "The messenger reached them, but he's not returning. The driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi—crazy!"
 ²¹ Joram ordered, "Get my chariot ready!" They hitched up his chariot. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his own chariot, drove out to meet Jehu. They met in the field of Naboth of Jezreel.
 ²² When Joram saw Jehu he called out, "Good day, Jehu!"
    Jehu answered, "What's good about it? How can there be anything good about it as long as the promiscuous whoring and sorceries of your mother Jezebel pollute the country?"
 ²³ Joram wheeled his chariot around and fled, yelling to Ahaziah, "It's a trap, Ahaziah!"
 ²⁴ Jehu pulled on his bow and released an arrow; it hit Joram between the shoulder blades and went right through his heart. He slumped to his knees in his chariot.
 ^25-26 Jehu ordered Bidkar, his lieutenant, "Quick—throw him into the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember when you and I were driving our chariots behind Ahab his father? That's when God pronounced this doom upon him: 'As surely as I saw the blood of murdered Naboth and his sons yesterday, you'll pay for it on this exact piece of ground. God's word!' So take him and throw him out in the field. God's instructions carried out to the letter!"
 ²⁷ Ahaziah king of Judah saw what was going on and made his escape on the road toward Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, yelling out, "Get him, too!" Jehu's troops shot and wounded him in his chariot on the hill up to Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to make it as far as Megiddo; there he died.
 ²⁸ His aides drove on to Jerusalem. They buried him in the family plot in the City of David.
 ²⁹ In the eleventh year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.
 ^30-31 When Jezebel heard that Jehu had arrived in Jezreel, she made herself up—put on eyeshadow and arranged her hair—and posed seductively at the window. When Jehu came through the city gate, she called down, "So, how are things, 'Zimri,' you dashing king-killer?"
 ³² Jehu looked up at the window and called, "Is there anybody up there on my side?" Two or three palace eunuchs looked out.
 ³³ He ordered, "Throw her down!" They threw her out the window. Her blood spattered the wall and the horses, and Jehu trampled her under his horse's hooves.
 ³⁴ Then Jehu went inside and ate his lunch. During lunch he gave orders, "Take care of that damned woman; give her a decent burial—she is, after all, a king's daughter."
 ^35-36 They went out to bury her, but there was nothing left of her but skull, feet, and hands. They came back and told Jehu. He said, "It's God's word, the word spoken by Elijah the Tishbite:
    In the field of Jezreel,
      dogs will eat Jezebel;
 ³⁷ The body of Jezebel will be like
      dog-droppings on the ground in Jezreel.
   Old friends and lovers will say,
      'I wonder, is this Jezebel?'"

