Read the Bible in a Year
Each day, we'll post passages so that you can read the Bible in one year. This is part of The Colossians 13:16 Project, sponsored by Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia. You're invited to worship with us Sundays, at 11:00 a.m. or Saturdays, at 6:30 p.m. You may also want to consider joining one our adult Bible Studies: Thursdays at 12:00 noon and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We also have a full range of programs for children. If you want more information about the church, check out the other blogs. And please feel free to leave any comments.
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Today our
passages are Leviticus 27:14–Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-25; Psalm
46:1-11; and Proverbs 10:23. The readings are the
Contemporary English
Version.
Leviticus 27:14 - Numbers 1:54 (Contemporary English
Version)
14If you promise a house to me, a
priest will set the price, whatever the condition of the house. 15But if you decide to buy it back, you must
pay an additional twenty percent.
16If you promise part of your
family's land to me, its value must be determined by the bushels of seed needed
to plant the land, and the rate will be ten pieces of silver for every bushel of
seed. 17If this promise is made in the
Year of Celebration,
the land will be valued at the full price. 18But any time after that, the price will be figured
according to the number of years before the next Year of Celebration. 19If you decide to buy back the land, you
must pay the price plus an additional twenty percent, 20but you cannot buy it back once someone else has bought
it. 21When the Year of Celebration
comes, the land becomes holy because it belongs to me, and it will be given to
the priests. 22If you promise me a
field that you have bought, 23its value
will be decided by a priest, according to the number of years before the next
Year of Celebration, and the money you pay will be mine. 24However, on the next Year of Celebration, the land will
go back to the family of its original owner. 25Every price will be set by the official standards.
Various Offerings
The LORD said:
26All
first-born animals of your flocks and herds are already mine, and so you cannot
promise any of them to me. 27If you
promise me a donkey,
you may buy it back by adding an additional twenty percent to its value. If you
don't buy it back, it can be sold to someone else for whatever a priest has said
it is worth. 28Anything that you
completely dedicate to me must be completely destroyed.
It cannot be bought back or sold. Every person, animal, and piece of property
that you dedicate completely is only for me. 29In fact, any humans who have been promised to me in this
way must be put to death. 30Ten percent
of everything you harvest is holy and belongs to me, whether it grows in your
fields or on your fruit trees. 31If you
want to buy back this part of your harvest, you may do so by paying what it is
worth plus an additional twenty percent.
32When you count your flocks and
herds, one out of ten of every newborn animal
is holy and belongs to me, 33no matter
how good or bad it is. If you substitute one animal for another, both of them
become holy, and neither can be bought back. 34Moses was on Mount Sinai when the LORD gave him these
laws for the people of Israel.
Numbers 1
The People of Israel Are Counted
1The people of Israel had left Egypt and were living in the
Sinai Desert. Then on the first day of the second month
of the second year, Moses was in the sacred tent when the LORD said: 2-3I want you and Aaron to find out how many
people are in each of Israel's clans and families. And make a list of all the
men twenty years and older who are able to fight in battle. 4-15The following twelve family leaders, one from each
tribe, will help you:
Elizur son of Shedeur
from Reuben,
Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai
from Simeon,
Nahshon son of Amminadab
from Judah,
Nethanel son of Zuar
from Issachar,
Eliab son of Helon
from Zebulun,
Elishama son of Ammihud
from Ephraim,
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur
from Manasseh,
Abidan son of Gideoni
from Benjamin,
Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai
from Dan,
Pagiel son of Ochran
from Asher,
Eliasaph son of Deuel
from Gad,
and Ahira son of Enan
from Naphtali.
16-17Moses and Aaron, together
with these twelve tribal leaders, 18called together the people that same day. They were
counted according to their clans and families. Then Moses and the others listed
the names of the men twenty years and older, 19just as the LORD had commanded. 20-46The number of men from each tribe who were at least
twenty years old and strong enough to fight in Israel's army was as follows:
46,500 from Reuben,
the oldest son of Jacob,
59,300 from Simeon,
45,650 from Gad,
74,600 from Judah,
54,400 from Issachar,
57,400 from Zebulun,
40,500 from Ephraim,
32,200 from Manasseh,
35,400 from Benjamin,
62,700 from Dan,
41,500 from Asher,
53,400 from Naphtali.
