Bible Readings for November 7, 2011

Today our passages are Ezekiel 16:43–17:24; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 106:13-31; and Proverbs 27:7-9. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Ezekiel 16:43-17:24 (Contemporary English Version)

43You made me furious by doing all these disgusting things and by forgetting how I took care of you when you were young. Then you made things worse by acting like a prostitute. You must be punished! I, the LORD God, have spoken.

Jerusalem's Two Sisters

The LORD said:
44People will use this saying about you, Jerusalem: "If the mother is bad, so is her daughter." 45You are just like your mother, who hated her husband and her own children. You are also like your sisters, who hated their husbands and children. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. [a] 46Your older sister was Samaria, that city to your north with her nearby villages. Your younger sister was Sodom, that city to your south with her nearby villages. 47You followed their way of life and their wicked customs, and soon you were more disgusting than they were. 48As surely as I am the living LORD God, the people of Sodom and its nearby villages were never as sinful as you. 49They were arrogant and spoiled; they had everything they needed and still refused to help the poor and needy. 50They thought they were better than everyone else, and they did things I hate. And so I destroyed them.

51You people of Jerusalem have sinned twice as much as the people of Samaria. In fact, your evil ways have made both Sodom and Samaria look innocent. 52So their punishment will seem light compared to yours. You will be disgraced and put to shame because of your disgusting sins.

Jerusalem Will Be Ashamed

The LORD said to Jerusalem:

53Someday I will bless Sodom and Samaria and their nearby villages. I will also bless you, Jerusalem. 54Then you will be ashamed of how you've acted, and Sodom and Samaria will be relieved that they weren't as sinful as you. 55When that day comes, you and Sodom and Samaria will once again be well-off, and all nearby villages will be restored.

56Jerusalem, you were so arrogant that you sneered at Sodom. 57But now everyone has learned how wicked you really are. The countries of Syria and Philistia, as well as your other neighbors, hate you and make insulting remarks. 58You must pay for all the vulgar and disgusting things you have done. I, the LORD, have spoken.

The LORD Makes a Promise to Jerusalem

The LORD said:

59Jerusalem, you deserve to be punished, because you broke your promises and ignored our agreement. 60But I remember the agreement I made with you when you were young, [b] and so I will make you a promise that will last forever. 61When you think about how you acted, you will be ashamed, especially when I return your sisters [c] to you as daughters, even though this was not part of our agreement. [d] 62I will keep this solemn promise, and you will know that I am the LORD. 63I will forgive you, but you will think about your sins and be too ashamed to say a word. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

Ezekiel 17

A Story about Two Eagles and a Vine

1The LORD said:

2Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel the following story, 3so they will understand what I am saying to them:

A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree, 4then carried it to a nation of merchants and left it in one of their cities. 5The eagle also took seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream. [e] 6The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward toward the eagle. 7There was another eagle with strong wings and thick feathers. The roots and branches of the grapevine soon turned toward this eagle, hoping it would bring water for the soil. 8But the vine was already growing in fertile soil, where there was plenty of water to produce healthy leaves and large grapes.

9Now tell me, Ezekiel, do you think this grapevine will live? Or will the first eagle pull it up by its roots and pluck off the grapes and let its new leaves die? The eagle could easily kill it without the help of a large and powerful army. 10The grapevine is strong and healthy, but as soon as the scorching desert wind blows, it will quickly wither.

The LORD Explains the Story

11The LORD said:

12Ezekiel, ask the rebellious people of Israel if they know what this story means.

Tell them that the king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem, then he captured the king of Judah [f] and his officials, and took them back to Babylon as prisoners. 13He chose someone from the family of Judah's king [g] and signed a treaty with him, then made him swear to be loyal. He also led away other important citizens, 14so that the rest of the people of Judah would obey only him and never gain control of their own country again. 15But this new king of Judah later rebelled against Babylonia and sent officials to Egypt to get horses and troops. Will this king be successful in breaking the treaty with Babylonia? Or will he be punished for what he's done?

16As surely as I am the living LORD God, I swear that the king of Judah will die in Babylon, because he broke the treaty with the king of Babylonia, who appointed him king. 17Even the king of Egypt and his powerful army will be useless to Judah when the Babylonians attack and build dirt ramps to invade the cities of Judah and kill its people. 18The king of Judah broke his own promises and ignored the treaty with Babylonia. And so he will be punished!

19He made a promise in my name and swore to honor the treaty. And now that he has broken that promise, my name is disgraced. He must pay for what he's done. 20I will spread out a net to trap him. Then I will drag him to Babylon and see that he is punished for his unfaithfulness to me. 21His best troops [h] will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. I, the LORD, have spoken. 22Someday, I, the LORD,
will cut a tender twig
from the top of a cedar tree,
then plant it on the peak
of Israel's tallest mountain,
where it will grow
strong branches
and produce large fruit.
23All kinds of birds will find
shelter under the tree,
and they will rest in the shade
of its branches.
24Every tree in the forest
will know that I, the LORD,
can bring down tall trees
and help short ones grow.
I dry up green trees
and make dry ones green.
I, the LORD, have spoken,
and I will keep my word.

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 16:45 Amorite. . . Hittite: See the note at 16.3.
Ezekiel 16:60 the agreement. . . when you were young: See verse 8.
Ezekiel 16:61 sisters: Sodom and Samaria (see verses 44-52).
Ezekiel 16:61 even though this was not part of our agreement: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 17:5 like a willow tree beside a stream: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 17:12 king of Judah: Probably King Jehoiachin (see 2 Kings 24.10-12,15,16).
Ezekiel 17:13 someone from the family of Judah's king: Probably King Zedekiah (see 2 Kings 24.17).
Ezekiel 17:21 best troops: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "troops that ran away."


Hebrews 8:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 8

A Better Promise

1What I mean is that we have a high priest who sits at the right side [a] of God's great throne in heaven. 2He also serves as the priest in the most holy place [b] inside the real tent there in heaven. This tent of worship was set up by the Lord, not by humans. 3Since all priests must offer gifts and sacrifices, Christ also needed to have something to offer. 4If he were here on earth, he would not be a priest at all, because here the Law appoints other priests to offer sacrifices. 5But the tent where they serve is just a copy and a shadow of the real one in heaven. Before Moses made the tent, he was told, "Be sure to make it exactly like the pattern you were shown on the mountain!" 6Now Christ has been appointed to serve as a priest in a much better way, and he has given us much assurance of a better agreement.

7If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. 8But the Lord found fault with it and said,
"I tell you the time will come,
when I will make
a new agreement
with the people of Israel
and the people of Judah.
9It won't be like the agreement
that I made
with their ancestors,
when I took them by the hand
and led them out of Egypt.
They broke their agreement
with me,
and I stopped caring
about them!
10"But now I tell the people
of Israel
this is my new agreement:
`The time will come
when I, the Lord,
will write my laws
on their minds and hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be
my people.
11Not one of them
will have to teach another
to know me, their Lord.'
"All of them will know me,
no matter who they are.
12I will treat them with kindness,
even though they are wicked.
I will forget their sins."

13When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear.

Footnotes:
Hebrews 8:1 right side: See the note at 1.3.
Hebrews 8:2 most holy place: See the note at 6.19.


Psalm 106:13-31 (Contemporary English Version)

13But they soon forgot
what you had done
and rejected your advice.
14They became greedy for food
and tested you there
in the desert.
15So you gave them
what they wanted,
but later you destroyed them
with a horrible disease.
16Everyone in camp was jealous
of Moses
and of Aaron,
your chosen priest.
17Dathan and Abiram rebelled,
and the earth opened up
and swallowed them.
18Then fire broke out
and destroyed all
of their followers.
19At Horeb your people
made and worshiped
the statue
20of a bull, instead of you,
their glorious God.
21You worked powerful miracles
to save them from Egypt,
but they forgot about you
22and the fearsome things
you did at the Red Sea. [a]
23You were angry and started
to destroy them,
but Moses, your chosen leader,
begged you not to do it.
24They would not trust
you, LORD,
and they did not like
the promised land.
25They would not obey you,
and they grumbled
in their tents.
26So you threatened them
by saying,
"I'll kill you
out here in the desert!
27I'll scatter your children
everywhere in the world."
28Your people became followers
of a god named Baal Peor,
and they ate sacrifices
offered to the dead. [b]
29They did such terrible things
that you punished them
with a deadly disease.
30But Phinehas [c]
helped them, and the sickness stopped.
31Now he will always
be highly honored.

