Bible Readings for September 1, 2023

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Job 40:1–42:17; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Psalm 45:1-17; and Proverbs 22:14. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Job 40-42:17 (Contemporary English Version)

Job 40

The LORD Continues

I Am the LORD All-Powerful

 ¹I am the LORD All-Powerful,     ²but you have argued
   that I am wrong.
   Now you must answer me.
    ³Job said to the LORD:
    ⁴Who am I to answer you?
    ⁵I did speak once or twice,
   but never again.
    ⁶Then out of the storm
   the LORD said to Job:
    ⁷Face me and answer
   the questions I ask!
    ⁸Are you trying to prove
   that you are innocent
   by accusing me of injustice?
    ⁹Do you have a powerful arm
   and a thundering voice
   that compare with mine?
    ¹⁰If so, then surround yourself
   with glory and majesty.
    ¹¹Show your furious anger!
   Throw down and crush
    ¹²all who are proud and evil.
    ¹³Wrap them in grave clothes
   and bury them together
   in the dusty soil.
    ¹⁴Do this, and I will agree
   that you have won
   this argument.     

I Created You

 ¹⁵I created both you    and the hippopotamus. ^[a] It eats only grass like an ox,
    ¹⁶but look at the mighty muscles
   in its body ¹⁷and legs.
   Its tail is like a cedar tree,
   and its thighs are thick.
    ¹⁸The bones in its legs
   are like bronze or iron.
    ¹⁹I made it more powerful
   than any other creature,
   yet I am stronger still.
    ²⁰Undisturbed, it eats grass
   while the other animals
   play nearby. ^[b] ²¹It rests in the shade of trees
   along the riverbank
    ²²or hides among reeds
   in the swamp.
    ²³It remains calm and unafraid
   with the Jordan River rushing
   and splashing in its face.
    ²⁴There is no way to capture
   a hippopotamus--
   not even by hooking its nose
   or blinding its eyes.
    

Job 41

The LORD Continues

Can You Catch a Sea Monster?

 ¹Can you catch a sea monster ^[c] by using a fishhook?    Can you tie its mouth shut
   with a rope?
    ²Can it be led around
   by a ring in its nose
   or a hook in its jaw?
    ³Will it beg for mercy?
    ⁴Will it surrender
   as a slave for life?
    ⁵Can it be tied by the leg
   like a pet bird
   for little girls?
    ⁶Is it ever chopped up
   and its pieces bargained for
   in the fish-market?
    ⁷Can it be killed
   with harpoons or spears?
    ⁸Wrestle it just once--
   that will be the end.
    ⁹Merely a glimpse of this monster
   makes all courage melt.
    ¹⁰And if it is too fierce
   for anyone to attack,
   who would dare oppose me?
    ¹¹I am in command of the world
   and in debt to no one.
    ¹²What powerful legs,
   what a stout body
   this monster possesses!
    ¹³Who could strip off its armor
   or bring it under control
   with a harness?
    ¹⁴Who would try to open its jaws,
   full of fearsome teeth?
    ¹⁵Its back ^[d] is covered with shield after shield,
    ¹⁶firmly bound and closer together
    ¹⁷than breath to breath.     

When This Monster Sneezes

 ¹⁸When this monster sneezes,    lightning flashes,
   and its eyes
   glow like the dawn.
    ¹⁹Sparks and fiery flames
   explode from its mouth.
    ²⁰And smoke spews from its nose
   like steam
   from a boiling pot,
    ²¹while its blazing breath
   scorches everything in sight.
    ²²Its neck is so tremendous
   that everyone trembles,
    ²³the weakest parts of its body
   are harder than iron,
    ²⁴and its heart is stone.
    ²⁵When this noisy monster appears,
   even the most powerful ^[e] turn and run in fear.
    ²⁶No sword or spear can harm it,
    ²⁷and weapons of bronze or iron
   are as useless
   as straw
   or rotten wood.
    ²⁸Rocks thrown from a sling
   cause it no more harm
   than husks of grain.
   This monster fears no arrows,
    ²⁹it simply smiles at spears,
   and striking it with a stick
   is like slapping it with straw.
    ³⁰As it crawls through the mud,
   its sharp and spiny hide
   tears the ground apart.
    ³¹And when it swims down deep,
   the sea starts churning
   like boiling oil,
    ³²and it leaves behind a trail
   of shining white foam.
    ³³No other creature on earth
   is so fearless.
    ³⁴It is king of all proud creatures,
   and it looks upon the others
   as nothing.
    

