Bible Readings for May 2, 2019

Today our passages are Judges 15:1–16:31; John 2:1-25; Psalm 103:1-22; and Proverbs 14:17-19. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Judges 15-16:31 (Contemporary English Version)

Judges 15

 ¹Later, during the wheat harvest, Samson went to visit the young woman he thought was still his wife. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]}He brought along a young goat as a gift and said to her father, " I want to go into my wife's bedroom." " You can't do that," he replied.     ²" When you left the way you did, I thought you were divorcing ^[b<="">] her. So I arranged for her to marry one of the young men who were at your party. But my younger daughter is even prettier, and you can have her as your wife." 
    ³" This time," Samson answered, " I have a good reason for really hurting some Philistines." 

Samson Takes Revenge

 ⁴Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them together in pairs with oil-soaked rags around their tails.     ⁵Then Samson took the foxes into the Philistine wheat fields that were ready to be harvested. He set the rags on fire and let the foxes go. The wheat fields went up in flames, and so did the stacks of wheat that had already been cut. Even the Philistine vineyards and olive orchards burned. 
    ⁶Some of the Philistines started asking around, " Who could have done such a thing?" 
   "It was Samson," someone told them. "He married the daughter of that man in Timnah, but then the man gave Samson's wife to one of the men at the wedding." 
   The Philistine leaders went to Timnah and burned to death Samson's wife and her father. ^{[c<="">] 
    7}When Samson found out what they had done, he went to them and said, " You killed them! And I won't rest until I get even with you." 
    ⁸Then Samson started hacking them to pieces with his sword. ^[d<="">] Samson left Philistia and went to live in the cave at Etam Rock. 
    ⁹But it wasn't long before the Philistines invaded Judah ^[e<="">] and set up a huge army camp at Jawbone. ^{[f<="">] 
    10}The people of Judah asked, " Why have you invaded our land?" 
   The Philistines answered, " We've come to get Samson. We're going to do the same things to him that he did to our people." 
    ¹¹Three thousand men from Judah went to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, " Don't you know that the Philistines rule us, and they will punish us for what you did?" 
   " I was only getting even with them," Samson replied. " They did the same things to me first." 
    ¹²" We came here to tie you up and turn you over to them," said the men of Judah. 
   " I won't put up a fight," Samson answered, " but you have to promise not to hurt me yourselves." 
    ^13-14" We promise," the men said. " We will only tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines. We won't kill you." Then they tied up his hands and arms with two brand-new ropes and led him away from Etam Rock. 
   When the Philistines saw that Samson was being brought to their camp at Jawbone, they started shouting and ran toward him. But the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson, and Samson broke the ropes, as though they were pieces of burnt cloth. 
    ¹⁵Samson glanced around and spotted the jawbone of a donkey. The jawbone had not yet dried out, so it was still hard and heavy. Samson grabbed it and started hitting Philistines--he killed a thousand of them! 
    ¹⁶After the fighting was over, he made up this poem about what he had done to the Philistines: 
   I used a donkey's jawbone 
   to kill a thousand men; 
   I beat them with this jawbone 
   over and over again. ^{[g<="">] 
    17}Samson tossed the jawbone on the ground and decided to call the place Jawbone Hill. ^[h<="">] It is still called that today. 
    ¹⁸Samson was so thirsty that he prayed, " Our LORD, you helped me win a battle against a whole army. Please don't let me die of thirst now. Those heathen Philistines will carry off my dead body." 
    ¹⁹Samson was tired and weary, but God sent water gushing from a rock. ^[i<="">] Samson drank some and felt strong again. Samson named the place Caller Spring, ^[j<="">] because he had called out to God for help. The spring is still there at Jawbone. 
    ²⁰Samson was a leader ^[k<="">] of Israel for twenty years, but the Philistines were still the rulers of Israel. 
    