Footnotes:
Psalm 106:22 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph " Sea of Reeds," one of the marshes or fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17--14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 (B).(C)., the " Sea of Reeds" was named " Red Sea."
Psalm 106:28 the dead: Or " lifeless idols."
Psalm 106:30 Phinehas: The grandson of Aaron, who put two people to death and kept the Lord from being angry with the rest of his people (see Numbers 25.1-13).


Proverbs 27:7-9 (Contemporary English Version)

7If you have had enough to eat,
honey doesn't taste good,
but if you are really hungry,
you will eat anything.
8When you are far from home,
you feel like a bird
without a nest.
9The sweet smell of incense
can make you feel good,
but true friendship
is better still. [a]

Footnotes:
Proverbs 27:9 still: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 9.

Bible Readings for November 5, 2011

Today our passages are Ezekiel 14:12–16:42; Hebrews 7:18-28; Psalm 106:1-12; and Proverbs 27:4-6. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Ezekiel 14:12-16:42 (Contemporary English Version)

Judgment on a Sinful Nation

12The LORD God said:

13Ezekiel, son of man, suppose an entire nation sins against me, and I punish it by destroying the crops and letting its people and livestock starve to death. 14Even if Noah, Daniel, [a] and Job were living in that nation, their faithfulness would not save anyone but themselves. 15Or suppose I punish a nation by sending wild animals to eat people and scare away every passerby, so that the land becomes a barren desert. 16As surely as I live, I promise that even if these three men lived in that nation, their own children would not be spared. The three men would live, but the land would be an empty desert.

17Or suppose I send an enemy to attack a sinful nation and kill its people and livestock. 18If these three men were in that nation when I punished it, not even their children would be spared. Only the three men would live.

19And suppose I am so angry that I send a deadly disease to wipe out the people and livestock of a sinful nation. 20Again, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, I, the LORD, promise that the children of these faithful men would also die. Only the three of them would be spared.

21I am the LORD God, and I promise to punish Jerusalem severely. I will send war, starvation, wild animals, and deadly disease to slaughter its people and livestock. 22And those who survive will be taken from their country and led here to Babylonia. Ezekiel, when you see how sinful they are, you will know why I did all these things to Jerusalem. 23You will be convinced that I, the LORD God, was right in doing what I did.

Ezekiel 15

Jerusalem Is a Useless Vine

1Some time later, the LORD said:

2Ezekiel, son of man, what happens to the wood of a grapevine after the grapes have been picked? It isn't like other trees in the forest, 3because the wood of a grapevine can't be used to make anything, not even a small peg to hang things on. 4It can only be used as firewood. But after its ends are burnt and its middle is charred, it can't be used for anything. 5The wood is useless before it is burned, and afterwards, it is completely worthless.

6I, the LORD God, promise that just as the wood of a grapevine is burned as firewood, 7I will punish the people of Jerusalem with fire. Some of them have escaped one destruction, but soon they will be completely burned. And when that happens, you, Ezekiel, will know that I am the LORD. 8I will make their country an empty wasteland, because they have not been loyal to me. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

Ezekiel 16

Jerusalem Is Unfaithful

1The LORD said:

2Ezekiel, son of man, remind the people of Jerusalem of their disgusting sins 3and tell them that I, the LORD God, am saying:

Jerusalem, you were born in the country where Canaanites lived. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. [b] 4When you were born, no one cut you loose from your mother or washed your body. No one rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil, [c] and wrapped you in warm blankets. 5Not one person loved you enough to do any of these things, and no one even felt sorry for you. You were despised, thrown into a field, and forgotten. 6I saw you lying there, rolling around in your own blood, and I couldn't let you die. 7I took care of you, like someone caring for a tender, young plant. You grew up to be a beautiful young woman with perfect breasts and long hair, but you were still naked.

8When I saw you again, you were old enough to have sex. So I covered your naked body with my own robe. [d] Then I solemnly promised that you would belong to me and that I, the LORD God, would take care of you. 9I washed the blood off you and rubbed your skin with olive oil. 10I gave you the finest clothes and the most expensive robes, [e] as well as sandals made from the best leather. 11I gave you bracelets, a necklace, 12a ring for your nose, some earrings, and a beautiful crown. 13Your jewelry was gold and silver, and your clothes were made of only the finest material and embroidered linen. Your bread was baked from fine flour, and you ate honey and olive oil. You were as beautiful as a queen, 14and everyone on earth knew it. I, the LORD God, had helped you become a lovely young woman. 15You learned that you were attractive enough to have any man you wanted, so you offered yourself to every passerby. [f] 16You made shrines for yourself and decorated them with some of your clothes. That's where you took your visitors to have sex with them. These things should never have happened! [g] 17You made idols out of the gold and silver jewelry I gave you, then you sinned by worshiping those idols. 18You dressed them in the clothes you got from me, and you offered them the olive oil and incense I gave you. 19I supplied you with fine flour, olive oil, and honey, but you sacrificed it all as offerings to please those idols. I, the LORD God, watched this happen. 20But you did something even worse than that--you sacrificed your own children to those idols! 21You slaughtered my children, so you could offer them as sacrifices. 22You were so busy sinning and being a prostitute that you refused to think about the days when you were young and were rolling around naked in your own blood.

23Now I, the LORD God, say you are doomed! Not only did you do these evil things, 24but you also built places on every street corner 25where you disgraced yourself by having sex with anyone who walked by. And you did that more and more every day! 26To make me angry, you even offered yourself to Egyptians, who were always ready to sleep with you.

27So I punished you by letting those greedy Philistine enemies take over some of your territory. But even they were offended by your disgusting behavior.

28You couldn't get enough sex, so you chased after Assyrians and slept with them. You still weren't satisfied, 29so you went after Babylonians. But those merchants could not satisfy you either.

30I, the LORD God, say that you were so disgusting that you would have done anything to get what you wanted. [h] 31You had sex on every street corner, and when you finished, you refused to accept money. That's worse than being a prostitute! 32You are nothing but an unfaithful wife who would rather have sex with strangers than with your own husband. 33Prostitutes accept money for having sex, but you bribe men from everywhere to have sex with you. 34You're not like other prostitutes. Men don't ask you for sex--you offer to pay them!

Jerusalem Must Be Punished

The LORD said:

35Jerusalem, you prostitute, listen to me. 36You chased after lovers, then took off your clothes and had sex. You even worshiped disgusting idols and sacrificed your own children as offerings to them. 37So I, the LORD God, will gather every one of your lovers, those you liked and those you hated. They will stand around you, and I will rip off your clothes and let all of those lovers stare at your nakedness. 38I will find you guilty of being an unfaithful wife and a murderer, and in my fierce anger I will sentence you to death! 39Then I will hand you over to your lovers, who will tear down the places where you had sex. They will take your clothes and jewelry, leaving you naked and empty-handed.

40Your lovers and an angry mob will stone you to death; they will cut your dead body into pieces 41and burn down your houses. Other women will watch these terrible things happen to you. I promise to stop you from being a prostitute and paying your lovers for sex.

42Only then will I calm down and stop being angry and jealous.

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 14:14 Daniel: Or "Danel," possibly a well-known hero or wise man.
Ezekiel 16:3 Amorite. . . Hittite: People who lived in Canaan before the Israelites and who worshiped idols.
Ezekiel 16:4 rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil: People believed this toughened the skin of the babies.
Ezekiel 16:8 I covered your naked body with my own robe: To show that he would protect and take care of her.
Ezekiel 16:10 most expensive robes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 16:15 so you offered yourself to every passerby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 16:16 These things should never have happened: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 16:30 wanted: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.


Hebrews 7:18-28 (Contemporary English Version)

18In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, 19because the Law cannot make anything perfect. At the same time, we are given a much better hope, and it can bring us close to God.

20-21God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is,
"I, the Lord, promise that you
will be a priest forever!
And I will never
change my mind!"

