Bible Readings for December 7, 2016

Today, our passages are Hosea 6:1–9:17; 3 John 1-14; Psalm 126:1-6; and Proverbs 29:12-14. 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.

 

---

Hosea 6-9:17 (The Message)

Hosea 6

Gangs of Priests Assaulting Worshipers

 ^1-3 "Come on, let's go back to God. He hurt us, but he'll heal us.
He hit us hard,
   but he'll put us right again.
In a couple of days we'll feel better.
   By the third day he'll have made us brand-new,
Alive and on our feet,
   fit to face him.
We're ready to study God,
   eager for God-knowledge.
As sure as dawn breaks,
   so sure is his daily arrival.
He comes as rain comes,
   as spring rain refreshing the ground."  ^4-7 "What am I to do with you, Ephraim?
   What do I make of you, Judah?
Your declarations of love last no longer
   than morning mist and predawn dew.
That's why I use prophets to shake you to attention,
   why my words cut you to the quick:
To wake you up to my judgment
   blazing like light.
I'm after love that lasts, not more religion.
   I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings.
You broke the covenant—just like Adam!
   You broke faith with me—ungrateful wretches!
 ^8-9"Gilead has become Crime City—
   blood on the sidewalks, blood on the streets.
It used to be robbers who mugged pedestrians.
   Now it's gangs of priests
Assaulting worshipers on their way to Shechem.
   Nothing is sacred to them.
 ¹⁰"I saw a shocking thing in the country of Israel:
   Ephraim worshiping in a religious whorehouse,
   and Israel in the mud right there with him.
 ¹¹"You're as bad as the worst of them, Judah.
   You've been sowing wild oats. Now it's harvest time."

Hosea 7

Despite All the Signs, Israel Ignores God

 ^1-2 "Every time I gave Israel a fresh start, wiped the slate clean and got them going again,
Ephraim soon filled the slate with new sins,
   the treachery of Samaria written out in bold print.
Two-faced and double-tongued,
   they steal you blind, pick you clean.
It never crosses their mind
   that I keep account of their every crime.
They're mud-spattered head to toe with the residue of sin.
   I see who they are and what they've done.  ^3-7"They entertain the king with their evil circus,
   delight the princes with their acrobatic lies.
They're a bunch of overheated adulterers,
   like an oven that holds its heat
From the kneading of the dough
   to the rising of the bread.
On the royal holiday the princes get drunk
   on wine and the frenzy of the mocking mob.
They're like wood stoves,
   red-hot with lust.
Through the night their passion is banked;
   in the morning it blazes up, flames hungrily licking.
Murderous and volcanic,
   they incinerate their rulers.
Their kings fall one by one,
   and no one pays any attention to me.
 ^8-10"Ephraim mingles with the pagans, dissipating himself.
   Ephraim is half-baked.
Strangers suck him dry
   but he doesn't even notice.
His hair has turned gray—
   he doesn't notice.
Bloated by arrogance, big as a house,
   Israel's a public disgrace.
Israel lumbers along oblivious to God,
   despite all the signs, ignoring God.
 ^11-16"Ephraim is bird-brained,
   mindless, clueless,
First chirping after Egypt,
   then fluttering after Assyria.
I'll throw my net over them. I'll clip their wings.
   I'll teach them to mind me!
Doom! They've run away from home.
   Now they're really in trouble! They've defied me.
And I'm supposed to help them
   while they feed me a line of lies?
Instead of crying out to me in heartfelt prayer,
   they whoop it up in bed with their whores,
Gash themselves bloody in their sex-and-religion orgies,
   but turn their backs on me.
I'm the one who gave them good minds and healthy bodies,
   and how am I repaid? With evil scheming!
They turn, but not to me—
   turn here, then there, like a weather vane.
Their rulers will be cut down, murdered—
   just deserts for their mocking blasphemies.
And the final sentence?
   Ridicule in the court of world opinion."

Hosea 8

Altars for Sinning

 ^1-3 "Blow the trumpet! Sound the alarm! Vultures are circling over God's people
Who have broken my covenant
   and defied my revelation.
Predictably, Israel cries out, 'My God! We know you!'
   But they don't act like it.
Israel will have nothing to do with what's good,
   and now the enemy is after them.  ^4-10"They crown kings, but without asking me.
   They set up princes but don't let me in on it.
Instead, they make idols, using silver and gold,
   idols that will be their ruin.
Throw that gold calf-god on the trash heap, Samaria!
   I'm seething with anger against that rubbish!
How long before they shape up?
   And they're Israelites!
A sculptor made that thing—
   it's not God.
That Samaritan calf
   will be broken to bits.
Look at them! Planting wind-seeds,
   they'll harvest tornadoes.
Wheat with no head
   produces no flour.
And even if it did,
   strangers would gulp it down.
Israel is swallowed up and spit out.
   Among the pagans they're a piece of junk.
They trotted off to Assyria:
   Why, even wild donkeys stick to their own kind,
   but donkey-Ephraim goes out and pays to get lovers.
Now, because of their whoring life among the pagans,
   I'm going to gather them together and confront them.
They're going to reap the consequences soon,
   feel what it's like to be oppressed by the big king.
 ^11-14"Ephraim has built a lot of altars,
   and then uses them for sinning.
   Can you believe it? Altars for sinning!
I write out my revelation for them in detail
   and they pretend they can't read it.
They offer sacrifices to me
   and then they feast on the meat.
   God is not pleased!
I'm fed up—I'll keep remembering their guilt.
   I'll punish their sins
   and send them back to Egypt.
Israel has forgotten his Maker
   and gotten busy making palaces.
   Judah has gone in for a lot of fortress cities.
I'm sending fire on their cities
   to burn down their fortifications."

