Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Micah 5:1–7:20; Revelation 7:1-17; Psalm 135:1-21; and Proverbs 30:5-6. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Micah 5-7:20 (Contemporary English Version)
Micah 5
A Promised Ruler
1Jerusalem, enemy troops have surrounded you; a] they have struck Israel's rulerin the face with a stick.
2Bethlehem Ephrath,
you are one of the smallest towns
in the nation of Judah.
But the LORD will choose
one of your people
to rule the nation--
someone whose family
goes back to ancient times. b] 3The LORD will abandon Israel
only until this ruler is born,
and the rest of his family
returns to Israel.
4Like a shepherd
taking care of his sheep,
this ruler will lead
and care for his people
by the power and glorious name
of the LORD his God.
His people will live securely,
and the whole earth will know
his true greatness,
5because he will bring peace.
Let Assyria attack our country
and our palaces.
We will counterattack,
led by a number of rulers
Assyria Will Be Defeated
6whose strong army will defeat the nation of Assyria. c] Yes, our leaders will rescue us,if those Assyrians
dare to invade our land.
The Survivors Will Be Safe
7A few of Jacob's descendants survived and are scatteredamong the nations.
But the LORD will let them
cover the earth
like dew and rain
that refreshes the soil.
8At present they are scattered,
but later they will attack,
as though they were fierce lions
pouncing on sheep.
Their enemies will be torn
to shreds,
with no one to save them;
9they will be helpless,
completely destroyed.
Idols Will Be Destroyed in Israel
10The LORD said: At that time I will wipe outyour cavalry and chariots,
11as well as your cities
and your fortresses.
12I will stop you
from telling fortunes
and practicing witchcraft.
13You will no longer worship
the idols or stone images
you have made--
I will destroy them,
14together with the sacred poles d] and even your towns.
15I will become furious
and take revenge
on the nations
that refuse to obey me.
Micah 6
The LORD's Challenge to His People
1The LORD said to his people: Come and present your caseto the hills and mountains.
2Israel, I am bringing charges
against you--
I call upon the mountains
and the earth's firm foundation
to be my witnesses.
3My people, have I wronged you
in any way at all?
Please tell me.
4I rescued you from Egypt,
where you were slaves.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
to be your leaders.
5Don't forget the evil plans
of King Balak of Moab
or what Balaam son of Beor e] said to him.
Remember how I, the LORD,
saved you many times
on your way from Acacia
to Gilgal. f]
True Obedience
6What offering should I bring when I bow down to worshipthe LORD God Most High?
Should I try to please him g] by sacrificing
calves a year old?
7Will thousands of sheep
or rivers of olive oil
make God satisfied with me?
Should I sacrifice to the LORD
my first-born child
as payment
for my terrible sins?
8The LORD God has told us
what is right
and what he demands:
"See that justice is done,
let mercy be your first concern,
and humbly obey your God."
Cheating and Violence
9I am the LORD, and it makes sense to respectmy power to punish.
So listen to my message
for the city of Jerusalem: h] 10You store up stolen treasures
and use dishonest scales. i] 11But I, the LORD, will punish you
for cheating with weights
and with measures.
12You rich people are violent,
and everyone tells lies.
13Because of your sins,
I will wound you
and leave you
ruined and defenseless.
14You will eat,
but still be hungry;
you will store up goods,
but lose everything--
I, the LORD, will let it all
be captured in war.
15You won't harvest what you plant
or use the oil
from your olive trees
or drink the wine
from grapes you grow.
16Jerusalem, this will happen
because you followed
the sinful example
of kings Omri and Ahab. j] Now I will destroy you
and your property.
Then the people of every nation
will make fun and insult you.
Micah 7
Israel Is Corrupt
1I feel so empty inside-- like someone starvingfor grapes or figs,
after the vines and trees
have all been picked clean.
2No one is loyal to God;
no one does right.
Everyone is brutal
and eager to deceive
everyone else.
3People cooperate to commit crime.