22This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. 23There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. 24But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25He is forever able to save [a] the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them. 26Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, 27and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn't need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. 28The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God's promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.

Footnotes:
Hebrews 7:25 forever able to save: Or "able to save forever."


Psalm 106:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 106

A Nation Asks for Forgiveness

1We will celebrate
and praise you, LORD!
You are good to us,
and your love never fails.
2No one can praise you enough
for all of the mighty things
you have done.
3You bless those people
who are honest and fair
in everything they do.
4Remember me, LORD,
when you show kindness
by saving your people.
5Let me prosper with the rest
of your chosen ones,
as they celebrate with pride
because they belong to you.
6We and our ancestors
have sinned terribly.
7When they were in Egypt,
they paid no attention
to your marvelous deeds
or your wonderful love.
And they turned against you
at the Red Sea. [a]
8But you were true to your name,
and you rescued them to prove
how mighty you are.
9You said to the Red Sea,
"Dry up!"
Then you led your people across
on land as dry as a desert.
10You saved all of them
11and drowned every one
of their enemies.
12Then your people trusted you
and sang your praises.

Footnotes:
Psalm 106:7 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph " Sea of Reeds," one of the marshes or fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17--14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 (B).(C)., the " Sea of Reeds" was named " Red Sea."


Proverbs 27:4-6 (Contemporary English Version)

4An angry person is dangerous,
but a jealous person
is even worse.
5A truly good friend
will openly correct you.
6You can trust a friend
who corrects you,
but kisses from an enemy
are nothing but lies.

Bible Readings for November 5, 2011

Today our passages are Ezekiel 12:1–14:11; Hebrews 7:1-17; Psalm 105:37-45; and Proverbs 27:3. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Ezekiel 12-14:11 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 12

Ezekiel Acts Out Israel's Captivity

1The LORD said:
2Ezekiel, son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but refuse to see; they have ears, but refuse to listen. 3So before it gets dark, here is what I want you to do. Pack a few things as though you were going to be taken away as a prisoner. Then go outside where everyone can see you and walk around from place to place. Maybe as they watch, they will realize what rebels they are. 4After you have done this, return to your house.

Later that evening leave your house as if you were going into exile. 5Dig through the wall of your house [a] and crawl out, carrying the bag with you. Make sure everyone is watching. 6Lift the bag to your shoulders, and with your face covered, take it into the darkness, so that you cannot see the land you are leaving. All of this will be a warning for the people of Israel. 7I did everything the LORD had said. I packed a few things. Then as the sun was going down, and while everyone was watching, I dug a hole through one of the walls of my house. I pulled out my bag, then lifted it to my shoulders and left in the darkness.

8The next morning, the LORD 9reminded me that those rebellious people didn't even ask what I was doing. 10So he sent me back to tell them:

The LORD God has a message for the leader of Jerusalem and everyone living there!

11I have done these things to show them what will happen when they are taken away as prisoners.

12The leader of Jerusalem will lift his own bag to his shoulders at sunset and leave through a hole that the others have dug in the wall of his house. He will cover his face, so he can't see the land he is leaving. 13The LORD will spread out a net and trap him as he leaves Jerusalem. He will then be led away to the city of Babylon, but will never see that place, [b] even though he will die there. 14His own officials and troops will scatter in every direction, and the LORD will track them down and put them to death. 15The LORD will force the rest of the people in Jerusalem to live in foreign nations, where they will realize that he has done all these things. 16Some of them will survive the war, the starvation, and the deadly diseases. That way, they will be able to tell foreigners how disgusting their sins were, and that it was the LORD who punished them in this way.

A Sign of Fear

17The LORD said:
18Ezekiel, son of man, shake with fear when you eat, and tremble when you drink. 19Tell the people of Israel that I, the LORD, say that someday everyone in Jerusalem will shake when they eat and tremble when they drink. Their country will be destroyed and left empty, because they have been cruel and violent. 20Every town will lie in ruins, and the land will be a barren desert. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

The Words of the LORD Will Come True

21The LORD said:
22Ezekiel, son of man, you've heard people in Israel use the saying, "Time passes, and prophets are proved wrong." 23Now tell the people that I, the LORD, am going to prove that saying wrong. No one will ever be able to use it again in Israel, because very soon everything I have said will come true! 24The people will hear no more useless warnings and false messages. 25I will give them my message, and what I say will certainly happen. Warn those rebels that the time has come for them to be punished. I, the LORD, make this promise.
26-27Ezekiel, the people of Israel are also saying that your visions and messages are only about things in the future. 28So tell them that my words will soon come true, just as I have warned. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Ezekiel 13

Lying Prophets

1The LORD said:
2Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the prophets of Israel who say they speak in my name, but who preach messages that come from their own imagination. Tell them it's time to hear my message.

3I, the LORD God, say those lying prophets are doomed! They don't see visions--they make up their own messages! 4Israel's prophets are no better than jackals [c] that hunt for food among the ruins of a city. 5They don't warn the people about coming trouble or tell them how dangerous it is to sin against me. 6Those prophets lie by claiming they speak for me, but I have not even chosen them to be my prophets. And they still think their words will come true. 7They say they're preaching my messages, but they are full of lies--I did not speak to them! 8So I am going to punish those lying prophets for deceiving the people of Israel with false messages. 9I will turn against them and no longer let them belong to my people. They will not be allowed to call themselves Israelites or even to set foot in Israel. Then they will realize that I am the LORD God.

10Those prophets refuse to be honest. They tell my people there will be peace, even though there's no peace to be found. They are like workers who think they can fix a shaky wall by covering it with paint. 11But when I send rainstorms, hailstones, and strong winds, the wall will surely collapse. 12People will then ask the workers why the paint didn't hold it up.

13That wall is the city of Jerusalem. And I, the LORD God, am so angry that I will send strong winds, rainstorms, and hailstones to destroy it. 14The lying prophets have tried to cover up the evil in Jerusalem, but I will tear down the city, all the way to its foundations. And when it collapses, those prophets will be killed, and everyone will know that I have done these things.

15The city of Jerusalem and its lying prophets will feel my fierce anger. Then I will announce that the city has fallen and that the lying prophets are dead, 16because they promised my people peace, when there was no peace. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

Women Who Wear Magic Charms

The LORD said:
17Ezekiel, son of man, now condemn the women of Israel who preach messages that come from their own imagination. 18Tell them they're doomed! They wear magic charms on their wrists and scarves on their heads, then trick others into believing they can predict the future. [d] They won't get away with telling those lies. 19They charge my people a few handfuls of barley and a couple pieces of bread, and then give messages that are insulting to me. They use lies to sentence the innocent to death and to help the guilty go free. And my people believe them! 20I hate the magic charms they use to trick people into believing their lies. I will rip those charms from their wrists and set free the people they have trapped like birds. [e] 21I will tear the scarves from their heads and rescue my people from their power once and for all. Then they will know that I am the LORD God. 22They do things I would never do. They lie to good people and encourage them to do wrong, and they convince the wicked to keep sinning and ruin their lives. 23I will no longer let these women give false messages and use magic, and I will free my people from their control. Then they will know that I, the LORD, have done these things.

Ezekiel 14

Ezekiel Encourages the People To Turn Back to the LORD

1One day, some of Israel's leaders came to me and asked for a message from the LORD. 2While they were there, the LORD said:

3Ezekiel, son of man, these men have started worshiping idols, though they know it will cause them to sin even more. So I refuse to give them a message!

4Tell the people of Israel that if they sin by worshiping idols and then go to a prophet to find out what I say, I will give them the answer their sins deserve. 5When they hear my message, maybe they will see that they need to turn back to me and stop worshiping those idols.

6Now, Ezekiel, tell everyone in Israel:

I am the LORD God. Stop worshiping your disgusting idols and come back to me.

7Suppose one of you Israelites or a foreigner living in Israel rejects me and starts worshiping idols. If you then go to a prophet to find out what I say, I will answer 8by turning against you. I will make you a warning to anyone who might think of doing the same thing, and you will no longer belong to my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that you have sinned against me.