Judges 16

Samson Carries Off the Gates of Gaza

 ¹One day while Samson was in Gaza, he saw a prostitute and went to her house to spend the night.     ²The people who lived in Gaza found out he was there, and they decided to kill him at sunrise. So they went to the city gate and waited all night in the guardrooms on each side of the gate. ^{[l<="">] 
    3}But Samson got up in the middle of the night and went to the town gate. He pulled the gate doors and doorposts out of the wall and put them on his shoulders. Then he carried them all the way to the top of the hill that overlooks Hebron, ^[m<="">] where he set the doors down, still closed and locked.    

Delilah Tricks Samson

 ⁴Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in Sorek Valley.     ⁵The Philistine rulers ^[n<="">] went to Delilah and said, " Trick Samson into telling you what makes him so strong and what can make him weak. Then we can tie him up so he can't get away. If you find out his secret, we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver." ^{[o<="">] 
    6}The next time Samson was at Delilah's house, she asked, " Samson, what makes you so strong? How can I tie you up so you can't get away? Come on, you can tell me." 
    ⁷Samson answered, " If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that have never been dried, ^[p<="">] it will make me just as weak as anyone else." 
    ^8-9The Philistine rulers gave seven new bowstrings to Delilah. They also told some of their soldiers to go to Delilah's house and hide in the room where Samson and Delilah were. If the bowstrings made Samson weak, they would be able to capture him. 
   Delilah tied up Samson with the bowstrings and shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" 
   Samson snapped the bowstrings, as though they were pieces of scorched string. The Philistines had not found out why Samson was so strong. 
    ¹⁰" You lied and made me look like a fool," Delilah said. " Now tell me. How can I really tie you up?" 
    ¹¹Samson answered, " Use some new ropes. If I'm tied up with ropes that have never been used, I'll be just as weak as anyone else." 
    ¹²Delilah got new ropes and again had some Philistines hide in the room. Then she tied up Samson's arms and shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" 
   Samson snapped the ropes as if they were threads. 
    ¹³" You're still lying and making a fool of me," Delilah said. " Tell me how I can tie you up!" 
   " My hair is in seven braids," Samson replied. " If you weave my braids into the threads on a loom and nail the loom ^[q<="">] to a wall, then I will be as weak as anyone else." 
    ¹⁴While Samson was asleep, Delilah wove his braids into the threads on a loom and nailed the loom to a wall. ^[r<="">]Then she shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking !" Samson woke up and pulled the loom free from its posts in the ground and from the nails in the wall. Then he pulled his hair free from the woven cloth. 
    ¹⁵" Samson," Delilah said, " you claim to love me, but you don't mean it! You've made me look like a fool three times now, and you still haven't told me why you are so strong." 
    ¹⁶Delilah started nagging and pestering him day after day, until he couldn't stand it any longer. 
    ¹⁷Finally, Samson told her the truth. " I have belonged to God ^[s<="">] ever since I was born, so my hair has never been cut. If it were ever cut off, my strength would leave me, and I would be as weak as anyone else." 
    ¹⁸Delilah realized that he was telling the truth. So she sent someone to tell the Philistine rulers, " Come to my house one more time. Samson has finally told me the truth." 
   The Philistine rulers went to Delilah's house, and they brought along the silver they had promised her. 
    ¹⁹Delilah had lulled Samson to sleep with his head resting in her lap. She signaled to one of the Philistine men as she began cutting off Samson's seven braids. And by the time she was finished, Samson's strength was gone. Delilah tied him up 
    ²⁰and shouted, " Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" 
   Samson woke up and thought, " I'll break loose and escape, just as I always do." He did not realize that the LORD had stopped helping him. 
    ²¹The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain. 
    ²²But they didn't cut his hair any more, so it started growing back. 
    ²³The Philistine rulers threw a big party and sacrificed a lot of animals to their god Dagon. The rulers said: 
   Samson was our enemy, 
   but our god Dagon 
   helped us capture him! 
    ^24-25Everyone there was having a good time, and they shouted, " Bring out Samson--he's still good for a few more laughs!" 
   The rulers had Samson brought from the prison, and when the people saw him, this is how they praised their god: 
   Samson ruined our crops 
   and killed our people. 
   He was our enemy, 
   but our god 
   helped us 
   capture him. 
   They made fun of Samson for a while, then they told him to stand near the columns that supported the roof. 
    ²⁶A young man was leading Samson by the hand, and Samson said to him, " I need to lean against something. Take me over to the columns that hold up the roof." 
    ²⁷The Philistine rulers were celebrating in a temple packed with people and with three thousand ^[t<="">] more on the flat roof. They had all been watching Samson and making fun of him. ^{[u<="">] 
    28}Samson prayed, " Please remember me, LORD God. The Philistines poked out my eyes, but make me strong one last time, so I can take revenge for at least one of my eyes!" ^{[v<="">] 
    29}Samson was standing between the two middle columns that held up the roof. He felt around and found one column with his right hand, and the other with his left hand. 
    ³⁰Then he shouted, " Let me die with the Philistines!" He pushed against the columns as hard as he could, and the temple collapsed with the Philistine rulers and everyone else still inside. Samson killed more Philistines when he died than he had killed during his entire life. 
    ³¹His brothers and the rest of his family went to Gaza and took his body back home. They buried him in his father's tomb, ^[w<="">] which was located between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson was a leader ^[x<="">] of Israel for twenty years. 
    

