Bible Readings for July 27, 2013

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 19:1–20:37; Romans 10:14–11:12; Psalm 21:1-13; and Proverbs 20:4-6. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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2 Chronicles 19-20:37 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 19

 ¹Jehoshaphat returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem.    ²But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said:
   By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the LORD. Now the LORD God is angry at you!
   ³But not everything about you is bad. You destroyed the sacred poles ^[a] used in worshiping the goddess Asherah--that shows you have tried to obey the LORD.
   

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges To Settle Cases

 ⁴Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he often traveled through his kingdom, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north. He talked with the people and convinced them to turn back to the LORD God and worship him, just as their ancestors had done.    ⁵He assigned judges to each of the fortified cities in Judah
   ⁶and told them:
   Be careful when you make your decisions in court, because these are the LORD's people, and he will know what you decide.
   ⁷So do your work in honor of him and know that he won't allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes.
   ⁸Jehoshaphat also chose some Levites, some priests, and some of the family leaders, and he appointed them to serve as judges in Jerusalem.
   ⁹He told them:
   Faithfully serve the LORD!
   ¹⁰The people of Judah will bring you legal cases that involve every type of crime, including murder. You must settle these cases and warn the people to stop sinning against the LORD, so that he won't get angry and punish Judah. Remember, if you follow these instructions, you won't be held responsible for anything that happens.
   ¹¹Amariah the high priest will have the final say in any religious case. And Zebadiah, the leader ^[b] of the Judah tribe, will have the final say in all other cases. The rest of the Levites will serve as your assistants. Be brave, and I pray that the LORD will help you do right.
   

2 Chronicles 20

Moab and Ammon Are Defeated

 ¹Some time later, the armies of Moab and Ammon, together with the Meunites, ^[c] went to war against Jehoshaphat.    ²Messengers told Jehoshaphat, "A large army from Edom ^[d] east of the Dead Sea has invaded our country. They have already reached En-Gedi." ^[e]
   ³Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he asked the LORD what to do. He then told the people of Judah to go without eating to show their sorrow.
   ⁴They immediately left for Jerusalem to ask for the LORD's help.
   ⁵After everyone from Judah and Jerusalem had come together at the LORD's temple, Jehoshaphat stood in front of the new courtyard
   ⁶and prayed:
   You, LORD, are the God our ancestors worshiped, and from heaven you rule every nation in the world. You are so powerful that no one can defeat you.
   ⁷Our God, you forced out the nations who lived in this land before your people Israel came here, and you gave it to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever.
   ⁸Our ancestors lived in this land and built a temple to honor you.
   ⁹They believed that whenever this land is struck by war or disease or famine, your people can pray to you at the temple, and you will hear their prayer and save them.
   ¹⁰You can see that the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Edom are attacking us! Those are the nations you would not let our ancestors invade on their way from Egypt, so these nations were not destroyed.
   ¹¹Now they are coming to take back the land you gave us.
   ¹²Aren't you going to punish them? We won't stand a chance when this army attacks. We don't know what to do--we are begging for your help.
   ¹³While every man, woman, and child of Judah was standing there at the temple,
   ¹⁴the LORD's Spirit suddenly spoke to Jahaziel, a Levite from the Asaph clan. ^[f]
   ¹⁵Then Jahaziel said: Your Majesty and everyone from Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you don't need to be afraid or let this powerful army discourage you. God will fight on your side!
   ¹⁶So here's what you must do. Tomorrow the enemy armies will march through the desert around the town of Jeruel. March down and meet them at the town of Ziz as they come up the valley.
   ¹⁷You won't even have to fight. Just take your positions and watch the LORD rescue you from your enemy. Don't be afraid. Just do as you're told. And as you march out tomorrow, the LORD will be there with you.
   ¹⁸Jehoshaphat bowed low to the ground and everyone worshiped the LORD.
   ¹⁹Then some Levites from the Kohath and Korah clans stood up and shouted praises to the LORD God of Israel.
   ²⁰Early the next morning, as everyone got ready to leave for the desert near Tekoa, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Listen my friends, if we trust the LORD God and believe what these prophets have told us, the LORD will help us, and we will be successful."
   ²¹Then he explained his plan and appointed men to march in front of the army and praise the LORD for his holy power by singing: ^[g] "Praise the LORD!
   His love never ends."
   ²²As soon as they began singing, the LORD confused the enemy camp,
   ²³so that the Ammonite and Moabite troops attacked and completely destroyed those from Edom. Then they turned against each other and fought until the entire camp was wiped out!
   ²⁴When Judah's army reached the tower that overlooked the desert, they saw that every soldier in the enemy's army was lying dead on the ground.
   ²⁵So Jehoshaphat and his troops went into the camp to carry away everything of value. They found a large herd of livestock, ^[h] a lot of equipment, clothes, ^[i] and other valuable things. It took them three days to carry it all away, and there was still some left over.
   ²⁶Then on the fourth day, everyone came together in Beracah Valley and sang praises to the LORD. That's why that place was called Praise Valley. ^[j]
   ^27-28Jehoshaphat led the crowd back to Jerusalem. And as they marched, they played harps and blew trumpets. They were very happy because the LORD had given them victory over their enemies, so when they reached the city, they went straight to the temple.
   ²⁹When the other nations heard how the LORD had fought against Judah's enemies, they were too afraid
   ³⁰to invade Judah. The LORD let Jehoshaphat's kingdom be at peace.
   

