Bible Readings for December 8, 2013

Today our passages are Hosea 10:1–14:9; Jude 1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; and Proverbs 29:15-17. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Hosea 10-14:9 (Contemporary English Version)

Hosea 10

 ¹You were a healthy vine    covered with grapes.
   But the more grapes you grew,
   the more altars you built;
   the better off you became,
   the better shrines you set up
   for pagan gods.
    ²You are deceitful and disloyal.
   So you will pay
   for your sins,
   because the LORD will destroy
   your altars and images.
    ³" We don't have a king,"
   you will say.
   " We don't fear the LORD.
   And what good are kings?"
    ⁴Israel, you break treaties
   and don't keep promises;
   you turn justice
   into poisonous weeds
   where healthy plants should grow. ^{[a] 5}All who live in Samaria tremble
   with concern
   for the idols ^[b] at sinful Bethel. ^[c] The idol there was the pride
   of the priests,
   but it has been put to shame;
   now everyone will cry.
    ⁶It will be taken to Assyria
   and given to the great king.
   Then Israel will be disgraced
   for worshiping that idol.
    ⁷Like a twig in a stream,
   the king of Samaria
   will be swept away.
    ⁸The altars at sinful Bethel
   will be destroyed
   for causing Israel to sin;
   they will be grown over
   with thorns and thistles.
   Then everyone will beg
   the mountains and hills
   to cover and protect them.
   

The LORD Promises To Punish Israel

 ⁹Israel, you have never    stopped sinning ^[d] since that time at Gibeah. ^[e] That's why you
   will be attacked at Gibeah. ^{[f] 10}Your sins have doubled,
   and you are rebellious.
   Now I have decided
   to send nations to attack
   and put you in chains.
    ¹¹Once you were obedient
   like a calf
   that loved to thresh grain.
   But I will put a harness
   on your powerful neck;
   you and Judah must plow
   and cultivate the ground.
    ¹²Plow your fields,
   scatter seeds of justice,
   and harvest faithfulness.
   Worship me, the LORD,
   and I will send my saving power
   down like rain.
    ¹³You have planted evil,
   harvested injustice,
   and eaten
   the fruit of your lies.
   You trusted your own strength
   and your powerful forces.
    ¹⁴So war will break out,
   and your fortresses
   will be destroyed.
   Your enemies will do to you
   what Shalman ^[g] did to the people
   of Beth-Arbel--
   mothers and their children
   will be beaten to death
   against rocks.
    ¹⁵Bethel, this will be your fate
   because of your evil.
   Israel, at dawn your king
   will be killed.
   

Hosea 11

God's Love for His People

 ¹When Israel was a child,    I loved him,
   and I called
   my son out of Egypt.
    ²But as the saying goes,
   " The more they were called,
   the more they rebelled." ^[h] They never stopped offering
   incense and sacrifices
   to the idols of Baal.
    ³I took Israel by the arm
   and taught them to walk.
   But they would not admit
   that I was the one
   who had healed them.
    ⁴I led them with kindness
   and with love,
   not with ropes.
   I held them close to me; ^[i] I bent down to feed them.
    ⁵But they trusted Egypt
   instead of returning to me;
   now Assyria will rule them.
    ⁶War will visit their cities,
   and their plans will fail. ^{[j] 7}My people are determined
   to reject me for a god
   they think is stronger,
   but he can't help. ^{[k] 8}Israel, I can't let you go.
   I can't give you up.
   How could I possibly destroy you
   as I did the towns of Admah
   and Zeboiim? ^[l] I just can't do it.
   My feelings for you
   are much too strong.
    ⁹Israel, I won't lose my temper
   and destroy you again.
   I am the Holy God--
   not merely some human,
   and I won't stay angry.
    ¹⁰I, the LORD, will roar like a lion,
   and my children will return,
   trembling
   from the west.
    ¹¹They will come back,
   fluttering like birds from Egypt
   or like doves from Assyria.
   Then I will bring them
   back to their homes.
   I, the LORD, have spoken!
   

Israel and Judah Compared

 ¹²Israel is deceitful to me,    their loyal and holy God;
   they surround me with lies,
   and Judah worships
   other gods. ^[m]

Hosea 12

 ¹All day long Israel chases    wind from the desert;
   deceit and violence
   are found everywhere.
   Treaties are made with Assyria;
   olive oil is taken to Egypt.
   