Footnotes:

1. Judges 15:1 Samson went to visit. . . his wife: See the note at 8.31.
2. Judges 15:2 divorcing: It was often very easy for a husband to divorce his wife.
3. Judges 15:6 and her father: Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations " and her family."
4. Judges 15:8 hacking. . . sword: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Judges 15:9 Judah: Samson belonged to the Dan tribe, but his hideout in the cave at Etam Rock was in Judah, a few miles southwest of Bethlehem.
6. Judges 15:9 Jawbone: Or " Lehi" (see verse 17).
7. Judges 15:16 I beat. . . again: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Judges 15:17 Jawbone Hill: Or " Ramath-Lehi."
9. Judges 15:19 God sent. . a rock: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
10. Judges 15:19 Caller Spring: Or " Enhakkore."
11. Judges 15:20 leader: See 2.16 and the note there.
12. Judges 16:2 guardrooms. . . gate: The gate was often in a part of the town wall that was thicker and taller than the rest of the wall, and that had rooms where guards stayed when they were on duty.
13. Judges 16:3 Hebron: About forty miles from Gaza.
14. Judges 16:5 Philistine rulers: There were five rulers, each one controlling part of Philistia.
15. Judges 16:5 silver: About 140 pounds of silver altogether.
16. Judges 16:7 new bowstrings. . . dried: The string for a bow was often made from sinews or internal organs of animals. These strings were made while the animal tissues were still moist, and they became much stronger, once they were dry.
17. Judges 16:13 loom: A large wooden frame on which cloth is woven.
18. Judges 16:14 If you weave. . . to a wall: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation; Hebrew " Weave my braids into the threads on a loom. She nailed the loom to a wall."
19. Judges 16:17 belonged to God: See the note at 13.3-5.
20. Judges 16:27 three thousand: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation " seven hundred."
21. Judges 16:27 They. . . him: Samson may have been in a courtyard visible from the roof.
22. Judges 16:28 one of my eyes: Or " my eyes."
23. Judges 16:31 buried him in his father's tomb: Several family members were often buried in one tomb.
24. Judges 16:31 leader: See 2.16 and the note there.

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John 2:1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

John 2

Jesus at a Wedding in Cana

 ¹Three days later Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at a wedding feast in the village of Cana in Galilee. ²Jesus and his disciples had also been invited and were there.     ³When the wine was all gone, Mary said to Jesus, "They don't have any more wine." 
    ⁴Jesus replied, "Mother, my time hasn't yet come: ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} You must not tell me what to do." ⁵Mary then said to the servants, "Do whatever Jesus tells you to do." 
    ⁶At the feast there were six stone water jars that were used by the people for washing themselves in the way that their religion said they must. Each jar held about twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷Jesus told the servants to fill them to the top with water. Then after the jars had been filled, ⁸he said, "Now take some water and give it to the man in charge of the feast." 
   The servants did as Jesus told them, ⁹and the man in charge drank some of the water that had now turned into wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants did. He called the bridegroom over ¹⁰and said, "The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!" 
    ¹¹This was Jesus' first miracle, ^[b<="">] and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. There Jesus showed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. ¹²After this, he went with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples to the town of Capernaum, where they stayed for a few days. 