Jehoshaphat Dies

(1 Kings 22.41-50)

 ³¹Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.    ³²Jehoshaphat obeyed the LORD, just as his father Asa had done,
   ³³but he did not destroy the local shrines. ^[k] So the people still worshiped foreign gods, instead of faithfully serving the God their ancestors had worshiped.
   ³⁴Everything else Jehoshaphat did while he was king is written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani that are included in The History of the Kings of Israel.
   ³⁵While Jehoshaphat was king, he signed a peace treaty with Ahaziah the wicked king of Israel.
   ³⁶They agreed to build several seagoing ships ^[l] at Ezion-Geber.
   ³⁷But the prophet Eliezer ^[m] warned Jehoshaphat, "The LORD will destroy these ships because you have supported Ahaziah." The ships were wrecked and never sailed.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 19:3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.
2. 2 Chronicles 19:11 Zebadiah, the leader: Hebrew "Zebadiah son of Ishmael, who is the leader."
3. 2 Chronicles 20:1 Meunites: One ancient translation (see also 26.7); Hebrew "Ammonites."
4. 2 Chronicles 20:2 Edom: The Hebrew text has "Syria"; in Hebrew there is only one letter difference between "Edom" and "Aram," which is the usual Hebrew name for Syria in the Bible.
5. 2 Chronicles 20:2 En-Gedi: The Hebrew text has "Hazazon-Tamar, also known as En-Gedi," a city on the west shore of the Dead Sea, about twenty-five miles southeast of Jerusalem.
6. 2 Chronicles 20:14 Jahaziel, a Levite from the Asaph clan: Hebrew "Jahaziel son of Zechariah son of Benaiah son of Jeiel son of Mattaniah, who was a Levite from the Asaph clan."
7. 2 Chronicles 20:21 to march in front. . . singing: Or "to put on their sacred robes, lead the army into battle, and praise the LORD by singing."
8. 2 Chronicles 20:25 a large herd of livestock: One ancient translation; Hebrew "among the bodies a large herd of."
9. 2 Chronicles 20:25 clothes: One ancient translation; Hebrew "dead bodies."
10. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Beracah Valley. . . sang praises. . . Praise Valley: In Hebrew the name "Beracah" means "praise."
11. 2 Chronicles 20:33 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
12. 2 Chronicles 20:36 seagoing ships: See the note at 9.21.
13. 2 Chronicles 20:37 Eliezer: Hebrew "Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah."

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Romans 10:14-11:12 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? ¹⁵And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news. ¹⁶Yet not everyone has believed the message. For example, the prophet Isaiah asked, "Lord, has anyone believed what we said?"
    ¹⁷No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ. ¹⁸But am I saying that the people of Israel did not hear? No, I am not! The Scriptures say,
   "The message was told
   everywhere on earth.
   It was announced
   all over the world."
    ¹⁹Did the people of Israel understand or not? Moses answered this question when he told that the Lord had said,
   "I will make Israel jealous
   of people
   who are a nation
   of nobodies.
   I will make them angry
   at people
   who don't understand
   a thing."
    ²⁰Isaiah was fearless enough to tell that the Lord had said,
   "I was found by people
   who were not looking
   for me.
   I appeared to the ones
   who were not asking
   about me."
    ²¹And Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
   "All day long the Lord
   has reached out
   to people who are stubborn
   and refuse to obey."
   