The total number of men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders
was 603,550.
47But those from the Levi tribe
were not included 48because the LORD
had said to Moses:
49When you count the Israelites,
do not include those from the Levi tribe. 50-51Instead, give them the job of caring for the sacred
tent, its furnishings, and the objects used for worship. They will camp around
the tent, and whenever you move, they will take it down, carry it to the new
camp, and set it up again. Anyone else who tries to go near it must be put to
death.
52The rest of the Israelites
will camp in their own groups and under their own banners. 53But the Levites will camp around the sacred tent to make
sure that no one goes near it and makes me furious with the Israelites.
54The people of Israel did
everything the LORD had commanded.
Mark 11:1-25 (Contemporary English Version)
Mark 11
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11; Luke 19.28-40; John 12.12-19)
1Jesus and his disciples reached Bethphage and Bethany near
the Mount of Olives. When they were getting close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two
of them on ahead. 2He told them, "Go
into the next village. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey
that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 3If anyone asks why you are doing that,
say, `The Lord
needs it and will soon bring it back.' "
4The disciples left and found
the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it,
5some of the people standing there
asked, "Why are you untying the donkey?" 6They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let
them take it.
7The disciples led the donkey
to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. 8Many people spread clothes on the road,
while others went to cut branches from the fields.
9In front of Jesus and behind
him, people went along shouting,
"Hooray!
God bless the one
who comes
in the name of the Lord!
10God bless the coming kingdom
of our ancestor David.
Hooray for God
in heaven above!"
11After Jesus had gone to
Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it
was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree
(Matthew 21.18,19)
12When
Jesus and his disciples left Bethany the next morning, he was hungry. 13From a distance Jesus saw a fig tree
covered with leaves, and he went to see if there were any figs on the tree. But
there were not any, because it wasn't the season for figs. 14So Jesus said to the tree, "Never again will anyone eat
fruit from this tree!" The disciples heard him say this.
Jesus in the Temple
(Matthew 21.12-17; Luke 19.45-48; John 2.13-22)
15After Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, he went
into the temple and began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying. He
turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were
selling doves. 16Jesus would not let
anyone carry things through the temple. 17Then he taught the people and said, "The Scriptures say,
`My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.' But you have
made it a place where robbers hide!"
18The chief priests and the
teachers of the Law of Moses heard what Jesus said, and they started looking for
a way to kill him. They were afraid of him, because the crowds were completely
amazed at his teaching.
19That evening, Jesus and the
disciples went outside the city.
A Lesson from the Fig Tree
(Matthew 21.20-22)
20As the
disciples walked past the fig tree the next morning, they noticed that it was
completely dried up, roots and all. 21Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree. Then
Peter said, "Teacher, look! The tree you put a curse on has dried up."
22Jesus told his disciples:
Have faith in God! 23If you have
faith in God and don't doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into
the sea, and it will. 24Everything you
ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.
25-26Whenever you stand up to
pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven
will forgive your sins.
Psalm 46:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 46
(A special song for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)
God Is Our Mighty Fortress
1God is our mighty fortress,
always ready to help
in times of trouble.
2And so, we won't be afraid!
Let the earth tremble
and the mountains tumble
into the deepest sea.
3Let the ocean roar and foam,
and its raging waves
shake the mountains.
4A river and its streams
bring joy to the city,
which is the sacred home
of God Most High.
5God is in that city,
and it won't be shaken.
He will help it at dawn.
6Nations rage! Kingdoms fall!
But at the voice of God
the earth itself melts.
7The LORD All-Powerful
is with us.
The God of Jacob
is our fortress.
8Come! See the fearsome things
the LORD has done on earth.
9God brings wars to an end
all over the world.
He breaks the arrows,
shatters the spears,
and burns the shields.