2 Kings 10

 ^1-2Ahab had seventy sons still living in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters addressed to the officers of Jezreel, the city elders, and those in charge of Ahab's sons, and posted them to Samaria. The letters read:  ^2-3 This letter is fair warning. You're in charge of your master's children, chariots, horses, fortifications, and weapons. Pick the best and most capable of your master's sons and put him on the throne. Prepare to fight for your master's position.
 ⁴ They were absolutely terrified at the letter. They said, "Two kings have already been wiped out by him; what hope do we have?"
 ⁵ So they sent the warden of the palace, the mayor of the city, the elders, and the guardians to Jehu with this message: "We are your servants. Whatever you say, we'll do. We're not making anyone king here. You're in charge—do what you think best."
 ^6-7 Then Jehu wrote a second letter:
   If you are on my side and are willing to follow my orders, here's what you do: Decapitate the sons of your master and bring the heads to me by this time tomorrow in Jezreel.
    The king's sons numbered seventy. The leaders of the city had taken responsibility for them. When they got the letter, they took the king's sons and killed all seventy. Then they put the heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
 ⁸ A messenger reported to Jehu: "They've delivered the heads of the king's sons."
    He said, "Stack them in two piles at the city gate until morning."
 ^9-10 In the morning Jehu came out, stood before the people, and addressed them formally: "Do you realize that this very day you are participants in God's righteous workings? True, I am the one who conspired against my master and assassinated him. But who, do you suppose, is responsible for this pile of skulls? Know this for certain: Not a single syllable that God spoke in judgment on the family of Ahab is canceled; you're seeing it with your own eyes—God doing what, through Elijah, he said he'd do."
 ¹¹ Then Jehu proceeded to kill everyone who had anything to do with Ahab's family in Jezreel—leaders, friends, priests. He wiped out the entire lot.
 ^12-13 That done, he brushed himself off and set out for Samaria. Along the way, at Beth Eked (Binding House) of the Shepherds, he met up with some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah.
    Jehu said, "Who are you?"
    They said, "We're relatives of Ahaziah and we've come down to a reunion of the royal family."
 ¹⁴ "Grab them!" ordered Jehu. They were taken and then massacred at the well of Beth Eked. Forty-two of them—no survivors.
 ¹⁵ He went on from there and came upon Jehonadab the Recabite who was on his way to meet him. Greeting him, he said, "Are we together and of one mind in this?"
    Jehonadab said, "We are—count on me."
    "Then give me your hand," said Jehu.
    They shook hands on it and Jehonadab stepped up into the chariot with Jehu.
 ¹⁶ "Come along with me," said Jehu, "and witness my zeal for God." Together they proceeded in the chariot.
 ¹⁷ When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu massacred everyone left in Samaria who was in any way connected with Ahab—a mass execution, just as God had told Elijah.
 ^18-19 Next, Jehu got all the people together and addressed them:
      Ahab served Baal small-time; Jehu will serve him big-time.
"Get all the prophets of Baal here—everyone who served him, all his priests. Get everyone here; don't leave anyone out. I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. If you don't show up, you won't live to tell about it." (Jehu was lying, of course. He planned to destroy all the worshipers of Baal.)
 ²⁰ Jehu ordered, "Make preparation for a holy convocation for Baal." They did and posted the date.
 ²¹ Jehu then summoned everyone in Israel. They came in droves—every worshiper of Baal in the country. Nobody stayed home. They came and packed the temple of Baal to capacity.
 ²² Jehu directed the keeper of the wardrobe, "Get robes for all the servants of Baal." He brought out their robes.
 ^23-24 Jehu and Jehonadab the Recabite now entered the temple of Baal and said, "Double-check and make sure that there are no worshipers of God in here; only Baal-worshipers are allowed." Then they launched the worship, making the sacrifices and burnt offerings.
    Meanwhile, Jehu had stationed eighty men outside with orders: "Don't let a single person escape; if you do, it's your life for his life."
 ^25-27 When Jehu had finished with the sacrificial solemnities, he signaled to the officers and guards, "Enter and kill! No survivors!"
    And the bloody slaughter began. The officers and guards threw the corpses outside and cleared the way to enter the inner shrine of Baal. They hauled out the sacred phallic stone from the temple of Baal and pulverized it. They smashed the Baal altars and tore down the Baal temple. It's been a public toilet ever since.
 ²⁸ And that's the story of Jehu's wasting of Baal in Israel.
 ²⁹ But for all that, Jehu didn't turn back from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, the sins that had dragged Israel into a life of sin—the golden calves in Bethel and Dan stayed.
 ³⁰ God commended Jehu: "You did well to do what I saw was best. You did what I ordered against the family of Ahab. As reward, your sons will occupy the throne of Israel for four generations."
 ³¹ Even then, though, Jehu wasn't careful to walk in God's ways and honor the God of Israel from an undivided heart. He didn't turn back from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin.

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Acts 17:1-34 (The Message)

Acts 17

Thessalonica

 ^1-3 They took the road south through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where there was a community of Jews. Paul went to their meeting place, as he usually did when he came to a town, and for three Sabbaths running he preached to them from the Scriptures. He opened up the texts so they understood what they'd been reading all their lives: that the Messiah absolutely had to be put to death and raised from the dead—there were no other options—and that "this Jesus I'm introducing you to is that Messiah."  ^4-5Some of them were won over and joined ranks with Paul and Silas, among them a great many God-fearing Greeks and a considerable number of women from the aristocracy. But the hard-line Jews became furious over the conversions. Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorizing the city as they hunted down Paul and Silas.
 ^5-7They broke into Jason's house, thinking that Paul and Silas were there. When they couldn't find them, they collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city fathers, yelling hysterically, "These people are out to destroy the world, and now they've shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear! And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king and Caesar is nothing!"
 ^8-9The city fathers and the crowd of people were totally alarmed by what they heard. They made Jason and his friends post heavy bail and let them go while they investigated the charges.