Israel and Judah Condemned

 ²The LORD also brings charges    against the people of Judah,
   the descendants of Jacob.
   He will punish them
   for what they have done.
    ³Even before Jacob was born,
   he cheated his brother, ^[n] and when he grew up,
   he fought against God. ^{[o] 4}At Bethel, Jacob wrestled
   with an angel and won;
   then with tears in his eyes,
   he asked for a blessing,
   and God spoke to us ^[p] there. ⁵God's name is the LORD,
   the LORD God All-Powerful.
    ⁶So return to your God.
   Patiently trust him,
   and show love and justice.
    ⁷Israel, you enjoy cheating
   and taking advantage
   of others.
    ⁸You say to yourself, " I'm rich!
   I earned it all on my own,
   without committing a sin." ^[q]

The LORD Is Still the God of Israel

 ⁹Israel, I, the LORD,    am still your God,
   just as I have been
   since the time
   you were in Egypt.
   Now I will force you
   to live in tents once again,
   as you did in the desert. ^{[r] 10}I spoke to the prophets--
   often I spoke in visions.
   And so, I will send my prophets
   with messages of doom.
    ¹¹Gilead is terribly sinful
   and will end up ruined.
   Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal
   on altars made of stones,
   but those stones will be scattered
   in every field.
    ¹²Jacob ^[s] escaped to Syria ^[t] where he tended sheep
   to earn himself a wife.
    ¹³I sent the prophet Moses
   to lead Israel from Egypt
   and to keep them safe.
    ¹⁴Israel, I will make you pay
   for your terrible sins
   and for insulting me.
   

Hosea 13

Israel Is Doomed

The LORD said:

 ¹When your leaders ^[u] spoke, everyone in Israel trembled    and showed great respect.
   But you sinned by worshiping Baal,
   and you were destroyed.
    ²Now you continue to sin
   by designing and making
   idols of silver
   in the shape of calves.
   You are told to sacrifice
   to these idols ^[v] -- yes, even to kiss them.
    ³And so, all of you will vanish
   like the mist
   or the dew
   of early morning,
   or husks of grain in the wind
   or smoke from a chimney.
    ⁴I, the LORD, have been your God
   since the time
   you were in Egypt.
   I am the only God you know,
   the only one who can save.
    ⁵I took care of you
   in a thirsty desert. ^{[w] 6}I fed you till you were satisfied,
   then you became proud
   and forgot about me.
    ⁷Now I will attack like a lion,
   ambush you like a leopard,
    ⁸and rip you apart like a bear
   robbed of her cubs.
   I will gnaw on your bones,
   as though I were a lion
   or some other wild animal.
    ⁹Israel, you are done for.
   Don't expect help from me. ^{[x] 10}You wanted a king and rulers.
   Where is your king now?
   What cities have rulers?
    ¹¹In my anger, I gave you a king;
   in my fury, I took him away.
   
   

Israel's Terrible Fate

The LORD said:

 ¹²Israel, your terrible sins    are written down
   and stored away.
    ¹³You are like a senseless child
   who refuses to be born
   at the proper time.
    ¹⁴Should I, the LORD, rescue you
   from death and the grave?
   No! I call death and the grave
   to strike you like a plague.
   I refuse to show mercy.
    ¹⁵No matter how much you prosper
   more than the other tribes, ^[y] I, the LORD, will wipe you out,
   just as a scorching desert wind
   dries up streams of water.
   I will take away
   your precious treasures.
    ¹⁶Samaria ^[z] will be punished for turning against me.
   It will be destroyed in war--
   children will be beaten
   against rocks,
   and pregnant women
   will be ripped open.
   

Hosea 14

Turn Back to the LORD

 ¹Israel, return! Come back    to the LORD, your God.
   Sin has made you fall.
    ²Return to the LORD and say,
   " Please forgive our sins.
   Accept our good sacrifices
   of praise instead of bulls. ^{[aa] 3}Assyria can't save us,
   and chariots can't help.
   So we will no longer worship
   the idols we have made.
   Our LORD, you show mercy
   to orphans."
   

The LORD Promises To Forgive

 ⁴Israel, you have rejected me,    but my anger is gone;
   I will heal you and love you
   without limit.
    ⁵I will be like the dew--
   then you will blossom like lilies
   and have roots like a tree. ^{[ab] 6}Your branches will spread
   with the beauty
   of an olive tree
   and with the aroma
   of Lebanon Forest.
    ⁷You will rest in my shade,
   and your grain will grow.
   You will blossom
   like a vineyard
   and be famous as the wine
   from Lebanon.
    ⁸Israel, give up your idols!
   I will answer your prayers
   and take care of you. ^[ac] I am that glorious tree,
   the source of your fruit. ^{[ad] 9}If you are wise, you will know
   and understand what I mean.
   I am the LORD, and I lead you
   along the right path.
   If you obey me,
   we will walk together,
   but if you are wicked,
   you will stumble.
   

Footnotes:

