Bible Readings for April 25, 2012

Today our passages are Judges 4:1–5:31; Luke 22:35-53; Psalm 94:1-23; and Proverbs 14:3-4. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Judges 4-5:31 (The Message)

Judges 4

Deborah

 ^1-3The People of Israel kept right on doing evil in God's sight. With Ehud dead, God sold them off to Jabin king of Canaan who ruled from Hazor. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was the commander of his army. The People of Israel cried out to God because he had cruelly oppressed them with his nine hundred iron chariots for twenty years.  ^4-5 Deborah was a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth. She was judge over Israel at that time. She held court under Deborah's Palm between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. The People of Israel went to her in matters of justice.
 ^6-7 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "It has become clear that God, the God of Israel, commands you: Go to Mount Tabor and prepare for battle. Take ten companies of soldiers from Naphtali and Zebulun. I'll take care of getting Sisera, the leader of Jabin's army, to the Kishon River with all his chariots and troops. And I'll make sure you win the battle."
 ⁸ Barak said, "If you go with me, I'll go. But if you don't go with me, I won't go."
 ^9-10 She said, "Of course I'll go with you. But understand that with an attitude like that, there'll be no glory in it for you. God will use a woman's hand to take care of Sisera."
    Deborah got ready and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together at Kedesh. Ten companies of men followed him. And Deborah was with him.
 ^11-13 It happened that Heber the Kenite had parted company with the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' in-law. He was now living at Zaanannim Oak near Kedesh. They told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. Sisera immediately called up all his chariots to the Kishon River—nine hundred iron chariots!—along with all his troops who were with him at Harosheth Haggoyim.
 ¹⁴ Deborah said to Barak, "Charge! This very day God has given you victory over Sisera. Isn't God marching before you?"
    Barak charged down the slopes of Mount Tabor, his ten companies following him.
 ^15-16 God routed Sisera—all those chariots, all those troops!—before Barak. Sisera jumped out of his chariot and ran. Barak chased the chariots and troops all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera's entire fighting force was killed—not one man left.
 ^17-18 Meanwhile Sisera, running for his life, headed for the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. Jabin king of Hazor and Heber the Kenite were on good terms with one another. Jael stepped out to meet Sisera and said, "Come in, sir. Stay here with me. Don't be afraid."
    So he went with her into her tent. She covered him with a blanket.
 ¹⁹ He said to her, "Please, a little water. I'm thirsty."
    She opened a bottle of milk, gave him a drink, and then covered him up again.
 ²⁰ He then said, "Stand at the tent flap. If anyone comes by and asks you, 'Is there anyone here?' tell him, 'No, not a soul.'"
 ²¹ Then while he was fast asleep from exhaustion, Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg and hammer, tiptoed toward him, and drove the tent peg through his temple and all the way into the ground. He convulsed and died.
 ²² Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera. Jael went out to greet him. She said, "Come, I'll show you the man you're looking for." He went with her and there he was—Sisera, stretched out, dead, with a tent peg through his temple.
 ^23-24 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the People of Israel. The People of Israel pressed harder and harder on Jabin king of Canaan until there was nothing left of him.

Judges 5

 ¹ That day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: ² When they let down their hair in Israel,
      they let it blow wild in the wind.
   The people volunteered with abandon,
      bless God!
 ³ Hear O kings! Listen O princes!
      To God, yes to God, I'll sing,
   Make music to God,
      to the God of Israel.
 ^4-5 God, when you left Seir,
      marched across the fields of Edom,
   Earth quaked, yes, the skies poured rain,
      oh, the clouds made rivers.
   Mountains leapt before God, the Sinai God,
      before God, the God of Israel.
 ^6-8 In the time of Shamgar son of Anath,
      and in the time of Jael,
   Public roads were abandoned,
      travelers went by backroads.
   Warriors became fat and sloppy,
      no fight left in them.
   Then you, Deborah, rose up;
      you got up, a mother in Israel.
   God chose new leaders,
      who then fought at the gates.
   And not a shield or spear to be seen
      among the forty companies of Israel.
 ⁹ Lift your hearts high, O Israel,
      with abandon, volunteering yourselves with the people—bless God!
^10-11 You who ride on prize donkeys comfortably mounted on blankets
   And you who walk down the roads,
      ponder, attend!
   Gather at the town well
      and listen to them sing,
   Chanting the tale of God's victories,
      his victories accomplished in Israel.
    Then the people of God
      went down to the city gates.
 ¹² Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
      Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
   On your feet, Barak!
      Take your prisoners, son of Abinoam!
 ^13-18 Then the remnant went down to greet the brave ones.
      The people of God joined the mighty ones.
   The captains from Ephraim came to the valley,
      behind you, Benjamin, with your troops.
   Captains marched down from Makir,
      from Zebulun high-ranking leaders came down.
   Issachar's princes rallied to Deborah,
      Issachar stood fast with Barak,
      backing him up on the field of battle.
   But in Reuben's divisions there was much second-guessing.
      Why all those campfire discussions?
   Diverted and distracted,
      Reuben's divisions couldn't make up their minds.
   Gilead played it safe across the Jordan,
      and Dan, why did he go off sailing?
   Asher kept his distance on the seacoast,
      safe and secure in his harbors.
   But Zebulun risked life and limb, defied death,
      as did Naphtali on the battle heights.
 ^19-23 The kings came, they fought,
      the kings of Canaan fought.
   At Taanach they fought, at Megiddo's brook,
      but they took no silver, no plunder.
   The stars in the sky joined the fight,
      from their courses they fought against Sisera.
   The torrent Kishon swept them away,
      the torrent attacked them, the torrent Kishon.
      Oh, you'll stomp on the necks of the strong!
   Then the hoofs of the horses pounded,
      charging, stampeding stallions.
   "Curse Meroz," says God's angel.
      "Curse, double curse, its people,
   Because they didn't come when God needed them,
      didn't rally to God's side with valiant fighters."
 ^24-27 Most blessed of all women is Jael,
      wife of Heber the Kenite,
      most blessed of homemaking women.
   He asked for water,
      she brought milk;
   In a handsome bowl,
      she offered cream.
   She grabbed a tent peg in her left hand,
      with her right hand she seized a hammer.
   She hammered Sisera, she smashed his head,
      she drove a hole through his temple.
   He slumped at her feet. He fell. He sprawled.
      He slumped at her feet. He fell.
      Slumped. Fallen. Dead.
 ^28-30 Sisera's mother waited at the window,
      a weary, anxious watch.
   "What's keeping his chariot?
      What delays his chariot's rumble?"
   The wisest of her ladies-in-waiting answers
      with calm, reassuring words,
   "Don't you think they're busy at plunder,
      dividing up the loot?
   A girl, maybe two girls,
      for each man,
   And for Sisera a bright silk shirt,
      a prize, fancy silk shirt!
   And a colorful scarf—make it two scarves—
      to grace the neck of the plunderer."
 ³¹ Thus may all God's enemies perish,
      while his lovers be like the unclouded sun.
   The land was quiet for forty years.