Berea

 ^10-12That night, under cover of darkness, their friends got Paul and Silas out of town as fast as they could. They sent them to Berea, where they again met with the Jewish community. They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said. A lot of them became believers, including many Greeks who were prominent in the community, women and men of influence.  ^13-15But it wasn't long before reports got back to the Thessalonian hardline Jews that Paul was at it again, preaching the Word of God, this time in Berea. They lost no time responding, and created a mob scene there, too. With the help of his friends, Paul gave them the slip—caught a boat and put out to sea. Silas and Timothy stayed behind. The men who helped Paul escape got him as far as Athens and left him there. Paul sent word back with them to Silas and Timothy: "Come as quickly as you can!"

Athens

 ¹⁶The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got—all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols.  ^17-18He discussed it with the Jews and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. He got to know some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: "What an airhead!" But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the resurrection, were intrigued: "That's a new slant on the gods. Tell us more."
 ^19-21These people got together and asked him to make a public presentation over at the Areopagus, where things were a little quieter. They said, "This is a new one on us. We've never heard anything quite like it. Where did you come up with this anyway? Explain it so we can understand." Downtown Athens was a great place for gossip. There were always people hanging around, natives and tourists alike, waiting for the latest tidbit on most anything.
 ^22-23So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with.
 ^24-29"The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?
 ^30-31"God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead."
 ^32-34At the phrase "raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to hear more." But that was it for the day, and Paul left. There were still others, it turned out, who were convinced then and there, and stuck with Paul—among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.

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Psalm 144:1-15 (The Message)

Psalm 144

A David Psalm

 ^1-2 Blessed be God, my mountain, who trains me to fight fair and well.
   He's the bedrock on which I stand,
      the castle in which I live,
      my rescuing knight,
   The high crag where I run for dear life,
      while he lays my enemies low.

 ^3-4 I wonder why you care, God—
      why do you bother with us at all?
   All we are is a puff of air;
      we're like shadows in a campfire.

 ^5-8 Step down out of heaven, God;
      ignite volcanoes in the hearts of the mountains.
   Hurl your lightnings in every direction;
      shoot your arrows this way and that.
   Reach all the way from sky to sea:
      pull me out of the ocean of hate,
      out of the grip of those barbarians
   Who lie through their teeth,
      who shake your hand
      then knife you in the back.

 ^9-10 O God, let me sing a new song to you,
      let me play it on a twelve-string guitar—
   A song to the God who saved the king,
      the God who rescued David, his servant.

 ¹¹ Rescue me from the enemy sword,
      release me from the grip of those barbarians
   Who lie through their teeth,
      who shake your hand
      then knife you in the back.

 ^12-14 Make our sons in their prime
      like sturdy oak trees,
   Our daughters as shapely and bright
      as fields of wildflowers.
   Fill our barns with great harvest,
      fill our fields with huge flocks;
   Protect us from invasion and exile—
      eliminate the crime in our streets.

 ¹⁵ How blessed the people who have all this!
   How blessed the people who have God for God!

 

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Proverbs 17:27-28 (The Message)

 ²⁷ The one who knows much says little;
   an understanding person remains calm.

 ²⁸ Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise;
   as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart.

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Verse of the Day
“Stop being angry and don't try to take revenge. I am the LORD, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.” - Leviticus 19:18

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

A philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world, Plato wrote, “Man - a being in search of meaning.” 

Bible Readings for June 25, 2015

Today our passages are 2 Kings 8:1–9:13; Acts 16:16-40; Psalm 143:1-12; and Proverbs 17:26. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. 

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2 Kings 8-9:13 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Kings 8

The Woman from Shunem Is Given Back Her Land

 ¹Elisha told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, ^[a] "The LORD has warned that there will be no food here for seven years. Take your family and go live somewhere else for a while." ²The woman did exactly what Elisha had said and went to live in Philistine territory. She and her family lived there seven years. ³Then she returned to Israel and immediately begged the king to give back her house and property.     ⁴Meanwhile, the king was asking Gehazi the servant of Elisha about the amazing things Elisha had been doing. ⁵While Gehazi was telling him that Elisha had brought a dead boy back to life, the woman and her son arrived.
   "Here's the boy, Your Majesty," Gehazi said. "And this is his mother."
    ⁶The king asked the woman to tell her story, and she told him everything that had happened. He then said to one of his officials, "I want you to make sure that this woman gets back everything that belonged to her, including the money her crops have made since the day she left Israel."
   