Job 42

Job's Reply to the LORD

No One Can Oppose You

 ¹Job said:     ²No one can oppose you,
   because you have the power
   to do what you want.
    ³You asked why I talk so much
   when I know so little.
   I have talked about things
   that are far beyond
   my understanding.
    ⁴You told me to listen
   and answer your questions. ^[f] ⁵I heard about you from others;
   now I have seen you
   with my own eyes.
    ⁶That's why I hate myself
   and sit here in dust and ashes
   to show my sorrow.     

The LORD Corrects Job's Friends

 ⁷The LORD said to Eliphaz:    What my servant Job has said about me is true, but I am angry at you and your two friends for not telling the truth. ⁸So I want you to go over to Job and offer seven bulls and seven goats on an altar as a sacrifice to please me. ^[g] After this, Job will pray, and I will agree not to punish you for your foolishness. ⁹Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar obeyed the LORD, and he answered Job's prayer.     

A Happy Ending

 ¹⁰After Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made Job twice as rich as he had been before. ¹¹Then Job gave a feast for his brothers and sisters and for his old friends. They expressed their sorrow for the suffering the LORD had brought on him, and they each gave Job some silver and a gold ring.     ¹²The LORD now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.
    ¹³In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters, ¹⁴whose names were Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren Happuch. ¹⁵They were the most beautiful women in that part of the world, and Job gave them shares of his property, along with their brothers.
    ¹⁶Job lived for another one hundred forty years--long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own-- ¹⁷and when he finally died, he was very old.
    

Footnotes:

1. Job 40:15 the hippopotamus: The Hebrew text has "Behemoth," which was sometimes understood to be a sea monster like Rahab (9.13; 26.12), Leviathan (3.8; 41.1), and Tannin (7.12).
2. Job 40:20 nearby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.
3. Job 41:1 sea monster: The Hebrew text has "Leviathan," which may refer to a sea monster or possibly to a crocodile in this verse (see the note at 3.8).
4. Job 41:15 back: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "pride."
5. Job 41:25 most powerful: Or "gods."
6. Job 42:4 questions: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.
7. Job 42:8 sacrifice to please me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called "whole burnt offerings" because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called "sacrifices to please the LORD."

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2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Bringing People to God

 ¹¹We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to him. God himself knows what we are like, and I hope you also know what kind of people we are. ¹²We are not trying once more to brag about ourselves. But we want you to be proud of us, when you are with those who are not sincere and brag about what others think of them.     ¹³If we seem out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. ¹⁴We are ruled by Christ's love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. ¹⁵And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.
    ¹⁶We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way. ¹⁷Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. ¹⁸God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
    ¹⁹What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. ²⁰We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. ²¹Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.

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Psalm 45:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 45

(A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies." A love song.)

For a Royal Wedding

 ¹My thoughts are filled    with beautiful words
   for the king,
   and I will use my voice
   as a writer would use
   pen and ink.
    ²No one is as handsome as you!
   Your words are always kind.
   That is why God
   will always bless you.
    ³Mighty king, glorious ruler,
   strap on your sword
    ⁴and ride out in splendor!
   Win victories for truth
   and mercy and justice.
   Do fearsome things
   with your powerful arm.
    ⁵Send your sharp arrows
   through enemy hearts
   and make all nations fall
   at your feet.
    ⁶You are God, and you will rule
   forever as king. ^[a] Your royal power
   brings about justice.
    ⁷You love justice and hate evil.
   And so, your God chose you
   and made you happier
   than any of your friends.
    ⁸The sweet aroma of the spices
   myrrh, aloes, and cassia,
   covers your royal robes.
   You enjoy the music of harps
   in palaces decorated
   with ivory.
    ⁹Daughters of kings are here,
   and your bride stands
   at your right side,
   wearing a wedding gown
   trimmed with pure gold. ^[b] ¹⁰Bride of the king,
   listen carefully to me.
   Forget your own people
   and your father's family.
    ¹¹The king is your husband,
   so do what he desires.
    ¹²All of the richest people
   from the city of Tyre
   will try to influence you
    ¹³with precious treasures.
   Your bride, my king,
   has inward beauty, ^[c] and her wedding gown is woven
   with threads of gold.
    ¹⁴Wearing the finest garments,
   she is brought to you,
   followed by her young friends,
   the bridesmaids.
    ¹⁵Everyone is excited,
   as they follow you
   to the royal palace.
    ¹⁶Your sons and your grandsons
   will also be kings
   as your ancestors were.
   You will make them the rulers
   everywhere on earth.
    ¹⁷I will make your name famous
   from now on,
   and you will be praised
   forever and ever.
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 45:6 You. . . king: Or " God has made you king, and you will rule forever."
2. Psalm 45:9 trimmed with pure gold: Hebrew has " with gold from Ophir," which may have been in Africa or India. Gold from there was considered the very best.
3. Psalm 45:13 has inward beauty: Or " is dressed in her room."