Hosea 9

Starved for God

 ^1-6 Don't waste your life in wild orgies, Israel. Don't party away your life with the heathen.
You walk away from your God at the drop of a hat
   and like a whore sell yourself promiscuously
   at every sex-and-religion party on the street.
All that party food won't fill you up.
   You'll end up hungrier than ever.
At this rate you'll not last long in God's land:
   Some of you are going to end up bankrupt in Egypt.
   Some of you will be disillusioned in Assyria.
As refugees in Egypt and Assyria,
   you won't have much chance to worship God—
Sentenced to rations of bread and water,
   and your souls polluted by the spirit-dirty air.
You'll be starved for God,
   exiled from God's own country.
Will you be homesick for the old Holy Days?
   Will you miss festival worship of God?
Be warned! When you escape from the frying pan of disaster,
   you'll fall into the fire of Egypt.
   Egypt will give you a fine funeral!
What use will all your god-inspired silver be then
   as you eke out a living in a field of weeds?  ^7-9 Time's up. Doom's at the doorstep.
   It's payday!
Did Israel bluster, "The prophet is crazy!
   The 'man of the Spirit' is nuts!"?
Think again. Because of your great guilt,
   you're in big trouble.
The prophet is looking out for Ephraim,
   working under God's orders.
But everyone is trying to trip him up.
   He's hated right in God's house, of all places.
The people are going from bad to worse,
   rivaling that ancient and unspeakable crime at Gibeah.
God's keeping track of their guilt.
   He'll make them pay for their sins.

They Took to Sin Like a Pig to Filth

 ^10-13 "Long ago when I came upon Israel,
   it was like finding grapes out in the desert.
When I found your ancestors, it was like finding
   a fig tree bearing fruit for the first time.
But when they arrived at Baal-peor, that pagan shrine,
   they took to sin like a pig to filth,
   wallowing in the mud with their newfound friends.
Ephraim is fickle and scattered, like a flock of blackbirds,
   their beauty dissipated in confusion and clamor,
Frenetic and noisy, frigid and barren,
   and nothing to show for it—neither conception nor childbirth.
Even if they did give birth, I'd declare them
   unfit parents and take away their children!
Yes indeed—a black day for them
   when I turn my back and walk off!
I see Ephraim letting his children run wild.
   He might just as well take them and kill them outright!"  ¹⁴Give it to them, God! But what?
   Give them a dried-up womb and shriveled breasts.
 ^15-16"All their evil came out into the open
   at the pagan shrine at Gilgal. Oh, how I hated them there!
Because of their evil practices,
   I'll kick them off my land.
I'm wasting no more love on them.
   Their leaders are a bunch of rebellious adolescents.
Ephraim is hit hard—
   roots withered, no more fruit.
Even if by some miracle they had children,
   the dear babies wouldn't live—I'd make sure of that!"
 ¹⁷My God has washed his hands of them.
   They wouldn't listen.
They're doomed to be wanderers,
   vagabonds among the godless nations.

---

3 John 1-14 (The Message)

3 John 1

 ^1-4The Pastor, to my good friend Gaius: How truly I love you! We're the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health—that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul! I was most happy when some friends arrived and brought the news that you persist in following the way of Truth. Nothing could make me happier than getting reports that my children continue diligently in the way of Truth!

Model the Good

 ^5-8Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They've made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It's good work you're doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth.  ^9-10Earlier I wrote something along this line to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel. If I come, you can be sure I'll hold him to account for spreading vicious rumors about us.
   As if that weren't bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to traveling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out.
 ¹¹Friend, don't go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God's work. The person who does evil falsifies God, doesn't know the first thing about God.
 ¹²Everyone has a good word for Demetrius—the Truth itself stands up for Demetrius! We concur, and you know we don't hand out endorsements lightly.
 ^13-14I have a lot more things to tell you, but I'd rather not use pen and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk.
   Peace to you. The friends here say hello. Greet our friends there by name.

---

Psalm 126:1-6 (The Message)

Psalm 126

A Pilgrim Song

 ^1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God returned Zion's exiles.
   We laughed, we sang,
      we couldn't believe our good fortune.
   We were the talk of the nations—
      "God was wonderful to them!"
   God was wonderful to us;
      we are one happy people.

 ^4-6 And now, God, do it again—
      bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
   So those who planted their crops in despair
      will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
   So those who went off with heavy hearts
      will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

 

---

 

Proverbs 29:12-14 (The Message)

 ¹² When a leader listens to malicious gossip,
   all the workers get infected with evil.

 ¹³ The poor and their abusers have at least something in common:
   they can both see—their sight, God's gift!

 ¹⁴ Leadership gains authority and respect
   when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.

---

Verse of the Day

“Jesus then said, ‘I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die.’”  - John 11:25

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

 

Thought for the Day

English poet, playwright, and actor, William Shakespeare wrote, “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”

Bible Readings for October 12, 2016

Today our passages are Jeremiah 19:1–21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28; Psalm 82:1-8; and Proverbs 25:8-10. 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.