10Our God says, "Calm down,
and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
will honor me."
11The LORD All-Powerful
is with us.
The God of Jacob
is our fortress.
Proverbs 10:23 (Contemporary English Version)
23Fools enjoy doing wrong,
but anyone with good sense
enjoys acting wisely.
Verse of the Day
“The LORD says: "My thoughts and my ways are not like yours. Just as the
heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than
yours.” - Isaiah
55:8-9
Thought
for the Day
French soldier, military theorist and the Allied Généralissime during the
First World War, Ferdinand
Foch wrote, “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on
fire.”
Today our
passages are Leviticus 25:47–27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm
45:1-17; and Proverbs 10:22. The readings are the
Contemporary English
Version.
Leviticus
25:47-27:13 (Contemporary English Version)
47Even
if some of you Israelites become so much in debt that you must sell yourselves
to foreigners in your country, 48you
still have the right to be set free by a relative, such as a brother 49or uncle or cousin, or some other family
member. In fact, if you ever get enough money, you may buy your own freedom 50by paying your owner for the number of
years you would still be a slave before the next Year of Celebration. 51-52The longer the time until then, the
more you will have to pay. 53And even
while you are the slaves of foreigners in your own country, your people must
make sure that you are not mistreated. 54If you cannot gain your freedom in any of these ways,
both you and your children will still be set free in the Year of Celebration.
55People of Israel, I am the LORD your
God, and I brought you out of Egypt to be my own servants.
Leviticus 26
Blessings for Obeying the LORD
The LORD said:
1I am the LORD
your God! So don't make or worship any sort of idols or images. 2Respect the Sabbath and honor the place
where I am worshiped, because I am the LORD.
3Faithfully obey my laws, 4and I will send rain to make your crops grow and your
trees produce fruit. 5Your harvest of
grain and grapes will be so abundant, that you won't know what to do with it
all. You will eat and be satisfied, and you will live in safety. 6I will bless your country with peace, and
you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect
you from enemy attacks. 7You will chase
and destroy your enemies, 8even if
there are only five of you and a hundred of them, or only a hundred of you and
ten thousand of them. 9I will treat you
with such kindness that your nation will grow strong, and I will also keep my
promises to you. 10Your barns will
overflow with grain each year. 11I will
live among you and never again look on you with disgust. 12I will walk with you--I will be your God, and you will be
my people. 13I am the LORD your God,
and I rescued you from Egypt, so that you would never again be slaves. I have
set you free; now walk with your heads held high.
Punishment for Disobeying the LORD
The LORD said:
14-15If you
disobey me and my laws, and if you break our agreement, 16I will punish you terribly, and you will be ruined. You
will be struck with incurable diseases and with fever that leads to blindness
and depression. Your enemies will eat the crops you plant, 17and I will turn from you and let you be destroyed by your
attackers. You will even run at the very rumor of attack. 18Then, if you still refuse to obey me, I will punish you
seven times for each of your sins, 19until your pride is completely crushed. I will hold back
the rain, so the sky above you will be like iron, and the ground beneath your
feet will be like copper. 20All of your
hard work will be for nothing--and there will be no harvest of grain or fruit.
21If
you keep rebelling against me, I'll punish you seven times worse, just as your
sins deserve! 22I'll send wild animals
to attack you, and they will gobble down your children and livestock. So few of
you will be left that your roads will be deserted.
23If
you remain my enemies after this, 24I'll remain your enemy and punish you even worse. 25War will break out because you broke our
agreement, and if you escape to your walled cities, I'll punish you with
horrible diseases, and you will be captured by your enemies. 26You will have such a shortage of bread, that ten women
will be able to bake their bread in the same oven. Each of you will get only a
few crumbs, and you will go hungry.