Judges and leaders demand bribes,
and rulers cheat in court. k] 4The most honest of them
is worse than a thorn patch.
Your doom has come!
Lookouts sound the warning,
and everyone panics.
5Don't trust anyone,
not even your best friend,
and be careful what you say
to the one you love.
6Sons refuse to respect
their own fathers,
daughters rebel against
their own mothers,
and daughters-in-law despise
their mothers-in-law.
Your family is now your enemy.
7But I trust the LORD God
to save me,
and I will wait for him
to answer my prayer.
The Nation Turns to God
8My enemies, don't be glad because of my troubles!I may have fallen,
but I will get up;
I may be sitting in the dark,
but the LORD is my light.
9I have sinned against the LORD.
And so I must endure his anger,
until he comes to my defense.
But I know that I will see him
making things right for me
and leading me to the light.
10You, my enemies, said,
"The LORD God is helpless."
Now each of you
will be disgraced
and put to shame.
I will see you trampled
like mud in the street.
A Bright Future
11Towns of Judah, the day is coming when your walls will be rebuilt,and your boundaries enlarged.
12People will flock to you
from Assyria and Egypt,
from Babylonia l] and everywhere else.
13Those nations will suffer disaster
because of what they did.
Micah's Prayer and the LORD's Answer
14Lead your people, LORD! Come and be our shepherd.Grasslands surround us,
but we live in a forest.
So lead us to Bashan and Gilead, m] and let us find pasture
as we did long ago.
15I, the LORD, will work miracles
just as I did
when I led you
out of Egypt.
16Nations will see this
and be ashamed
because
of their helpless armies.
They will be in shock,
unable to speak or hear,
17because of their fear of me,
your LORD and God.
Then they will come trembling,
crawling out of their fortresses
like insects or snakes,
lapping up the dust.
No One Is Like God
The people said:
18Our God, no one is like you. We are all that is leftof your chosen people,
and you freely forgive
our sin and guilt.
You don't stay angry forever;
you're glad to have pity
19and pleased to be merciful.
You will trample on our sins
and throw them in the sea.
20You will keep your word
and be faithful to Jacob
and to Abraham,
as you promised our ancestors
many years ago.
Footnotes:
- Micah 5:1 Jerusalem. . . you: Or "Jerusalem, you are slashing yourself in sorrow, because of the enemy troops."
- Micah 5:2 family. . . times: Or "kingdom is eternal."
- Micah 5:6 the nation of Assyria: The Hebrew text uses both "land of Assyria" and "land of Nimrod," which was a poetic name for Assyria.
- Micah 5:14 sacred poles: Used in the worship of Asherah, the fertility goddess.
- Micah 6:5 Balak. . . Beor: See Numbers 22-24.
- Micah 6:5 Acacia to Gilgal: Acacia was where the Israelites camped after the experience with Balaam (see Numbers 25.1; Joshua 2.1; 3.1); Gilgal was where they camped while waiting to attack Jericho (see Joshua 4.19--5.12).
- Micah 6:6 try to please him: This refers to what are traditionally called "burnt sacrifices," which were offered as a way of pleasing the LORD.
- Micah 6:9 Jerusalem: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 9.
- Micah 6:10 scales: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
- Micah 6:16 Omri and Ahab: King Ahab was the son of Omri and the husband of the evil Jezebel. Almost two centuries before Micah, the prophet Elijah had spoken against the idolatry and the other sinful practices that Ahab had encouraged in Israel (see 1 Kings 16.21-34; 18.1-18; 21.1-26).
- Micah 7:3 court: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 3.
- Micah 7:12 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has "the river," meaning the Euphrates River, which stood for Babylonia.
- Micah 7:14 Bashan and Gilead: Two regions east of the Jordan River, known for their fertile pasturelands.