Hazael Kills Benhadad

 ⁷Some time later Elisha went to the capital city of Damascus to visit King Benhadad of Syria, who was sick. And when Benhadad was told he was there, ⁸he said to Hazael, ^[b] "Go meet with Elisha the man of God and have him ask the LORD if I will get well. And take along a gift for him." ⁹Hazael left with forty camel loads of the best things made in Damascus as a gift for Elisha. He found the prophet and said, "Your servant, King Benhadad, wants to know if he will get well."     ¹⁰"Tell him he will," Elisha said to Hazael. "But the LORD has already told me that Benhadad will definitely die." ¹¹Elisha stared at him until Hazael was embarrassed, then Elisha began crying. ^{[c] 12}"Sir, why are you crying?" Hazael asked.
   Elisha answered, "Because I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn down their walled cities and slaughter their young men. You will even crush the heads of their babies and rip open their pregnant women."
    ¹³"How could I ever do anything like that?" Hazael replied. "I'm only a servant and don't have that kind of power."
   "Hazael, the LORD has told me that you will be the next king of Syria."
    ¹⁴Hazael went back to Benhadad and told him, "Elisha said that you will get well." ¹⁵But the very next day, Hazael got a thick blanket; he soaked it in water and held it over Benhadad's face until he died. Hazael then became king.
   

King Jehoram of Judah

(2 Chronicles 21.2-20)

 ¹⁶Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah in Joram's fifth year as king of Israel, while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah. ^{[d] 17}Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled eight years from Jerusalem. ¹⁸Jehoram disobeyed the LORD by doing wrong. He married Ahab's daughter and was as sinful as Ahab's family and the kings of Israel. ¹⁹But the LORD refused to destroy Judah, because he had promised his servant David that someone from his family would always rule in Judah.     ²⁰While Jehoram was king, the people of Edom rebelled and chose their own king. ²¹So Jehoram ^[e] and his cavalry marched to Zair, where the Edomite army surrounded him and his commanders. During the night he attacked the Edomites, but he was defeated, and his troops escaped to their homes. ^{[f] 22}Judah was never able to regain control of Edom. Even the town of Libnah ^[g] rebelled at that time. ²³Everything else Jehoram did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²⁴Jehoram died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem. ^[h] His son Ahaziah then became king.

King Ahaziah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 22.1-6)

 ²⁵Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah in the twelfth year of Joram's rule in Israel. ²⁶Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled from Jerusalem for only one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. ²⁷Since Ahaziah was related to Ahab's family, ^[i] he acted just like them and disobeyed the LORD by doing wrong. ²⁸Ahaziah went with King Joram of Israel to attack King Hazael and the Syrian troops at Ramoth in Gilead. Joram was wounded in that battle, ²⁹so he went to the town of Jezreel to recover. Ahaziah went there to visit him.    

2 Kings 9

Jehu Becomes King of Israel

 ¹One day, Elisha called for one of the other prophets and said:    Take this bottle of olive oil and get ready to go to the town of Ramoth in Gilead. ²When you get there, find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Take him to a place where the two of you can be alone, ³then pour olive oil on his head to show that he is the new king. Say to him, "The LORD has chosen you to be king of Israel." Then leave quickly--don't wait around for anything!
    ⁴The young prophet left for Ramoth. ⁵When he arrived, the army officers were meeting together. "Sir, I have a message for you," he said.
   "For which one of us?" Jehu asked.
   "You, sir," the prophet answered. ⁶So Jehu got up and went inside. ^[j] The prophet poured olive oil on Jehu's head and told him: The LORD God of Israel has this message for you: "I am the LORD, and I have chosen you to be king of my people Israel. ⁷I want you to wipe out the family of Ahab, so Jezebel will be punished for killing the prophets and my other servants. ⁸Every man and boy in Ahab's family must die, whether slave or free. ⁹His whole family must be destroyed, just like the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. ¹⁰As for Jezebel, her body will be eaten by dogs in the town of Jezreel. There won't be enough left of her to bury."
   Then the young prophet opened the door and ran out.
    ¹¹Jehu went back to his officers, and one of them asked, "What did that crazy prophet want? Is everything all right?"
   "You know him and how he talks," Jehu answered.
    ¹²"No, we don't. What did he say?" they asked.
   "He had a message from the LORD," Jehu replied. "He said that the LORD has chosen me to be the next king of Israel."
    ¹³They quickly grabbed their coats and spread them out on the steps where Jehu was standing. Someone blew a trumpet, and everyone shouted, "Jehu is king!"
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 8:1 Elisha. . . life: See 4.8-37.
2. 2 Kings 8:8 Hazael: Probably one of Benhadad's officials.
3. 2 Kings 8:11 Elisha stared. . . crying: Or "Hazael stared at him until Elisha was embarrassed and began to cry."
4. 2 Kings 8:16 while Jehoshaphat. . . Judah: In biblical times, a father and son would sometimes rule as kings at the same time. That way, when the father died, his son would already have control of the kingdom.
5. 2 Kings 8:21 Jehoram: The Hebrew text has "Joram," another spelling of the name.
6. 2 Kings 8:21 he attacked. . . homes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. 2 Kings 8:22 Even the town of Libnah: This was a town on the border between Philistia and Judah, which means that Jehoram was facing rebellion on two sides of his kingdom.
8. 2 Kings 8:24 Jerusalem: Hebrew "the city of David."
9. 2 Kings 8:27 Since. . . family: Ahaziah's mother was Ahab's daughter (see verse 18).
10. 2 Kings 9:6 went inside: The officers were probably meeting outside in an open courtyard of some building