Jesus in the Temple

(Matthew 21.12,13; Mark 11.15-17; Luke 19.45,46)

 ¹³Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. ¹⁴There he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. ¹⁵So he took some rope and made a whip. Then he chased everyone out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins.     ¹⁶Jesus said to the people who had been selling doves, "Get those doves out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace." 
    ¹⁷The disciples then remembered that the Scriptures say, "My love for your house burns in me like a fire." 
    ¹⁸The Jewish leaders asked Jesus, "What miracle ^[c<="">] will you work to show us why you have done this?" ¹⁹"Destroy this temple," Jesus answered, "and in three days I will build it again!" 
    ²⁰The leaders replied, "It took forty-six years to build this temple. What makes you think you can rebuild it in three days?" 
    ²¹But Jesus was talking about his body as a temple. ²²And when he was raised from death, his disciples remembered what he had told them. Then they believed the Scriptures and the words of Jesus.     

Jesus Knows What People Are Like

 ²³In Jerusalem during Passover many people put their faith in Jesus, because they saw him work miracles. ^[d<="">]24But Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and he would not let them have power over him. ²⁵No one had to tell him what people were like. He already knew.     

Footnotes:

1. John 2:4 my time hasn't yet come: The time when the true glory of Jesus would be seen, and he would be recognized as God's Son (see 12.23).
2. John 2:11 miracle: The Greek text has " sign." In the Gospel of John the word " sign" is used for the miracle itself and as a way of pointing to Jesus as the Son of God.
3. John 2:18 miracle: The Greek text has " sign." In the Gospel of John the word " sign" is used for the miracle itself and as a way of pointing to Jesus as the Son of God.
4. John 2:23 from above: Or " in a new way." The same Greek word is used in verses 7,31.

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Psalm 103:1-22 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 103

(By David.)

The LORD's Wonderful Love

 ¹With all my heart    I praise the LORD, 
   and with all that I am 
   I praise his holy name! 
    ²With all my heart 
   I praise the LORD! 
   I will never forget 
   how kind he has been. 
    ³The LORD forgives our sins, 
   heals us when we are sick, 
    ⁴and protects us from death. 
   His kindness and love 
   are a crown on our heads. 
    ⁵Each day that we live, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} he provides for our needs 
   and gives us the strength 
   of a young eagle. 
    ⁶For all who are mistreated, 
   the LORD brings justice. 
    ⁷He taught his Law to Moses 
   and showed all Israel 
   what he could do. 
    ⁸The LORD is merciful! 
   He is kind and patient, 
   and his love never fails. 
    ⁹The LORD won't always be angry 
   and point out our sins; 
    ¹⁰he doesn't punish us 
   as our sins deserve. 
    ¹¹How great is God's love for all 
   who worship him? 
   Greater than the distance 
   between heaven and earth! 
    ¹²How far has the LORD taken 
   our sins from us? 
   Farther than the distance 
   from east to west! 
    ¹³Just as parents are kind 
   to their children, 
   the LORD is kind 
   to all who worship him, 
    ¹⁴because he knows 
   we are made of dust. 
    ¹⁵We humans are like grass 
   or wild flowers 
   that quickly bloom. 
    ¹⁶But a scorching wind blows, 
   and they quickly wither 
   to be forever forgotten. 
    ¹⁷The LORD is always kind 
   to those who worship him, 
   and he keeps his promises 
   to their descendants 
    ¹⁸who faithfully obey him. 
    ¹⁹God has set up his kingdom 
   in heaven, 
   and he rules 
   the whole creation. 
    ²⁰All of you mighty angels, 
   who obey God's commands, 
   come and praise your LORD! 
    ²¹All of you thousands 
   who serve and obey God, 
   come and praise your LORD! 
    ²²All of God's creation 
   and all that he rules, 
   come and praise your LORD! 
   With all my heart 
   I praise the LORD! 
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 103:5 Each. . . live: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 14:17-19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁷Fools have quick tempers, 
   and no one likes you 
   if you can't be trusted. 
    ¹⁸Stupidity leads to foolishness; 
   be smart and learn. 
    ¹⁹The wicked will come crawling 
   to those who obey God. 