Luke 22:35-53 (The Message)

 ³⁵Then Jesus said, "When I sent you out and told you to travel light, to take only the bare necessities, did you get along all right?"

   "Certainly," they said, "we got along just fine."

 ^36-37He said, "This is different. Get ready for trouble. Look to what you'll need; there are difficult times ahead. Pawn your coat and get a sword. What was written in Scripture, 'He was lumped in with the criminals,' gets its final meaning in me. Everything written about me is now coming to a conclusion."

 ³⁸They said, "Look, Master, two swords!"

   But he said, "Enough of that; no more sword talk!"

A Dark Night

 ^39-40Leaving there, he went, as he so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed him. When they arrived at the place, he said, "Pray that you don't give in to temptation."

 ^41-44He pulled away from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?" At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.

 ^45-46He got up from prayer, went back to the disciples and found them asleep, drugged by grief. He said, "What business do you have sleeping? Get up. Pray so you won't give in to temptation."

 ^47-48No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a crowd showed up, Judas, the one from the Twelve, in the lead. He came right up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said, "Judas, you would betray the Son of Man with a kiss?"

 ^49-50When those with him saw what was happening, they said, "Master, shall we fight?" One of them took a swing at the Chief Priest's servant and cut off his right ear.

 ⁵¹Jesus said, "Let them be. Even in this." Then, touching the servant's ear, he healed him.

 ^52-53Jesus spoke to those who had come—high priests, Temple police, religion leaders: "What is this, jumping me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I've been with you in the Temple and you've not so much as lifted a hand against me. But do it your way—it's a dark night, a dark hour."

Psalm 94:1-23 (The Message)

Psalm 94

    God, put an end to evil; avenging God, show your colors!
   Judge of the earth, take your stand;
      throw the book at the arrogant.

 ^3-4 God, the wicked get away with murder—
      how long will you let this go on?
   They brag and boast
      and crow about their crimes!

 ^5-7 They walk all over your people, God,
      exploit and abuse your precious people.
   They take out anyone who gets in their way;
      if they can't use them, they kill them.
   They think, "God isn't looking,
      Jacob's God is out to lunch."

 ^8-11 Well, think again, you idiots,
      fools—how long before you get smart?
   Do you think Ear-Maker doesn't hear,
      Eye-Shaper doesn't see?
   Do you think the trainer of nations doesn't correct,
      the teacher of Adam doesn't know?
   God knows, all right—
      knows your stupidity,
      sees your shallowness.
 ^12-15 How blessed the man you train, God,
      the woman you instruct in your Word,
   Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
      while a jail is being built for the wicked.
   God will never walk away from his people,
      never desert his precious people.
   Rest assured that justice is on its way
      and every good heart put right.
 ^16-19 Who stood up for me against the wicked?
      Who took my side against evil workers?
   If God hadn't been there for me,
      I never would have made it.
   The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling,"
      your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
   When I was upset and beside myself,
      you calmed me down and cheered me up.
 ^20-23 Can Misrule have anything in common with you?
      Can Troublemaker pretend to be on your side?
   They ganged up on good people,
      plotted behind the backs of the innocent.
   But God became my hideout,
      God was my high mountain retreat,
   Then boomeranged their evil back on them:
      for their evil ways he wiped them out,
      our God cleaned them out for good.

 

Proverbs 14:3-4 (The Message)

 ³ Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile;
   wise speech evokes nothing but respect.

 ⁴ No cattle, no crops;
   a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.

Verse of the Day

“God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory. We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature.” - Colossians 1:27-28

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

Reason, in fact, is a thing of God, inasmuch as there is nothing which God the Maker of all has not provided, disposed, ordained by reason — nothing which He has not willed should be handled and understood by reason. All, therefore, who are ignorant of God, must necessarily be ignorant also of a thing which is His, because no treasure-house at all is accessible to strangers. And thus, voyaging all the universal course of life without the rudder of reason, they know not how to shun the hurricane which is impending over the world.

Tertullian

Bible Readings for April 24, 2012

Today our passages are Judges 2:10–3:31; Luke 22:14-34; Psalm 92:1–93:5; and Proverbs 14:1-2. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Judges 2:10-3:31 (The Message)

 ¹⁰ Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel.

^11-15 The People of Israel did evil in God's sight: they served Baal-gods; they deserted God, the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered God as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte! God's anger was hot against Israel: He handed them off to plunderers who stripped them; he sold them cheap to enemies on all sides. They were helpless before their enemies. Every time they walked out the door God was with them—but for evil, just as God had said, just as he had sworn he would do. They were in a bad way.
 ^16-17 But then God raised up judges who saved them from their plunderers. But they wouldn't listen to their judges; they prostituted themselves to other gods—worshiped them! They lost no time leaving the road walked by their parents, the road of obedience to God's commands. They refused to have anything to do with it.
 ^18-19 When God was setting up judges for them, he would be right there with the judge: He would save them from their enemies' oppression as long as the judge was alive, for God was moved to compassion when he heard their groaning because of those who afflicted and beat them. But when the judge died, the people went right back to their old ways—but even worse than their parents!—running after other gods, serving and worshiping them. Stubborn as mules, they didn't drop a single evil practice.
 ^20-22 And God's anger blazed against Israel. He said, "Because these people have thrown out my covenant that I commanded their parents and haven't listened to me, I'm not driving out one more person from the nations that Joshua left behind when he died. I'll use them to test Israel and see whether they stay on God's road and walk down it as their parents did."
 ²³ That's why God let those nations remain. He didn't drive them out or let Joshua get rid of them.