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Acts 16:16-40 (Contemporary English Version)

Paul and Silas Are Put in Jail

 ¹⁶One day on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl. She had a spirit in her that gave her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot of money for her owners. ¹⁷The girl followed Paul and the rest of us and kept yelling, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be saved."     ¹⁸This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!" At once the evil spirit left her.
    ¹⁹When the girl's owners realized that they had lost all chances for making more money, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into court. ²⁰They told the officials, "These Jews are upsetting our city! ²¹They are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do."
    ²²The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip. ²³After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully. ²⁴The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.
    ²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. ²⁶Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
    ²⁷When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! No one has escaped."
    ²⁹The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. ³⁰After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, "What must I do to be saved?"
    ³¹They replied, "Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home."
    ³²Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. ³³While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. ³⁴They were very glad that they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.
    ³⁵The next morning the officials sent some police with orders for the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. ³⁶The jailer told Paul, "The officials have ordered me to set you free. Now you can leave in peace."
    ³⁷But Paul told the police, "We are Roman citizens, ^[a] and the Roman officials had us beaten in public without giving us a trial. They threw us into jail. Now do they think they can secretly send us away? No, they cannot! They will have to come here themselves and let us out." ³⁸When the police told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid. ³⁹So they came and apologized. They led them out of the jail and asked them to please leave town. ⁴⁰But Paul and Silas went straight to the home of Lydia, where they saw the Lord's followers and encouraged them. Then they left.
   

Footnotes:

1. Acts 16:37 Roman citizens: Only a small number of the people living in the Roman Empire were citizens, and they had special rights and privileges.

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Psalm 143:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 143

(A psalm by David.)

A Prayer in Time of Danger

 ¹Listen, LORD, as I pray!    You are faithful and honest
   and will answer my prayer.
    ²I am your servant.
   Don't try me in your court,
   because no one is innocent
   by your standards.
    ³My enemies are chasing me,
   crushing me in the ground.
   I am in total darkness,
   like someone long dead.
    ⁴I have given up all hope,
   and I feel numb all over.
    ⁵I remember to think about
   the many things
   you did
   in years gone by.
    ⁶Then I lift my hands in prayer,
   because my soul is a desert,
   thirsty for water from you.
    ⁷Please hurry, LORD,
   and answer my prayer.
   I feel hopeless.
   Don't turn away
   and leave me here to die.
    ⁸Each morning let me learn
   more about your love
   because I trust you.
   I come to you in prayer,
   asking for your guidance.
    ⁹Please rescue me
   from my enemies, LORD!
   I come to you for safety. ^{[a] 10}You are my God. Show me
   what you want me to do,
   and let your gentle Spirit
   lead me in the right path.
    ¹¹Be true to your name, LORD,
   and keep my life safe.
   Use your saving power
   to protect me from trouble.
    ¹²I am your servant.
   Show how much you love me
   by destroying my enemies.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 143:9 I. . . safety: Or " You are my hiding place."

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Proverbs 17:26 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁶It isn't fair
   to punish the innocent
   and those who do right.