Romans 11

God Has Not Rejected His People

 ¹Am I saying that God has turned his back on his people? Certainly not! I am one of the people of Israel, and I myself am a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. ²God did not turn his back on his chosen people. Don't you remember reading in the Scriptures how Elijah complained to God about the people of Israel? ³He said, "Lord, they killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only one left, and now they want to kill me."     ⁴But the Lord told Elijah, "I still have seven thousand followers who have not worshiped Baal." ⁵It is the same way now. God was kind to the people of Israel, and so a few of them are still his followers. ⁶This happened because of God's undeserved kindness and not because of anything they have done. It could not have happened except for God's kindness.
    ⁷This means that only a chosen few of the people of Israel found what all of them were searching for. And the rest of them were stubborn, ⁸just as the Scriptures say,
   "God made them so stupid
   that their eyes are blind,
   and their ears
   are still deaf."
    ⁹Then David said,
   "Turn their meals
   into bait for a trap,
   so that they will stumble
   and be given
   what they deserve.
    ¹⁰Blindfold their eyes!
   Don't let them see.
   Bend their backs
   beneath a burden
   that will never be lifted."
   

Gentiles Will Be Saved

 ¹¹Do I mean that the people of Israel fell, never to get up again? Certainly not! Their failure made it possible for the Gentiles to be saved, and this will make the people of Israel jealous. ¹²But if the rest of the world's people were helped so much by Israel's sin and loss, they will be helped even more by their full return.

 

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Psalm 21:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 21

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

Thanking the LORD for Victory

 ¹Our LORD, your mighty power    makes the king glad,
   and he celebrates victories
   that you have given him.
    ²You did what he wanted most
   and never told him "No."
    ³You truly blessed the king,
   and you placed on him
   a crown of finest gold.
    ⁴He asked to live a long time,
   and you promised him life
   that never ends.
    ⁵The king is highly honored.
   You have let him win victories
   that have made him famous.
    ⁶You have given him blessings
   that will last forever,
   and you have made him glad
   by being so near to him.
    ⁷LORD Most High,
   the king trusts you,
   and your kindness
   keeps him from defeat.
    ⁸With your mighty arm, LORD,
   you will strike down
   all of your hateful enemies.
    ⁹They will be destroyed by fire
   once you are here,
   and because of your anger,
   flames will swallow them.
    ¹⁰You will wipe their families
   from the earth,
   and they will disappear.
    ¹¹All their plans to harm you
   will come to nothing.
    ¹²You will make them run away
   by shooting your arrows
   at their faces.
    ¹³Show your strength, LORD,
   so that we may sing
   and praise your power.

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Proverbs 20:4-6 (Contemporary English Version)

⁴If you are too lazy to plow,
   don't expect a harvest.
    ⁵Someone's thoughts may be
   as deep as the ocean,
   but if you are smart,
   you will discover them.
    ⁶There are many who say,
   "You can trust me!"
   But can they be trusted?

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Verse of the Day

“[A Large Crowd of Witnesses]Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.” - Hebrews 12:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Dolley Madison, the spouse of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817, wrote, “It is one of my sources of happiness never to desire a knowledge of other people's business.”

Bible Readings for July 26, 2013

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 17:1–18:34; Romans 9:22–10:13; Psalm 20:1-9; and Proverbs 20:2-3. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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2 Chronicles 17-18:34 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 17