Judges 3

 ^1-4These are the nations that God left there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars. He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war. He left the five Philistine tyrants, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath's Pass. They were there to test Israel and see whether they would obey God's commands that were given to their parents through Moses.  ^5-6 But the People of Israel made themselves at home among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They married their daughters and gave their own daughters to their sons in marriage. And they worshiped their gods.

Othniel

^7-8 The People of Israel did evil in God's sight. They forgot their God and worshiped the Baal gods and Asherah goddesses. God's hot anger blazed against Israel. He sold them off to Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. The People of Israel were in servitude to Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.  ^9-10 The People of Israel cried out to God and God raised up a savior who rescued them: Caleb's nephew Othniel, son of his younger brother Kenaz. The Spirit of God came on him and he rallied Israel. He went out to war and God gave him Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. Othniel made short work of him.
 ¹¹ The land was quiet for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

^12-14 But the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God's sight. So God made Eglon king of Moab a power against Israel because they did evil in God's sight. He recruited the Ammonites and Amalekites and went out and struck Israel. They took the City of Palms. The People of Israel were in servitude to Eglon fourteen years.  ^15-19 The People of Israel cried out to God and God raised up for them a savior, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite. He was left-handed. The People of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. Ehud made himself a short two-edged sword and strapped it on his right thigh under his clothes. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Eglon was grossly fat. After Ehud finished presenting the tribute, he went a little way with the men who had carried it. But when he got as far as the stone images near Gilgal, he went back and said, "I have a private message for you, O King."
    The king told his servants, "Leave." They all left.
 ^20-24 Ehud approached him—the king was now quite alone in his cool rooftop room—and said, "I have a word of God for you." Eglon stood up from his throne. Ehud reached with his left hand and took his sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's big belly. Not only the blade but the hilt went in. The fat closed in over it so he couldn't pull it out. Ehud slipped out by way of the porch and shut and locked the doors of the rooftop room behind him. Then he was gone.
    When the servants came, they saw with surprise that the doors to the rooftop room were locked. They said, "He's probably relieving himself in the restroom."
 ²⁵ They waited. And then they worried—no one was coming out of those locked doors. Finally, they got a key and unlocked them. There was their master, fallen on the floor, dead!
 ^26-27 While they were standing around wondering what to do, Ehud was long gone. He got past the stone images and escaped to Seirah. When he got there, he sounded the trumpet on Mount Ephraim. The People of Israel came down from the hills and joined him. He took his place at their head.
 ²⁸ He said, "Follow me, for God has given your enemies—yes, Moab!—to you." They went down after him and secured the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites. They let no one cross over.
 ^29-30 At that time, they struck down about ten companies of Moabites, all of them well-fed and robust. Not one escaped. That day Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel.
    The land was quiet for eighty years.

Shamgar

³¹ Shamgar son of Anath came after Ehud. Using a cattle prod, he killed six hundred Philistines single-handed. He too saved Israel.

 

Luke 22:14-34 (The Message)

 ^14-16When it was time, he sat down, all the apostles with him, and said, "You've no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It's the last one I'll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God."

 ^17-18Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, "Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I'll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives."

 ¹⁹Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory."

 ²⁰He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.

 ^21-22"Do you realize that the hand of the one who is betraying me is at this moment on this table? It's true that the Son of Man is going down a path already marked out—no surprises there. But for the one who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man, this is doomsday."

 ²³They immediately became suspicious of each other and began quizzing one another, wondering who might be about to do this.

Get Ready for Trouble

 ^24-26Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened: "Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It's not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant.

 ^27-30"Who would you rather be: the one who eats the dinner or the one who serves the dinner? You'd rather eat and be served, right? But I've taken my place among you as the one who serves. And you've stuck with me through thick and thin. Now I confer on you the royal authority my Father conferred on me so you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God's people.

 ^31-32"Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I've prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start."

 ³³Peter said, "Master, I'm ready for anything with you. I'd go to jail for you. I'd die for you!"

 ³⁴Jesus said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Peter, but before the rooster crows you will have three times denied that you know me."

Psalm 92-93:5 (The Message)

Psalm 92

A Sabbath Song

 ^1-3 What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God!
   To announce your love each daybreak,
      sing your faithful presence all through the night,
   Accompanied by dulcimer and harp,
      the full-bodied music of strings.

 ^4-9 You made me so happy, God
      I saw your work and I shouted for joy.
   How magnificent your work, God!
      How profound your thoughts!
   Dullards never notice what you do;
      fools never do get it.
   When the wicked popped up like weeds
      and all the evil men and women took over,
   You mowed them down,
      finished them off once and for all.
   You, God, are High and Eternal.
      Look at your enemies, God!
   Look at your enemies—ruined!
      Scattered to the winds, all those hirelings of evil!

 ^10-14 But you've made me strong as a charging bison,
      you've honored me with a festive parade.
   The sight of my critics going down is still fresh,
      the rout of my malicious detractors.
   My ears are filled with the sounds of promise:
      "Good people will prosper like palm trees,
   Grow tall like Lebanon cedars;
      transplanted to God's courtyard,
   They'll grow tall in the presence of God,
      lithe and green, virile still in old age."

 ¹⁵ Such witnesses to upright God!
      My Mountain, my huge, holy Mountain!

Psalm 93

    God is King, robed and ruling, God is robed and surging with strength.
         And yes, the world is firm, immovable,
      Your throne ever firm—you're Eternal!

