Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Bible Readings for September 2, 2025

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 1:1–3:22; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Psalm 46:1-11; and Proverbs 22:15. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 


Ecclesiastes 1-3:22 (Contemporary English Version)


Ecclesiastes 1

Nothing Makes Sense

 1When the son of David was king in Jerusalem, he was known to be very wise, [a] and he said: 2Nothing makes sense!   Everything is nonsense. 
   I have seen it all-- 
   nothing makes sense! 
    3What is there to show 
   for all of our hard work 
   here on this earth? 
    4People come, and people go, 
   but still the world 
   never changes. 
    5The sun comes up, 
   the sun goes down; 
   it hurries right back 
   to where it started from. 
    6The wind blows south, 
   the wind blows north; 
   round and round it blows 
   over and over again. 
    7All rivers empty into the sea, 
   but it never spills over; 
   one by one the rivers return 
   to their source. [b] 8All of life is far more boring 
   than words could ever say. 
   Our eyes and our ears 
   are never satisfied 
   with what we see and hear. 
    9Everything that happens 
   has happened before; 
   nothing is new, 
   nothing under the sun. 
    10Someone might say, 
   "Here is something new!" 
   But it happened before, 
   long before we were born. 
    11No one who lived in the past 
   is remembered anymore, 
   and everyone yet to be born 
   will be forgotten too.     

It Is Senseless To Be Wise

 12I said these things when I lived in Jerusalem as king of Israel. 13With all my wisdom I tried to understand everything that happens here on earth. And God has made this so hard for us humans to do. 14I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind. [c] 15If something is crooked,    it can't be made straight; 
   if something isn't there, 
   it can't be counted. 
    16I said to myself, "You are by far the wisest person who has ever lived in Jerusalem. You are eager to learn, and you have learned a lot." 17Then I decided to find out all I could about wisdom and foolishness. Soon I realized that this too was as senseless as chasing the wind. 
    18The more you know, 
   the more you hurt; 
   the more you understand, 
   the more you suffer. 
    

Ecclesiastes 2

It Is Senseless To Be Selfish

 1I said to myself, "Have fun and enjoy yourself!" But this didn't make sense. 2Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do? 3I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself.     4I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards. 5I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees. 6And I had pools where I could get water for the trees. 7I owned slaves, and their sons and daughters became my slaves. I had more sheep and goats than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem. 8Foreign rulers brought me silver, gold, and precious treasures. Men and women sang for me, and I had many wives [d] who gave me great pleasure. 9I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise. 10I got whatever I wanted and did whatever made me happy. But most of all, I enjoyed my work. 11Then I thought about everything I had done, including the hard work, and it was simply chasing the wind. [e] Nothing on earth is worth the trouble. 

Wisdom Makes Sense

 12I asked myself, "What can the next king do that I haven't done?" Then I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and stupidity. 13And I discovered that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14Wisdom is like having two good eyes; foolishness leaves you in the dark. But wise or foolish, we all end up the same.     15Finally, I said to myself, "Being wise got me nowhere! The same thing will happen to me that happens to fools. Nothing makes sense. 16Wise or foolish, we all die and are soon forgotten." 17This made me hate life. Everything we do is painful; it's just as senseless as chasing the wind. 
    18Suddenly I realized that others would someday get everything I had worked for so hard, then I started hating it all. 19Who knows if those people will be sensible or stupid? Either way, they will own everything I have earned by hard work and wisdom. It doesn't make sense. 
    20I thought about all my hard work, and I felt depressed. 21When we use our wisdom, knowledge, and skill to get what we own, why do we have to leave it to someone who didn't work for it? This is senseless and wrong. 22What do we really gain from all of our hard work? 23Our bodies ache during the day, and work is torture. Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn't make sense. 
    24The best thing we can do is to enjoy eating, drinking, and working [f]. I believe these are God's gifts to us, 25and no one enjoys eating and living more than I do. 26If we please God, he will make us wise, understanding, and happy. But if we sin, God will make us struggle for a living, then he will give all we own to someone who pleases him. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind. [g] 
    

Ecclesiastes 3

Everything Has Its Time

 1Everything on earth    has its own time 
   and its own season. 
    2There is a time 
   for birth and death, 
   planting and reaping, 
    3for killing and healing, 
   destroying and building, 
    4for crying and laughing, 
   weeping and dancing, 
    5for throwing stones 
   and gathering stones, 
   embracing and parting. 
    6There is a time 
   for finding and losing, 
   keeping and giving, 
    7for tearing and sewing, 
   listening and speaking. 
    8There is also a time 
   for love and hate, 
   for war and peace.     