1. Hosea 10:4 you turn. . . grow: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Hosea 10:5 idols: The Hebrew text has " calves," referring to the idols made in the shape of calves.
3. Hosea 10:5 sinful Bethel: See the note at 4.15.
4. Hosea 10:9 never stopped sinning: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Hosea 10:9 Gibeah: See the note at 9.9.
6. Hosea 10:9 That's why. . . Gibeah: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7. Hosea 10:14 Shalman: Perhaps a Moabite king, also known as Salamanu.
8. Hosea 11:2 But. . . rebelled: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. Hosea 11:4 I held. . . to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
10. Hosea 11:6 fail: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
11. Hosea 11:7 help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.
12. Hosea 11:8 Admah and Zeboiim: When the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he also destroyed these two towns (see Deuteronomy 29.23).
13. Hosea 11:12 and Judah worships other gods: Or " but Judah remains faithful."
14. Hosea 12:3 Jacob. . . cheated. . . brother: In Hebrew " Jacob" sounds like " cheat" and also like " heel." Jacob grabbed his twin brother Esau by the heel at the time of their birth (see Genesis 25.26). Later he cheated him out of his rights and blessings as the first-born son (see Genesis 25.29-34; 27.1-40).
15. Hosea 12:3 fought against God: See Genesis 32.22-32.
16. Hosea 12:4 us: Hebrew; two ancient translations " him."
17. Hosea 12:8 without. . . sin: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
18. Hosea 12:9 as. . . desert: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. This probably refers to the forty years of wandering through the desert after leaving Egypt, though it could refer to the " tents" (or " shelters" ) in which the Israelites lived during the Festival of Shelters (see 9.5,6).
19. Hosea 12:12 Jacob: His name was later changed to Israel (see Genesis 32.28), and he became the ancestor of the nation by that name.
20. Hosea 12:12 Syria: The Hebrew text has " Aram," probably referring to northern Syria in the region of Haran.
21. Hosea 13:1 your leaders: The Hebrew text has " Ephraim," here meaning Mount Ephraim, where the royal palace of Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel) was located.
22. Hosea 13:2 You are told. . . idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
23. Hosea 13:5 thirsty desert: The forty years that Israel wandered through the desert, after leaving Egypt.
24. Hosea 13:9 Don't. . . me: Or " You are against me, the one who helps you."
25. Hosea 13:15 more. . . tribes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
26. Hosea 13:16 Samaria: The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.
27. Hosea 14:2 Accept. . . bulls: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
28. Hosea 14:5 like a tree: The Hebrew text has " like Lebanon," probably referring to the famous cedar trees on Mount Lebanon.
29. Hosea 14:8 Israel. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
30. Hosea 14:8 I am. . . fruit: This is the only place in the Old Testament where the LORD is compared to a tree. Hosea reminds the people that it is the LORD who is the source of life, rather than the Canaanite gods and goddesses that are worshiped under trees at the local shrines.

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Jude 1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

Jude 1

 ¹From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James.    To all who are chosen and loved by God the Father and are kept safe by Jesus Christ.
    ²I pray that God will greatly bless you with kindness, peace, and love!
   

False Teachers

 ³My dear friends, I really wanted to write you about God's saving power at work in our lives. But instead, I must write and ask you to defend the faith that God has once for all given to his people.     ⁴Some godless people have sneaked in among us and are saying, "God treats us much better than we deserve, and so it is all right to be immoral." They even deny that we must obey Jesus Christ as our only Master and Lord. But long ago the Scriptures warned that these godless people were doomed.
    ⁵Don't forget what happened to those people that the Lord rescued from Egypt. Some of them did not have faith, and he later destroyed them.
    ⁶You also know about the angels ^[a] who didn't do their work and left their proper places. God chained them with everlasting chains and is now keeping them in dark pits until the great day of judgment.
    ⁷We should also be warned by what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah ^[b] and the nearby towns. Their people became immoral and did all sorts of sexual sins. Then God made an example of them and punished them with eternal fire.
    ⁸The people I am talking about are behaving just like those dreamers who destroyed their own bodies. They reject all authority and insult angels.
    ⁹Even Michael, the chief angel, didn't dare to insult the devil, when the two of them were arguing about the body of Moses. ^[c] All Michael said was, "The Lord will punish you!"
    ¹⁰But these people insult powers they don't know anything about. They are like senseless animals that end up getting destroyed, because they live only by their feelings.
    ¹¹Now they are in for real trouble. They have followed Cain's example ^[d] and have made the same mistake that Balaam ^[e] did by caring only for money. They have also rebelled against God, just as Korah did. ^[f] Because of all this, they will be destroyed.
    ¹²These people are filthy minded, and by their shameful and selfish actions they spoil the meals you eat together. They are like clouds blown along by the wind, but never bringing any rain. They are like leafless trees, uprooted and dead, and unable to produce fruit.
    ¹³Their shameful deeds show up like foam on wild ocean waves. They are like wandering stars forever doomed to the darkest pits of hell.
    ¹⁴Enoch was the seventh person after Adam, and he was talking about these people when he said:
   Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of holy angels
    ¹⁵to judge everyone. He will punish all those ungodly people for all the evil things they have done. The Lord will surely punish those ungodly sinners for every evil thing they have ever said about him.
    ¹⁶These people grumble and complain and live by their own selfish desires. They brag about themselves and flatter others to get what they want.
   

More Warnings

 ¹⁷My dear friends, remember the warning you were given by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.     ¹⁸They told you that near the end of time, selfish and godless people would start making fun of God.
    ¹⁹And now these people are already making you turn against each other. They think only about this life, and they don't have God's Spirit.
    ²⁰Dear friends, keep building on the foundation of your most holy faith, as the Holy Spirit helps you to pray.
    ²¹And keep in step with God's love, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to show how kind he is by giving you eternal life.
    ²²Be helpful to ^[g] all who may have doubts.
    ²³Rescue any who need to be saved, as you would rescue someone from a fire. Then with fear in your own hearts, have mercy on everyone who needs it. But hate even the clothes of those who have been made dirty by their filthy deeds.
   