 ^3-4 Sea storms are up, God,
   Sea storms wild and roaring,
   Sea storms with thunderous breakers.
      Stronger than wild sea storms,
      Mightier than sea-storm breakers,
      Mighty God rules from High Heaven.

 ⁵ What you say goes—it always has.
   "Beauty" and "Holy" mark your palace rule,
   God, to the very end of time. 

Proverbs 14:1-2 (The Message)

Proverbs 14

A Way That Leads to Hell

 ¹ Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.

 ² An honest life shows respect for God;
   a degenerate life is a slap in his face.

 

Verse of the Day

 

“You were rescued from the useless way of life that you learned from your ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don't last forever. You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb.” - 1 Peter 1:18-19

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

So little time we live in Time,
And we learn all so painfully,
That we may spare this hour's term
To practice for Eternity.

Robert Penn Warren

Bible Readings for April 23, 2012

Today our passages are Judges 1:1–2:9; Luke 21:29–22:13; Psalm 90:1–91:16; and Proverbs 13:24-25. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Judges 1-2:9 (The Message)

Judges 1

¹A time came after the death of Joshua when the People of Israel asked God, "Who will take the lead in going up against the Canaanites to fight them?" ² And God said, "Judah will go. I've given the land to him."
³ The men of Judah said to those of their brother Simeon, "Go up with us to our territory and we'll fight the Canaanites. Then we'll go with you to your territory." And Simeon went with them.
⁴ So Judah went up. God gave them the Canaanites and the Perizzites. They defeated them at Bezek—ten military units!
^5-7 They caught up with My-Master-Bezek there and fought him. They smashed the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My-Master-Bezek ran, but they gave chase and caught him. They cut off his thumbs and big toes. My-Master-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to crawl under my table, scavenging. Now God has done to me what I did to them."
They brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.

^8-10 The people of Judah attacked and captured Jerusalem, subduing the city by sword and then sending it up in flames. After that they had gone down to fight the Canaanites who were living in the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills. Judah had gone on to the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba) and brought Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai to their knees.
^11-12 From there they had marched against the population of Debir (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher). Caleb had said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his wife."
¹³ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his wife.
^14-15 When she arrived she got him
to ask for farmland from her father.
As she dismounted from her donkey
Caleb asked her, "What would you like?"
She said, "Give me a marriage gift.
You've given me desert land;
Now give me pools of water!"
And he gave her the upper and the lower pools.

¹⁶ The people of Hobab the Kenite, Moses' relative, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah at the descent of Arad. They settled down there with the Amalekites.
¹⁷ The people of Judah went with their kin the Simeonites and struck the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They carried out the holy curse and named the city Curse-town.
^18-19 But Judah didn't manage to capture Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their territories. God was certainly with Judah in that they took over the hill country. But they couldn't oust the people on the plain because they had iron chariots.
²⁰ They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had directed. Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak.
²¹ But the people of Benjamin couldn't get rid of the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. Benjaminites and Jebusites live side by side in Jerusalem to this day.

^22-26 The house of Joseph went up to attack Bethel. God was with them. Joseph sent out spies to look the place over. Bethel used to be known as Luz. The spies saw a man leaving the city and said to him, "Show us a way into the city and we'll treat you well." The man showed them a way in. They killed everyone in the city but the man and his family. The man went to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz; that's its name to this day.
^27-28 But Manasseh never managed to drive out Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo with their territories. The Canaanites dug in their heels and wouldn't budge. When Israel became stronger they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they never got rid of them.
²⁹ Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. The Canaanites stuck it out and lived there with them.
³⁰ Nor did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites in Kitron or Nahalol. They kept living there, but they were put to forced labor.
^31-32 Nor did Asher drive out the people of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, and Rehob. Asher went ahead and settled down with the Canaanites since they could not get rid of them.
³³ Naphtali fared no better. They couldn't drive out the people of Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath so they just moved in and lived with them. They did, though, put them to forced labor.
^34-35 The Amorites pushed the people of Dan up into the hills and wouldn't let them down on the plains. The Amorites stubbornly continued to live in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph got the upper hand, they were put to forced labor.
³⁶ The Amorite border extended from Scorpions' Pass and Sela upward.

Judges 2

^1-2God's angel went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt; I led you to the land that I promised to your fathers; and I said, I'll never break my covenant with you—never! And you're never to make a covenant with the people who live in this land. Tear down their altars! But you haven't obeyed me! What's this that you're doing? ³ "So now I'm telling you that I won't drive them out before you. They'll trip you up and their gods will become a trap."
^4-5 When God's angel had spoken these words to all the People of Israel, they cried out—oh! how they wept! They named the place Bokim (Weepers). And there they sacrificed to God.

^6-9 After Joshua had dismissed them, the People of Israel went off to claim their allotted territories and take possession of the land. The people worshiped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of God's great work that he had done for Israel. Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of God, died. He was 110 years old. They buried him in his allotted inheritance at Timnath Heres in the hills of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.

Luke 21:29-22:13 (The Message)

^29-33He told them a story. "Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God's kingdom is about here. Don't brush this off: I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out.

^34-36"But be on your guard. Don't let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it's going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don't go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that's coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man."

^37-38He spent his days in the Temple teaching, but his nights out on the mountain called Olives. All the people were up at the crack of dawn to come to the Temple and listen to him.

Luke 22

The Passover Meal

^1-2The Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called Passover, drew near. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way to do away with Jesus but, fearful of the people, they were also looking for a way to cover their tracks.

^3-6That's when Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot. He was one of the Twelve. Leaving the others, he conferred with the high priests and the Temple guards about how he might betray Jesus to them. They couldn't believe their good luck and agreed to pay him well. He gave them his word and started looking for a way to betray Jesus, but out of sight of the crowd.

^7-8The Day of Unleavened Bread came, the day the Passover lamb was butchered. Jesus sent Peter and John off, saying, "Go prepare the Passover for us so we can eat it together."

⁹They said, "Where do you want us to do this?"