9If a prophet gives a false message, I am the one who caused that prophet to lie. But I will still reject him and cut him off from my people, 10and anyone who goes to that prophet for a message will be punished in the same way. 11I will do this, so that you will come back to me and stop destroying yourselves with these disgusting sins. So turn back to me! Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the LORD God, make this promise.

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 12:5 Dig through the wall of your house: The walls of most houses in Babylonia were made of mud bricks that had been dried in the sun. A hole could easily have been dug through these bricks.
Ezekiel 12:13 He will then be led away. . . that place: According to 2 Kings 25.6,7, King Zedekiah of Judah was blinded before he was taken to Babylon.
Ezekiel 13:4 jackals: Desert animals related to wolves, but smaller.
Ezekiel 13:18 They wear. . . the future: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 13:20 like birds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.


Hebrews 7:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 7

The Priestly Family of Melchizedek

1Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings. 2Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.

The meaning of the name Melchizedek is "King of Justice." But since Salem means "peace," he is also "King of Peace." 3We are not told that he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever. [a] 4Notice how great Melchizedek is! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies. 5The Law teaches that even Abraham's descendants must give a tenth of what they possess. And they are to give this to their own relatives, who are the descendants of Levi and are priests. 6Although Melchizedek wasn't a descendant of Levi, Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham, who had been given God's promise. 7Everyone agrees that a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.

8Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive. 9Levi's descendants are now the ones who receive a tenth from people. We could even say that when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth, Levi also gave him a tenth. 10This is because Levi was born later into the family of Abraham, who gave a tenth to Melchizedek.

11Even though the Law of Moses says that the priests must be descendants of Levi, those priests cannot make anyone perfect. So there needs to be a priest like Melchizedek, rather than one from the priestly family of Aaron. [b] 12And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed. 13The person we are talking about is our Lord, who came from a tribe that had never had anyone to serve as a priest at the altar. 14Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said that priests would come from that tribe.

15All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest. 16That person wasn't appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end. 17The Scriptures say about him,
"You are a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek."

Footnotes:
Hebrews 7:3 will be a priest forever: See the note at 5.6.
Hebrews 7:11 descendants of Levi. . . from the priestly family of Aaron: Levi was the ancestor of the tribe from which priests and their helpers (called "Levites") were chosen. Aaron was the first high priest.


Psalm 105:37-45 (Contemporary English Version)

37When God led Israel from Egypt,
they took silver and gold,
and no one was left behind.
38The Egyptians were afraid
and gladly let them go.
39God hid them under a cloud
and guided them by fire
during the night.
40When they asked for food,
he sent more birds
than they could eat.
41God even split open a rock,
and streams of water
gushed into the desert.
42God never forgot
his sacred promise
to his servant Abraham.
43When the Lord rescued
his chosen people from Egypt,
they celebrated with songs.
44The Lord gave them the land
and everything else
the nations had worked for.
45He did this so that his people
would obey all of his laws.
Shout praises to the LORD!


Proverbs 27:3 (Contemporary English Version)

3Stones and sand are heavy,
but trouble caused by a fool
is a much heavier load.

Bible Readings for November 4, 2011

Today our passages are Ezekiel 10:1–11:25; Hebrews 6:1-20; Psalm 105:16-36; and Proverbs 27:1-2. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Ezekiel 10-11:25 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 10

The LORD's Glory Leaves the Temple

1I saw the dome that was above the four winged creatures, [a] and on it was the sapphire [b] throne. [c] 2The LORD said to the man in the linen robe, "Walk among the four wheels beside the creatures and pick up as many hot coals as you can carry. Then scatter them over the city of Jerusalem." I watched him as he followed the LORD's instructions. 3The winged creatures were standing south of the temple when the man walked among them. A cloud filled the inner courtyard, 4and the brightness of the LORD's glory moved from above the creatures and stopped at the entrance of the temple. The entire temple was filled with his glory, and the courtyard was dazzling bright. 5The sound of the creatures' wings was as loud as the voice of God All-Powerful and could even be heard in the outer courtyard.

6The man in the robe was now standing beside a wheel. 7One of the four creatures reached its hand into the fire among them and gave him some of the hot coals. The man took the coals and left.

8I noticed again that each of the four winged creatures had what looked like human hands under their wings, 9and I saw the four wheels near the creatures. These wheels were shining like chrysolite. [d] 10Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it, [e] 11so that they could move in any direction without turning. The wheels moved together whenever the creatures moved. 12I also noticed that the wheels and the creatures' bodies, including their backs, their hands, and their wings, were covered with eyes. 13And I heard a voice calling these "the wheels that spin." 14Each of the winged creatures had four faces: the face of a bull, [f] the face of a human, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle. 15-17These were the same creatures I had seen near the Chebar River. They controlled when and where the wheels moved--the wheels went wherever the creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels stayed beside them. 18Then I watched the brightness of the LORD's glory move from the entrance of the temple and stop above the winged creatures. 19They spread their wings and flew into the air with the wheels at their side. They stopped at the east gate of the temple, and the LORD's glory was above them.

20I knew for sure that these were the same creatures I had seen beneath the LORD's glory near the Chebar River. 21-22They had four wings with hands beneath them, and they had the same four faces as those near the River. Each creature moved straight ahead without turning.

Ezekiel 11

Ezekiel Condemns Jerusalem's Wicked Leaders

1The LORD's Spirit [g] lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw twenty-five men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. 2The LORD said, "Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. 3They say things like, `Let's build more houses. [h] This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.' [i] 4So, Ezekiel, condemn them!" 5The LORD's Spirit took control of me and told me to tell these leaders:

I, the LORD God, know what you leaders are saying. 6You have murdered so many people that the city is filled with dead bodies! 7This city is indeed a cooking pot, but the bodies of those you killed are the meat. And so I will force you to leave Jerusalem, 8and I'll send armies to attack you, just as you fear. 9Then you will be captured and punished by foreign enemies. [j] 10You will be killed in your own country, but not before you realize that I, the LORD, have done these things. 11You leaders claim to be meat in a cooking pot, but you won't be protected by this city. No, you will die at the border of Israel. 12You will realize that while you were following the laws of nearby nations, you were disobeying my laws and teachings. And I am the LORD!

13Before I finished speaking, Pelatiah dropped dead. I bowed down and cried out, "Please, LORD God, don't kill everyone left in Israel."

A Promise of Hope

14The LORD replied:

15Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in Jerusalem claim that you and the other Israelites who were taken to Babylonia are too far away to worship me. They also claim that the land of Israel now belongs only to them. 16But here is what I want you to tell the Israelites in Babylonia:

It's true that I, the LORD God, have forced you out of your own country and made you live among foreign nations. But for now, I will be with you wherever you are, so that you can worship me. 17And someday, I will gather you from the nations where you are scattered and let you live in Israel again. 18When that happens, I want you to clear the land of all disgusting idols. 19Then I will take away your stubbornness and make you eager to be completely faithful to me. You will want to obey me 20and all my laws and teachings. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 21But those who worship idols will be punished and get what they deserve. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

The LORD's Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22After the LORD had finished speaking, the winged creatures spread their wings and flew into the air, and the wheels were beside them. The brightness of the LORD's glory above them 23left Jerusalem and stopped at a hill east of the city.

24Then in my vision, the LORD's Spirit [k] lifted me up and carried me back to the other exiles in Babylonia. The vision faded away, 25and I told them everything the LORD had shown me.

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 10:1 winged creatures: See the note at 9.3.
Ezekiel 10:1 sapphire: See the note at 1.26.
Ezekiel 10:1 dome. . . creatures. . . throne: See 1.22-26.
Ezekiel 10:9 chrysolite: See the note at 1.16.
Ezekiel 10:10 a second wheel that cut through the middle of it: See the note at 1.16.
Ezekiel 10:14 a bull: The Hebrew text has "a winged creature," but see 1.10.
Ezekiel 11:1 The LORD's Spirit: Or "A wind."
Ezekiel 11:3 Let's. . . houses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 11:3 the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire: These leaders were trying to convince the people of Jerusalem that they were secure, and that their future was bright.
Ezekiel 11:9 foreign enemies: That is, the Babylonians.
Ezekiel 11:24 the LORD's Spirit: See the note at 11.1.