King Jehoshaphat of Judah

 ¹Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king and strengthened his defenses against Israel.    ²He assigned troops to the fortified cities in Judah, as well as to other towns in Judah and to those towns in Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
   ^3-4When Jehoshaphat's father had first become king of Judah, he was faithful to the LORD and refused to worship the god Baal as the kings of Israel did. Jehoshaphat followed his father's example and obeyed and worshiped the LORD. And so the LORD blessed Jehoshaphat
   ⁵and helped him keep firm control of his kingdom. The people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, but even after he became very rich and respected,
   ⁶he remained completely faithful to the LORD. He destroyed all the local shrines ^[a] in Judah, including the places where the goddess Asherah was worshiped.
   ⁷In the third year of Jehoshaphat's rule, he chose five officials and gave them orders to teach the LORD's Law in every city and town in Judah. They were Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah.
   ⁸Their assistants were the following nine Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah. Two priests, Elishama and Jehoram, also went along.
   ⁹They carried with them a copy of the LORD's Law wherever they went and taught the people from it.
   ¹⁰The nations around Judah were afraid of the LORD's power, so none of them attacked Jehoshaphat.
   ¹¹Philistines brought him silver and other gifts to keep peace. Some of the Arab people brought him seventy-seven hundred rams and the same number of goats.
   ¹²As Jehoshaphat became more powerful, he built fortresses and cities
   ¹³where he stored supplies. He also kept in Jerusalem some experienced soldiers
   ¹⁴from the Judah and Benjamin tribes. These soldiers were grouped according to their clans.
   Adnah was the commander of the troops from Judah, and he had three hundred thousand soldiers under his command.
   ¹⁵Jehohanan was second in command, with two hundred eighty thousand soldiers under him.
   ¹⁶Amasiah son of Zichri, who had volunteered to serve the LORD, was third in command, with two hundred thousand soldiers under him.
   ¹⁷Eliada was a brave warrior who commanded the troops from Benjamin. He had two hundred thousand soldiers under his command, all of them armed with bows and shields.
   ¹⁸Jehozabad was second in command, with one hundred eighty thousand soldiers under him.
   ¹⁹These were the troops who protected the king in Jerusalem, not counting those he had assigned to the fortified cities throughout the country.
   

2 Chronicles 18

Micaiah Warns King Ahab of Israel

(1 Kings 22.1-28)

 ¹Jehoshaphat was now very rich and famous. He signed a treaty with King Ahab of Israel by arranging the marriage of his son and Ahab's daughter.    ²One day, Jehoshaphat went to visit Ahab in his capital city of Samaria. Ahab slaughtered sheep and cattle and prepared a big feast to honor Jehoshaphat and the officials with him. Ahab talked about attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead, ^[b]
   3and finally asked, "Jehoshaphat, would you go with me to attack Ramoth?" "Yes," Jehoshaphat answered. "My army is at your command.
   ⁴But first let's ask the LORD what to do."
   ⁵Ahab sent for four hundred prophets and asked, "Should I attack the city of Ramoth?"
   "Yes!" the prophets answered. "God will help you capture the city."
   ⁶But Jehoshaphat said, "Just to make sure, is there another of the LORD's prophets we can ask?"
   ⁷"We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah," Ahab said. "But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me."
   "Don't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied.
   ⁸Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.
   ⁹All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria, listening to the prophets tell them what the LORD had said.
   ¹⁰Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, "Ahab, the LORD says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!"
   ¹¹All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth and promised that the LORD would help him defeat them.
   ¹²Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, "Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing."
   ¹³"I'll say whatever the living LORD my God tells me to say," Micaiah replied.
   ¹⁴Then Micaiah went up to Ahab, who asked, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth?"
   "Yes!" Micaiah answered. "The LORD will help you capture the city."
   ¹⁵Ahab shouted, "Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth! What does the LORD really say?"
   ¹⁶Micaiah answered, "In a vision ^[c] I saw Israelite soldiers wandering around, lost in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The LORD said, `These troops have no leader. They should go home and not fight.' "
   ¹⁷Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "I told you he would bring me bad news!"
   ¹⁸Micaiah replied:
   I then saw the LORD seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him.
   ¹⁹The LORD asked, "Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?"
   They talked about it for a while,
   ²⁰then finally a spirit came forward and said to the LORD, "I can trick Ahab."
   "How?" the LORD asked.
   ²¹"I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him."
   "Good!" the LORD replied. "Now go and do it. You will be successful."
   ²²Ahab, this is exactly what has happened. The LORD made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.
   ²³Zedekiah walked over and slapped Micaiah on the face. Then he asked, "Do you really think the LORD would speak to you and not to me?"
   ²⁴Micaiah answered, "You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house."
   ²⁵Ahab shouted, "Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria.
   ²⁶Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely."
   ²⁷Micaiah said, "If you do come back, I was wrong about what the LORD wanted me to say." Then he told the crowd, "Don't forget what I said!"
   