^10-12He said, "Keep your eyes open as you enter the city. A man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him home. Then speak with the owner of the house: The Teacher wants to know, 'Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' He will show you a spacious second-story room, swept and ready. Prepare the meal there."

¹³They left, found everything just as he told them, and prepared the Passover meal.

Psalm 90-91:16 (The Message)

Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses, Man of God

^1-2 God, it seems you've been our home forever; long before the mountains were born,
Long before you brought earth itself to birth,
from "once upon a time" to "kingdom come"—you are God.

^3-11 So don't return us to mud, saying,
"Back to where you came from!"
Patience! You've got all the time in the world—whether
a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you.
Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,
no more than a blade of grass
That springs up gloriously with the rising sun
and is cut down without a second thought?
Your anger is far and away too much for us;
we're at the end of our rope.
You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed
since we were children is entered in your books.
All we can remember is that frown on your face.
Is that all we're ever going to get?
We live for seventy years or so
(with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
Who can make sense of such rage,
such anger against the very ones who fear you?

^12-17 Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak;
then we'll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you're best at—
the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do.
Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

Psalm 91

You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

^14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"

Proverbs 13:24-25 (The Message)

²⁴ A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;
love your children by disciplining them.

²⁵ An appetite for good brings much satisfaction,
but the belly of the wicked always wants more.

Bible Readings for April 22, 2012

Today our passages are Joshua 24:1-33; Luke 21:1-28; Psalm 89:38-52; and Proverbs 13:20-23. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Joshua 24:1-33 (The Message)


Joshua 24


The Covenant at Shechem

 1-2 Joshua called together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He called in the elders, chiefs, judges, and officers. They presented themselves before God. Then Joshua addressed all the people:

 2-6 “This is what God, the God of Israel, says: A long time ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived to the east of the River Euphrates. They worshiped other gods. I took your ancestor Abraham from the far side of The River. I led him all over the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac. Then I gave Isaac Jacob and Esau. I let Esau have the mountains of Seir as home, but Jacob and his sons ended up in Egypt. I sent Moses and Aaron. I hit Egypt hard with plagues and then led you out of there. I brought your ancestors out of Egypt. You came to the sea, the Egyptians in hot pursuit with chariots and cavalry, to the very edge of the Red Sea!

 7-10 “Then they cried out for help to God. He put a cloud between you and the Egyptians and then let the sea loose on them. It drowned them.

    “You watched the whole thing with your own eyes, what I did to Egypt. And then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. I brought you to the country of the Amorites, who lived east of the Jordan, and they fought you. But I fought for you and you took their land. I destroyed them for you. Then Balak son of Zippor made his appearance. He was the king of Moab. He got ready to fight Israel by sending for Balaam son of Beor to come and curse you. But I wouldn’t listen to Balaam—he ended up blessing you over and over! I saved you from him.

 11 “You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The Jericho leaders ganged up on you as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, but I turned them over to you.

 12 “I sent the Hornet ahead of you. It drove out the two Amorite kings—did your work for you. You didn’t have to do a thing, not so much as raise a finger.

 13 “I handed you a land for which you did not work, towns you did not build. And here you are now living in them and eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.

 14 “So now: Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship God.

 15 “If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.”

 16 The people answered, “We’d never forsake God! Never! We’d never leave God to worship other gods.

 17-18 “God is our God! He brought up our ancestors from Egypt and from slave conditions. He did all those great signs while we watched. He has kept his eye on us all along the roads we’ve traveled and among the nations we’ve passed through. Just for us he drove out all the nations, Amorites and all, who lived in the land.

    “Count us in: We too are going to worship God. He’s our God.”

 19-20 Then Joshua told the people: “You can’t do it; you’re not able to worship God. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He won’t put up with your fooling around and sinning. When you leave God and take up the worship of foreign gods, he’ll turn right around and come down on you hard. He’ll put an end to you—and after all the good he has done for you!”

 21 But the people told Joshua: “No! No! We worship God!”

 22 And so Joshua addressed the people: “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen God for yourselves—to worship him.”

    And they said, “We are witnesses.”

 23 Joshua said, “Now get rid of all the foreign gods you have with you. Say an unqualified Yes to God, the God of Israel.”

 24 The people answered Joshua, “We will worship God. What he says, we’ll do.”

 25-26 Joshua completed a Covenant for the people that day there at Shechem. He made it official, spelling it out in detail. Joshua wrote out all the directions and regulations into the Book of The Revelation of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up under the oak that was in the holy place of God.

 27 Joshua spoke to all the people: “This stone is a witness against us. It has heard every word that God has said to us. It is a standing witness against you lest you cheat on your God.”

 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own place of inheritance.

29-30 After all this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of God, died. He was 110 years old. They buried him in the land of his inheritance at Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

 31 Israel served God through the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had themselves experienced all that God had done for Israel.

 32 Joseph’s bones, which the People of Israel had brought from Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor (who was the father of Shechem). He paid a hundred silver coins for it. It belongs to the inheritance of the family of Joseph.

 33 Eleazar son of Aaron died. They buried him at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the mountains of Ephraim.


Luke 21:1-28 (The Message)


Luke 21

 1-4Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!”

Watch Out for Doomsday Deceivers

 5-6One day people were standing around talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was, the splendor of its stonework and memorial gifts. Jesus said, “All this you’re admiring so much—the time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble.”

 7They asked him, “Teacher, when is this going to happen? What clue will we get that it’s about to take place?”

 8-9He said, “Watch out for the doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, ‘I’m the One,’ or, ‘The end is near.’ Don’t fall for any of that. When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end.”

 10-11He went on, “Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You’ll think at times that the very sky is falling.

 12-15"But before any of this happens, they’ll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You’ll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I’ll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters.

 16-19"You’ll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There’s no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.

Vengeance Day

 20-24"When you see soldiers camped all around Jerusalem, then you’ll know that she is about to be devastated. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills. If you’re in the city, get out quickly. If you’re out in the fields, don’t go home to get your coat. This is Vengeance Day—everything written about it will come to a head. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Incredible misery! Torrential rage! People dropping like flies; people dragged off to prisons; Jerusalem under the boot of barbarians until the nations finish what was given them to do.
 25-26"It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.