Final Prayer

 ^24-25Offer praise to God our Savior because of our Lord Jesus Christ! Only God can keep you from falling and make you pure and joyful in his glorious presence. Before time began and now and forevermore, God is worthy of glory, honor, power, and authority. Amen.    

Footnotes:

1. Jude 1:6 angels: This may refer to the angels who liked the women on earth so much that they came down and married them (see Genesis 6.2).
2. Jude 1:7 Sodom and Gomorrah: During the time of Abraham the Lord destroyed these cities because the people there were so evil.
3. Jude 1:9 Michael. . . the body of Moses: This refers to what was said in an ancient Jewish book about Moses.
4. Jude 1:11 Cain's example: Cain murdered his brother Abel.
5. Jude 1:11 Balaam: According to the biblical account, Balaam refused to curse the people of Israel for profit (see Numbers 22.18; 24.13), though he led them to be unfaithful to the Lord (see Numbers 25.1-3; 31.16). But by New Testament times, some Jewish teachers taught that Balaam was greedy and did accept money to curse them.
6. Jude 1:11 just as Korah did: Together with Dathan and Abiram, Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron (see Numbers 16.1-35; 26.9,10).
7. Jude 1:22 Be helpful to: Some manuscripts have "Correct."

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Psalm 127:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 127

(A song by Solomon for worship.)

Only the LORD Can Bless a Home

 ¹Without the help of the LORD    it is useless to build a home
   or to guard a city.
    ²It is useless to get up early
   and stay up late
   in order to earn a living.
   God takes care of his own,
   even while they sleep. ^{[a] 3}Children are a blessing
   and a gift from the LORD.
    ⁴Having a lot of children
   to take care of you
   in your old age
   is like a warrior
   with a lot of arrows.
    ⁵The more you have,
   the better off you will be,
   because they will protect you
   when your enemies attack
   with arguments.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 127:2 God. . . sleep: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 29:15-17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁵Correct your children,
   and they will be wise;
   children out of control
   disgrace their mothers.
    ¹⁶Crime increases
   when crooks are in power,
   but law-abiding citizens
   will see them fall.
    ¹⁷If you correct your children,
   they will bring you peace
   and happiness.

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Verse of the Day

“I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father.” - John 14:6

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Teacher and academic, Leo Rosten wrote, “We see things as we are, not as they are.”

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 the Contemporary English Version.

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Hosea 6-9:17 (Contemporary English Version)

Hosea 6

The LORD's People Speak

 ¹Let's return to the LORD.    He has torn us to shreds,
   but he will bandage our wounds
   and make us well.
    ²In two or three days
   he will heal us
   and restore our strength
   that we may live with him.
    ³Let's do our best
   to know the LORD.
   His coming is as certain
   as the morning sun;
   he will refresh us like rain
   renewing the earth
   in the springtime.
   

The LORD Speaks to Israel and Judah

 ⁴People of Israel and Judah,    what can I do with you?
   Your love for me disappears
   more quickly
   than mist
   or dew at sunrise.
    ⁵That's why I slaughtered you
   with the words
   of my prophets.
   That's why my judgments blazed
   like the dawning sun. ^{[a] 6}I'd rather for you to be faithful
   and to know me
   than to offer sacrifices.
    ⁷At a place named Adam,
   you ^[b] betrayed me by breaking our agreement.
    ⁸Everyone in Gilead is evil;
   your hands are stained
   with the blood of victims. ^{[c] 9}You priests are like a gang
   of robbers in ambush. ^[d] On the road to Shechem ^[e] you murder
   and commit
   other horrible crimes.
    ¹⁰I have seen a terrible thing
   in Israel--
   you are unfaithful
   and unfit to worship me.
    ¹¹People of Judah,
   your time is coming too.
   I, the LORD, would like to make
   my nation prosper again
   

Hosea 7

The LORD Wants To Help Israel

 ¹and to heal its wounds.    But then I see the crimes
   in Israel ^[f] and Samaria. Everyone is deceitful;
   robbers roam the streets.
    ²No one realizes
   that I have seen their sins
   surround them
   like a flood.
    ³The king and his officials
   take great pleasure
   in their sin and deceit.
    ⁴Everyone burns with desire--
   they are like coals in an oven,
   ready to burst into flames.
    ⁵On the day their king
   was crowned,
   his officials got him drunk,
   and he joined
   in their foolishness. ^{[g] 6}Their anger is a fire
   that smolders all night,
   then flares up at dawn.
    ⁷They are flames
   destroying their leaders.
   And their kings are powerless;
   none of them trust me.
    ⁸The people of Israel ^[h] have mixed with foreigners;
   they are a thin piece of bread
   scorched on one side.
    ⁹They don't seem to realize
   how weak and feeble they are;
   their hair has turned gray,
   while foreigners rule.
    ¹⁰I am the LORD, their God,
   but in all of their troubles
   their pride keeps them
   from returning to me.
   