What God Has Given Us To Do

 9What do we gain by all of our hard work? 10I have seen what difficult things God demands of us. 11God makes everything happen at the right time. Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done, and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future. 12I know the best thing we can do is to always enjoy life, 13because God's gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do. 14Everything God has done will last forever; nothing he does can ever be changed. God has done all this, so that we will worship him.     15Everything that happens 
   has happened before, 
   and all that will be 
   has already been-- 
   God does everything 
   over and over again. [h] 

The Future Is Known Only to God

 16Everywhere on earth I saw violence and injustice instead of fairness and justice. 17So I told myself that God has set a time and a place for everything. He will judge everyone, both the wicked and the good. 18I know that God is testing us to show us that we are merely animals. 19Like animals we breathe and die, and we are no better off than they are. It just doesn't make sense. 20All living creatures go to the same place. We are made from earth, and we return to the earth. 21Who really knows if our spirits go up and the spirits of animals go down into the earth? 22We were meant to enjoy our work, and that's the best thing we can do. We can never know the future.    
 
Footnotes:
  1. Ecclesiastes 1:1 known to be very wise: This stands for the Hebrew word often translated "preacher" or "teacher." The word may refer to someone who was a very wise leader or to someone who had become wise from collecting sayings about wisdom.
  2. Ecclesiastes 1:7 return to their source: Or "flow into the sea."
  3. Ecclesiastes 1:14 chasing the wind: Or "eating the wind."
  4. Ecclesiastes 2:8 many wives: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. Ecclesiastes 2:11 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14.
  6. Ecclesiastes 2:24 The best. . .working: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  7. Ecclesiastes 2:26 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14,17.
  8. Ecclesiastes 3:15 God does. . . again: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.




2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)


2 Corinthians 6


 1We work together with God, and we beg you to make good use of God's kindness to you. 2In the Scriptures God says,   "When the time came, 
   I listened to you, 
   and when you needed help, 
   I came to save you." 
   That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved. 
    3We don't want anyone to find fault with our work, and so we try hard not to cause problems. 4But in everything and in every way we show that we truly are God's servants. We have always been patient, though we have had a lot of trouble, suffering, and hard times. 5We have been beaten, put in jail, and hurt in riots. We have worked hard and have gone without sleep or food. 6But we have kept ourselves pure and have been understanding, patient, and kind. The Holy Spirit has been with us, and our love has been real. 7We have spoken the truth, and God's power has worked in us. In all our struggles we have said and done only what is right. 
    8Whether we were honored or dishonored or praised or cursed, we always told the truth about ourselves. But some people said we did not. 9We are unknown to others, but well known to you. We seem to be dying, and yet we are still alive. We have been punished, but never killed, 10and we are always happy, even in times of suffering. Although we are poor, we have made many people rich. And though we own nothing, everything is ours. 
    11Friends in Corinth, we are telling the truth when we say that there is room in our hearts for you. 12We are not holding back on our love for you, but you are holding back on your love for us. 13I speak to you as I would speak to my own children. Please make room in your hearts for us.

.