Revelation 7:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)
Revelation 7
The 144,000 Are Marked for God
- 1-2After this I saw four angels. Each one was standing on one of the earth's four corners. The angels held back the four winds, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. These angels had also been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Then I saw another angel come up from where the sun rises in the east, and he was ready to put the mark of the living God on people. He shouted to the four angels, 3"Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard how many people had been marked on the forehead. There were one hundred forty-four thousand, and they came from every tribe of Israel:
512,000 from Judah,
12,000 from Reuben,
12,000 from Gad,
612,000 from Asher,
12,000 from Naphtali,
12,000 from Manasseh,
712,000 from Simeon,
12,000 from Levi,
12,000 from Issachar,
812,000 from Zebulun,
12,000 from Joseph, and
12,000 from Benjamin.
- 1-2After this I saw four angels. Each one was standing on one of the earth's four corners. The angels held back the four winds, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. These angels had also been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Then I saw another angel come up from where the sun rises in the east, and he was ready to put the mark of the living God on people. He shouted to the four angels, 3"Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard how many people had been marked on the forehead. There were one hundred forty-four thousand, and they came from every tribe of Israel:
512,000 from Judah,
12,000 from Reuben,
12,000 from Gad,
612,000 from Asher,
12,000 from Naphtali,
12,000 from Manasseh,
712,000 from Simeon,
12,000 from Levi,
12,000 from Issachar,
812,000 from Zebulun,
12,000 from Joseph, and
12,000 from Benjamin.
People from Every Nation
- 9After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, 10as they shouted, "Our God, who sits
upon the throne,
has the power
to save his people,
and so does the Lamb."
11The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshiped God 12and said,
"Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom,
thanks, honor, power,
and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen!"
13One of the elders asked me, "Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?"
14"Sir," I answered, "you must know."
Then he told me:
"These are the ones
who have gone through
the great suffering.
They have washed their robes
in the blood of the Lamb
and have made them white.
15And so they stand
before the throne of God
and worship him in his temple
day and night.
The one who sits on the throne
will spread his tent
over them.
16They will never hunger
or thirst again,
and they won't be troubled
by the sun
or any scorching heat.
17The Lamb in the center
of the throne
will be their shepherd.
He will lead them to streams
of life-giving water,
and God will wipe all tears
from their eyes."
- 9After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, 10as they shouted, "Our God, who sitsfrom their eyes."
upon the throne,
has the power
to save his people,
and so does the Lamb."
11The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshiped God 12and said,
"Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom,
thanks, honor, power,
and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen!"
13One of the elders asked me, "Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?"
14"Sir," I answered, "you must know."
Then he told me:
"These are the ones
who have gone through
the great suffering.
They have washed their robes
in the blood of the Lamb
and have made them white.
15And so they stand
before the throne of God
and worship him in his temple
day and night.
The one who sits on the throne
will spread his tent
over them.
16They will never hunger
or thirst again,
and they won't be troubled
by the sun
or any scorching heat.
17The Lamb in the center
of the throne
will be their shepherd.
He will lead them to streams
of life-giving water,
and God will wipe all tears
Psalm 135:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 135
In Praise of the LORD's Kindness
1Shout praises to the LORD! You are his servants,
so praise his name.
2All who serve in the temple
of the LORD our God,
3come and shout praises.
Praise the name of the LORD!
He is kind and good.
4He chose the family of Jacob
and the people of Israel
for his very own.
5The LORD is much greater
than any other god.
6He does as he chooses
in heaven and on earth
and deep in the sea.
7The LORD makes the clouds rise
from far across the earth,
and he makes lightning
to go with the rain.
Then from his secret place
he sends out the wind.
8The LORD killed the first-born
of people and animals
in the land of Egypt.
9God used miracles and wonders
to fight the king of Egypt
and all of his officials.
10He destroyed many nations
and killed powerful kings,
11including King Sihon
of the Amorites
and King Og of Bashan.
He conquered every kingdom
in the land of Canaan
12and gave their property
to his people Israel.
13The name of the LORD
will be remembered forever,
and he will be famous
for all time to come.
14The LORD will bring justice
and show mercy
to all
who serve him.
15Idols of silver and gold
are made
and worshiped
in other nations.