   

No Help from Foreign Nations

The LORD said:

 ¹¹Israel ^[i] is a senseless bird, fluttering back and forth    between Egypt and Assyria.
    ¹²But I will catch them in a net
   as hunters trap birds;
   I threatened to punish them,
   and indeed I will. ^{[j] 13}Trouble and destruction
   will be their reward
   for rejecting me.
   I would have rescued them,
   but they told me lies.
    ¹⁴They don't really pray to me;
   they just howl in their beds.
   They have rejected me for Baal
   and slashed themselves, ^[k] in the hope that Baal
   will bless their crops.
    ¹⁵I taught them what they know,
   and I made them strong.
   Now they plot against me
    ¹⁶and refuse to obey. ^[l] They are more useless
   than a crooked arrow.
   Their leaders will die in war
   for saying foolish things.
   Egyptians will laugh at them.
   

Hosea 8

Israel Rejects the LORD

The LORD said:

 ¹Sound a warning!    Israel, you broke our agreement
   and ignored my teaching.
   Now an eagle is swooping down
   to attack my land.
    ²Israel, you say, " We claim you,
   the LORD, as our God."
    ³But your enemies
   will chase you
   for rejecting
   our good agreement. ^{[m] 4}You chose kings and leaders
   without consulting me;
   you made silver and gold idols
   that led to your downfall.
    ⁵City of Samaria, I'm angry
   because of your idol
   in the shape of a calf.
   When will you ever
   be innocent again?
    ⁶Someone from Israel built
   that idol for you,
   but only I am God.
   And so it will be smashed
   to pieces. ^{[n] 7}If you scatter wind
   instead of wheat,
   you will harvest a whirlwind
   and have no wheat.
   Even if you harvest grain,
   enemies will steal it all.
    ⁸Israel, you are ruined,
   and now the nations
   consider you worthless.
    ⁹You are like a wild donkey
   that goes its own way.
   You've run off to Assyria
   and hired them as allies.
    ¹⁰You can bargain with nations,
   but I'll catch you anyway.
   Soon you will suffer abuse
   by kings and rulers.
    ¹¹Israel, you have built
   many altars
   where you offer
   sacrifices for sin.
   But these altars have become
   places for sin.
    ¹²My instructions for sacrifices
   were written in detail,
   but you ignored them.
    ¹³You sacrifice your best animals
   and eat the sacrificial meals, ^[o] but I, the LORD,
   refuse your offerings.
   I will remember your sins
   and punish you.
   Then you will return to Egypt. ^{[p] 14}Israel, I created you,
   but you forgot me.
   You and Judah built palaces
   and many strong cities. ^[q] Now I will send fire to destroy
   your towns and fortresses.
   

Hosea 9

Israel Will Be Punished

 ¹Israel, don't celebrate    or make noisy shouts ^[r] like other nations.
   You have been unfaithful
   to your God.
   Wherever grain is threshed,
   you behave like prostitutes
   because you enjoy
   the money you receive. ^{[s] 2}But you will run short
   of grain and wine,
    ³and you will have to leave
   the land of the LORD.
   Some of you will go to Egypt;
   others will go to Assyria
   and eat unclean food.
    ⁴You won't be able to offer
   sacrifices of wine
   to the LORD.
   None of your sacrifices
   will please him--
   they will be unclean
   like food offered to the dead.
   Your food will only be used
   to satisfy your hunger;
   none of it will be brought
   to the LORD's temple.
    ⁵You will no longer be able
   to celebrate the festival
   of the LORD. ^{[t] 6}Even if you escape alive,
   you will end up in Egypt
   and be buried in Memphis. ^[u] Your silver treasures
   will be lost among weeds; ^[v] thorns will sprout in your tents.
    ⁷Israel, the time has come.
   You will get what you deserve,
   and you will know it.
   " Prophets are fools," you say.
   " And God's messengers
   are crazy."
   Your terrible guilt
   has filled you with hatred.
    ⁸Israel, the LORD sent me
   to look after you. ^[w] But you trap his prophets
   and flood his temple
   with your hatred.
    ⁹You are brutal and corrupt,
   as were the men of Gibeah. ^[x] But God remembers your sin,
   and you will be punished.
   

Sin's Terrible Results

 ¹⁰Israel, when I, the LORD,    found you long ago
   it was like finding
   grapes in a barren desert
   or tender young figs.
   Then you worshiped Baal Peor,
   that disgusting idol,
   and you became as disgusting
   as the idol you loved.
    ¹¹And so, Israel, your glory
   will fly away like birds--
   your women will no longer
   be able to give birth.
    ¹²Even if you do have children,
   I will take them all
   and leave you to mourn.
   I will turn away,
   and you will sink down
   in deep trouble.
    ¹³Israel, when I first met you,
   I thought of you as palm trees
   growing in fertile ground. ^[y] Now you lead your people out,
   only to be slaughtered.
   

Hosea's Advice

 ¹⁴Our LORD, do just one thing    for your people--
   make their women unable
   to have children
   or to nurse their babies.
   

The LORD's Judgment on Israel

 ¹⁵Israel, I first began    to hate you
   because
   you did evil at Gilgal. ^[z] Now I will chase you
   out of my house.
   No longer will I love you;
   your leaders betrayed me.
    ¹⁶Israel, you are a vine
   with dried-up roots
   and fruitless branches.
   Even if you had more children
   and loved them dearly,
   I would slaughter them all.
   