Psalm 46:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)


Psalm 46

(A special song for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)
God Is Our Mighty Fortress

 1God is our mighty fortress,    always ready to help 
   in times of trouble. 
    2And so, we won't be afraid! 
   Let the earth tremble 
   and the mountains tumble 
   into the deepest sea. 
    3Let the ocean roar and foam, 
   and its raging waves 
   shake the mountains. 
    4A river and its streams 
   bring joy to the city, 
   which is the sacred home 
   of God Most High. 
    5God is in that city, 
   and it won't be shaken. 
   He will help it at dawn. 
    6Nations rage! Kingdoms fall! 
   But at the voice of God 
   the earth itself melts. 
    7The LORD All-Powerful 
   is with us. 
   The God of Jacob 
   is our fortress. 
    8Come! See the fearsome things 
   the LORD has done on earth. 
    9God brings wars to an end 
   all over the world. 
   He breaks the arrows, 
   shatters the spears, 
   and burns the shields. [a] 10Our God says, "Calm down, 
   and learn that I am God! 
   All nations on earth 
   will honor me." 
    11The LORD All-Powerful 
   is with us. 
   The God of Jacob 
   is our fortress. 
    
Footnotes:
  1. Psalm 46:9 shields: Or " chariots."


Proverbs 22:15 (Contemporary English Version)


15All children are foolish, 
   but firm correction 
   will make them change.



Thought for the Day
 

“Our LORD, your love is seen all over the world. Teach me your laws.” (Psalm 119:64 - Contemporary English Version) Given the pain that we see on a daily basis, it's easy to assume that divine love doesn't exist. But when we remember that God has equipped humanity to address the human condition and commanded us to prioritize showing love above all other things, maybe the presence of pain has more to do with us than with God.


Quote for the Day

American video game designer, director, and writer who is the current creative director of video game development at Santa Monica Studio, Cory Barlog wrote, "Find your own way into your story. Find your own way into your game."
A Joke for Today


A six year old comes crying to his Mother because his little sister pulled his hair.

"Don't be angry," the Mother says, "Your little sister doesn't realize that pulling hair hurts."

A short while later, there's more crying, and the Mother goes to investigate.

This time the sister is bawling and her brother says...

"Now she knows."


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 people are sensitive to the vulnerability of their neighbors.

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Monday, September 1, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings for September 01, 2025

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Daily Lectionary Readings
(Two-Year Cycle)

yearbook text

Daily Lectionary Readings for September 01, 2025

By Daily Lectionary Readings, Monday, September 1, 2025 12:00 AM

Morning Psalm 62

1   For God alone my soul waits in silence;
          from him comes my salvation.
2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall never be shaken.


3   How long will you assail a person,
          will you batter your victim, all of you,
          as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4   Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
          They take pleasure in falsehood;
     they bless with their mouths,
          but inwardly they curse. Selah


5   For God alone my soul waits in silence,
          for my hope is from him.
6   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7   On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
          my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.


8   Trust in him at all times, O people;
          pour out your heart before him;
          God is a refuge for us. Selah


9   Those of low estate are but a breath,
          those of high estate are a delusion;
     in the balances they go up;
          they are together lighter than a breath.
10  Put no confidence in extortion,
          and set no vain hopes on robbery;
          if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.


11  Once God has spoken;
          twice have I heard this:
     that power belongs to God,
12       and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
     For you repay to all
          according to their work.

Morning Psalm 145

1   I will extol you, my God and King,
          and bless your name forever and ever.
2   Every day I will bless you,
          and praise your name forever and ever.
3   Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
          his greatness is unsearchable.


4   One generation shall laud your works to another,
          and shall declare your mighty acts.
5   On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
          and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6   The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
          and I will declare your greatness.
7   They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
          and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.


8   The Lord is gracious and merciful,
          slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9   The Lord is good to all,
          and his compassion is over all that he has made.


10  All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
          and all your faithful shall bless you.
11  They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
          and tell of your power,
12  to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
          and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
          and your dominion endures throughout all generations.


     The Lord is faithful in all his words,
          and gracious in all his deeds.
14  The Lord upholds all who are falling,
          and raises up all who are bowed down.
15  The eyes of all look to you,
          and you give them their food in due season.
16  You open your hand,
          satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17  The Lord is just in all his ways,
          and kind in all his doings.
18  The Lord is near to all who call on him,
          to all who call on him in truth.
19  He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
          he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20  The Lord watches over all who love him,
          but all the wicked he will destroy.