Hebrews 6:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 6

1We must try to become mature and start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught about Christ. We shouldn't need to keep talking about why we ought to turn from deeds that bring death and why we ought to have faith in God. 2And we shouldn't need to keep teaching about baptisms [a] or about the laying on of hands [b] or about people being raised from death and the future judgment. 3Let's grow up, if God is willing. 4-6But what about people who turn away after they have already seen the light and have received the gift from heaven and have shared in the Holy Spirit? What about those who turn away after they have received the good message of God and the powers of the future world? There is no way to bring them back. What they are doing is the same as nailing the Son of God to a cross and insulting him in public!

7A field is useful to farmers, if there is enough rain to make good crops grow. In fact, God will bless that field. 8But land that produces only thornbushes is worthless. It is likely to fall under God's curse, and in the end it will be set on fire.

9My friends, we are talking this way. But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are being saved. 10God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won't forget the love you have shown his people. 11We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is. 12Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them.

God's Promise Is Sure

13No one is greater than God. So he made a promise in his own name when he said to Abraham, 14"I, the Lord, will bless you with many descendants!" 15Then after Abraham had been very patient, he was given what God had promised. 16When anyone wants to settle an argument, they make a vow by using the name of someone or something greater than themselves. 17So when God wanted to prove for certain that his promise to his people could not be broken, he made a vow. 18God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed.

We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. 19This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain [c] and into the most holy place. 20Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek. [d]

Footnotes:
Hebrews 6:2 baptisms: Or "ceremonies of washing."
Hebrews 6:2 laying on of hands: This was a ceremony in which church leaders and others put their hands on people to show that those people were chosen to do some special kind of work.
Hebrews 6:19 behind the curtain: In the tent that was used for worship, a curtain separated the "holy place" from the "most holy place," which only the high priest could enter.
Hebrews 6:20 Melchizedek: See the note at 5.6.


Psalm 105:16-36 (Contemporary English Version)

16God kept crops from growing
until food was scarce
everywhere in the land.
17But he had already sent Joseph,
sold as a slave into Egypt,
18with chains of iron
around his legs and neck.
19Joseph remained a slave
until his own words
had come true,
and the LORD had finished
testing him.
20Then the king of Egypt
set Joseph free
21and put him in charge
of everything he owned.
22Joseph was in command
of the officials,
and he taught the leaders
how to use wisdom.
23Jacob and his family
came
and settled in Egypt
as foreigners.
24They were the LORD's people,
so he let them grow stronger
than their enemies.
25They served the LORD,
and he made the Egyptians plan
hateful things against them.
26God sent his servant Moses.
He also chose and sent Aaron
27to his people in Egypt,
and they worked miracles
and wonders there.
28Moses and Aaron obeyed God,
and he sent darkness
to cover Egypt.
29God turned their rivers
into streams of blood,
and the fish all died.
30Frogs were everywhere,
even in the royal palace.
31When God gave the command,
flies and gnats
swarmed all around.
32In place of rain,
God sent hailstones
and flashes of lightning.
33He destroyed their grapevines
and their fig trees,
and he made splinters
of all the other trees.
34God gave the command,
and more grasshoppers came
than could be counted.
35They ate every green plant
and all the crops that grew
in the land of Egypt.
36Then God took the life
of every first-born son.


Proverbs 27:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 27

Don't Brag about Tomorrow

1Don't brag about tomorrow!
Each day brings
its own surprises.
2Don't brag about yourself--
let others praise you.

Bible Readings for November 3, 2011

Today our passages are Ezekiel 7:1–9:11; Hebrews 5:1-14; Psalm 105:1-15; and Proverbs 26:28. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Ezekiel 7-9:11 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 7

Disaster Is Near

1The LORD God said:
2Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel that I am saying:

Israel will soon come to an end! Your whole country is about to be destroyed 3as punishment for your disgusting sins. I, the LORD, am so angry 4that I will show no pity. I will punish you for the evil you've done, and you will know that I am the LORD.

5There's never been anything like the coming disaster. [a] 6And when it comes, your life will be over. 7You people of Israel are doomed! Soon there will be panic on the mountaintops instead of celebration. [b] 8I will let loose my anger and punish you for the evil things you've done. You'll get what you deserve. 9Your sins are so terrible, that you'll get no mercy from me. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have punished you. 10Disaster is near! Injustice and arrogance are everywhere, 11and violent criminals run free. None of you will survive the disaster, and everything you own and value will be shattered. [c] 12The time is coming when everyone will be ruined. Buying and selling will stop, 13and people who sell property will never get it back, because all of you must be punished for your sins. And I won't change my mind! [d] 14A signal has been blown on the trumpet, and weapons are prepared for battle. But no one goes to war, because in my anger I will strike down everyone in Israel.

Israel Is Surrounded

The LORD said to the people of Israel:

15War, disease, and starvation are everywhere! People who live in the countryside will be killed in battle, and those who live in towns will die from starvation or deadly diseases. 16Anyone who survives will escape into the hills, like doves who leave the valleys to find safety.

All of you will moan [e] because of your sins. 17Your hands will tremble, and your knees will go limp. 18You will put on sackcloth [f] to show your sorrow, but terror will overpower you. Shame will be written all over your faces, and you will shave your heads in despair. 19Your silver and gold will be thrown into the streets like garbage, because those are the two things that led you into sin, and now they cannot save you from my anger. They are not even worth enough to buy food. 20You took great pride in using your beautiful jewelry to make disgusting idols of foreign gods. So I will make your jewelry worthless. 21Wicked foreigners will rob and disgrace you. 22They will break into my temple [g] and leave it unfit as a place to worship me, but I will look away and let it happen. 23Your whole country is in confusion! [h] Murder and violence are everywhere in Israel, 24so I will tell the most wicked nations to come and take over your homes. They will put an end to the pride you have in your strong army, and they will make your places of worship unfit to use. 25You will be terrified and will desperately look for peace--but there will be no peace. 26One tragedy will follow another, and you'll hear only bad news. People will beg prophets to give them a message from me. Priests will stop teaching my Law, and wise leaders won't be able to give advice. 27Even your king and his officials will lose hope and cry in despair. Your hands will tremble with fear. I will punish you for your sins and treat you the same way you have treated others. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 8

Ezekiel Sees the Terrible Sins of Jerusalem

1Six years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the leaders of Judah were meeting with me in my house. On the fifth day of the sixth month, [i] the LORD God suddenly took control of me, 2and I saw something in the shape of a human. [j] This figure was like fire from the waist down, and it was bright as polished metal from the waist up. 3It reached out what seemed to be a hand and grabbed my hair. Then in my vision the LORD's Spirit lifted me into the sky and carried me to Jerusalem. The Spirit took me to the north gate of the temple's inner courtyard, where there was an idol that disgusted the LORD and made him furious. 4Then I saw the brightness of the glory of the God of Israel, just as I had seen it near the Chebar River.

5God said to me, "Ezekiel, son of man, look north." And when I did, I saw that disgusting idol by the altar near the gate.

6God then said, "Do you see the terrible sins of the people of Israel? Their sins are making my holy temple unfit as a place to worship me. Yet you will see even worse things than this."

7Next, I was taken to the entrance of the courtyard, where I saw a hole in the wall.

8God said, "Make this hole bigger." And when I did, I realized it was a doorway. 9"Go in," God said, "and see what horrible and evil things the people are doing."

10Inside, I saw that the walls were covered with pictures of reptiles and disgusting, unclean animals, [k] as well as with idols that the Israelites were worshiping. 11Seventy Israelite leaders were standing there, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each of these leaders was holding an incense burner, and the smell of incense filled the room. 12God said, "Ezekiel, do you see what horrible things Israel's leaders are doing in secret? They have filled their rooms with idols. And they say I can't see them, because they think I have already deserted Israel. 13But I will show you something even worse than this."

14He took me to the north gate of the temple, where I saw women mourning for the god Tammuz. [l] 15God asked me, "Can you believe what these women are doing? But now I want to show you something worse." 16I was then led into the temple's inner courtyard, where I saw about twenty-five men standing near the entrance, between the porch and the altar. Their backs were to the LORD's temple, and they were bowing down to the rising sun.