 

---

Jeremiah 19-21:14 (The Message)

Jeremiah 19

Smashing the Clay Pot

 ^1-2 God said to me, "Go, buy a clay pot. Then get a few leaders from the people and a few of the leading priests and go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom, just outside the Potsherd Gate, and preach there what I tell you.  ^3-5"Say, 'Listen to God's Word, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem! This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel. I'm about to bring doom crashing down on this place. Oh, and will ears ever ring! Doom—because they've walked off and left me, and made this place strange by worshiping strange gods, gods never heard of by them, their parents, or the old kings of Judah. Doom—because they have massacred innocent people. Doom—because they've built altars to that no-god Baal, and burned their own children alive in the fire as offerings to Baal, an atrocity I never ordered, never so much as hinted at!
 ^6-9"'And so it's payday, and soon'—God's Decree!—'this place will no longer be known as Topheth or Valley of Ben-hinnom, but Massacre Meadows. I'm canceling all the plans Judah and Jerusalem had for this place, and I'll have them killed by their enemies. I'll stack their dead bodies to be eaten by carrion crows and wild dogs. I'll turn this city into such a museum of atrocities that anyone coming near will be shocked speechless by the savage brutality. The people will turn into cannibals. Dehumanized by the pressure of the enemy siege, they'll eat their own children! Yes, they'll eat one another, family and friends alike.'
 ^10-13"Say all this, and then smash the pot in front of the men who have come with you. Then say, 'This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: I'll smash this people and this city like a man who smashes a clay pot into so many pieces it can never be put together again. They'll bury bodies here in Topheth until there's no more room. And the whole city will become a Topheth. The city will be turned by people and kings alike into a center for worshiping the star gods and goddesses, turned into an open grave, the whole city an open grave, stinking like a sewer, like Topheth.'"
 ^14-15Then Jeremiah left Topheth, where God had sent him to preach the sermon, and took his stand in the court of God's Temple and said to the people, "This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies to you: 'Warning! Danger! I'm bringing down on this city and all the surrounding towns the doom that I have pronounced. They're set in their ways and won't budge. They refuse to do a thing I say.'"

Jeremiah 20

Life's Been Nothing but Trouble and Tears

 ^1-5 The priest Pashur son of Immer was the senior priest in God's Temple. He heard Jeremiah preach this sermon. He whipped Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate of God's Temple. The next day Pashur came and let him go. Jeremiah told him, "God has a new name for you: not Pashur but Danger-Everywhere, because God says, 'You're a danger to yourself and everyone around you. All your friends are going to get killed in battle while you stand there and watch. What's more, I'm turning all of Judah over to the king of Babylon to do whatever he likes with them—haul them off into exile, kill them at whim. Everything worth anything in this city, property and possessions along with everything in the royal treasury—I'm handing it all over to the enemy. They'll rummage through it and take what they want back to Babylon.  ⁶"'And you, Pashur, you and everyone in your family will be taken prisoner into exile—that's right, exile in Babylon. You'll die and be buried there, you and all your cronies to whom you preached your lies.'"
 ^7-10You pushed me into this, God, and I let you do it.
   You were too much for me.
And now I'm a public joke.
   They all poke fun at me.
Every time I open my mouth
   I'm shouting, "Murder!" or "Rape!"
And all I get for my God-warnings
   are insults and contempt.
But if I say, "Forget it!
   No more God-Messages from me!"
The words are fire in my belly,
   a burning in my bones.
I'm worn out trying to hold it in.
   I can't do it any longer!
Then I hear whispering behind my back:
   "There goes old 'Danger-Everywhere.' Shut him up! Report him!"
Old friends watch, hoping I'll fall flat on my face:
   "One misstep and we'll have him. We'll get rid of him for good!"
 ¹¹But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side.
   Those who are after me will be sent sprawling—
Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves,
   a spectacle of humiliation no one will ever forget.
 ¹²Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, no one fools you.
   You see through everyone, everything.
I want to see you pay them back for what they've done.
   I rest my case with you.
 ¹³Sing to God! All praise to God!
   He saves the weak from the grip of the wicked.
 ^14-18Curse the day
   I was born!
The day my mother bore me—
   a curse on it, I say!
And curse the man who delivered
   the news to my father:
"You've got a new baby—a boy baby!"
   (How happy it made him.)
Let that birth notice be blacked out,
   deleted from the records,
And the man who brought it haunted to his death
   with the bad news he brought.
He should have killed me before I was born,
   with that womb as my tomb,
My mother pregnant for the rest of her life
   with a baby dead in her womb.
Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb?
   Life's been nothing but trouble and tears,
   and what's coming is more of the same.