Hosea Warns Israel

 ¹⁷Israel, you disobeyed my God.    Now he will force you to roam
   from nation to nation.
   

Footnotes:

1. Hosea 6:5 That's why my. . . sun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Hosea 6:7 At. . . you: Or " Like Adam, you" or " Each one of you."
3. Hosea 6:8 your hands. . . victims: This may refer to child sacrifice.
4. Hosea 6:9 You. . . ambush: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Hosea 6:9 Shechem: This was one of the towns where people could run for safety, if they had accidentally killed someone (see Joshua 20.1-9).
6. Hosea 7:1 Israel: See the note at 4.17. Samaria was the capital city of Israel.
7. Hosea 7:5 foolishness: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
8. Hosea 7:8 Israel: Hebrew " Ephraim" (see the note at 4.17).
9. Hosea 7:11 Israel: Hebrew " Ephraim" (see the note at 4.17).
10. Hosea 7:12 I threatened. . . will: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
11. Hosea 7:14 slashed themselves: One ancient translation and some Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts " gather together." Slashing themselves was one way of worshiping Baal (see 1 Kings 18.28).
12. Hosea 7:16 and. . . obey: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
13. Hosea 8:3 our good agreement: Or " me, the Good One" (referring to God).
14. Hosea 8:6 smashed to pieces: Or " destroyed by fire."
15. Hosea 8:13 sacrifice. . . sacrificial meals: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. Two kinds of sacrifices are referred to: Those in which the whole animal is burned on the altar (" whole burnt offerings" in traditional translations) and those in which part is eaten by the worshipers (" fellowship offerings" in traditional translations).
16. Hosea 8:13 return to Egypt: Either as slaves or to find help against Assyria.
17. Hosea 8:14 built palaces. . . cities: They did this because they no longer trusted the LORD to protect them. " Palaces" may also mean " temples."
18. Hosea 9:1 or. . . shouts: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
19. Hosea 9:1 Wherever. . . receive: Grain was threshed on hills or other places where the wind could blow away the husks. People also met at these places to worship Baal, the god they thought had given them the grain harvest.
20. Hosea 9:5 festival of the LORD: Probably the Festival of Shelters.
21. Hosea 9:6 Memphis: An Egyptian city with a famous cemetery.
22. Hosea 9:6 Your silver. . . weeds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
23. Hosea 9:8 Israel. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
24. Hosea 9:9 the men of Gibeah: They raped and murdered a woman (see Judges 19).
25. Hosea 9:13 Israel, when. . . ground: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
26. Hosea 9:15 Gilgal: See 4.15.

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3 John 1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

3 John 1

 ¹From the church leader. ^[a] To my dear friend Gaius.    I love you because we follow the truth, ²dear friend, and I pray that all goes well for you. I hope that you are as strong in body, as I know you are in spirit. ³It makes me very happy when the Lord's followers come by and speak openly of how you obey the truth. ⁴Nothing brings me greater happiness than to hear that my children ^[b] are obeying the truth.

Working Together

 ⁵Dear friend, you have always been faithful in helping other followers of the Lord, even the ones you didn't know before. ⁶They have told the church about your love. They say you were good enough to welcome them and to send them on their mission in a way that God's servants deserve. ⁷When they left to tell others about the Lord, they decided not to accept help from anyone who wasn't a follower. ⁸We must support people like them, so that we can take part in what they are doing to spread the truth.     ⁹I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes likes to be the number-one leader, and he won't pay any attention to us. ¹⁰So if I come, I will remind him of how he has been attacking us with gossip. Not only has he been doing this, but he refuses to welcome any of the Lord's followers who come by. And when other church members want to welcome them, he puts them out of the church.
    ¹¹Dear friend, don't copy the evil deeds of others! Follow the example of people who do kind deeds. They are God's children, but those who are always doing evil have never seen God.
    ¹²Everyone speaks well of Demetrius, and so does the true message that he teaches. I also speak well of him, and you know what I say is true.
   

Final Greetings

 ¹³I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to write it with pen and ink. ¹⁴I hope to see you soon, and then we can talk in person.     ¹⁵I pray that God will bless you with peace!
   Your friends send their greetings. Please give a personal greeting to each of our friends.
   

Footnotes:

1. 3 John 1:1 church leader: Or "elder" or "presbyter" or "priest."
2. 3 John 1:4 children: Probably persons that the leader had led to be followers of the Lord.

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Psalm 126:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 126

(A song for worship.)

Celebrating the Harvest

 ¹It seemed like a dream    when the LORD brought us back
   to the city of Zion. ^{[a] 2}We celebrated with laughter
   and joyful songs.
   In foreign nations it was said,
   "The LORD has worked miracles
   for his people."
    ³And so we celebrated
   because the LORD had indeed
   worked miracles for us.
    ⁴Our LORD, we ask you to bless
   our people again,
   and let us be like streams
   in the Southern Desert.
    ⁵We cried as we went out
   to plant our seeds.
   Now let us celebrate
   as we bring in the crops.
    ⁶We cried on the way
   to plant our seeds,
   but we will celebrate and shout
   as we bring in the crops.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 126:1 brought. . . Zion: Or " made the city of Zion prosperous again."