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Proverbs 22:14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴The words of a bad woman
   are like a deep pit;
   if you make the LORD angry,
   you will fall right in.

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Thought for the Day

 

“Teach your children right from wrong, and when they are grown they will still do right.” (Proverbs 22:6 - Contemporary English Version) We all have the responsibility to teach our children the difference between right and wrong, humility and arrogance, wisdom and ignorance, compassion and neglect. And even though our words are important, our best lessons are the lives we choose to live.

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Quote for the Day

American leader of organized labor and civil rights activist who built the United Automobile Workers (UAW) into one of the most progressive labor unions in American history, Walter Reuther wrote, "There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well."

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A Joke for Today

Boss: Experts say that humor on the job relieves tension in this time of downsizing. Knock, knock.

Employee: Who's there?

Boss: Not you anymore.

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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 the war in Ukraine be settled as soon as possible.

Bible Readings for August 31, 2023

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Job 37:1–39:30; 2 Corinthians 4:13–5:10; Psalm 44:9-26; and Proverbs 22:13. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Job 37-39:30 (Contemporary English Version)

Job 37

Elihu Continues

I Am Frightened

 ¹I am frightened

   and tremble all over,

    ²when I hear the roaring voice

   of God in the thunder,

    ³and when I see his lightning

   flash across the sky.

    ⁴God's majestic voice

   thunders his commands, ^[a] ⁵creating miracles too marvelous

   for us to understand.

    ⁶Snow and heavy rainstorms

    ⁷make us stop and think

   about God's power,

    ⁸and they force animals

   to seek shelter.

    ⁹The windstorms of winter strike,

    ¹⁰and the breath of God

   freezes streams and rivers.

    ¹¹Rain clouds filled with lightning

   appear at God's command,

    ¹²traveling across the sky

    ¹³to release their cargo--

   sometimes as punishment for sin,

   sometimes as kindness.   

Consider Carefully

 ¹⁴Job, consider carefully

   the many wonders of God.

    ¹⁵Can you explain why lightning

   flashes

   at the orders

    ¹⁶of God who knows all things?

   Or how he hangs the clouds

   in empty space?

    ¹⁷You almost melt in the heat

   of fierce desert winds

   when the sky is like brass.

    ¹⁸God can spread out the clouds

   to get relief from the heat,

   but can you?

    ¹⁹Tell us what to say to God!

   Our minds are in the dark,

   and we don't know how

   to argue our case.

    ²⁰Should I risk my life

   by telling God

   that I want to speak?

    ²¹No one can stare at the sun

   after a breeze has blown

   the clouds from the sky.

    ²²Yet the glorious splendor

   of God All-Powerful

   is brighter by far.

    ²³God cannot be seen--

   but his power is great,

   and he is always fair.

    ²⁴And so we humans fear God,

   because he shows no respect

   for those who are proud

   and think they know so much.

   

Job 38

The LORD Speaks

From Out of a Storm

 ¹From out of a storm,

   the LORD said to Job:

    ²Why do you talk so much

   when you know so little?

    ³Now get ready to face me!

   Can you answer

   the questions I ask?

    ⁴How did I lay the foundation

   for the earth?

   Were you there?

    ⁵Doubtless you know who decided

   its length and width.

    ⁶What supports the foundation?

   Who placed the cornerstone,

    ⁷while morning stars sang,

   and angels rejoiced?

    ⁸When the ocean was born,

   I set its boundaries

    ⁹and wrapped it in blankets

   of thickest fog.

    ¹⁰Then I built a wall around it,

   locked the gates, ¹¹and said,

   "Your powerful waves stop here!

   They can go no farther."   

Did You Ever Tell the Sun To Rise?