17God said, "Ezekiel, it's bad enough that the people of Judah are doing these disgusting things. But they have also spread violence and injustice everywhere in Israel and have made me very angry. They have disgraced and insulted me in the worst possible way. [m] 18So in my fierce anger, I will punish them without mercy and refuse to help them when they cry out to me."

Ezekiel 9

The LORD Gives the Command To Punish Jerusalem

1After that, I heard the LORD shout, "Come to Jerusalem, you men chosen to destroy the city. And bring your weapons!"

2I saw six men come through the north gate of the temple, each one holding a deadly weapon. A seventh man dressed in a linen robe was with them, and he was carrying things to write with. The men went into the temple and stood by the bronze altar.

3The brightness of God's glory then left its place above the statues of the winged creatures [n] inside the temple and moved to the entrance. The LORD said to the man in the linen robe, 4"Walk through the city of Jerusalem and mark the forehead of anyone who is truly upset and sad about the disgusting things that are being done here." 5-6He turned to the other six men and said, "Follow him and put to death everyone who doesn't have a mark on their forehead. Show no mercy or pity! Kill men and women, parents and children. Begin here at my temple and be sure not to harm those who are marked."

The men immediately killed the leaders who were standing there.

7Then the LORD said, "Pollute the temple by piling the dead bodies in the courtyards. Now get busy!" They left and started killing the people of Jerusalem.

8I was then alone, so I bowed down and cried out to the LORD, "Why are you doing this? Are you so angry at the people of Jerusalem that everyone must die?"

9The LORD answered, "The people of Israel and Judah have done horrible things. Their country is filled with murderers, and Jerusalem itself is filled with violence. They think that I have deserted them, and that I can't see what they are doing. 10And so I will not have pity on them or forgive them. They will be punished for what they have done."

11Just then, the man in the linen robe returned and said, "I have done what you commanded."

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 7:5 disaster: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
Ezekiel 7:7 celebration: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.
Ezekiel 7:11 shattered: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 10,11.
Ezekiel 7:13 mind: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.
Ezekiel 7:16 will moan: Hebrew; two ancient translations "will die."
Ezekiel 7:18 sackcloth: A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.
Ezekiel 7:22 my temple: The Hebrew text has "my treasure," which may refer to the temple, to Jerusalem, or to Israel itself.
Ezekiel 7:23 Your whole country is in confusion: One ancient translation; Hebrew "Get chains ready to drag away the dead bodies of your people."
Ezekiel 8:1 Six years. . . sixth month: Probably September of 592 B.C.
Ezekiel 8:2 a human: One ancient translation; Hebrew "a fiery figure."
Ezekiel 8:10 disgusting, unclean animals: See, for example, Leviticus 11.9-19.
Ezekiel 8:14 the god Tammuz: A god of vegetation who was thought to die in the dry season. During the Hebrew month of Tammuz (from about mid-June to mid-July), women mourned the death of this god, hoping to bring him back to life.
Ezekiel 8:17 disgraced and insulted me. . . way: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 9:3 the statues of the winged creatures: These were symbols of the LORD's throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18-22; 1 Kings 6.23-28).


Hebrews 5:1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 5

1Every high priest is appointed to help others by offering gifts and sacrifices to God because of their sins. 2A high priest has weaknesses of his own, and he feels sorry for foolish and sinful people. 3That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of others. 4But no one can have the honor of being a high priest simply by wanting to be one. Only God can choose a priest, and God is the one who chose Aaron.
5That is how it was with Christ. He became a high priest, but not just because he wanted the honor of being one. It was God who told him,

"You are my Son, because today
I have become your Father!"
6In another place, God says,
"You are a priest forever
just like Melchizedek." [a]

7God had the power to save Jesus from death. And while Jesus was on earth, he begged God with loud crying and tears to save him. He truly worshiped God, and God listened to his prayers. 8Jesus is God's own Son, but still he had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God. 9Suffering made Jesus perfect, and now he can save forever all who obey him. 10This is because God chose him to be a high priest like Melchizedek.

Warning against Turning Away

11Much more could be said about this subject. But it is hard to explain, and all of you are slow to understand. 12By now you should have been teachers, but once again you need to be taught the simplest things about what God has said. You need milk instead of solid food. 13People who live on milk are like babies who don't really know what is right. 14Solid food is for mature people who have been trained to know right from wrong.

Footnotes:
Hebrews 5:6 Melchizedek: When Melchizedek is mentioned in the Old Testament, he is described as a priest who lived before Aaron. Nothing is said about his ancestors or his death (see 7.3 and Genesis 14.17-20).


Psalm 105:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 105

The LORD Can Be Trusted

1Praise the LORD
and pray in his name!
Tell everyone
what he has done.
2Sing praises to the LORD!
Tell about his miracles.
3Celebrate and worship
his holy name
with all your heart.
4Trust the LORD
and his mighty power.
5Remember his miracles
and all his wonders
and his fair decisions.
6You belong to the family
of Abraham, his servant;
you are his chosen ones,
the descendants of Jacob.
7The LORD is our God,
bringing justice
everywhere on earth.
8He will never forget
his agreement or his promises,
not in thousands of years.
9God made an eternal promise
10to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
11when he said, "I'll give you
the land of Canaan."
12At the time there were
only a few of us,
and we were homeless.
13We wandered from nation
to nation,
from one country
to another.
14God did not let anyone
mistreat our people.
Instead he protected us
by punishing rulers
15and telling them,
"Don't touch my chosen leaders
or harm my prophets!"


Proverbs 26:28 (Contemporary English Version)

28Watch out for anyone
who tells lies and flatters--
they are out to get you.

Bible Readings for November 2, 2011

Today our passages are Ezekiel 3:16–6:14; Hebrews 4:1-16; Psalm 104:24-35; and Proverbs 26:27. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Ezekiel 3:16-6:14 (Contemporary English Version)

The LORD Appoints Ezekiel To Stand Watch
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)

16Seven days after I had seen the brightness of the LORD's glory, the LORD said:

17Ezekiel, son of man, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. 18When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won't be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death. 19However, if you do warn them, and they keep on sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent.

20Now suppose faithful people start sinning, and I decide to put stumbling blocks in their paths to make them fall. They deserve to die because of their sins. So if you refuse to warn them, I will forget about the times they were faithful, and I will hold you responsible for their death. 21But if you do warn them, and they listen to you and stop sinning, I will let them live. And you will be innocent.

Ezekiel Cannot Talk

22The LORD took control of me and said, "Stand up! Go into the valley, and I will talk with you there."
23I immediately went to the valley, where I saw the brightness of the LORD's glory, just as I had seen near the Chebar River, and I bowed with my face to the ground. 24His Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the LORD said:

Go back and lock yourself in your house! 25You will be tied up to keep you inside, 26and I will make you unable to talk or to warn those who have rebelled against me. 27But the time will come, when I will tell you what to say, and you will again be able to speak my message. [a] Some of them will listen; others will be stubborn and refuse to listen.

Ezekiel 4

Ezekiel Acts Out an Attack on Jerusalem

The LORD said:

1Ezekiel, son of man, find a brick and sketch a picture of Jerusalem on it. 2Then prepare to attack the brick as if it were a real city. Build a dirt mound and a ramp up to the top and surround the brick with enemy camps. On every side put large wooden poles as though you were going to break down the gate to the city. 3Set up an iron pan like a wall between you and the brick. All this will be a warning for the people of Israel.
4-5After that, lie down on your left side and stay there for three hundred ninety days as a sign of Israel's punishment [b] --one day for each year of its suffering. 6Then turn over and lie on your right side forty more days. That will be a sign of Judah's punishment--one day for each year of its suffering. 7The brick stands for Jerusalem, so attack it! Stare at it and shout angry warnings. 8I will tie you up, so you can't leave until your attack has ended.