Ahab Dies at Ramoth

(1 Kings 22.29-35)

 ²⁸Ahab and Jehoshaphat led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead.    ²⁹Before they went into battle, Ahab said, "Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe." Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.
   ³⁰The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack only Ahab.
   ³¹So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But Jehoshaphat prayed, and the LORD made the Syrian soldiers stop.
   ³²And when they realized he wasn't Ahab, they left him alone.
   ³³However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab between two pieces of his armor. He shouted to his chariot driver, "I've been hit! Get me out of here!"
   ³⁴The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He stayed there until evening, and by sundown he was dead.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 17:6 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
2. 2 Chronicles 18:2 attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead: The Syrians had taken control of Ramoth (see 1 Kings 22.3,4).
3. 2 Chronicles 18:16 vision: In ancient times, prophets often told about future events from what they had seen in visions or dreams.

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Romans 9:22-10:13 (Contemporary English Version)

²²God wanted to show his anger and reveal his power against everyone who deserved to be destroyed. But instead, he patiently put up with them. ²³He did this by showing how glorious he is when he has pity on the people he has chosen to share in his glory. ²⁴Whether Jews or Gentiles, we are those chosen ones, ²⁵just as the Lord says in the book of Hosea,
   "Although they are not
   my people,
   I will make them my people.
   I will treat with love
   those nations
   that have never been loved.
    ²⁶"Once they were told,
   `You are not my people.'
   But in that very place
   they will be called
   children of the living God."
    ²⁷And this is what the prophet Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
   "The people of Israel
   are as many
   as the grains of sand
   along the beach.
   But only a few who are left
   will be saved.
    ²⁸The Lord will be quick
   and sure to do on earth
   what he has warned
   he will do."
    ²⁹Isaiah also said,
   "If the Lord All-Powerful
   had not spared some
   of our descendants,
   we would have been destroyed
   like the cities of Sodom
   and Gomorrah." ^[a]

Israel and the Good News

 ³⁰What does all of this mean? It means that the Gentiles were not trying to be acceptable to God, but they found that he would accept them if they had faith. ^31-32It also means that the people of Israel were not acceptable to God. And why not? It was because they were trying ^[b] to be acceptable by obeying the Law instead of by having faith in God. The people of Israel fell over the stone that makes people stumble, ³³just as God says in the Scriptures, "Look! I am placing in Zion    a stone to make people
   stumble and fall.
   But those who have faith
   in that one
   will never
   be disappointed."
   

Romans 10

 ¹Dear friends, my greatest wish and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. ²I know they love God, but they don't understand ³what makes people acceptable to him. So they refuse to trust God, and they try to be acceptable by obeying the Law. ⁴But Christ makes the Law no longer necessary ^[c] for those who become acceptable to God by faith.

Anyone Can Be Saved

 ⁵Moses said that a person could become acceptable to God by obeying the Law. He did this when he wrote, "If you want to live, you must do all that the Law commands."     ⁶But people whose faith makes them acceptable to God will never ask, "Who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down?" ⁷Neither will they ask, "Who will go down into the world of the dead to raise him to life?"
    ⁸All who are acceptable because of their faith simply say, "The message is as near as your mouth or your heart." And this is the same message we preach about faith. ⁹So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. ¹⁰God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.
    ¹¹The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed, ¹²no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. ¹³All who call out to the Lord will be saved.
   

Footnotes:

1. Romans 9:29 Sodom and Gomorrah: During the time of Abraham the Lord destroyed these two cities because their people were so sinful.
2. Romans 9:31 because they were trying: Or " while they were trying" or " even though they were trying."
3. Romans 10:4 But Christ makes the Law no longer necessary: Or " But Christ gives the full meaning to the Law."