Jeremiah 21

Start Each Day with a Sense of Justice

 ^1-2 God's Message to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to him with this request: "Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has waged war against us. Pray to God for us. Ask him for help. Maybe God will intervene with one of his famous miracles and make him leave."  ^3-7But Jeremiah said, "Tell Zedekiah: 'This is the God of Israel's Message to you: You can say good-bye to your army, watch morale and weapons flushed down the drain. I'm going to personally lead the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, against whom you're fighting so hard, right into the city itself. I'm joining their side and fighting against you, fighting all-out, holding nothing back. And in fierce anger. I'm prepared to wipe out the population of this city, people and animals alike, in a raging epidemic. And then I will personally deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his princes, and any survivors left in the city who haven't died from disease, been killed, or starved. I'll deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—yes, hand them over to their enemies, who have come to kill them. He'll kill them ruthlessly, showing no mercy.'
 ^8-10"And then tell the people at large, 'God's Message to you is this: Listen carefully. I'm giving you a choice: life or death. Whoever stays in this city will die—either in battle or by starvation or disease. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who have surrounded the city will live. You'll lose everything—but not your life. I'm determined to see this city destroyed. I'm that angry with this place! God's Decree. I'm going to give it to the king of Babylon, and he's going to burn it to the ground.'
 ^11-14"To the royal house of Judah, listen to God's Message!
   House of David, listen—God's Message to you:
'Start each day by dealing with justice.
   Rescue victims from their exploiters.
Prevent fire—the fire of my anger—
   for once it starts, it can't be put out.
Your evil regime
   is fuel for my anger.
Don't you realize that I'm against you,
   yes, against you.
You think you've got it made,
   all snug and secure.
You say, "Who can possibly get to us?
   Who can crash our party?"
Well, I can—and will!
   I'll punish your evil regime.
I'll start a fire that will rage unchecked,
   burn everything in sight to cinders.'"

---

1 Thessalonians 5:4-28 (The Message)

 ^4-8But friends, you're not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You're sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let's not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.
 ^9-11God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it.

The Way He Wants You to Live

 ^12-13And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!  ^13-15Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.
 ^16-18Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
 ^19-22Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.
 ^23-24May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it!
 ^25-27Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the followers of Jesus there with a holy embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don't leave anyone out.
 ²⁸The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!

---

Psalm 82:1-8 (The Message)

Psalm 82

An Asaph Psalm

 ¹ God calls the judges into his courtroom, he puts all the judges in the dock.

 ^2-4 "Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough,
      you've let the wicked get away with murder.
   You're here to defend the defenseless,
      to make sure that underdogs get a fair break;
   Your job is to stand up for the powerless,
      and prosecute all those who exploit them."

 ⁵ Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges!
      They haven't a clue to what's going on.
   And now everything's falling apart,
      the world's coming unglued.

 ^6-7 "I commissioned you judges, each one of you,
      deputies of the High God,
   But you've betrayed your commission
      and now you're stripped of your rank, busted."

 ⁸ O God, give them their just deserts!
      You've got the whole world in your hands!

 

---

 

Proverbs 25:8-10 (The Message)

 ⁸ Don't jump to conclusions—there may be
   a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.

 ^9-10 In the heat of an argument,
   don't betray confidences;
Word is sure to get around,
   and no one will trust you.

---

Verse of the Day

“Pay attention to advice and accept correction, so you can live sensibly. We may make a lot of plans, but the LORD will do what he has decided.” - Proverbs 19:20-21

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

 

Thought for the Day

English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist, William Shakespeare wrote, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

Bible Readings for June 19, 2016

Today our passages are 1 Kings 20:1– 21:29; Acts 12:24–13:15; Psalm 137:1-9; and Proverbs 17:16. 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.