16They have a mouth and eyes,
but they can't speak or see.
17They are completely deaf,
and they can't breathe.
18Everyone who makes idols
and all who trust them
will end up as helpless
as their idols.
19Everyone in Israel,
come praise the LORD!
All the family of Aaron
20and all the tribe of Levi, a] come praise the LORD!
All of his worshipers,
come praise the LORD.
21Praise the LORD from Zion!
He lives here in Jerusalem.
Shout praises to the LORD!
Footnotes:- Psalm 135:20 Aaron. . . Levi: Aaron was from the tribe of Levi, and all priests were from his family. The temple helpers, singers, and musicians were also from the tribe of Levi.
so praise his name.
2All who serve in the temple
of the LORD our God,
3come and shout praises.
Praise the name of the LORD!
He is kind and good.
4He chose the family of Jacob
and the people of Israel
for his very own.
5The LORD is much greater
than any other god.
6He does as he chooses
in heaven and on earth
and deep in the sea.
7The LORD makes the clouds rise
from far across the earth,
and he makes lightning
to go with the rain.
Then from his secret place
he sends out the wind.
8The LORD killed the first-born
of people and animals
in the land of Egypt.
9God used miracles and wonders
to fight the king of Egypt
and all of his officials.
10He destroyed many nations
and killed powerful kings,
11including King Sihon
of the Amorites
and King Og of Bashan.
He conquered every kingdom
in the land of Canaan
12and gave their property
to his people Israel.
13The name of the LORD
will be remembered forever,
and he will be famous
for all time to come.
14The LORD will bring justice
and show mercy
to all
who serve him.
15Idols of silver and gold
are made
and worshiped
in other nations.
16They have a mouth and eyes,
but they can't speak or see.
17They are completely deaf,
and they can't breathe.
18Everyone who makes idols
and all who trust them
will end up as helpless
as their idols.
19Everyone in Israel,
come praise the LORD!
All the family of Aaron
20and all the tribe of Levi, a] come praise the LORD!
All of his worshipers,
come praise the LORD.
21Praise the LORD from Zion!
He lives here in Jerusalem.
Shout praises to the LORD!
Footnotes:
- Psalm 135:20 Aaron. . . Levi: Aaron was from the tribe of Levi, and all priests were from his family. The temple helpers, singers, and musicians were also from the tribe of Levi.
Proverbs 30:5-6 (Contemporary English Version)
5Everything God says is true--
and it's a shield for all
who come to him for safety.
6Don't change what God has said!
He will correct you and show
that you are a liar.
and it's a shield for all
who come to him for safety.
6Don't change what God has said!
He will correct you and show
that you are a liar.
Thought for the Day
“Mary said: With all my heart I praise the Lord, and I am glad because of God my Savior. God All-Powerful has done great things for me, and his name is holy.” (Luke 1:46-47, 49 - Contemporary English Version) Although Mary’s position is unique, her praise of God can be claimed by all of us. You see, God is our savior. And he’s done great things for us. And his name will always be holy.
Quote for the Day
“Mary said: With all my heart I praise the Lord, and I am glad because of God my Savior. God All-Powerful has done great things for me, and his name is holy.” (Luke 1:46-47, 49 - Contemporary English Version) Although Mary’s position is unique, her praise of God can be claimed by all of us. You see, God is our savior. And he’s done great things for us. And his name will always be holy.
Prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic Revival style, Ralph Adams Cram wrote, “But freedom, liberty, is an attribute of the soul and it may exist even when the body is in bondage.”
Joke for Today
A young American tourist goes on a guided tour of a creepy old European castle. At the end of the tour the guide asks her how she enjoyed it. She admits to being a bit worried about seeing a ghost in some of the dark cobwebby rooms and passages.
"Don't worry," says the guide, "I've never seen a ghost all the time I've been here."
"How long is that?" asks the girl.
"About three hundred years..."
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That we're thankful for the opportunities and responsibilities we've been given.
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