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Psalm 20:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 20

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

A Prayer for Victory

 ¹I pray that the LORD    will listen
   when you
   are in trouble,
   and that the God of Jacob
   will keep you safe.
    ²May the LORD send help
   from his temple
   and come to your rescue
   from Mount Zion.
    ³May he remember your gifts
   and be pleased
   with what you bring.
    ⁴May God do what you want most
   and let all go well for you.
    ⁵Then you will win victories,
   and we will celebrate,
   while raising our banners
   in the name of our God.
   May the LORD answer
   all of your prayers!
    ⁶I am certain, LORD,
   that you will help
   your chosen king.
   You will answer my prayers
   from your holy place
   in heaven,
   and you will save me
   with your mighty arm.
    ⁷Some people trust the power
   of chariots or horses,
   but we trust you, LORD God.
    ⁸Others will stumble and fall,
   but we will be strong
   and stand firm.
    ⁹Give the king victory, LORD,
   and answer our prayers. ^[a]

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 20:9 victory. . . prayers: Or " victory. He (God or the king) answers us."

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Proverbs 20:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)

²An angry ruler
   is like a roaring lion--
   make either one angry,
   and you are dead.
    ³It makes you look good
   when you avoid a fight--
   only fools love to quarrel.

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Verse of the Day

“[The Great Faith of God's People]Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.” - Hebrews 11:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher, wrote, “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”

Bible Readings for July 25, 2013

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 14:1–16:14; Romans 9:1-21; Psalm 19:1-14; and Proverbs 20:1. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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2 Chronicles 14-16:14 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 14

King Asa of Judah

 ¹Abijah died and was buried in Jerusalem. Then his son Asa became king, and Judah had ten years of peace.    ²Asa obeyed the LORD his God and did right.
   ³He destroyed the local shrines ^[a] and the altars to foreign gods. He smashed the stone images of gods and cut down the sacred poles ^[b] used in worshiping the goddess Asherah.
   ⁴Then he told everyone in Judah to worship the LORD God, just as their ancestors had done, and to obey his laws and teachings.
   ⁵He destroyed every local shrine and incense altar in Judah.
   ⁶The LORD blessed Judah with peace while Asa was king, and so during that time, Asa fortified many of the towns.
   ⁷He said to the people, "Let's build walls and defense towers for these towns, and put in gates that can be locked with bars. This land still belongs to us, because we have obeyed the LORD our God. He has given us peace from all our enemies." The people did everything Asa had suggested.
   ⁸Asa had a large army of brave soldiers: Three hundred thousand of them were from the tribe of Judah and were armed with shields and spears; two hundred eighty thousand were from Benjamin and were armed with bows and arrows.
   

Judah Defeats Ethiopia's Army

 ⁹Zerah from Ethiopia ^[c] led an army of a million soldiers and three hundred chariots to the town of Mareshah ^[d] in Judah.    ¹⁰Asa met him there, and the two armies prepared for battle in Zephathah Valley.
   ¹¹Asa prayed:
   LORD God, only you can help a powerless army defeat a stronger one. So we depend on you to help us. We will fight against this powerful army to honor your name, and we know that you won't be defeated. You are the LORD our God.
   ¹²The LORD helped Asa and his army defeat the Ethiopians. The enemy soldiers ran away,
   ¹³but Asa and his troops chased them as far as Gerar. It was a total defeat--the Ethiopians could not even fight back! ^[e] The soldiers from Judah took everything that had belonged to the Ethiopians.
   ¹⁴The people who lived in the villages around Gerar learned what had happened and were afraid of the LORD. So Judah's army easily defeated them and carried off everything of value that they wanted from these towns.
   ¹⁵They also attacked the camps where the shepherds lived and took a lot of sheep, goats, and camels. Then they went back to Jerusalem.
   