---

1 Kings 20-21:29 (The Message)

1 Kings 20

 ^1-3 At about this same time Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his troops. He recruited in addition thirty-two local sheiks, all outfitted with horses and chariots. He set out in force and surrounded Samaria, ready to make war. He sent an envoy into the city to set his terms before Ahab king of Israel: "Ben-Hadad lays claim to your silver and gold, and to the pick of your wives and sons."  ⁴ The king of Israel accepted the terms: "As you say, distinguished lord; I and everything I have is yours."
 ^5-6 But then the envoy returned a second time, saying, "On second thought, I want it all—your silver and gold and all your wives and sons. Hand them over—the whole works. I'll give you twenty-four hours; then my servants will arrive to search your palace and the houses of your officials and loot them; anything that strikes their fancy, they'll take."
 ⁷ The king of Israel called a meeting of all his tribal elders. He said, "Look at this—outrageous! He's just looking for trouble. He means to clean me out, demanding all my women and children. And after I already agreed to pay him off handsomely!"
 ⁸ The elders, backed by the people, said, "Don't cave in to him. Don't give an inch."
 ⁹ So he sent an envoy to Ben-Hadad, "Tell my distinguished lord, 'I agreed to the terms you delivered the first time, but this I can't do—this I won't do!'"
    The envoy went back and delivered the answer.
 ¹⁰ Ben-Hadad shot back his response: "May the gods do their worst to me, and then worse again, if there'll be anything left of Samaria but rubble."
 ¹¹ The king of Israel countered, "Think about it—it's easier to start a fight than end one."
 ¹² It happened that when Ben-Hadad heard this retort he was into some heavy drinking, boozing it up with the sheiks in their field shelters. Drunkenly, he ordered his henchmen, "Go after them!" And they attacked the city.
 ¹³ Just then a lone prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, "God's word: Have you taken a good look at this mob? Well, look again—I'm turning it over to you this very day. And you'll know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am God."
 ¹⁴ Ahab said, "Really? And who is going to make this happen?"
    God said, "The young commandos of the regional chiefs."
    "And who," said Ahab, "will strike the first blow?"
    God said, "You."
 ¹⁵ Ahab looked over the commandos of the regional chiefs; he counted 232. Then he assessed the available troops—7,000.
 ^16-17 At noon they set out after Ben-Hadad who, with his allies, the thirty-two sheiks, was busy at serious drinking in the field shelters. The commandos of the regional chiefs made up the vanguard.
    A report was brought to Ben-Hadad: "Men are on their way from Samaria."
 ¹⁸ He said, "If they've come in peace, take them alive as hostages; if they've come to fight, the same—take them alive as hostages."
 ^19-20 The commandos poured out of the city with the full army behind them. They hit hard in hand-to-hand combat. The Arameans scattered from the field, with Israel hard on their heels. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram got away on horseback, along with his cavalry.
 ²¹ The king of Israel cut down both horses and chariots—an enormous defeat for Aram.
 ²² Sometime later the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "On the alert now—build up your army, assess your capabilities, and see what has to be done. Before the year is out, the king of Aram will be back in force."
 ^23-25 Meanwhile the advisors to the king of Aram said, "Their god is a god of the mountains—we don't stand a chance against them there. So let's engage them on the plain where we'll have the advantage. Here's the strategy: Remove each sheik from his place of leadership and replace him with a seasoned officer. Then recruit a fighting force equivalent in size to the army that deserted earlier—horse for horse, chariot for chariot. And we'll fight them on the plain—we're sure to prove stronger than they are."
    It sounded good to the king; he did what they advised.
 ^26-27 As the new year approached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on Israel. The Israelite army prepared to fight and took the field to meet Aram. They moved into battle formation before Aram in two camps, like two flocks of goats. The plain was seething with Arameans.
 ²⁸ Just then a holy man approached the king of Israel saying, "This is God's word: Because Aram said, 'God is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,' I'll hand over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you'll know that I am God."
 ^29-30 The two armies were poised in a standoff for seven days. On the seventh day fighting broke out. The Israelites killed 100,000 of the Aramean infantry in one day. The rest of the army ran for their lives back to the city, Aphek, only to have the city wall fall on 27,000 of the survivors.
 ^30-31 Ben-Hadad escaped into the city and hid in a closet. Then his advisors told him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of Israel play by the rules; let's dress in old gunnysacks, carry a white flag of truce, and present ourselves to the king of Israel on the chance that he'll let you live."
 ³² So that's what they did. They dressed in old gunnysacks and carried a white flag, and came to the king of Israel saying, "Your servant Ben-Hadad said, 'Please let me live.'"
    Ahab said, "You mean to tell me that he's still alive? If he's alive, he's my brother."
 ³³ The men took this as a good sign and concluded that everything was going to be all right: "Ben-Hadad is most certainly your brother!"
    The king said, "Go and get him." They went and brought him back by chariot.
 ³⁴ Ahab said, "I am prepared to return the cities that my father took from your father. And you can set up your headquarters in Damascus just as my father did in Samaria; I'll send you home under safe conduct." Then he made a covenant with him and sent him off.
 ³⁵ A man who was one of the prophets said to a bystander, "Hit me; wound me. Do it for God's sake—it's his command. Hit me; wound me." But the man wouldn't do it.
 ³⁶ So he told him, "Because you wouldn't obey God's orders, as soon as you leave me a lion will attack you." No sooner had the man left his side than a lion met him and attacked.
 ³⁷ He then found another man and said, "Hit me; wound me." That man did it—hit him hard in the face, drawing blood.
 ^38-40 Then the prophet went and took a position along the road, with a bandage over his eyes, waiting for the king. It wasn't long before the king happened by. The man cried out to the king, "Your servant was in the thick of the battle when a man showed up and turned over a prisoner to me, saying, 'Guard this man with your life; if he turns up missing you'll pay dearly.' But I got busy doing one thing after another and the next time I looked he was gone."
    The king of Israel said, "You've just pronounced your own verdict."
 ⁴¹ At that, the man ripped the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was—one of the prophets!
 ⁴² The man said to the king, "God's word: Because you let a man go who was under sentence by God, it's now your life for his, your people for his."
 ⁴³ The king of Israel went home in a sulk. He arrived in Samaria in a very bad mood.