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Verse of the Day
“We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.” - 1 John 5:14-15 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English novelist and playwright, John Galsworthy wrote, “Those are the moments that I think are precious to a dog – when, with his adoring soul coming through his eyes, he feels that you are really thinking of him.”

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A Joke for Today

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

Bible Readings for May 1, 2019

Today our passages are Judges 13:1–14:20; John 1:29-51; Psalm 102:1-28; and Proverbs 14:15-16. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below. 

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Judges 13-14:20 (Contemporary English Version)

Judges 13

Samson Is Born

 ¹Once again the Israelites started disobeying the LORD. So he let the Philistines take control of Israel for forty years.     ²Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was not able to have children,
    ^3-5but one day an angel from the LORD appeared to her and said:
   You have never been able to have any children, but very soon you will be pregnant and have a son. He will belong to God belong to God: The Hebrew text has "be a Nazirite of God." Nazirites were dedicated to God and had to from the day he is born, so his hair must never be cut. And even before he is born, you must not drink any wine or beer or eat any food forbidden by God's laws.
   Your son will begin to set Israel free from the Philistines.
    ⁶She went to Manoah and said, " A prophet who looked like an angel of God came and talked to me. I was so frightened, that I didn't even ask where he was from. He didn't tell me his name,
    ⁷but he did say that I'm going to have a baby boy. I'm not supposed to drink any wine or beer or eat any food forbidden by God's laws. Our son will belong to God for as long as he lives."
    ⁸Then Manoah prayed, " Our LORD, please send that prophet again and let him tell us what to do for the son we are going to have."
    ⁹God answered Manoah's prayer, and the angel went back to Manoah's wife while she was resting in the fields. Manoah wasn't there at the time,
    ¹⁰so she found him and said, " That same man is here again! He's the one I saw the other day."
    ¹¹Manoah went with his wife and asked the man, " Are you the one who spoke to my wife?"
   " Yes, I am," he answered.
    ¹²Manoah then asked, " When your promise comes true, what rules must he obey and what will be his work?"
    ¹³" Your wife must be careful to do everything I told her," the LORD's angel answered.
    ¹⁴" She must not eat or drink anything made from grapes. She must not drink wine or beer or eat anything forbidden by God's laws. I told her exactly what to do."
    ¹⁵" Please," Manoah said, " stay here with us for just a little while, and we'll fix a young goat for you to eat."
    ¹⁶Manoah didn't realize that he was really talking to one of the LORD's angels.
   The angel answered, " I can stay for a little while, although I won't eat any of your food. But if you would like to offer the goat as a sacrifice to the LORD, that would be fine."
    ¹⁷Manoah said, " Tell us your name, so we can honor you after our son is born."
    ¹⁸" No," the angel replied. " You don't need to know my name. And if you did, you couldn't understand it."
    ¹⁹So Manoah took a young goat over to a large rock he had chosen for an altar, and he built a fire on the rock. Then he killed the goat, and offered it with some grain as a sacrifice to the LORD. But then an amazing thing happened.
    ²⁰The fire blazed up toward the sky, and the LORD's angel went up toward heaven in the fire. Manoah and his wife bowed down low when they saw what happened.
    ²¹The angel was gone, but Manoah and his wife realized that he was one of the LORD's angels.
    ²²Manoah said, " We have seen an angel. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} Now we're going to die." ^{[b<="">]
    23}" The LORD isn't going to kill us," Manoah's wife responded. " The LORD accepted our sacrifice and grain offering, and he let us see something amazing. Besides, he told us that we're going to have a son."
    ²⁴Later, Manoah's wife did give birth to a son, and she named him Samson. As the boy grew, the LORD blessed him.
    ²⁵Then, while Samson was staying at Dan's Camp ^[c<="">] between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol, the Spirit of the LORD took control of him.
    