9Get a large bowl. Then mix together wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet, and make some bread. This is what you will eat for the three hundred ninety days you are lying down. 10Eat only a small loaf of bread each day 11and drink only two large cups of water. 12Use dried human waste to start a fire, then bake the bread on the coals where everyone can watch you. 13When I scatter the people of Israel among the nations, they will also have to eat food that is unclean, just as you must do. [c] 14I said, "LORD God, please don't make me do that! Never in my life have I eaten food that would make me unacceptable to you. I've never eaten anything that died a natural death or was killed by a wild animal or that you said was unclean."
15The LORD replied, "Instead of human waste, I will let you bake your bread on a fire made from cow manure. 16Ezekiel, the people of Jerusalem will starve. They will have so little food and water that they will be afraid and hopeless. 17Everyone will be shocked at what is happening, and, because of their sins, they will die a slow death."

Ezekiel 5

Jerusalem's Coming Destruction

The LORD said:

1Ezekiel, son of man, get a sharp sword and use it to cut off your hair and beard. Weigh the hair and divide it into three equal piles. 2After you attack the brick that stands for Jerusalem, burn one pile of your hair on the brick. Chop up the second pile and let the small pieces of hair fall around the brick. Throw the third pile into the wind, and I will strike it with my own sword.

3Keep a few of the hairs and wrap them in the hem of your clothes. 4Then pull out a few of those hairs and throw them in the fire, so they will also burn. This fire will spread, destroying everyone in Israel.

5I am the LORD God, and I have made Jerusalem the most important place in the world, and all other nations admire it. 6But the people of Jerusalem rebelled and refuse to obey me. They ignored my laws and have become even more sinful than the nations around them.

7So tell the people of Jerusalem:

I am the LORD God! You have refused to obey my laws and teachings, and instead you have obeyed the laws of the surrounding nations. You have become more rebellious than any of them! 8Now all those nations will watch as I turn against you and punish you 9for your sins. Your punishment will be more horrible than anything I've ever done or will ever do again. 10Parents will be so desperate for food that they will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. Those who survive this horror will be scattered in every direction.

11Your disgusting sins have made my temple unfit as a place to worship me. So I swear by my own life that I will turn my back on you and show you no pity. 12A third of you will die here in Jerusalem from disease or starvation. Another third will be killed in war. And I will scatter the last third of you in every direction, then track you down and kill you.

13You will feel my fierce anger until I have finished taking revenge. Then you will know that I, the LORD, was furious because of your disobedience. 14Every passerby will laugh at your destruction. Foreign nations 15will insult you and make fun of you, but they will also be shocked and terrified at what I did in my anger. 16I will destroy your crops until you starve to death, and disasters will strike you like arrows. 17Starvation and wild animals will kill your children. I'll punish you with horrible diseases, and your enemies will strike you down with their swords. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Ezekiel 6

Israel Is Doomed

1The LORD God said:

2Ezekiel, son of man, face the hills of Israel and tell them:

3Listen, you mountains and hills, and every valley and gorge! I, the LORD, am about to turn against you and crush all the places where foreign gods are worshiped. 4Every altar will be smashed, and in front of the idols I will put to death the people who worship them. 5Dead bodies and bones will be lying around the idols and the altars. 6Every town in Israel will be destroyed to make sure that each shrine, idol, and altar is smashed--everything the Israelites made will be a pile of ruins. 7All over the country, your people will die. And those who survive will know that I, the LORD, did these things. 8I will let some of the people live through this punishment, but I will scatter them among the nations, 9where they will be prisoners. And when they think of me, they will realize that they disgraced me by rebelling and by worshiping idols. They will hate themselves for the evil things they did, 10and they will know that I am the LORD and that my warnings must be taken seriously.

11The LORD God then said:

Ezekiel, beat your fists together and stomp your feet in despair! Moan in sorrow, because the people of Israel have done disgusting things and now will be killed by enemy troops, or they will die from starvation and disease. 12Those who live far away will be struck with deadly diseases. Those who live nearby will be killed in war. And the ones who are left will starve to death. I will let loose my anger on them! 13These people used to offer incense to idols at altars built on hills and mountaintops and in the shade of large oak trees. But when they see dead bodies lying around those altars, they will know that I am the LORD. 14I will make their country a barren wasteland, from the Southern Desert to the town of Diblah in the north. Then they will know that I, the LORD, have done these things.

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 3:27 again. . . speak my message: See 33.21,22.
Ezekiel 4:4 Israel's punishment: Israel here refers to the northern kingdom that was destroyed in 722 B.C.
Ezekiel 4:13 have to eat food that is unclean, just as you must do: The LORD had forbidden the people of Israel to mix certain things (see Deuteronomy 22.9-11), and so the people would not have been allowed to eat this bread under normal conditions. It is used here to show that when a city is under attack, people eat whatever food is left, even if the LORD had said it was unclean.


Hebrews 4:1-16 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 4

1The promise to enter the place of rest is still good, and we must take care that none of you miss out. 2We have heard the message, just as they did. But they failed to believe what they heard, and the message did not do them any good. 3Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest. It is just as the Scriptures say,

"God became angry
and told the people,
`You will never enter
my place of rest!' "

God said this, even though everything has been ready from the time of creation. 4In fact, somewhere the Scriptures say that by the seventh day, God had finished his work, and so he rested. 5We also read that he later said, "You people will never enter my place of rest!" 6This means that the promise to enter is still good, because those who first heard about it disobeyed and did not enter. 7Much later God told David to make the promise again, just as I have already said,

"If you hear his voice today,
don't be stubborn!"

8If Joshua had really given the people rest, there would not be any need for God to talk about another day of rest. 9But God has promised us a Sabbath when we will rest, even though it has not yet come. 10On that day God's people will rest from their work, just as God rested from his work.

11We should do our best to enter that place of rest, so that none of us will disobey and miss going there, as they did. 12What God has said isn't only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. 13Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything, and we will have to tell him the truth.

Jesus Is the Great High Priest

14We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.


Psalm 104:24-35 (Contemporary English Version)

24Our LORD, by your wisdom
you made so many things;
the whole earth is covered
with your living creatures.
25But what about the ocean
so big and wide?
It is alive with creatures,
large and small.
26And there are the ships,
as well as Leviathan, [a]
the monster you created
to splash in the sea.
27All of these depend on you
to provide them with food,
28and you feed each one
with your own hand,
until they are full.
29But when you turn away,
they are terrified;
when you end their life,
they die and rot.
30You created all of them
by your Spirit,
and you give new life
to the earth.
31Our LORD, we pray
that your glory
will last forever
and that you will be pleased
with what you have done.
32You look at the earth,
and it trembles.
You touch the mountains,
and smoke goes up.
33As long as I live,
I will sing and praise you,
the LORD God.
34I hope my thoughts
will please you,
because you are the one
who makes me glad.
35Destroy all wicked sinners
from the earth
once and for all.
With all my heart
I praise you, LORD!
I praise you!

Footnotes:
Psalm 104:26 Leviathan: See the note at 74.14.


Proverbs 26:27 (Contemporary English Version)

27If you dig a pit,
you will fall in;
if you start a stone rolling,
it will roll back on you.

Bible Readings for November 1, 2011

Today our passages are Ezekiel 1:1–3:15; Hebrews 3:1-19; Psalm 104:1-23; and Proverbs 26:24-26. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.

**********

Ezekiel 1-3:15 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel Sees the LORD's Glory

1-3I am Ezekiel--a priest and the son of Buzi. [a] Five years after King Jehoiachin of Judah had been led away as a prisoner to Babylonia, I was living near the Chebar River among those who had been taken there with him. Then on the fifth day of the fourth month [b] of the thirtieth year, [c] the heavens suddenly opened. The LORD placed his hand upon me [d] and showed me some visions. 4I saw a windstorm blowing in from the north. Lightning flashed from a huge cloud and lit up the whole sky with a dazzling brightness. The fiery center of the cloud was as shiny as polished metal, 5and in that center I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were somewhat like humans, 6except that each one had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight, but their feet looked like the hoofs of calves and sparkled like bronze. 8Under each of their wings, these creatures had a human hand. 9The four creatures were standing back to back with the tips of their wings touching. They moved together in every direction, without turning their bodies.