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Proverbs 29:12-14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹²A ruler who listens to lies
   will have corrupt officials.
    ¹³The poor and all who abuse them
   must each depend on God
   for light.
    ¹⁴Kings who are fair to the poor
   will rule forever.

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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.

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Thought for the Day

American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, logician, political commentator and activist, Noam Chomsky wrote, “In a three-minute stretch between commercials, or in seven hundred words, it is impossible to present unfamiliar thoughts or surprising conclusions with the argument and evidence required to afford them credibility. Regurgitation of welcome pieties faces no such problem.”

Bible Readings for December 6, 2013

Today our passages are Hosea 4:1–5:15; 2 John 1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; and Proverbs 29:9-11. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Hosea 4-5:15 (Contemporary English Version)

Hosea 4

Israel Is Unfaithful

 ¹Israel, listen    as the LORD accuses
   everyone in the land!
   No one is faithful or loyal
   or truly cares about God.
    ²Cursing, dishonesty, murder,
   robbery, unfaithfulness--
   these happen all the time.
   Violence is everywhere.
    ³And so your land is a desert.
   Every living creature is dying--
   people and wild animals,
   birds and fish.
   

The LORD Warns the Priests

 ⁴Don't accuse just anyone!    Not everyone is at fault.
   My case is against you,
   the priests. ^{[a] 5}You and the prophets
   will stumble day and night;
   I'll silence your mothers.
    ⁶You priests have rejected me,
   and my people are destroyed
   by refusing to obey.
   Now I'll reject you and forget
   your children,
   because you
   have forgotten my Law.
    ⁷By adding more of you priests,
   you multiply the number
   of people who sin.
   Now I'll change your pride
   into shame.
    ⁸You encourage others to sin,
   so you can stuff yourselves
   on their sin offerings.
    ⁹That's why I will punish
   the people for their deeds,
   just as I will punish
   you priests.
    ¹⁰Their food won't satisfy,
   and having sex at pagan shrines
   won't produce children.
   My people have rebelled
    ¹¹and have been unfaithful
   to me, their LORD.
   My people, you are foolish
   because of too much pleasure
   and too much wine.
   

God Condemns Israel's Idolatry

 ¹²You expect wooden idols    and other objects of wood
   to give you advice.
   Lusting for sex at pagan shrines
   has made you unfaithful
   to me, your God.
    ¹³You offer sacrifices
   on mountaintops and hills,
   under oak trees, and wherever
   good shade is found.
   Your own daughters
   and daughters-in-law
   sell themselves for sex.
    ¹⁴But I won't punish them.
   You men are to blame,
   because you go to prostitutes
   and offer sacrifices with them
   at pagan shrines.
   Your own foolishness
   will lead to your ruin.
    ¹⁵Israel, you are unfaithful,
   but don't lead Judah to sin.
   Stop worshiping at Gilgal
   or at sinful Bethel. ^[b] And quit making promises
   in my name--
   the name
   of the living LORD.
    ¹⁶You are nothing more
   than a stubborn cow--
   so stubborn that I, the LORD,
   cannot feed you like lambs
   in an open pasture.
    ¹⁷You people of Israel ^[c] are charmed by ^[d] idols. Leave them alone!
    ¹⁸You get drunk, then sleep
   with prostitutes;
   you would rather be vulgar
   than lead a decent life. ^{[e] 19}And so you will be swept away
   in a whirlwind
   for sacrificing to idols.
   

Hosea 5

Israel and Judah Will Be Judged

The LORD said:

 ¹Listen, you priests!    Pay attention, Israel! ^[f] Listen, you members
   of the royal family.
   Justice was your duty.
   But ^[g] at Mizpah and Mount Tabor you trapped the people.
    ²At the place of worship
   you were a treacherous pit, ^[h] and I will punish you.
    ³Israel, I know all about you,
   and because of your unfaithfulness,
   I find you unacceptable.
    ⁴Your evil deeds are the reason
   you won't return to me,
   your LORD God.
   And your constant craving for sex
   keeps you from knowing me.
    ⁵Israel, your pride
   testifies to your guilt;
   it makes you stumble,
   and Judah stumbles too.
    ⁶You offer sheep and cattle
   as sacrifices to me,
   but I have turned away
   and refuse to be found.
    ⁷You have been unfaithful
   to me, your LORD;
   you have had children
   by prostitutes. ^[i] So at the New Moon Festival,
   you and your crops
   will be destroyed. ^[j]

The LORD Warns Israel and Judah

 ⁸Give a warning on the trumpet!    Let it be heard in Gibeah,
   Ramah, and sinful Bethel. ^[k] Benjamin, watch out! ^{[l] 9}I, the LORD, will punish
   and wipe out Israel.
   This is my solemn promise
   to every tribe of Israel.
    ¹⁰Judah's leaders are like crooks
   who move boundary markers;
   that's why I will flood them
   with my anger.
    ¹¹Israel was brutally crushed.
   They got what they deserved
   for worshiping useless idols. ^{[m] 12}Now I, the LORD,
   will fill Israel with maggots
   and make Judah rot.
    ¹³When Israel and Judah saw
   their sickness and wounds,
   Israel asked help from Assyria
   and its mighty king. ^[n] But the king cannot cure them
   or heal their wounds.
    ¹⁴So I'll become a fierce lion
   attacking Israel and Judah.
   I'll snatch and carry off
   what I want,
   and no one can stop me.
    ¹⁵Then I'll return to my temple
   until they confess their guilt
   and worship me,
   until they are desperate
   and beg for my help.
   