27Then if you don't stop rebelling, 28I'll really get furious and punish you terribly for your
sins! 29In fact, you will be so
desperate for food that you will eat your own children. 30I'll destroy your shrines and tear down your incense
altars, leaving your dead bodies piled on top of your idols. And you will be
disgusting to me. 31I'll wipe out your
towns and your places of worship and will no longer be pleased with the smell of
your sacrifices. 32Your land will
become so desolate that even your enemies who settle there will be shocked when
they see it. 33After I destroy your
towns and ruin your land with war, I'll scatter you among the nations.
34-35While you are prisoners in foreign lands, your own
land will enjoy years of rest and refreshment, as it should have done each
seventh year when you lived there. 36-37In the land of your enemies, you will tremble at the
rustle of a leaf, as though it were a sword. And you will become so weak that
you will stumble and fall over each other, even when no one is chasing you. 38Many of you will die in foreign lands,
39and others of you will waste away in
sorrow as the result of your sins and the sins of your ancestors.
40-41Then suppose you realize that I turned against you and
brought you to the land of your enemies because both you and your ancestors had
stubbornly sinned against me. If you humbly confess what you have done and start
living right, 42I'll keep the promise I
made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will bless your land 43and let it rest during the time that you
are in a foreign country, paying for your rebellion against me and my laws.
44No
matter what you have done, I am still the LORD your God, and I will never
completely reject you or become absolutely disgusted with you there in the land
of your enemies. 45While nations
watched, I rescued your ancestors from Egypt so that I would be their God. Yes,
I am your LORD, and I will never forget our agreement.
46Moses was on Mount Sinai when the LORD gave him these
laws and teachings for the people of Israel.
Leviticus 27
Making Promises to the LORD
1The LORD told
Moses 2to say to the community of
Israel:
If you ever want to free someone who has been
promised to me, 3-7you may do so by
paying the following amounts, weighed according to the official standards:
fifty pieces of silver for men ages twenty to
sixty,
and thirty pieces for women;
twenty pieces of silver for young men
ages five to twenty,
and ten pieces for young women;
fifteen pieces of silver for men
ages sixty and above and ten pieces for women;
five pieces of silver for boys
ages one month to five years, and three pieces
for girls.
8If
you have promised to give someone to me and can't afford to pay the full amount
for that person's release, you will be taken to a priest, and he will decide how
much you can afford.
9If
you promise to sacrifice an animal to me, it becomes holy, and there is no way
you can set it free. 10If you try to
substitute any other animal, no matter how good, for the one you promised, they
will both become holy and must be sacrificed. 11Donkeys are unfit for sacrifice, so if you promise me a
donkey,
you must bring it to the priest, 12and
let him determine its value. 13But if
you want to buy it back, you must pay an additional twenty percent.
Mark 10:32-52 (Contemporary
English Version)
Jesus Again Tells about His Death
(Matthew 20.17-19; Luke
18.31-34)
32The disciples were confused as Jesus led them toward
Jerusalem, and his other followers were afraid. Once again, Jesus took the
twelve disciples aside and told them what was going to happen to him. He said:
33We are now on our way to Jerusalem where the Son of Man
will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses.
They will sentence him to death and hand him over to foreigners,
34who will make fun of him and spit on
him. They will beat him and kill him. But three days later he will rise to life.
The Request of James and John
(Matthew 20.20-28)
35James and
John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, will you do us
a favor?"
36Jesus asked them what they wanted, 37and they answered, "When you come into your glory, please
let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left."
38Jesus told them, "You don't really know what you're
asking! Are you able to drink from the cup
that I must soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?"
39"Yes, we are!" James and John answered.
Then Jesus replied, "You certainly will drink
from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must!
40But it isn't for me to say who will
sit at my right side and at my left. That is for God to decide."
41When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry
with James and John. 42But Jesus
called the disciples together and said:
You know that those foreigners who call
themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great leaders have
full power over the people they rule. 43But don't act like them. If you want to be great, you
must be the servant of all the others. 44And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's
slave. 45The Son of Man did not come
to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue
many people.
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
(Matthew 20.29-34; Luke
18.35-43)
46Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were
leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of
Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. 47When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he
shouted, "Jesus, Son of David,
have pity on me!" 48Many people told
the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have pity on me!"