2 Chronicles 15

Asa Destroys the Idols in Judah

 ¹Some time later, God spoke to Azariah son of Oded.    ²At once, Azariah went to Asa and said:
   Listen to me, King Asa and you people of Judah and Benjamin. The LORD will be with you and help you, as long as you obey and worship him. But if you disobey him, he will desert you.
   ³For a long time, the people of Israel did not worship the true God or listen to priests who could teach them about God. They refused to obey God's Law.
   ⁴But whenever trouble came, Israel turned back to the LORD their God and worshiped him.
   ⁵There was so much confusion in those days that it wasn't safe to go anywhere in Israel.
   ⁶Nations were destroying each other, and cities were wiping out other cities, because God was causing trouble and unrest everywhere.
   ⁷So you must be brave. Don't give up! God will honor you for obeying him.
   ⁸As soon as Asa heard what Azariah the prophet said, he gave orders for all the idols in Judah and Benjamin to be destroyed, including those in the towns he had captured in the territory of Ephraim. He also repaired the LORD's altar that was in front of the temple porch.
   ⁹Asa called together the people from Judah and Benjamin, as well as the people from the territories of Ephraim, West Manasseh, and Simeon who were living in Judah. Many of these people were now loyal to Asa, because they had seen that the LORD was with him.
   ¹⁰In the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's rule, they all met in Jerusalem.
   ¹¹That same day, they took seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats from what they had brought back from Gerar and sacrificed them as offerings to the LORD.
   ¹²They made a solemn promise to faithfully worship the LORD God their ancestors had worshiped,
   ¹³and to put to death anyone who refused to obey him.
   ¹⁴The crowd solemnly agreed to keep their promise to the LORD, then they celebrated by shouting and blowing trumpets and horns.
   ¹⁵Everyone was happy because they had made this solemn promise, and in return, the LORD blessed them with peace from all their enemies.
   ¹⁶Asa's grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting idol of the goddess Asherah, so he cut it down, crushed it, and burned it in Kidron Valley. Then he removed Maacah from her position as queen mother. ^[f]
   17As long as Asa lived, he was faithful to the LORD, even though he did not destroy the local shrines ^[g] in Israel.
   ¹⁸He placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to God.
   ¹⁹There was peace in Judah until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's rule.
   

2 Chronicles 16

King Baasha of Israel Invades Judah

(1 Kings 15.16-22)

 ¹In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's rule, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and captured the town of Ramah. He started making the town stronger, and he put troops there to stop people from going in and out of Judah.    ²When Asa heard about this, he took the silver and gold from his palace and from the LORD's temple. Then he sent it to Damascus with this message for King Benhadad of Syria:
   ³"I think we should sign a peace treaty, just as our fathers did. This silver and gold is a present for you. Would you please break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel and force him to leave my country?"
   ⁴Benhadad did what Asa asked and sent the Syrian army into Israel. They captured the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-Maim, ^[h] and all the towns in Naphtali where supplies were kept.
   ⁵When Baasha heard about it, he stopped his work on the town of Ramah.
   ⁶Asa ordered everyone in Judah to carry away the stones and wood Baasha had used to fortify Ramah. Then he fortified the towns of Geba and Mizpah with these same stones and wood.
   

Hanani the Prophet Condemns Asa

 ⁷Soon after that happened, Hanani the prophet went to Asa and said:    You depended on the king of Syria instead of depending on the LORD your God. And so, you will never defeat the Syrian army.
   ⁸Remember how powerful the Ethiopian ^[i] and Libyan army was, with all their chariots and cavalry troops! You trusted the LORD to help you then, and you defeated them.
   ⁹The LORD is constantly watching everyone, and he gives strength to those who faithfully obey him. But you have done a foolish thing, and your kingdom will never be at peace again.
   ¹⁰When Asa heard this, he was so angry that he put Hanani in prison. Asa was also cruel to some of his people. ^[j]
   

Asa Dies

(1 Kings 15.23,24)

 ¹¹Everything Asa did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel.    ¹²In the thirty-ninth year of his rule, he got a very bad foot disease, but he relied on doctors and refused to ask the LORD for help.
   ¹³He died two years later.
   ¹⁴Earlier, Asa had his own tomb cut out of a rock hill in Jerusalem. So he was buried there, and the tomb was filled with spices and sweet-smelling oils. Then the people built a bonfire in his honor.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 14:3 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
2. 2 Chronicles 14:3 sacred poles: Or "trees," used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility.
3. 2 Chronicles 14:9 Ethiopia: See the note at 12.3.
4. 2 Chronicles 14:9 Mareshah: About twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem.
5. 2 Chronicles 14:13 the Ethiopians could not even fight back: Or "not one of the Ethiopians survived!"
6. 2 Chronicles 15:16 queen mother: Or "the mother of the king," which was an important position in biblical times (see 1 Kings 2.19).
7. 2 Chronicles 15:17 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
8. 2 Chronicles 16:4 Abel-Maim: Also called "Abel-Bethmaacah" (see 1 Kings 15.20).
9. 2 Chronicles 16:8 Ethiopian: See the note at 12.3.
10. 2 Chronicles 16:10 Asa was also cruel. . . people: Or "Asa also started being cruel to some of his people."