 ¹²Did you ever tell the sun to rise?

   And did it obey?

    ¹³Did it take hold of the earth

   and shake out the wicked

   like dust from a rug?

    ¹⁴Early dawn outlines the hills

   like stitches on clothing

   or sketches on clay.

    ¹⁵But its light is too much

   for those who are evil,

   and their power is broken.

    ¹⁶Job, have you ever walked

   on the ocean floor?

    ¹⁷Have you seen the gate

   to the world of the dead?

    ¹⁸And how large is the earth?

   Tell me, if you know!

    ¹⁹Where is the home of light,

   and where does darkness live?

    ²⁰Can you lead them home?

    ²¹I'm certain you must be able to,

   since you were already born

   when I created everything.

    ²²Have you been to the places

   where I keep snow and hail,

    ²³until I use them to punish

   and conquer nations?

    ²⁴From where does lightning leap,

   or the east wind blow?

    ²⁵Who carves out a path

   for thunderstorms?

   Who sends torrents of rain

    ²⁶on empty deserts

   where no one lives?

    ²⁷Rain that changes barren land

   to meadows green with grass.

    ²⁸Who is the father of the dew

   and of the rain?

    ²⁹Who gives birth to the sleet

   and the frost

    ³⁰that fall in winter,

   when streams and lakes

   freeze solid as a rock?   

Can You Arrange Stars?

 ³¹Can you arrange stars in groups

   such as Orion

   and the Pleiades?

    ³²Do you control the stars

   or set in place the Big Dipper

   and the Little Dipper?

    ³³Do you know the laws

   that govern the heavens,

   and can you make them rule

   the earth?

    ³⁴Can you order the clouds

   to send a downpour,

    ³⁵or will lightning flash

   at your command?

    ³⁶Did you teach birds to know

   that rain or floods

   are on their way? ^[b] ³⁷Can you count the clouds

   or pour out their water

    ³⁸on the dry, lumpy soil?

    ³⁹When lions are hungry,

   do you help them hunt?

    ⁴⁰Do you send an animal

   into their den?

    ⁴¹And when starving young ravens

   cry out to me for food,

   do you satisfy their hunger?

   

Job 39

The LORD Continues

When Do Mountain Goats Give Birth?

 ¹When do mountain goats

   and deer give birth?

   Have you been there

   when their young are born?

    ²How long are they pregnant

    ³before they deliver?

    ⁴Soon their young grow strong

   and then leave

   to be on their own.

    ⁵Who set wild donkeys free?

    ⁶I alone help them survive

   in salty desert sand.

    ⁷They stay far from crowded cities

   and refuse to be tamed.

    ⁸Instead, they roam the hills,

   searching for pastureland.

    ⁹Would a wild ox agree

   to live in your barn

   and labor for you?

    ¹⁰Could you force him to plow

   or to drag a heavy log

   to smooth out the soil?

    ¹¹Can you depend on him

   to use his great strength

   and do your heavy work?

    ¹²Can you trust him

   to harvest your grain

   or take it to your barn

   from the threshing place?   

An Ostrich Proudly Flaps Her Wings

 ¹³An ostrich proudly

   flaps her wings,

   but not because

   she loves her young.

    ¹⁴She abandons her eggs

   and lets the dusty ground

   keep them warm.

    ¹⁵And she doesn't seem to worry

   that the feet of an animal

   could crush them all.

    ¹⁶She treats her eggs as though

   they were not her own,

   unconcerned that her work

   might be for nothing.

    ¹⁷I myself made her foolish

   and without common sense.

    ¹⁸But once she starts running, ^[c] she laughs at a rider

   on the fastest horse.   

Did You Give Horses Their Strength?

 ¹⁹Did you give horses their strength

   and the flowing hair

   along their necks?

    ²⁰Did you make them able

   to jump like grasshoppers

   or to frighten people

   with their snorting?

    ²¹Before horses are ridden

   into battle,

   they paw at the ground,

   proud of their strength.

    ²²Laughing at fear, they rush

   toward the fighting,

    ²³while the weapons of their riders

   rattle and flash in the sun.

    ²⁴Unable to stand still,

   they gallop eagerly into battle

   when trumpets blast.

    ²⁵Stirred by the distant smells

   and sounds of war,

   they snort

   in reply to the trumpet.

    ²⁶Did you teach hawks to fly south

   for the winter?