1 Kings 21

 ^1-2And then, to top it off, came this: Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel that bordered the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. One day Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a kitchen garden; it's right next to my house—so convenient. In exchange I'll give you a far better vineyard, or if you'd prefer I'll pay you money for it."  ^3-4 But Naboth told Ahab, "Not on your life! So help me God, I'd never sell the family farm to you!" Ahab went home in a black mood, sulking over Naboth the Jezreelite's words, "I'll never turn over my family inheritance to you." He went to bed, stuffed his face in his pillow, and refused to eat.
 ⁵ Jezebel his wife came to him. She said, "What's going on? Why are you so out of sorts and refusing to eat?"
 ⁶ He told her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite. I said, 'Give me your vineyard—I'll pay you for it or, if you'd rather, I'll give you another vineyard in exchange.' And he said, 'I'll never give you my vineyard.'"
 ⁷ Jezebel said, "Is this any way for a king of Israel to act? Aren't you the boss? On your feet! Eat! Cheer up! I'll take care of this; I'll get the vineyard of this Naboth the Jezreelite for you."
 ^8-10 She wrote letters over Ahab's signature, stamped them with his official seal, and sent them to the elders in Naboth's city and to the civic leaders. She wrote "Call for a fast day and put Naboth at the head table. Then seat a couple of stool pigeons across from him who, in front of everybody will say, 'You! You blasphemed God and the king!' Then they'll throw him out and stone him to death."
 ^11-14 And they did it. The men of the city—the elders and civic leaders— followed Jezebel's instructions that she wrote in the letters sent to them. They called for a fast day and seated Naboth at the head table. Then they brought in two stool pigeons and seated them opposite Naboth. In front of everybody the two degenerates accused him, "He blasphemed God and the king!" The company threw him out in the street, stoned him mercilessly, and he died.
 ¹⁵ When Jezebel got word that Naboth had been stoned to death, she told Ahab, "Go for it, Ahab—take the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for your own, the vineyard he refused to sell you. Naboth is no more; Naboth is dead."
 ¹⁶ The minute Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he set out for the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and claimed it for his own.
 ^17-19 Then God stepped in and spoke to Elijah the Tishbite, "On your feet; go down and confront Ahab of Samaria, king of Israel. You'll find him in the vineyard of Naboth; he's gone there to claim it as his own. Say this to him: 'God's word: What's going on here? First murder, then theft?' Then tell him, 'God's verdict: The very spot where the dogs lapped up Naboth's blood, they'll lap up your blood—that's right, your blood.'"
 ^20-22 Ahab answered Elijah, "My enemy! So, you've run me down!"
    "Yes, I've found you out," said Elijah. "And because you've bought into the business of evil, defying God. 'I will most certainly bring doom upon you, make mincemeat of your descendants, kill off every sorry male wretch who's even remotely connected with the name Ahab. And I'll bring down on you the same fate that fell on Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah—you've made me that angry by making Israel sin.'"
 ^23-24 As for Jezebel, God said, "Dogs will fight over the flesh of Jezebel all over Jezreel. Anyone tainted by Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by stray dogs; corpses in the country will be eaten by carrion crows."
 ^25-26 Ahab, pushed by his wife Jezebel and in open defiance of God, set an alltime record in making big business of evil. He indulged in outrageous obscenities in the world of idols, copying the Amorites whom God had earlier kicked out of Israelite territory.
 ²⁷ When Ahab heard what Elijah had to say, he ripped his clothes to shreds, dressed in penitential rough burlap, and fasted. He even slept in coarse burlap pajamas. He tiptoed around, quiet as a mouse.
 ^28-29 Then God spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: "Do you see how penitently submissive Ahab has become to me? Because of his repentance I'll not bring the doom during his lifetime; Ahab's son, though, will get it."

---

Acts 12:24-13:15 (The Message)

 ²⁴Meanwhile, the ministry of God's Word grew by leaps and bounds.
 ²⁵Barnabas and Saul, once they had delivered the relief offering to the church in Jerusalem, went back to Antioch. This time they took John with them, the one they called Mark.

Acts 13

Barnabas, Saul, and Doctor Know-It-All

 ^1-2The congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers:

   Barnabas,
   Simon, nicknamed Niger,
   Lucius the Cyrenian,
   Manaen, an advisor to the ruler Herod,
   Saul.
One day as they were worshiping God—they were also fasting as they waited for guidance—the Holy Spirit spoke: "Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do."  ³So they commissioned them. In that circle of intensity and obedience, of fasting and praying, they laid hands on their heads and sent them off.
 ^4-5Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went down to Seleucia and caught a ship for Cyprus. The first thing they did when they put in at Salamis was preach God's Word in the Jewish meeting places. They had John along to help out as needed.
 ^6-7They traveled the length of the island, and at Paphos came upon a Jewish wizard who had worked himself into the confidence of the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man not easily taken in by charlatans. The wizard's name was Bar-Jesus. He was as crooked as a corkscrew.
 ^7-11The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God's Word firsthand from them. But Dr. Know-It-All (that's the wizard's name in plain English) stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, "You bag of wind, you parody of a devil—why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. But now you've come up against God himself, and your game is up. You're about to go blind—no sunlight for you for a good long stretch." He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way.
 ¹²When the governor saw what happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master.

Don't Take This Lightly

 ^13-14From Paphos, Paul and company put out to sea, sailing on to Perga in Pamphylia. That's where John called it quits and went back to Jerusalem. From Perga the rest of them traveled on to Antioch in Pisidia.  ^14-15On the Sabbath they went to the meeting place and took their places. After the reading of the Scriptures—God's Law and the Prophets—the president of the meeting asked them, "Friends, do you have anything you want to say? A word of encouragement, perhaps?"

---

Psalm 137:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 137

    Alongside Babylon's rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried,
      remembering the good old days in Zion.
   Alongside the quaking aspens
      we stacked our unplayed harps;
   That's where our captors demanded songs,
      sarcastic and mocking:
      "Sing us a happy Zion song!"

 ^4-6 Oh, how could we ever sing God's song
      in this wasteland?
   If I ever forget you, Jerusalem,
      let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves.
   Let my tongue swell and turn black
      if I fail to remember you,
   If I fail, O dear Jerusalem,
      to honor you as my greatest.

 ^7-9 God, remember those Edomites,
      and remember the ruin of Jerusalem,
   That day they yelled out,
      "Wreck it, smash it to bits!"
   And you, Babylonians—ravagers!
      A reward to whoever gets back at you
      for all you've done to us;
   Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies
      and smashes their heads on the rocks!

---

Proverbs 17:16 (The Message)

 ¹⁶ What's this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!
   They wouldn't recognize it if they saw it!

---

Verse of the Day
“A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. He made the church holy by the power of his word, and he made it pure by washing it with water.” - Ephesians 5:25-26

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

Thought for the Day

English poet, playwright, and actor, William Shakespeare wrote, “When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry.”

Bible Readings for August 3, 2015

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 33:14–34:33; Romans 16:8-27; Psalm 26:1-12; and Proverbs 20:19. 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. 