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Romans 9:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Romans 9

God's Choice of Israel

 ¹I am a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a witness to my conscience. So I tell the truth and I am not lying when I say ²my heart is broken and I am in great sorrow. ³I would gladly be placed under God's curse and be separated from Christ for the good of my own people. ⁴They are the descendants of Israel, and they are also God's chosen people. God showed them his glory. He made agreements with them and gave them his Law. The temple is theirs and so are the promises that God made to them. ⁵They have those famous ancestors, who were also the ancestors of Jesus Christ. I pray that God, who rules over all, will be praised forever! ^[a] Amen. ⁶It cannot be said that God broke his promise. After all, not all of the people of Israel are the true people of God. ^7-8In fact, when God made the promise to Abraham, he meant only Abraham's descendants by his son Isaac. God was talking only about Isaac when he promised ⁹Sarah, "At this time next year I will return, and you will already have a son."     ¹⁰Don't forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. ^11-12Even before they were born or had done anything good or bad, the Lord told Rebekah that her older son would serve the younger one. The Lord said this to show that he makes his own choices and that it wasn't because of anything either of them had done. ¹³That's why the Scriptures say that the Lord liked Jacob more than Esau.
    ¹⁴Are we saying that God is unfair? Certainly not! ¹⁵The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to. ¹⁶Everything then depends on God's mercy and not on what people want or do. ¹⁷In the Scriptures the Lord says to Pharaoh of Egypt, "I let you become Pharaoh, so that I could show you my power and be praised by all people on earth." ¹⁸Everything depends on what God decides to do, and he can either have pity on people or make them stubborn.
   

God's Anger and Mercy

 ¹⁹Someone may ask, "How can God blame us, if he makes us behave in the way he wants us to?" ²⁰But, my friend, I ask, "Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did? ²¹Doesn't a potter have the right to make a fancy bowl and a plain bowl out of the same lump of clay?"    

Footnotes:

1. Romans 9:5 Christ. I pray that God, who rules over all, will be praised forever: Or " Christ, who rules over all. I pray that God will be praised forever" or " Christ. And I pray that Christ, who is God and rules over all, will be praised forever."

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Psalm 19:1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 19

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

The Wonders of God and the Goodness of His Law

 ¹The heavens keep telling    the wonders of God,
   and the skies declare
   what he has done.
    ²Each day informs
   the following day;
   each night announces
   to the next.
    ³They don't speak a word,
   and there is never
   the sound of a voice.
    ⁴Yet their message reaches
   all the earth,
   and it travels
   around the world.
   In the heavens a tent
   is set up for the sun.
    ⁵It rises like a bridegroom
   and gets ready like a hero
   eager to run a race.
    ⁶It travels all the way
   across the sky.
   Nothing hides from its heat.
    ⁷The Law of the LORD is perfect;
   it gives us new life.
   His teachings last forever,
   and they give wisdom
   to ordinary people.
    ⁸The LORD's instruction is right;
   it makes our hearts glad.
   His commands shine brightly,
   and they give us light.
    ⁹Worshiping the LORD is sacred;
   he will always be worshiped.
   All of his decisions
   are correct and fair.
    ¹⁰They are worth more
   than the finest gold
   and are sweeter than honey
   from a honeycomb.
    ¹¹By your teachings, Lord,
   I am warned;
   by obeying them,
   I am greatly rewarded.
    ¹²None of us know our faults.
   Forgive me when I sin
   without knowing it.
    ¹³Don't let me do wrong
   on purpose, Lord,
   or let sin have control
   over my life.
   Then I will be innocent,
   and not guilty
   of some terrible fault.
    ¹⁴Let my words and my thoughts
   be pleasing to you, LORD,
   because you are my mighty rock ^[a] and my protector.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 19:14 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 20:1 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 20

Words of Wisdom Are Better than Gold

 ¹It isn't smart to get drunk!    Drinking makes a fool of you
   and leads to fights.

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Verse of the Day

“As soon as you command, I do what you say.” - Psalm 119:60

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Stuart Chase, American economist and engineer trained at MIT, wrote, “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.”