49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him over!"
They called out to the blind man and said,
"Don't be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you." 50The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to
Jesus.
51Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man answered, "Master,
I want to see!"
52Jesus told him, "You may go. Your eyes are healed because
of your faith."
Right away the man could see, and he went down
the road with Jesus.
Psalm 45:1-17 (Contemporary
English Version)
Psalm 45
(A special psalm for the people of Korah and for
the music leader. To the tune "Lilies." A love song.)
For a Royal Wedding
1My thoughts
are filled
with beautiful words
for the king,
and I will use my voice
as a writer would use
pen and ink.
2No
one is as handsome as you!
Your words are always kind.
That is why God
will always bless you.
3Mighty king, glorious ruler,
strap on your sword
4and ride out in splendor!
Win victories for truth
and mercy and justice.
Do fearsome things
with your powerful arm.
5Send your sharp arrows
through enemy hearts
and make all nations fall
at your feet.
6You are God, and you will rule
forever as king.
Your royal power
brings about justice.
7You love justice and hate evil.
And so, your God chose you
and made you happier
than any of your friends.
8The sweet aroma of the spices
myrrh, aloes, and cassia,
covers your royal robes.
You enjoy the music of harps
in palaces decorated
with ivory.
9Daughters of kings are here,
and your bride stands
at your right side,
wearing a wedding gown
trimmed with pure gold.
10Bride of the king,
listen carefully to me.
Forget your own people
and your father's family.
11The king is your husband,
so do what he desires.
12All of the richest people
from the city of Tyre
will try to influence you
13with precious treasures.
Your bride, my king,
has inward beauty,
and her wedding gown is woven
with threads of gold.
14Wearing the finest garments,
she is brought to you,
followed by her young friends,
the bridesmaids.
15Everyone is excited,
as they follow you
to the royal palace.
16Your sons and your grandsons
will also be kings
as your ancestors were.
You will make them the rulers
everywhere on earth.
17I
will make your name famous
from now on,
and you will be praised
forever and ever.
Proverbs 10:22 (Contemporary
English Version)
22When
the LORD blesses you
with riches,
you have nothing to regret.
Verse of the
Day
“But he knows what I am doing, and when he tests
me, I will be pure as gold. I have never refused to follow any of his commands,”
- Job 23:10-11
Thought for the Day
Romanian playwright who wrote mostly in French,
and one of the foremost figures of the French Avant-garde theatre, Eugène Ionesco
wrote, “Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us
together.”
Today our
passages are Leviticus 24:1–25:46; Mark 10:13-31; Psalm 44:9-26; and Proverbs
10:20-21. The readings are the Contemporary English
Version.
Leviticus 24-25:46 (Contemporary English Version)
Leviticus 24
Caring for the Lamps
(Exodus 27.20,21)
1The LORD
told Moses 2to say to the community of
Israel:
You must supply the purest olive oil for the lamps in the sacred tent, so
they will keep burning. 3-4Aaron will
set up the gold lampstand in the holy place of the sacred tent. Then he will
light the seven lamps that must be kept burning there in my presence, every
night from now on. This law will never change.
The Sacred Bread
The LORD said:
5Use your
finest flour to bake twelve loaves of bread about four pounds each, 6then take them into the sacred tent and lay
them on the gold table in two rows of six loaves. 7Alongside each row put some pure incense that will be sent
up by fire in place of the bread as an offering to me. 8Aaron must lay fresh loaves on the table each Sabbath, and
priests in all generations must continue this practice as part of Israel's
agreement with me. 9This bread will
always belong to Aaron and his family; it is very holy because it was offered to
me, and it must be eaten in a holy place.
Punishment for Cursing the LORD
10-11Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri from the tribe of
Dan, had married an Egyptian, and they had a son. One day their son got into a
fight with an Israelite man in camp and cursed the name of the LORD. So the
young man was dragged off to Moses, 12who had him guarded while everyone waited for the LORD to
tell them what to do.