 27-28"And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”


Psalm 89:38-52 (The Message)

 38-52 But God, you did walk off and leave us,
      you lost your temper with the one you anointed.
   You tore up the promise you made to your servant,
      you stomped his crown in the mud.
   You blasted his home to kingdom come,
      reduced his city to a pile of rubble
   Picked clean by wayfaring strangers,
      a joke to all the neighbors.
   You declared a holiday for all his enemies,
      and they’re celebrating for all they’re worth.
   Angry, you opposed him in battle,
      refused to fight on his side;
   You robbed him of his splendor, humiliated this warrior,
      ground his kingly honor in the dirt.
   You took the best years of his life
      and left him an impotent, ruined husk.
   How long do we put up with this, God?
      Are you gone for good? Will you hold this grudge forever?
   Remember my sorrow and how short life is.
      Did you create men and women for nothing but this?
   We’ll see death soon enough. Everyone does.
      And there’s no back door out of hell.
   So where is the love you’re so famous for, Lord?
      What happened to your promise to David?
   Take a good look at your servant, dear Lord;
      I’m the butt of the jokes of all nations,
   The taunting jokes of your enemies, God,
      as they dog the steps of your dear anointed.
         Blessed be God forever and always!
         Yes. Oh, yes.


Proverbs 13:20-23 (The Message)

 20 Become wise by walking with the wise;
   hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

 21 Disaster entraps sinners,
   but God-loyal people get a good life.

 22 A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren;
   ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.

 23 Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor,
   or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.

Bible Readings for April 21, 2012

Today our passages are Joshua 22:21–23:16; Luke 20:27-47; Psalm 89:14-37; and Proverbs 13:17-19. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Joshua 22:21-23:16 (The Message)

^21-22 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the tribes of Israel: 
The God of Gods is God,
The God of Gods is God!


^22-23 "He knows and he'll let Israel know if this is a rebellious betrayal of God. And if it is, don't bother saving us. If we built ourselves an altar in rebellion against God, if we did it to present on it Whole-Burnt-Offerings or Grain-Offerings or to enact there sacrificial Peace-Offerings, let God decide.


^24-25 "But that's not it. We did it because we cared. We were anxious lest someday your children should say to our children, 'You're not connected with God, the God of Israel! God made the Jordan a boundary between us and you. You Reubenites and Gadites have no part in God.' And then your children might cause our children to quit worshiping God.


²⁶ "So we said to ourselves, 'Let's do something. Let's build an altar—but not for Whole-Burnt-Offerings, not for sacrifices.'


²⁷ "We built this altar as a witness between us and you and our children coming after us, a witness to the Altar where we worship God in his Sacred Dwelling with our Whole-Burnt-Offerings and our sacrifices and our Peace-Offerings.
"This way, your children won't be able to say to our children in the future, 'You have no part in God.'


²⁸ "We said to ourselves, 'If anyone speaks disparagingly to us or to our children in the future, we'll say: Look at this model of God's Altar which our ancestors made. It's not for Whole-Burnt-Offerings, not for sacrifices. It's a witness connecting us with you.'


²⁹ "Rebelling against or turning our backs on God is the last thing on our minds right now. We never dreamed of building an altar for Whole-Burnt-Offerings or Grain-Offerings to rival the Altar of our God in front of his Sacred Dwelling."


³⁰ Phinehas the priest, all the heads of the congregation, and the heads of the military divisions of Israel who were also with him heard what the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had to say. They were satisfied.


³¹ Priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Now we're convinced that God is present with us since you haven't been disloyal to God in this matter. You saved the People of Israel from God's discipline."


^32-33 Then Priest Phinehas son of Eleazar left the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (from Gilead) and, with the chiefs, returned to the land of Canaan to the People of Israel and gave a full report. They were pleased with the report. The People of Israel blessed God—there was no more talk of attacking and destroying the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites were living.
³⁴ Reuben and Gad named the altar:
A Witness Between Us.
God Alone Is God.

Joshua 23

Joshua's Charge

^1-2 A long time later, after God had given Israel rest from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was a venerable old man, Joshua called all Israel together—elders, chiefs, judges, and officers. Then he spoke to them:

^2-3 "I'm an old man. I've lived a long time. You have seen everything that God has done to these nations because of you. He did it because he's God, your God. He fought for you.


^4-5 "Stay alert: I have assigned to you by lot these nations that remain as an inheritance to your tribes—these in addition to the nations I have already cut down—from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. God, your God, will drive them out of your path until there's nothing left of them and you'll take over their land just as God, your God, promised you.


^6-8 "Now, stay strong and steady. Obediently do everything written in the Book of The Revelation of Moses—don't miss a detail. Don't get mixed up with the nations that are still around. Don't so much as speak the names of their gods or swear by them. And by all means don't worship or pray to them. Hold tight to God, your God, just as you've done up to now.


^9-10 "God has driven out superpower nations before you. And up to now, no one has been able to stand up to you. Think of it—one of you, single-handedly, putting a thousand on the run! Because God is God, your God. Because he fights for you, just as he promised you.


^11-13 "Now, vigilantly guard your souls: Love God, your God. Because if you wander off and start taking up with these remaining nations still among you (intermarry, say, and have other dealings with them), know for certain that God, your God, will not get rid of these nations for you. They'll be nothing but trouble to you—horsewhips on your backs and sand in your eyes—until you're the ones who will be driven out of this good land that God, your God, has given you.


¹⁴ "As you can see, I'm about to go the way we all end up going. Know this with all your heart, with everything in you, that not one detail has failed of all the good things God, your God, promised you. It has all happened. Nothing's left undone—not so much as a word.


^15-16 "But just as sure as everything good that God, your God, has promised has come true, so also God will bring to pass every bad thing until there's nothing left of you in this good land that God has given you. If you leave the path of the Covenant of God, your God, that he commanded you, go off and serve and worship other gods, God's anger will blaze out against you. In no time at all there'll be nothing left of you, no sign that you've ever been in this good land he gave you."