10Each creature had the face of a human in front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle in back. 11Two wings [e] of each creature were spread out and touched the wings of the creatures on either side. The other two wings of each creature were folded against its body. 12Wherever the four living creatures went, they moved together without turning their bodies, because each creature faced straight ahead. 13The creatures were glowing like hot coals, and I saw something like a flaming torch moving back and forth among them. Lightning flashed from the torch every time its flame blazed up. [f] 14The creatures themselves moved as quickly as sparks jumping from a fire. [g] 15I then noticed that on the ground beside each of the four living creatures was a wheel, [h] 16shining like chrysolite. [i] Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it, [j] 17so that they could move in any direction without turning. 18The rims of the wheels were large and had eyes all the way around them. [k] 19-21The creatures controlled when and where the wheels moved--the wheels went wherever the four creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels were beside them. 22-23Above the living creatures, I saw something that was sparkling like ice, and it reminded me of a dome. Each creature had two of its wings stretched out toward the creatures on either side, with the other two wings folded against its body. 24Whenever the creatures flew, their wings roared like an ocean or a large army or even the voice of God All-Powerful. And whenever the creatures stopped, they folded their wings against their bodies.

25When the creatures stopped flapping their wings, I heard a sound coming from above the dome. 26I then saw what looked like a throne made of sapphire, [l] and sitting on the throne was a figure in the shape of a human. 27From the waist up, it was glowing like metal in a hot furnace, and from the waist down it looked like the flames of a fire. The figure was surrounded by a bright light, 28as colorful as a rainbow that appears after a storm. I realized I was seeing the brightness of the LORD's glory! So I bowed with my face to the ground, and just then I heard a voice speaking to me.

Ezekiel 2

The LORD Chooses Ezekiel

1The LORD [m] said, "Ezekiel, son of man, [n] I want you to stand up and listen." 2After he said this, his Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the LORD said: 3Ezekiel, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are just like their ancestors who rebelled against me and refused to stop. 4They are stubborn and hardheaded. But I, the LORD God, have chosen you to tell them what I say. 5Those rebels may not even listen, but at least they will know that a prophet has come to them.

6Don't be afraid of them or of anything they say. You may think you're in the middle of a thorn patch or a bunch of scorpions. But be brave 7and preach my message to them, whether they choose to listen or not. 8Ezekiel, don't rebel against me, as they have done. Instead, listen to everything I tell you.

And now, Ezekiel, open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you.

9Just then, I saw a hand stretched out toward me. And in it was a scroll. [o] 10The hand opened the scroll, and both sides of it were filled with words of sadness, mourning, and grief.

Ezekiel 3

1The LORD said, "Ezekiel, son of man, after you eat this scroll, go speak to the people of Israel."

2-3He handed me the scroll and said, "Eat this and fill up on it." So I ate the scroll, and it tasted sweet as honey.

4The LORD said:
Ezekiel, I am sending you to your own people. 5-6They are Israelites, not some strangers who speak a foreign language you can't understand. If I were to send you to foreign nations, they would listen to you. 7But the people of Israel will refuse to listen, because they have refused to listen to me. All of them are stubborn and hardheaded, 8so I will make you as stubborn as they are. 9You will be so determined to speak my message that nothing will stop you. I will make you hard like a diamond, and you'll have no reason to be afraid of those arrogant rebels.

10Listen carefully to everything I say and then think about it. 11Then go to the people who were brought here to Babylonia with you and tell them you have a message from me, the LORD God. Do this, whether they listen to you or not.

12The Spirit [p] lifted me up, and as the glory of the LORD started to leave, [q] I heard a loud, thundering noise behind me. 13It was the sound made by the creatures' wings as they brushed against each other, and by the rumble of the wheels beside them. 14Then the Spirit carried me away. The LORD's power had taken complete control of me, and I was both annoyed and angry.

15When I was back with the others living at Abib Hill near the Chebar River, I sat among them for seven days, shocked at what had happened to me.

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 1:1 a priest and the son of Buzi: Or "the son of Buzi the priest."
Ezekiel 1:1 Five years. . . prisoner. . . fourth month: Probably July of 593 B.C.
Ezekiel 1:1 thirtieth year: The event from which this date is figured is unknown.
Ezekiel 1:1 The LORD placed his hand upon me: This was a sign that the LORD had chosen Ezekiel to be his prophet.
Ezekiel 1:11 Two wings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Ezekiel 1:13 up: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.
Ezekiel 1:14 as sparks jumping from a fire: Or "as flashes of lightning."
Ezekiel 1:15 wheel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
Ezekiel 1:16 chrysolite: A precious stone that has an olive green color.
Ezekiel 1:16 a second wheel that cut through the middle of it: Or "a smaller wheel inside it."
Ezekiel 1:18 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.
Ezekiel 1:26 sapphire: A precious stone that has a blue color.
Ezekiel 2:1 The LORD: Hebrew "The voice."
Ezekiel 2:1 Ezekiel, son of man: The Hebrew text has "Son of man," which is often used in this book when the LORD speaks directly to Ezekiel. It means that Ezekiel is a mere human, yet he is the one the LORD has chosen to be his prophet who speaks for him to the people of Israel.
Ezekiel 2:9 scroll: A roll of paper or special leather used for writing on.
Ezekiel 3:12 The Spirit: Or "A wind."
Ezekiel 3:12 as the glory of the LORD started to leave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.


Hebrews 3:1-19 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 3

Jesus Is Greater than Moses

1My friends, God has chosen you to be his holy people. So think about Jesus, the one we call our apostle and high priest! 2Jesus was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in serving all of [a] God's people. 3But Jesus deserves more honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house deserves more honor than the house. 4Of course, every house is built by someone, and God is really the one who built everything. 5Moses was a faithful servant and told God's people what would be said in the future. 6But Christ is the Son in charge of God's people. And we are those people, if we keep on being brave and don't lose hope.

A Rest for God's People

7It is just as the Holy Spirit says,
"If you hear God's voice today,
8don't be stubborn!
Don't rebel like those people
who were tested
in the desert.
9For forty years your ancestors
tested God
and saw
the things he did.
10"Then God got tired of them
and said,
`You people never
show good sense,
and you don't understand
what I want you to do.'
11God became angry
and told the people,
`You will never enter
my place of rest!' "

12My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. 13You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. 14We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end. 15The Scriptures say,

"If you hear his voice today,
don't be stubborn
like those who rebelled."

16Who were those people that heard God's voice and rebelled? Weren't they the same ones that came out of Egypt with Moses? 17Who were the people that made God angry for forty years? Weren't they the ones that sinned and died in the desert? 18And who did God say would never enter his place of rest? Weren't they the ones that disobeyed him? 19We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith.

Footnotes:
Hebrews 3:2 all of: Some manuscripts do not have these words.


Psalm 104:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 104

The LORD Takes Care of His Creation

1I praise you, LORD God,
with all my heart.
You are glorious and majestic,
dressed in royal robes
2and surrounded by light.
You spread out the sky
like a tent,
3and you built your home
over the mighty ocean.
The clouds are your chariot
with the wind as its wings.
4The winds are your messengers,
and flames of fire
are your servants.
5You built foundations
for the earth,
and it
will never be shaken.
6You covered the earth
with the ocean
that rose
above the mountains.
7Then your voice thundered!
And the water flowed
8down the mountains
and through the valleys
to the place you prepared.
9Now you have set boundaries,
so that the water will never
flood the earth again.
10You provide streams of water
in the hills and valleys,
11so that the donkeys
and other wild animals
can satisfy their thirst.
12Birds build their nests nearby
and sing in the trees.
13From your home above
you send rain on the hills
and water the earth.
14You let the earth produce
grass for cattle,
plants for our food,
15wine to cheer us up,
olive oil for our skin,
and grain for our health.
16Our LORD, your trees
always have water,
and so do the cedars
you planted in Lebanon.
17Birds nest in those trees,
and storks make their home
in the fir trees.
18Wild goats find a home
in the tall mountains,
and small animals can hide
between the rocks.
19You created the moon
to tell us the seasons.
The sun knows when to set,
20and you made the darkness,
so the animals in the forest
could come out at night.
21Lions roar as they hunt
for the food you provide.
22But when morning comes,
they return to their dens,
23then we go out to work
until the end of day.


Proverbs 26:24-26 (Contemporary English Version)

24The pleasant talk
of an enemy
hides more evil plans
25than can be counted--
so don't believe a word!
26Everyone will see through
those evil plans.