---

2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴Later, Manasseh rebuilt the eastern section of Jerusalem's outer wall and made it taller. This section went from Gihon Valley north to Fish Gate and around the part of the city called Mount Ophel. He also assigned army officers to each of the fortified cities in Judah. ^[a]
   ¹⁵Manasseh also removed the idols and the stone image of the foreign god from the temple, and he gathered the altars he had built near the temple and in other parts of Jerusalem. He threw all these things outside the city.
   ¹⁶Then he repaired the LORD's altar and offered sacrifices to thank him and sacrifices to ask his blessing. ^[b] He gave orders that everyone in Judah must worship the LORD God of Israel.
   ¹⁷The people obeyed Manasseh, but they worshiped the LORD at their own shrines.
   ¹⁸Everything else Manasseh did while he was king, including his prayer to the LORD God and the warnings from his prophets, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.
   ¹⁹Hozai ^[c] wrote a lot about Manasseh, including his prayer and God's answer. But Hozai also recorded the evil things Manasseh did before turning back to God, as well as a list of places where Manasseh set up idols, and where he built local shrines and places to worship Asherah.
   ²⁰Manasseh died and was buried near the palace, and his son Amon became king.
   

King Amon of Judah

(2 Kings 21.19-26)

 ²¹Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for two years.    ²²Amon disobeyed the LORD, just as his father Manasseh had done, and he worshiped and offered sacrifices to the idols his father had made.
   ²³Manasseh had turned back to the LORD, but Amon refused to do that. Instead, he sinned even more than his father.
   ²⁴Some of Amon's officials plotted against him and killed him in his palace.
   ²⁵But the people of Judah killed the murderers of Amon and made his son Josiah king.
   

2 Chronicles 34

King Josiah of Judah

(2 Kings 22.1,2)

 ¹Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled thirty-one years from Jerusalem.    ²He followed the example of his ancestor David and always obeyed the LORD.
   

Josiah Stops the Worship of Foreign Gods

(2 Kings 23.4-20)

 ³When Josiah was only sixteen years old he began worshiping God, just as his ancestor David had done. Then, four years later, he decided to destroy the local shrines ^[d] in Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the sacred poles ^[e] for worshiping the goddess Asherah and the idols of foreign gods.    ⁴He watched as the altars for the worship of the god Baal were torn down, and as the nearby incense altars were smashed. The Asherah poles, the idols, and the stone images were also smashed, and the pieces were scattered over the graves of their worshipers.
   ⁵Josiah then had the bones of the pagan priests burned on the altars. ^[f] And so Josiah got rid of the worship of foreign gods in Judah and Jerusalem.
   ⁶He did the same things in the towns and ruined villages ^[g] in the territories of West Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as the border of Naphtali.
   ⁷Everywhere in the northern kingdom of Israel, Josiah tore down pagan altars and Asherah poles; he crushed idols to dust and smashed incense altars. Then Josiah went back to Jerusalem.
   

Hilkiah Finds The Book of God's Law

(2 Kings 22.3-20)

 ⁸In the eighteenth year of Josiah's rule in Judah, after he had gotten rid of all the sinful things from the land and from the LORD's temple, he sent three of his officials to repair the temple. They were Shaphan son of Azaliah, Governor Maaseiah of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, who kept the government records.    ⁹These three men went to Hilkiah the high priest. They gave him the money that the Levite guards had collected from the people of West Manasseh, Ephraim, and the rest of Israel, as well as those living in Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem.
   ¹⁰Then the money was turned over to the men who supervised the repairs to the temple. They used some of it to pay the workers,
   ¹¹and they gave the rest of it to the carpenters and builders, who used it to buy the stone and wood they needed to repair the other buildings that Judah's kings had not taken care of.
   ¹²The workers were honest, and their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah from the Levite clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Levite clan of Kohath. Other Levites, who were all skilled musicians,
   ¹³were in charge of carrying supplies and supervising the workers. Other Levites were appointed to stand guard around the temple.
   ¹⁴While the money was being given to these supervisors, Hilkiah found the book that contained the laws that the LORD had given to Moses.
   ¹⁵Hilkiah handed the book to Shaphan the official and said, "Look what I found here in the temple--The Book of God's Law."
   ¹⁶Shaphan took the book to Josiah and reported, "Your officials are doing everything you wanted.
   ¹⁷They have collected the money from the temple and have given it to the men supervising the repairs.
   ¹⁸But there's something else, Your Majesty. The priest Hilkiah gave me this book." Then Shaphan read it aloud.
   ¹⁹When Josiah heard what was in The Book of God's Law, he tore his clothes in sorrow.
   ²⁰At once he called together Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, ^[h] and his own servant Asaiah. He said,
   ²¹"The LORD must be furious with me and everyone else in Israel and Judah, because our ancestors did not obey the laws written in this book. Go find out what the LORD wants us to do."
   ²²Hilkiah and the four other men left right away and went to talk with Huldah the prophet. Her husband was Shallum, ^[i] who was in charge of the king's clothes. Huldah lived in the northern part of Jerusalem, and when they met in her home,
   ²³she said: You were sent here by King Josiah, and this is what the LORD God of Israel says to him:
   ²⁴"Josiah, I am the LORD! And I intend to punish this country and everyone in it, just as this book says.
   ²⁵The people of Judah and Israel have rejected me. They have offered sacrifices to foreign gods and have worshiped their own idols. I can't stand it any longer. I am furious.
   ^26-27"Josiah, listen to what I am going to do. I noticed how sad you were when you heard that this country and its people would be completely wiped out. You even tore your clothes in sorrow, and I heard you cry.
   ²⁸So before I destroy this place, I will let you die in peace."
   The men left and reported to Josiah what Huldah had said.
   