    ²⁷Did you train eagles ^[d] to build ²⁸their nests on rocky cliffs,

    ²⁹where they can look down

   to spot their next meal?

    ³⁰Then their young gather to feast

   wherever the victim lies.

   

Footnotes:

1. Job 37:4 commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.
2. Job 38:36 way: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 36.
3. Job 39:18 starts running: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Job 39:27 eagles: Or "vultures."

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2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³In the Scriptures it says, "I spoke because I had faith." We have that same kind of faith. So we speak ¹⁴because we know that God raised the Lord Jesus to life. And just as God raised Jesus, he will also raise us to life. Then he will bring us into his presence together with you. ¹⁵All of this has been done for you, so that more and more people will know how kind God is and will praise and honor him.   

Faith in the Lord

 ¹⁶We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day. ¹⁷These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. ¹⁸Things that are seen don't last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That's why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.

   

2 Corinthians 5

 ¹Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. ²While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. ³We want to put it on like clothes and not be naked.

    ⁴These tents we now live in are like a heavy burden, and we groan. But we don't do this just because we want to leave these bodies that will die. It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die. ⁵God is the one who makes all of this possible. He has given us his Spirit to make us certain that he will do it. ⁶So always be cheerful!

   As long as we are in these bodies, we are away from the Lord. ⁷But we live by faith, not by what we see. ⁸We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord. ⁹But whether we are at home with the Lord or away from him, we still try our best to please him. ¹⁰After all, Christ will judge each of us for the good or the bad that we do while living in these bodies.

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Psalm 44:9-26 (Contemporary English Version)

⁹But now you have rejected us;

   you don't lead us into battle,

   and we look foolish.

    ¹⁰You made us retreat,

   and our enemies have taken

   everything we own.

    ¹¹You let us be slaughtered

   like sheep,

   and you scattered us

   among the nations.

    ¹²You sold your people

   for little or nothing,

   and you earned no profit.

    ¹³You made us look foolish

   to our neighbors,

   and people who live nearby

   insult us and sneer.

    ¹⁴Foreigners joke about us

   and shake their heads.

    ¹⁵I am embarrassed every day,

   and I blush with shame.

    ¹⁶But others mock and sneer,

   as they watch my enemies

   take revenge on me.

    ¹⁷All of this has happened to us,

   though we didn't forget you

   or break our agreement.

    ¹⁸We always kept you in mind

   and followed your teaching.

    ¹⁹But you crushed us,

   and you covered us

   with deepest darkness

   where wild animals live.

    ²⁰We did not forget you

   or lift our hands in prayer

   to foreign gods.

    ²¹You would have known it

   because you discover

   every secret thought.

    ²²We face death all day for you.

   We are like sheep on their way

   to be slaughtered.

    ²³Wake up! Do something, Lord!

   Why are you sleeping?

   Don't desert us forever.

    ²⁴Why do you keep looking away?

   Don't forget our sufferings

   and all of our troubles.

    ²⁵We are flat on the ground,

   holding on to the dust.

    ²⁶Do something! Help us!

   Show how kind you are

   and come to our rescue.

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Proverbs 22:13 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³Don't be so lazy that you say,

   "If I go to work,

   a lion will eat me!"

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Thought for the Day

 

“Bow down and worship the LORD our Creator! The LORD is our God, and we are his people, the sheep he takes care of in his own pasture. Listen to God's voice today!” (Psalm 95:6-7 - Contemporary English Version) Our lives can become incredibly busy, and we can feel pulled in several directions at the same time. Still, in the middle of it all, it's important for us to pause and recognize that we belong to the Lord and that he will lead us through.

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Quote for the Day

American journalist who covered world news for more than 60 years, Daniel Schorr wrote, "All news is an exaggeration of life."

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A Joke for Today

While enjoying an early morning breakfast in a northern Arizona cafe, four elderly ranchers were discussing everything from cattle, horses, and weather to how things used to be in the "good old days."

Eventually the conversation moved on to their spouses. One gentleman turned to the fellow on his right and asked, "Roy, aren't you and your bride celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary soon?"

"Yup, we sure are," Roy replied.

"Well, are you gonna do anything special to celebrate?" another man asked.

The old gentleman pondered this for a moment, then replied, "For our 25th anniversary, I took the misses to Tucson. For our 50th, I'm thinking about going down there again to pick her up."

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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 respect and honor our parents and raise our children with compassion.