Judges 14

Samson Gets Married

 ¹One day, Samson went to Timnah, where he saw a Philistine woman.     ²When he got back home, he told his parents, " I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!" ^{[d<="">]
    3}His parents answered, " There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans. Why would you want to marry one of their women?"
   " She looks good to me," Samson answered. " Get her for me!"
    ⁴At that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the LORD wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.
    ⁵As Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson.
    ⁶But the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn't know what he had done, and he didn't tell them.
    ⁷When they got to Timnah, Samson talked to the woman, and he was sure that she was the one for him.
    ⁸Later, ^[e<="">] Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey.
    ⁹He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. When he got back to his parents, he gave them some of the honey, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had found the honey in the skeleton of a lion. ^{[f<="">]
    10}While Samson's father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party, ^[g<="">] as grooms ^[h<="">] usually did.
    ¹¹When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told thirty of their young men to stay with him at the party.
    ¹²Samson told the thirty young men, " This party will last for seven days. Let's make a bet: I'll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the right answer before the party is over, I'll give each one of you a shirt and a full change of clothing.
    ¹³But if you can't tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing."
   " It's a bet!" the Philistines said. " Tell us the riddle."
    ¹⁴Samson said:
   Once so strong and mighty--
   now so sweet and tasty!
   Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer.
    ¹⁵Finally, on the seventh ^[i<="">] day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, " You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death."
    ¹⁶Samson's bride went to him and started crying in his arms. " You must really hate me," she sobbed. " If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle."
   " But I haven't even told my parents the answer!" Samson replied. " Why should I tell you?"
    ¹⁷For the entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them.
    ¹⁸Before sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer:
   A lion is the strongest--
   honey is the sweetest!
   Samson replied,
   This answer you have given me
   doubtless came
   from my bride-to-be.
    ¹⁹Then the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon, ^[j<="">] where he killed thirty men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the thirty young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.
    ²⁰The father of the bride had Samson's wife marry one of the thirty young men that had been at Samson's party.^[k<="">]
    

Footnotes:

1. Judges 13:22 angel: The Hebrew text has " god," which can be used of God or of other supernatural beings.
2. Judges 13:22 We have seen an angel. Now we're going to die: Some people believed that if they saw the LORD or one of the LORD's angels, they would die.
3. Judges 13:25 Dan's Camp: Or " Mahaneh-Dan."
4. Judges 14:2 Get her for me: At that time, parents arranged marriages for their children.
5. Judges 14:8 Later: Or " The following year."
6. Judges 14:9 But he didn't tell them. . . skeleton of a lion: To eat anything that had touched a skeleton was against God's laws (see Leviticus 11.27-40).
7. Judges 14:10 party: The Hebrew term means a party that involved a lot of drinking.
8. Judges 14:10 grooms: Or " warriors."
9. Judges 14:15 Finally, on the seventh: Hebrew; three ancient translations " on the fourth."
10. Judges 14:19 Ashkelon: Another Philistine town.
11. Judges 14:20 one. . . at Samson's party: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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John 1:29-51 (Contemporary English Version)

The Lamb of God

 ²⁹The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:    Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰He is the one I told you about when I said, "Someone else will come. He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born." ³¹I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.
    ³²I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. ³³Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." ³⁴I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.     

The First Disciples of Jesus

 ³⁵The next day, John was there again, and two of his followers were with him. ³⁶When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, "Here is the Lamb of God!" ³⁷John's two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus.     ³⁸When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, "What do you want?"
   They answered, "Rabbi, where do you live?" The Hebrew word "Rabbi" means "Teacher."
    ³⁹Jesus replied, "Come and see!" It was already about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day.
    ⁴⁰One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. ⁴¹The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, "We have found the Messiah!" The Hebrew word "Messiah" means the same as the Greek word "Christ."
    ⁴²Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, "Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas." This name can be translated as "Peter." ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} 

Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael

 ^43-44The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, "Come with me."     ⁴⁵Philip then found Nathanael and said, "We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets ^[b<="">] wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." ⁴⁶Nathanael asked, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
   Philip answered, "Come and see."
    ⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, "Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn't deceitful." ^[c<="">] 48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
   Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
    ⁴⁹Nathanael said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!"
    ⁵⁰Jesus answered, "Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. ⁵¹I tell you for certain that you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man." ^[d<="">] 

Footnotes:

1. John 1:42 Peter: The Aramaic name " Cephas" and the Greek name " Peter" each mean " rock."
2. John 1:45 Moses and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
3. John 1:47 Israel. . . isn't deceitful: Israel (meaning " a man who wrestled with God" or " a prince of God" ) was the name that the Lord gave to Jacob (meaning " cheater" or " deceiver" ), the famous ancestor of the Jewish people.
4. John 1:51 going up and coming down on the Son of Man: When Jacob (see the note at verse 47) was running from his brother Esau, he had a dream in which he saw angels going up and down on a ladder from earth to heaven (see Genesis 32.22-32)

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Psalm 102:1-28 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 102

(A prayer for someone who hurts and needs to ask the LORD for help.)

A Prayer in Time of Trouble

 ¹I pray to you, LORD!    Please listen.
    ²Don't hide from me
   in my time of trouble.
   Pay attention to my prayer
   and quickly give an answer.
    ³My days disappear like smoke,
   and my bones are burning
   as though in a furnace.
    ⁴I am wasting away like grass,
   and my appetite is gone.
    ⁵My groaning never stops,
   and my bones can be seen
   through my skin.
    ⁶I am like a lonely owl
   in the desert
    ⁷or a restless sparrow
   alone on a roof.
    ⁸My enemies insult me all day,
   and they use my name
   for a curse word.
    ⁹Instead of food,
   I have ashes to eat
   and tears to drink,
    ¹⁰because you are furious
   and have thrown me aside.
    ¹¹My life fades like a shadow
   at the end of day
   and withers like grass.
    ¹²Our LORD, you are King forever
   and will always be famous.
    ¹³You will show pity to Zion
   because the time has come.
    ¹⁴We, your servants,
   love each stone in the city,
   and we are sad to see them
   lying in the dirt.
    ¹⁵Our LORD, the nations
   will honor you,
   and all kings on earth
   will praise your glory.
    ¹⁶You will rebuild
   the city of Zion.
   Your glory will be seen,
    ¹⁷and the prayers of the homeless
   will be answered.
    ¹⁸Future generations must also
   praise the LORD,
   so write this for them:
    ¹⁹"From his holy temple,
   the LORD looked down
   at the earth.
    ²⁰He listened to the groans
   of prisoners,
   and he rescued everyone
   who was doomed to die."
    ²¹All Jerusalem should praise
   you, our LORD,
    ²²when people from every nation
   meet to worship you.
    ²³I should still be strong,
   but you, LORD, have made
   an old person of me.
    ²⁴You will live forever!
   Years mean nothing to you.
   Don't cut my life in half!
    ²⁵In the beginning, LORD,
   you laid the earth's foundation
   and created the heavens.
    ²⁶They will all disappear
   and wear out like clothes.
   You change them,
   as you would a coat,
   but you last forever.
    ²⁷You are always the same.
   Years cannot change you.
    ²⁸Every generation of those
   who serve you
   will live in your presence.

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Proverbs 14:15-16 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁵Don't be stupid
   and believe all you hear;
   be smart and know
   where you are headed.
    ¹⁶Only a stupid fool
   is never cautious--
   so be extra careful
   and stay out of trouble.

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Verse of the Day

“But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” - Hebrews 11:6 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English novelist and mystic, Marie Corelli wrote, “I must not say what I truly think, or you will tell me I flatter you – but I can only speak what I feel – and very often I cannot even do that when the feeling is very deep.”

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A Joke for Today

CAT DIARY, 7 entries

DAY 752 - My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant. 
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DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair...must try this on their bed. 
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DAY 762 - Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night. 
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DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan. 
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DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid.
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DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer." More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. 
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DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird on the other hand has got to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue. (something akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait; it is only a matter of time.