Josiah Reads The Book of God's Law

(2 Kings 23.1-3)

 ²⁹King Josiah called together the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.    ³⁰Then he went to the LORD's temple, together with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites.
   Finally, when everybody was there, he read aloud The Book of God's Law ^[j] that had been found in the temple.
   ³¹After Josiah had finished reading, he stood in the place reserved for the king. He promised in the LORD's name to faithfully obey the LORD and to follow his laws and teachings that were written in the book.
   ³²Then he asked the people of Jerusalem and Benjamin to make that same promise and to obey the God their ancestors had worshiped.
   ³³Josiah destroyed all the idols in the territories of Israel, and he commanded everyone in Israel to worship only the LORD God. The people did not turn away from the LORD God of their ancestors for the rest of Josiah's rule as king.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 33:14 fortified cities in Judah: At this time, Judah was under the control of Assyria. The fortifications mentioned in this verse may have been done under orders from Assyrian officials, hoping to strengthen their southern border against the rising power of Egypt.
2. 2 Chronicles 33:16 sacrifices to ask his blessing: See the note at 29.33.
3. 2 Chronicles 33:19 Hozai: Or "The prophets."
4. 2 Chronicles 34:3 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
5. 2 Chronicles 34:3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.
6. 2 Chronicles 34:5 the bones of the pagan priests burned on the altars: This made the altars unclean, so that they could not be used in worshiping any god.
7. 2 Chronicles 34:6 ruined villages: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. 2 Chronicles 34:20 Abdon son of Micah: Also called "Achbor son of Micaiah" (see 2 Kings 22.12).
9. 2 Chronicles 34:22 Shallum: Hebrew "Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah."
10. 2 Chronicles 34:30 The Book of God's Law: The Hebrew text has "The Book of God's Agreement," which is the same as "The Book of God's Law" in verses 15 and 19. In traditional translations this is called "The Book of the Covenant."

---

Romans 16:8-27 (Contemporary English Version)

⁸Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend whose faith is in the Lord.
    ⁹Greet Urbanus, who serves Christ along with us.
   Greet my dear friend Stachys.
    ¹⁰Greet Apelles, a faithful servant of Christ.
   Greet Aristobulus and his family.
    ¹¹Greet Herodion, who is a relative ^[a] of mine. Greet Narcissus and the others in his family, who have faith in the Lord.
    ¹²Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord.
   Greet my dear friend Persis. She also works hard for the Lord.
    ¹³Greet Rufus, that special servant of the Lord, and greet his mother, who has been like a mother to me.
    ¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas, as well as our friends who are with them.
    ¹⁵Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all of God's people who are with them.
    ¹⁶Be sure to give each other a warm greeting.
   All of Christ's churches greet you.
    ¹⁷My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! ¹⁸They want to serve themselves and not Christ the Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don't know any better. ¹⁹I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil. ²⁰Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet. I pray that our Lord Jesus will be kind to you.
    ²¹Timothy, who works with me, sends his greetings, and so do my relatives, ^[b] Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater. ²²I, Tertius, also send my greetings. I am a follower of the Lord, and I wrote this letter. ^[c] ^23-24Gaius welcomes me and the whole church into his home, and he sends his greetings.
   Erastus, the city treasurer, and our dear friend Quartus send their greetings too. ^[d]

Paul's Closing Prayer

 ²⁵Praise God! He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about ^[e] Jesus Christ. For ages and ages this message was kept secret, ²⁶but now at last it has been told. The eternal God commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith. ²⁷And now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen. ^[f]

Footnotes:

1. Romans 16:11 relative(s): See the note at verse 7.
2. Romans 16:21 relative(s): See the note at verse 7.
3. Romans 16:22 I wrote this letter: Paul probably dictated this letter to Tertius.
4. Romans 16:23 send their greetings too: Some manuscripts add, " I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will always be kind to you. Amen."
5. Romans 16:25 about: Or " from."
6. Romans 16:27 Amen: Some manuscripts have verses 25-27 after 14.23. Others have the verses here and after 14.23, and one manuscript has them after 15.33.

---

Psalm 26:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 26

(By David.)

The Prayer of an Innocent Person

 ¹Show that I am right, LORD!    I stay true to myself,
   and I have trusted you
   without doubting.
    ²Test my thoughts and find out
   what I am like.
    ³I never forget your kindness,
   and I am always faithful
   to you. ^[a] ⁴I don't spend my time
   with worthless liars
    ⁵or go with evil crowds.
    ⁶I wash my hands, LORD,
   to show my innocence,
   and I worship at your altar,
    ⁷while gratefully singing
   about your wonders.
    ⁸I love the temple
   where you live,
   and where
   your glory shines.
    ⁹Don't sweep me away,
   as you do sinners.
   Don't punish me with death
   as you do those people
   who are brutal
    ¹⁰or full of meanness
   or who bribe others.
    ¹¹I stay true to myself.
   Be kind and rescue me.
    ¹²Now I stand on solid ground!
   And when your people meet,
   I will praise you, LORD.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 26:3 I am. . . to you: Or " I trust your faithfulness."

---

Proverbs 20:19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹Stay away from gossips--
   they tell everything.

---

Verse of the Day

“But the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” - 1 Samuel 16:7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

Thought for the Day

English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist, William Shakespeare wrote, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”