13Finally, the LORD said to
Moses:
14This man has cursed me! Take
him outside the camp and have the witnesses lay their hands on his head. Then
command the whole community of Israel to stone him to death. 15-16And warn the others that everyone else who curses me
will die in the same way, whether they are Israelites by birth or foreigners
living among you.
17Death is also the penalty for
murder, 18but the killing of an animal
that belongs to someone else requires only that the animal be replaced. 19Personal injuries to others must be dealt
with in keeping with the crime-- 20a
broken bone for a broken bone, an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth. 21It's possible to pay the owner for an
animal that has been killed, but death is the penalty for murder. 22I am the LORD your God, and I demand equal
justice both for you Israelites and for those foreigners who live among you.
23When Moses finished speaking,
the people did what the LORD had told Moses, and they stoned to death the man
who had cursed the LORD.
Leviticus 25
The Seventh Year
(Deuteronomy 15.1-11)
1When
Moses was on Mount Sinai, the LORD told him 2to say to the community of Israel:
After you enter the land that I am giving you, it must be allowed to rest
one year out of every seven. 3You may
raise grain and grapes for six years, 4but the seventh year you must let your fields and
vineyards rest in honor of me, your LORD. 5This is to be a time of complete rest for your fields and
vineyards, so don't harvest anything they produce. 6-7However, you and your slaves and your hired workers, as
well as any domestic or wild animals, may eat whatever grows on its own.
The Year of Celebration
The LORD said to his people:
8Once every forty-nine years 9on the tenth day of the seventh month,
which is also the Great Day of Forgiveness,
trumpets are to be blown everywhere in the land. 10This fiftieth year
is sacred--it is a time of freedom and of celebration when everyone will receive
back their original property, and slaves will return home to their families.
11This is a year of complete
celebration, so don't plant any seed or harvest what your fields or vineyards
produce. 12In this time of sacred
celebration you may eat only what grows on its own. 13During this year, all property must go back to its
original owner. 14-15So when you buy or
sell farmland, the price is to be determined by the number of crops it can
produce before the next Year of Celebration. Don't try to cheat. 16If it is a long time before the next Year
of Celebration, the price will be higher, because what is really being sold are
the crops that the land can produce. 17I am the LORD your God, so obey me and don't cheat
anyone.
18-19If you obey my laws and
teachings, you will live safely in the land and enjoy its abundant crops. 20Don't ever worry about what you will eat
during the seventh year when you are forbidden to plant or harvest. 21I will see to it that you harvest enough
in the sixth year to last for three years. 22In the eighth year you will live on what you harvested in
the sixth year, but in the ninth year you will eat what you plant and harvest in
the eighth year.
23No land may be permanently
bought or sold. It all belongs to me--it isn't your land, and you only live
there for a little while.
24When property is being sold,
the original owner must be given the first chance to buy it.
25If any of you Israelites
become so poor that you are forced to sell your property, your closest relative
must buy it back, 26if that relative
has the money. Later, if you can afford to buy it, 27you must pay enough to make up for what the present owner
will lose on it before the next Year of Celebration, when the property would
become yours again. 28But if you don't
have the money to pay the present owner a fair price, you will have to wait
until the Year of Celebration, when the property will once again become yours.
29If you sell a house in a
walled city, you have only one year in which to buy it back. 30If you don't buy it back before that year is up, it
becomes the permanent property of the one who bought it, and it will not be
returned to you in the Year of Celebration. 31But a house out in a village may be bought back at any
time just like a field. And it must be returned to its original owner in the
Year of Celebration. 32If any Levites
own houses inside a walled city, they will always have the right to buy them
back. 33And any houses that they do not
buy back will be returned to them in the Year of Celebration, because these
homes are their permanent property among the people of Israel. 34No pastureland owned by the Levi tribe can
ever be sold; it is their permanent possession.
Help for the Poor
The LORD said:
35If any of
your people become poor and unable to support themselves, you must help them,
just as you are supposed to help foreigners who live among you. 36-37Don't take advantage of them by
charging any kind of interest or selling them food for profit. Instead, honor me
by letting them stay where they now live. 38Remember--I am the LORD your God! I rescued you from
Egypt and gave you the land of Canaan, so that I would be your God.