Footnotes:

1. Hosea 4:4 priests: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4. Hosea may have had in mind only one priest, possibly the chief priest.
2. Hosea 4:15 sinful Bethel: The Hebrew text has " Beth-Aven," which means " house of sin" or " house of nothing," referring to " Bethel," which means " house of God."
3. Hosea 4:17 Israel: The Hebrew text has " Ephraim," the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel, which sometimes stands for the whole kingdom.
4. Hosea 4:17 charmed by: Or " joined to."
5. Hosea 4:18 life: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.
6. Hosea 5:1 Israel: Probably meaning the tribal leaders of Israel.
7. Hosea 5:1 Justice. . . duty. But: Or " You are doomed, because."
8. Hosea 5:2 At. . . pit: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. Hosea 5:7 prostitutes: See 4.14, and the note at 1.2.
10. Hosea 5:7 So. . . destroyed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
11. Hosea 5:8 sinful Bethel: See the note at 4.15. Gibeah is three miles north of Jerusalem, Ramah is five miles north, and Bethel is eleven miles north. The attack comes from the south, and all the land of Benjamin (belonging to Israel) is in danger.
12. Hosea 5:8 watch out: Or " lead the way."
13. Hosea 5:11 for. . . idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
14. Hosea 5:13 and. . . king: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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2 John 1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

2 John 1

 ¹From the church leader. ^[a] To a very special woman and her children. ^[b] I truly love all of you, and so does everyone else who knows the truth. ²We love you because the truth is now in our hearts, and it will be there forever. ³I pray that God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son will be kind and merciful to us! May they give us peace and truth and love.    

Truth and Love

 ⁴I was very glad to learn that some of your children are obeying the truth, as the Father told us to do. ⁵Dear friend, I am not writing to tell you and your children to do something you have not done before. I am writing to tell you to love each other, which is the first thing you were told to do. ⁶Love means that we do what God tells us. And from the beginning, he told you to love him.     ⁷Many liars have gone out into the world. These deceitful liars are saying that Jesus Christ did not have a truly human body. But they are liars and the enemies of Christ. ⁸So be sure not to lose what we ^[c] have worked for. If you do, you won't be given your full reward. ⁹Don't keep changing what you were taught about Christ, or else God will no longer be with you. But if you hold firmly to what you were taught, both the Father and the Son will be with you. ¹⁰If people won't agree to this teaching, don't welcome them into your home or even greet them. ¹¹Greeting them is the same as taking part in their evil deeds.

Final Greetings

 ¹²I have much more to tell you, but I don't want to write it with pen and ink. I want to come and talk to you in person, because that will make us ^[d] really happy. ¹³Greetings from the children of your very special sister. ^[e]

Footnotes:

1. 2 John 1:1 church leader: Or "elder" or "presbyter" or "priest."
2. 2 John 1:1 very special woman and her children: A group of the Lord's followers who met together for worship. "The children of your. . . sister" (see verse 13) is another group of followers. "Very special" (here and verse 13) probably means "chosen (by the Lord)."
3. 2 John 1:8 we: Some manuscripts have "you."
4. 2 John 1:12 us: Some manuscripts have "you."
5. 2 John 1:13 sister: See the note at verse 1.

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Psalm 125:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 125

(A song for worship.)

The LORD's People Are Safe

 ¹Everyone who trusts the LORD    is like Mount Zion
   that cannot be shaken
   and will stand forever.
    ²Just as Jerusalem is protected
   by mountains on every side,
   the LORD protects his people
   by holding them in his arms
   now and forever.
    ³He won't let the wicked
   rule his people
   or lead them to do wrong.
    ⁴Let's ask the LORD to be kind
   to everyone
   who is good
   and completely obeys him.
    ⁵When the LORD punishes
   the wicked,
   he will punish everyone else
   who lives a crooked life.
   Pray for peace in Israel!

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Proverbs 29:9-11 (Contemporary English Version)

⁹Be wise and don't sue a fool.
   You won't get satisfaction,
   because all the fool will do
   is sneer and shout.
    ¹⁰A murderer hates everyone
   who is honest
   and lives right. ^{[a] 11}Don't be a fool
   and quickly lose your temper--
   be sensible and patient.
   

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 29:10 and lives right: Or " and those who live right are friends of honest people."

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Verse of the Day

 

“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep.” - John 10:14-15

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

South African anti-apartheid revolutionary who was imprisoned as well as a politician and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela wrote, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”