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Luke 20:27-47 (The Message)

All Intimacies Will Be with God

^27-33Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, "Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to take the widow to wife and get her with child. Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. The second married her and died, then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child. After all that, the wife died. That wife, now—in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her."

^34-38Jesus said, "Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, 'God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!' God isn't the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive."

^39-40Some of the religion scholars said, "Teacher, that's a great answer!" For a while, anyway, no one dared put questions to him.

^41-44Then he put a question to them: "How is it that they say that the Messiah is David's son? In the Book of Psalms, David clearly says,

God said to my Master,
"Sit here at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet."
"David here designates the Messiah as 'my Master'—so how can the Messiah also be his 'son'?"

^45-47With everybody listening, Jesus spoke to his disciples. "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preen in the radiance of public flattery, bask in prominent positions, sit at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end."

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Psalm 89:14-37 (The Message)

^5-18 God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
Search high and low, scan skies and land,
you'll find nothing and no one quite like God.
The holy angels are in awe before him;
he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
powerful and faithful from every angle?
You put the arrogant ocean in its place
and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
everything from atom to archangel.
You positioned the North and South Poles;
the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
nobody trifles with you!
The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
Love and Truth are its fruits.
Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
All we are and have we owe to God,
Holy God of Israel, our King!

^19-37 A long time ago you spoke in a vision,
you spoke to your faithful beloved:
"I've crowned a hero,
I chose the best I could find;
I found David, my servant,
poured holy oil on his head,
And I'll keep my hand steadily on him,
yes, I'll stick with him through thick and thin.
No enemy will get the best of him,
no scoundrel will do him in.
I'll weed out all who oppose him,
I'll clean out all who hate him.
I'm with him for good and I'll love him forever;
I've set him on high—he's riding high!
I've put Ocean in his one hand, River in the other;
he'll call out, 'Oh, my Father—my God, my Rock of Salvation!'
Yes, I'm setting him apart as the First of the royal line,
High King over all of earth's kings.
I'll preserve him eternally in my love,
I'll faithfully do all I so solemnly promised.
I'll guarantee his family tree
and underwrite his rule.
If his children refuse to do what I tell them,
if they refuse to walk in the way I show them,
If they spit on the directions I give them
and tear up the rules I post for them—
I'll rub their faces in the dirt of their rebellion
and make them face the music.
But I'll never throw them out,
never abandon or disown them.
Do you think I'd withdraw my holy promise?
or take back words I'd already spoken?
I've given my word, my whole and holy word;
do you think I would lie to David?
His family tree is here for good,
his sovereignty as sure as the sun,
Dependable as the phases of the moon,
inescapable as weather."

---

Proverbs 13:17-19 (The Message)

¹⁷ Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,
but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.

¹⁸ Refuse discipline and end up homeless;
embrace correction and live an honored life.

¹⁹ Souls who follow their hearts thrive;
fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.

Bible Readings for April 20, 2012

Today our passages are Joshua 21:1–22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalm 89:1-13; and Proverbs 13:15-16. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Joshua 21-22:20 (The Message)


Joshua 21


Cities for the Levites

 1-2The ancestral heads of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the other tribes of the People of Israel. This took place at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They said, “God commanded through Moses that you give us cities to live in with access to pastures for our cattle.”

 3 So the People of Israel, out of their own inheritance, gave the Levites, just as God commanded, the following cities and pastures:

 4-5 The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites this way: Levites descended from Aaron the priest received by lot thirteen cities out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. The rest of the Kohathites received by lot ten cities from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

 6 The Gershonites received by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

 7 The families of the Merarites received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

 8 So the People of Israel gave these cities with their pastures to the Levites just as God had ordered through Moses, that is, by lot.

Cities for the Descendants of Aaron

9-10 They assigned from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin the following towns, here named individually (these were for the descendants of Aaron who were from the families of the Kohathite branch of Levi because the first lot fell to them):

 11-12 Kiriath Arba (Arba was the ancestor of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hills of Judah, with access to the pastures around it. The fields of the city and its open lands they had already given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

 13-16 To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (the asylum-city for the unconvicted killers), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, all with their accompanying pastures—nine towns from these two tribes.

 17-18 And from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon, together with their pastures—four towns.

 19 The total for the cities and pastures for the priests descended from Aaron came to thirteen.

 20-22 The rest of the Kohathite families from the tribe of Levi were assigned their cities by lot from the tribe of Ephraim: Shechem (the asylum-city for the unconvicted killer) in the hills of Ephraim, Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, with their pastures—four towns.

 23-24 From the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, all with their pastures—four towns.

 25 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon with their pastures—two towns.

 26 All told, ten cities with their pastures went to the remaining Kohathite families.

 27 The Gershonite families of the tribe of Levi were given from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (an asylum-city for the unconvicted killer), and Be Eshtarah, with their pastures—two cities.

 28-29 And from the tribe of Issachar: Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En Gannim, with their pastures—four towns.

 30-31 From the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob, with their pastures—four towns.

 32 From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (an asylum-city for the unconvicted killer), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, with their pastures—three towns.

 33 For the Gershonites and their families: thirteen towns with their pastures.

 34-35 The Merari families, the remaining Levites, were given from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal, with their pastures—four cities.

 36-37 From the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, with their pastures—four towns.

 38-39 From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (an asylum-city for the uncon-victed killer), Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, with their pastures—a total of four towns.

 40 All these towns were assigned by lot to the Merarites, the remaining Levites—twelve towns.

 41-42 The Levites held forty-eight towns with their accompanying pastures within the territory of the People of Israel. Each of these towns had pastures surrounding it—this was the case for all these towns.


43-44 And so God gave Israel the entire land that he had solemnly vowed to give to their ancestors. They took possession of it and made themselves at home in it. And God gave them rest on all sides, as he had also solemnly vowed to their ancestors. Not a single one of their enemies was able to stand up to them—God handed over all their enemies to them.