21  My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
          and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

First Reading 2 Chronicles 6:32-7:7

32“Likewise when foreigners, who are not of your people Israel, come from a distant land because of your great name, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, 33may you hear from heaven your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigners ask of you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.

34“If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 35then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

36“If they sin against you — for there is no one who does not sin — and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near; 37then if they come to their senses in the land to which they have been taken captive, and repent, and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have done wrong; we have acted wickedly’; 38if they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity, to which they were taken captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their ancestors, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 39then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. 40Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer from this place.

41“Now rise up, O LORD God, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your faithful rejoice in your goodness. 42O LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember your steadfast love for your servant David.”

1When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2The priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the Lord’s house. 3When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. 5King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the LORD that King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD — for his steadfast love endures forever — whenever David offered praises by their ministry. Opposite them the priests sounded trumpets; and all Israel stood.

7Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD; for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the offerings of well-being because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat parts.

Second Reading James 2:1-13

1My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

8You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 9But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Gospel Reading Mark 14:53-65

53They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. 54Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 55Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 56For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. 57Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59But even on this point their testimony did not agree. 60Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 61But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62Jesus said, “I am; and
     ‘you will see the Son of Man
     seated at the right hand of the Power,’
     and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”
63Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. 65Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him over and beat him.

Evening Psalm 73

1   Truly God is good to the upright,
          to those who are pure in heart.
2   But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
          my steps had nearly slipped.
3   For I was envious of the arrogant;
          I saw the prosperity of the wicked.


4   For they have no pain;
          their bodies are sound and sleek.
5   They are not in trouble as others are;
          they are not plagued like other people.
6   Therefore pride is their necklace;
          violence covers them like a garment.
7   Their eyes swell out with fatness;
          their hearts overflow with follies.
8   They scoff and speak with malice;
          loftily they threaten oppression.
9   They set their mouths against heaven,
          and their tongues range over the earth.


10  Therefore the people turn and praise them,
          and find no fault in them.
11  And they say, “How can God know?
          Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12  Such are the wicked;
          always at ease, they increase in riches.
13  All in vain I have kept my heart clean
          and washed my hands in innocence.
14  For all day long I have been plagued,
          and am punished every morning.


15  If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,”
          I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
16  But when I thought how to understand this,
          it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17  until I went into the sanctuary of God;
          then I perceived their end.
18  Truly you set them in slippery places;
          you make them fall to ruin.
19  How they are destroyed in a moment,
          swept away utterly by terrors!
20  They are like a dream when one awakes;
          on awaking you despise their phantoms.


21  When my soul was embittered,
          when I was pricked in heart,
22  I was stupid and ignorant;
          I was like a brute beast toward you.
23  Nevertheless I am continually with you;
          you hold my right hand.
24  You guide me with your counsel,
          and afterward you will receive me with honor.
25  Whom have I in heaven but you?
          And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
26  My flesh and my heart may fail,
          but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.


27  Indeed, those who are far from you will perish;
          you put an end to those who are false to you.
28  But for me it is good to be near God;
          I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
          to tell of all your works.

Evening Psalm 9

1   I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
          I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2   I will be glad and exult in you;
          I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.


3   When my enemies turned back,
          they stumbled and perished before you.
4   For you have maintained my just cause;
          you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.


5   You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;
          you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6   The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
          their cities you have rooted out;
          the very memory of them has perished.


7   But the LORD sits enthroned forever,
          he has established his throne for judgment.
8   He judges the world with righteousness;
          he judges the peoples with equity.


9   The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
          a stronghold in times of trouble.
10  And those who know your name put their trust in you,
          for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.


11  Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion.
          Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12  For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
          he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.


13  Be gracious to me, O LORD.
          See what I suffer from those who hate me;
          you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14  so that I may recount all your praises,
          and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
          rejoice in your deliverance.


15  The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
          in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16  The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
          the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah


17  The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
          all the nations that forget God.


18  For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
          nor the hope of the poor perish forever.


19  Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail;
          let the nations be judged before you.
20  Put them in fear, O LORD;
          let the nations know that they are only human. Selah

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