39Suppose some of your people
become so poor that they have to sell themselves and become your slaves. 40Then you must treat them as servants,
rather than as slaves. And in the Year of Celebration they are to be set free,
41so they and their children may return
home to their families and property. 42I brought them out of Egypt to be my servants, not to be
sold as slaves. 43So obey me, and don't
be cruel to the poor.
44If you want slaves, buy them
from other nations 45or from the
foreigners who live in your own country, and make them your property. 46You can own them, and even leave them to
your children when you die, but do not make slaves of your own people or be
cruel to them.
Mark 10:13-31 (Contemporary English Version)
Jesus Blesses Little Children
(Matthew 19.13-15; Luke 18.15-17)
13Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he
could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people
to stop bothering him.
14When Jesus saw this, he
became angry and said, "Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them.
People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God.
15I promise you that you cannot get
into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does." 16Then Jesus took the children in his arms
and blessed them by placing his hands on them.
A Rich Man
(Matthew 19.16-30; Luke 18.18-30)
17As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He
knelt down, and asked, "Good teacher, what can I do to have eternal life?"
18Jesus replied, "Why do you
call me good? Only God is good. 19You
know the commandments. `Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do
not tell lies about others. Do not cheat. Respect your father and mother.' "
20The man answered, "Teacher, I
have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man."
21Jesus looked closely at the
man. He liked him and said, "There's one thing you still need to do. Go sell
everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in
heaven. Then come with me."
22When the man heard Jesus say
this, he went away gloomy and sad because he was very rich.
23Jesus looked around and said
to his disciples, "It's hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom!" 24The disciples were shocked to hear this.
So Jesus told them again, "It's terribly hard
to get into God's kingdom! 25In fact,
it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person
to get into God's kingdom."
26Jesus' disciples were even
more amazed. They asked each other, "How can anyone ever be saved?"
27Jesus looked at them and
said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."
28Peter replied, "Remember, we
left everything to be your followers!"
29Jesus told him:
You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or
mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news 30will be rewarded. In this world they will
be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and
children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated. And in the
world to come, they will have eternal life. 31But many who are now first will be last, and many who are
now last will be first.
Psalm 44:9-26 (Contemporary English Version)
9But now you have rejected us;
you don't lead us into battle,
and we look foolish.
10You made us retreat,
and our enemies have taken
everything we own.
11You let us be slaughtered
like sheep,
and you scattered us
among the nations.
12You sold your people
for little or nothing,
and you earned no profit.
13You made us look foolish
to our neighbors,
and people who live nearby
insult us and sneer.
14Foreigners joke about us
and shake their heads.
15I am embarrassed every day,
and I blush with shame.
16But others mock and sneer,
as they watch my enemies
take revenge on me.
17All of this has happened to
us,
though we didn't forget you
or break our agreement.
18We always kept you in mind
and followed your teaching.
19But you crushed us,
and you covered us
with deepest darkness
where wild animals live.
20We did not forget you
or lift our hands in prayer
to foreign gods.
21You would have known it
because you discover
every secret thought.
22We face death all day for
you.
We are like sheep on their way
to be slaughtered.
23Wake up! Do something, Lord!
Why are you sleeping?
Don't desert us forever.
24Why do you keep looking away?
Don't forget our sufferings
and all of our troubles.
25We are flat on the ground,
holding on to the dust.
26Do something! Help us!
Show how kind you are
and come to our rescue.
Proverbs 10:20-21 (Contemporary English Version)
20The words of a good person
are like pure silver,
but the thoughts
of an evil person
are almost worthless.
21Many are helped
by useful instruction,
but fools are killed
by their own stupidity.
Verse of the Day
“In heaven I have only you, and on this earth you are all I want. My body and
mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.” - Psalm
73:25-26
Thought
for the Day
American aviation pioneer and author, Amelia Earhart wrote,
“Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done.”
Thought
for the Day