 45 Not one word failed from all the good words God spoke to the house of Israel. Everything came out right.

Joshua 22

 1-5 Then Joshua called together the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He said: “You have carried out everything Moses the servant of God commanded you, and you have obediently done everything I have commanded you. All this time and right down to this very day you have not abandoned your brothers; you’ve shouldered the task laid on you by God, your God. And now God, your God, has given rest to your brothers just as he promised them. You’re now free to go back to your homes, the country of your inheritance that Moses the servant of God gave you on the other side of the Jordan. Only this: Be vigilant in keeping the Commandment and The Revelation that Moses the servant of God laid on you: Love God, your God, walk in all his ways, do what he’s commanded, embrace him, serve him with everything you are and have.”

 6-7 Then Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way. They went home. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses had assigned a share in Bashan. To the other half, Joshua assigned land with their brothers west of the Jordan.)

 7-8 When Joshua sent them off to their homes, he blessed them. He said: “Go home. You’re going home rich—great herds of cattle, silver and gold, bronze and iron, huge piles of clothing. Share the wealth with your friends and families—all this plunder from your enemies!”

9 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the People of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to Gilead, the land of their possession, which they had taken under the command of Moses as ordered by God.

 10 They arrived at Geliloth on the Jordan (touching on Canaanite land). There the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar on the banks of the Jordan—a huge altar!

 11 The People of Israel heard of it: “What’s this? The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar facing the land of Canaan at Geliloth on the Jordan, across from the People of Israel!”

 12-14 When the People of Israel heard this, the entire congregation mustered at Shiloh to go to war against them. They sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (that is, to the land of Gilead). Accompanying him were ten chiefs, one chief for each of the ten tribes, each the head of his ancestral family. They represented the military divisions of Israel.

 15-18 They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and spoke to them: “The entire congregation of God wants to know: What is this violation against the God of Israel that you have committed, turning your back on God and building your own altar—a blatant act of rebellion against God? Wasn’t the crime of Peor enough for us? Why, to this day we aren’t rid of it, still living with the fallout of the plague on the congregation of God! Look at you—turning your back on God! If you rebel against God today, tomorrow he’ll vent his anger on all of us, the entire congregation of Israel.

 19-20 “If you think the land of your possession isn’t holy enough but somehow contaminated, come back over to God’s possession, where God’s Dwelling is set up, and take your land there, but don’t rebel against God. And don’t rebel against us by building your own altar apart from the Altar of our God. When Achan son of Zerah violated the holy curse, didn’t anger fall on the whole congregation of Israel? He wasn’t the only one to die for his sin.”


Luke 20:1-26 (The Message)


Luke 20

 1-2One day he was teaching the people in the Temple, proclaiming the Message. The high priests, religion scholars, and leaders confronted him and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?”

 3-4Jesus answered, “First, let me ask you a question: About the baptism of John—who authorized it, heaven or humans?”

 5-7They were on the spot, and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, “If we say ‘heaven,’ he’ll ask us why we didn’t believe him; if we say ‘humans,’ the people will tear us limb from limb, convinced as they are that John was God’s prophet.” They agreed to concede that round to Jesus and said they didn’t know.

 8Jesus said, “Then neither will I answer your question.”

The Story of Corrupt Farmhands

 9-12Jesus told another story to the people: “A man planted a vineyard. He handed it over to farmhands and went off on a trip. He was gone a long time. In time he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect the profits, but they beat him up and sent him off empty-handed. He decided to try again and sent another servant. That one they beat black-and-blue, and sent him off empty-handed. He tried a third time. They worked that servant over from head to foot and dumped him in the street.

 13"Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘I know what I’ll do: I’ll send my beloved son. They’re bound to respect my son.’

 14-15"But when the farmhands saw him coming, they quickly put their heads together. ‘This is our chance—this is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all to ourselves.’ They killed him and threw him over the fence.

 15-16"What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He’ll come and clean house. Then he’ll assign the care of the vineyard to others.”

   Those who were listening said, “Oh, no! He’d never do that!”

 17-18But Jesus didn’t back down. “Why, then, do you think this was written:

   That stone the masons threw out—
   It’s now the cornerstone!?
“Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, it will be a total smashup.”

 19The religion scholars and high priests wanted to lynch him on the spot, but they were intimidated by public opinion. They knew the story was about them.

Paying Taxes

 20-22Watching for a chance to get him, they sent spies who posed as honest inquirers, hoping to trick him into saying something that would get him in trouble with the law. So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you’re honest and straightforward when you teach, that you don’t pander to anyone but teach the way of God accurately. Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
 23-24He knew they were laying for him and said, “Show me a coin. Now, this engraving, who does it look like and what does it say?”

 25 “Caesar,” they said.

   Jesus said, “Then give Caesar what is his and give God what is his.”

 26Try as they might, they couldn’t trap him into saying anything incriminating. His answer caught them off guard and left them speechless.


Psalm 89:1-13 (The Message)


Psalm 89


An Ethan Prayer

 1-4 Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it! I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are.
   I’ll never quit telling the story of your love—
      how you built the cosmos
      and guaranteed everything in it.
   Your love has always been our lives’ foundation,
      your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
   You once said, “I joined forces with my chosen leader,
      I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying,
   ‘Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life;
      I’ll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.’”

 5-18 God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
      the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
   Search high and low, scan skies and land,
      you’ll find nothing and no one quite like God.
   The holy angels are in awe before him;
      he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
   God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
      powerful and faithful from every angle?
   You put the arrogant ocean in its place
      and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
   You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
      you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
   You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
      everything from atom to archangel.
   You positioned the North and South Poles;
      the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
   With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
      nobody trifles with you!
   The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
      Love and Truth are its fruits.
   Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
      who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
   Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
      who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet!
   Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
      you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air!
   All we are and have we owe to God,
      Holy God of Israel, our King!


Proverbs 13:15-16 (The Message)

 15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living,
   but liars walk a rough road.

 16 A commonsense person lives good sense;
   fools litter the country with silliness.