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Verse of Day

“in heaven and on earth. There are no secret places where you can hide from me.” - Jeremiah 23:24

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Philosopher, as well as mathematician, in Classical Greece, Plato wrote, “Man - a being in search of meaning.”

Bible Reading for March 5. 2014

Today our passages are Numbers 6:1–7:89; Mark 12:38–13:13; Psalm 49:1-20; and Proverbs 10:27-28. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Numbers 6-7:89 (The Message)

Numbers 6

Nazirite Vows

 ^1-4 God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the People of Israel; tell them, If any of you, man or woman, wants to make a special Nazirite vow, consecrating yourself totally to God, you must not drink any wine or beer, no intoxicating drink of any kind, not even the juice of grapes—in fact, you must not even eat grapes or raisins. For the duration of the consecration, nothing from the grapevine—not even the seeds, not even the skin—may be eaten.  ⁵ "Also, for the duration of the consecration you must not have your hair cut. Your long hair will be a continuing sign of holy separation to God.
 ^6-7 "Also, for the duration of the consecration to God, you must not go near a corpse. Even if it's the body of your father or mother, brother or sister, you must not ritually defile yourself because the sign of consecration to God is on your head.
 ⁸ "For the entire duration of your consecration you are holy to God.
 ^9-12 "If someone should die suddenly in your presence, so that your consecrated head is ritually defiled, you must shave your head on the day of your purifying, that is, the seventh day. Then on the eighth day bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priest will offer one for the Absolution-Offering and one for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, purifying you from the ritual contamination of the corpse. You resanctify your hair on that day and reconsecrate your Nazirite consecration to God by bringing a yearling lamb for a Compensation-Offering. You start over; the previous days don't count because your consecration was ritually defiled.
 ^13-17 "These are the instructions for the time set when your special consecration to God is up. First, you are to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then you will present your offerings to God: a healthy yearling lamb for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, a healthy yearling ewe for an Absolution-Offering, a healthy ram for a Peace-Offering, a basket of unraised bread made of fine flour, loaves mixed with oil, and crackers spread with oil, along with your Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings. The priest will approach God and offer up your Absolution-Offering and Whole-Burnt-Offering. He will sacrifice the ram as a Peace-Offering to God with the basket of unraised bread, and, last of all, the Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering.
 ¹⁸ "At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, shave off the hair you consecrated and put it in the fire that is burning under the Peace-Offering.
 ^19-20 "After you have shaved the hair of your consecration, the priest will take a shoulder from the ram, boiled, and a piece of unraised bread and a cracker from the basket and place them in your hands. The priest will then wave them before God, a Wave-Offering. They are holy and belong to the priest, along with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered.
   "Now you are free to drink wine.
 ²¹ "These are the instructions for Nazirites as they bring offerings to God in their vow of consecration, beyond their other offerings. They must carry out the vow they have vowed following the instructions for the Nazirite."

The Aaronic Blessing

^22-23 God spoke to Moses: "Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the People of Israel. Say to them,

 ²⁴ God bless you and keep you,

 ²⁵ God smile on you and gift you,

 ²⁶ God look you full in the face
      and make you prosper.
²⁷ In so doing, they will place my name on the People of Israel—
   I will confirm it by blessing them."

Numbers 7

Offerings for the Dedication

 ¹ When Moses finished setting up The Dwelling, he anointed it and consecrated it along with all that went with it. At the same time he anointed and consecrated the Altar and its accessories.  ^2-3 The leaders of Israel, the heads of the ancestral tribes who had carried out the census, brought offerings. They presented before God six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon from each pair of leaders and an ox from each leader.
 ^4-5 God spoke to Moses: ''Receive these so that they can be used to transport the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites according to what they need for their work."
 ^6-9 Moses took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. Moses didn't give any to the Kohathites because they had to carry the holy things for which they were responsible on their shoulders.
 ^10-11 When the Altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the Altar because God had instructed Moses, "Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the Altar."
 ^12-13 On the first day, Nahshon son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
 ¹⁴ a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
 ¹⁵ a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
 ¹⁶ a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
 ¹⁷ This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
 ^18-23 On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
 ^24-29 On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
 ^30-35 On the fourth day, Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
 ^36-41 On the fifth day, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
 ^42-47 On the sixth day, Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.
 ^48-53 On the seventh day, Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
 ^54-59 On the eighth day, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
 ^60-65 On the ninth day, Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
 ^66-71 On the tenth day, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
 ^72-77 On the eleventh day, Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.
 ^78-83 On the twelfth day, Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering. His offering was:
   a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
   a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
   a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
   a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
   two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
   This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
 ⁸⁴ These were the dedication offerings of the leaders of Israel for the anointing of the Altar:

      twelve silver plates,
      twelve silver bowls,
      twelve gold vessels.
 ^85-86 Each plate weighed three and a quarter pounds and each bowl one and three-quarter pounds. All the plates and bowls together weighed about sixty pounds (using the official Sanctuary weight). The twelve gold vessels filled with incense weighed four ounces each (using the official Sanctuary weight). Altogether the gold vessels weighed about three pounds.
 ⁸⁷ The sum total of animals used for the Whole-Burnt-Offering together with the Grain-Offering:

      twelve bulls,
      twelve rams,
      twelve yearling lambs.
   For the Absolution-Offering:

      twelve he-goats.
 ⁸⁸ The sum total of animals used for the sacrifice of the Peace-Offering:

      twenty-four bulls,
      sixty rams,
      sixty he-goats,
      sixty yearling lambs.
   These were the offerings for the dedication of the Altar after it was anointed.
 ⁸⁹ When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with God, he heard the Voice speaking to him from between the two angel-cherubim above the Atonement-Cover on the Chest of The Testimony. He spoke with him.

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Mark 12:38-13:13 (The Message)

 ^38-40He continued teaching. "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end."

 ^41-44Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all."

Mark 13

Doomsday Deceivers

 ¹ As he walked away from the Temple, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at that stonework! Those buildings!"

 ²Jesus said, "You're impressed by this grandiose architecture? There's not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble." ^3-4Later, as he was sitting on Mount Olives in full view of the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew got him off by himself and asked, "Tell us, when is this going to happen? What sign will we get that things are coming to a head?"

 ^5-8Jesus began, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, 'I'm the One.' They will deceive a lot of people. When you hear of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history, and no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. But these things are nothing compared to what's coming.

 ^9-10"And watch out! They're going to drag you into court. And then it will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You're placed there as sentinels to truth. The Message has to be preached all across the world.

 ¹¹"When they bring you, betrayed, into court, don't worry about what you'll say. When the time comes, say what's on your heart—the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you.

 ^12-13"It's going to be brother killing brother, father killing child, children killing parents. There's no telling who will hate you because of me.

   "Stay with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved.

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Psalm 49:1-20 (The Message)

Psalm 49

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah

 ^1-2 Listen, everyone, listen— earth-dwellers, don't miss this.
   All you haves
      and have-nots,
   All together now: listen.

 ^3-4 I set plainspoken wisdom before you,
      my heart-seasoned understandings of life.
   I fine-tuned my ear to the sayings of the wise,
      I solve life's riddle with the help of a harp.

 ^5-6 So why should I fear in bad times,
      hemmed in by enemy malice,
   Shoved around by bullies,
      demeaned by the arrogant rich?

 ^7-9 Really! There's no such thing as self-rescue,
      pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
   The cost of rescue is beyond our means,
      and even then it doesn't guarantee
   Life forever, or insurance
      against the Black Hole.

 ^10-11 Anyone can see that the brightest and best die,
      wiped out right along with fools and dunces.
   They leave all their prowess behind,
      move into their new home, The Coffin,
   The cemetery their permanent address.
      And to think they named counties after themselves!

 ¹² We aren't immortal. We don't last long.
      Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

 ^13-15 This is what happens to those who live for the moment,
      who only look out for themselves:
   Death herds them like sheep straight to hell;
      they disappear down the gullet of the grave;
   They waste away to nothing—
      nothing left but a marker in a cemetery.
   But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death,
      he reaches down and grabs me.

 ^16-19 So don't be impressed with those who get rich
      and pile up fame and fortune.
   They can't take it with them;
      fame and fortune all get left behind.
   Just when they think they've arrived
      and folks praise them because they've made good,
   They enter the family burial plot
      where they'll never see sunshine again.

 ²⁰ We aren't immortal. We don't last long.
      Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

 

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Proverbs 10:27-28 (The Message)

 ²⁷ The Fear-of-God expands your life;
   a wicked life is a puny life.

 ²⁸ The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
   the ambitions of bad people crash.

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Verse of the Day

“Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.” - Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Greek philosopher, Plato wrote, “We are twice armed if we fight with faith.”