Category: DAB Readings

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday September 10, 2019 (NIV)

Isaiah 6-7

Isaiah's Vision of the Lord

6 In the year that (A)King Uzziah died I (B)saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had (C)six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

(D)“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
(E)the whole earth is full of his glory!”[b]

4 And (F)the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and (G)the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! (H)For I am lost; (I)for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the (J)King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he (K)touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah's Commission from the Lord

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for (L)us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

(M)“‘Keep on hearing,[c] but do not understand;
keep on seeing,[d] but do not perceive.’
10 (N)Make the heart of this people (O)dull,[e]
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
(P)lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, (Q)“How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until (R)cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is a desolate waste,
12 and the Lord removes people far away,
and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 (S)And though a tenth remain in it,
it will be burned[f] again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
whose stump (T)remains
when it is felled.”
(U)The holy seed[g] is its stump.

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

7 In the days of (V)Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, (W)Rezin the king of Syria and (X)Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, (Y)“Syria is in league with[h] (Z)Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz[i] and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and (AA)Shear-jashub[j] your son, at the end of (AB)the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, (AC)‘Be careful, (AD)be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two (AE)smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and (AF)the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and (AG)the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it[k] for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord God:

(AH)“‘It shall not stand,
and it shall not come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is (AI)Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is Rezin.
And within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is (AJ)the son of Remaliah.
(AK)If you[l] are not firm in faith,
you will not be firm at all.’”

The Sign of Immanuel

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask (AL)a sign of the Lord your[m] God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he[n] said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you (AM)weary my God also? 14 Therefore the (AN)Lord himself will give you a sign. (AO)Behold, the (AP)virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name (AQ)Immanuel.[o] 15 He shall eat (AR)curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 (AS)For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be (AT)deserted. 17 (AU)The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that (AV)Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

18 In that day the Lord will (AW)whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and (AX)in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.[p]

20 In that day (AY)the Lord will (AZ)shave with a razor that is (BA)hired beyond (BB)the River[q]—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

21 (BC)In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat (BD)curds and honey.

23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels[r] of silver, will become (BE)briers and thorns. 24 (BF)With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 (BG)And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear (BH)of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 6:1 Or hem
  2. Isaiah 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth
  3. Isaiah 6:9 Or Hear indeed
  4. Isaiah 6:9 Or see indeed
  5. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew fat
  6. Isaiah 6:13 Or purged
  7. Isaiah 6:13 Or offspring
  8. Isaiah 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon
  9. Isaiah 7:2 Hebrew his heart
  10. Isaiah 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return
  11. Isaiah 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open
  12. Isaiah 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14
  13. Isaiah 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17
  14. Isaiah 7:13 That is, Isaiah
  15. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us
  16. Isaiah 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles
  17. Isaiah 7:20 That is, the Euphrates
  18. Isaiah 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

Cross references:

  1. Isaiah 6:1 : ch. 1:1; 2 Chr. 26:16-21
  2. Isaiah 6:1 : [John 12:41]
  3. Isaiah 6:2 : Rev. 4:8
  4. Isaiah 6:3 : [See ver. 2 above]; Rev. 4:8
  5. Isaiah 6:3 : Ps. 72:19
  6. Isaiah 6:4 : Amos 9:1
  7. Isaiah 6:4 : 1 Kgs. 8:10, 11; Rev. 15:8; [Ex. 19:18]
  8. Isaiah 6:5 : [Judg. 13:22]
  9. Isaiah 6:5 : [Luke 5:8]
  10. Isaiah 6:5 : ch. 33:17; Jer. 10:10; [1 Sam. 12:12]
  11. Isaiah 6:7 : Jer. 1:9; Dan. 10:16
  12. Isaiah 6:8 : See Gen. 1:26
  13. Isaiah 6:9 : Cited Matt. 13:14, 15; Acts 28:26, 27; [Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Rom. 11:8]
  14. Isaiah 6:10 : Cited John 12:40
  15. Isaiah 6:10 : Ps. 119:70
  16. Isaiah 6:10 : [Jer. 5:21]
  17. Isaiah 6:11 : Ps. 79:5; 89:46
  18. Isaiah 6:11 : [ch. 1:7; 27:10]
  19. Isaiah 6:13 : [ch. 10:22]
  20. Isaiah 6:13 : [Job 14:7]
  21. Isaiah 6:13 : Ezra 9:2
  22. Isaiah 7:1 : ch. 1:1
  23. Isaiah 7:1 : 2 Kgs. 15:37; 16:5
  24. Isaiah 7:1 : 2 Kgs. 15:37; 16:5
  25. Isaiah 7:2 : [ch. 8:12]
  26. Isaiah 7:2 : ch. 9:9
  27. Isaiah 7:3 : [ch. 8:3, 18]
  28. Isaiah 7:3 : ch. 36:2; 2 Kgs. 18:17
  29. Isaiah 7:4 : [ch. 8:12]
  30. Isaiah 7:4 : [Ex. 14:13]
  31. Isaiah 7:4 : [Amos 4:11; Zech. 3:2]
  32. Isaiah 7:4 : ver. 1
  33. Isaiah 7:5 : [See ver. 4 above]; ver. 1
  34. Isaiah 7:7 : ch. 8:10
  35. Isaiah 7:8 : Gen. 14:15
  36. Isaiah 7:9 : ver. 1
  37. Isaiah 7:9 : [2 Chr. 20:20]
  38. Isaiah 7:11 : See 2 Kgs. 19:29
  39. Isaiah 7:13 : ch. 43:24
  40. Isaiah 7:14 : ch. 37:30; 38:7, 8
  41. Isaiah 7:14 : ch. 9:6; Cited Matt. 1:23; [Luke 1:31, 34]
  42. Isaiah 7:14 : Gen. 24:43 (Heb.); Ex. 2:8 (Heb.); Ps. 68:25 (Heb.); Prov. 30:19 (Heb.)
  43. Isaiah 7:14 : ch. 8:8, 10
  44. Isaiah 7:15 : ver. 22
  45. Isaiah 7:16 : [ch. 8:4]
  46. Isaiah 7:16 : ch. 6:12
  47. Isaiah 7:17 : ch. 8:7; [2 Chr. 28:20]
  48. Isaiah 7:17 : 1 Kgs. 12:16
  49. Isaiah 7:18 : ch. 5:26
  50. Isaiah 7:19 : ch. 2:19; Jer. 13:4; 16:16
  51. Isaiah 7:20 : ch. 24:1; See 2 Kgs. 18:13-16
  52. Isaiah 7:20 : Ezek. 5:1
  53. Isaiah 7:20 : [ch. 10:5, 15]
  54. Isaiah 7:20 : ch. 8:7; 11:15
  55. Isaiah 7:21 : [ch. 5:17]
  56. Isaiah 7:22 : ver. 15
  57. Isaiah 7:23 : ch. 5:6
  58. Isaiah 7:24 : [Judg. 5:11]
  59. Isaiah 7:25 : ch. 32:13, 14
  60. Isaiah 7:25 : [See ver. 23 above]; ch. 5:6
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

16 I repeat, (A)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying (B)with this boastful confidence, (C)I say not as the Lord would[a] but as a fool. 18 Since (D)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, (E)being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone (F)makes slaves of you, or (G)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or (H)strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, (I)we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? (J)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they (K)servants of Christ? (L)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, (M)far more imprisonments, (N)with countless beatings, and (O)often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the (P)forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was (Q)beaten with rods. (R)Once I was stoned. Three times I (S)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, (T)danger from my own people, (U)danger from Gentiles, (V)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 (W)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, (X)in hunger and thirst, often without food,[b] in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for (Y)all the churches. 29 (Z)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 (AA)If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 (AB)The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, (AC)he who is blessed forever, (AD)knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas (AE)was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 (AF)but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:17 Greek not according to the Lord
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:27 Or often in fasting

Cross references:

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:16 : ch. 12:6
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:17 : ch. 9:4
  3. 2 Corinthians 11:17 : [1 Cor. 7:12]
  4. 2 Corinthians 11:18 : Phil. 3:3, 4
  5. 2 Corinthians 11:19 : 1 Cor. 4:10
  6. 2 Corinthians 11:20 : Gal. 2:4; [Gal. 4:3, 9; 5:1]
  7. 2 Corinthians 11:20 : [ch. 7:2]
  8. 2 Corinthians 11:20 : 1 Cor. 4:11
  9. 2 Corinthians 11:21 : ch. 10:10
  10. 2 Corinthians 11:22 : Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5
  11. 2 Corinthians 11:23 : See ch. 3:6; 10:7
  12. 2 Corinthians 11:23 : See 1 Cor. 15:10
  13. 2 Corinthians 11:23 : ch. 6:5
  14. 2 Corinthians 11:23 : Acts 16:23
  15. 2 Corinthians 11:23 : ch. 1:9, 10; 4:11; 6:9; Rom. 8:36; 1 Cor. 15:30-32
  16. 2 Corinthians 11:24 : Deut. 25:3
  17. 2 Corinthians 11:25 : Acts 16:22
  18. 2 Corinthians 11:25 : Acts 14:19
  19. 2 Corinthians 11:25 : [Acts 27:41]
  20. 2 Corinthians 11:26 : Acts 9:23; 13:50; 14:5; 17:5; 1 Thess. 2:15; [Acts 18:12; 20:3, 19; 21:27; 23:10, 12; 25:3]
  21. 2 Corinthians 11:26 : Acts 14:5; [Acts 19:23; 27:42]
  22. 2 Corinthians 11:26 : Acts 21:31
  23. 2 Corinthians 11:27 : 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8
  24. 2 Corinthians 11:27 : 1 Cor. 4:11; Phil. 4:12
  25. 2 Corinthians 11:28 : See 1 Cor. 7:17
  26. 2 Corinthians 11:29 : See 1 Cor. 8:13; 9:22
  27. 2 Corinthians 11:30 : ch. 10:10; 12:5, 9; See 1 Cor. 2:3
  28. 2 Corinthians 11:31 : See Rom. 15:6
  29. 2 Corinthians 11:31 : See Rom. 9:5
  30. 2 Corinthians 11:31 : ver. 11
  31. 2 Corinthians 11:32 : Acts 9:24
  32. 2 Corinthians 11:33 : Acts 9:25
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 54

The Lord Upholds My Life

To the choirmaster: with (A)stringed instruments. A Maskil[a] of David, (B)when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

54 O God, save me by your (C)name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, (D)hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 (E)For (F)strangers[b] have risen against me;
ruthless men (G)seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah

4 Behold, (H)God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your (I)faithfulness (J)put an end to them.

6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, (K)for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has (L)looked in triumph on my enemies.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 54:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 54:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum insolent men (compare Psalm 86:14)

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 54:1 : Ps. 4, title
  2. Psalm 54:1 : 1 Sam. 23:19; 26:1
  3. Psalm 54:1 : Ps. 5:11; 52:9
  4. Psalm 54:2 : See Ps. 55:1
  5. Psalm 54:3 : Ps. 86:14
  6. Psalm 54:3 : Ps. 18:44; 144:7; Isa. 25:5
  7. Psalm 54:3 : [1 Sam. 23:15]
  8. Psalm 54:4 : Ps. 118:7
  9. Psalm 54:5 : [Ps. 89:49]
  10. Psalm 54:5 : Ps. 143:12
  11. Psalm 54:6 : Ps. 52:9
  12. Psalm 54:7 : Ps. 59:10; 92:11; 112:8; 118:7
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 23:1-3

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what[a] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 (A)Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 23:3 : ver. 6
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday September 9, 2019 (NIV)

Isaiah 3-5

Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

3 For behold, the (A)Lord God of hosts
is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and supply,[a]
all (B)support of bread,
and all support of water;
2 (C)the mighty man and the soldier,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty
and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
and the expert in charms.
4 (D)And I will make boys their princes,
and infants[b] shall rule over them.
5 (E)And the people will oppress one another,
every one his fellow
and every one his neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
and the despised to the honorable.

6 For (F)a man will take hold of his brother
in the house of his father, saying:
“You have a cloak;
you shall be our leader,
and this heap of ruins
shall be under your rule”;
7 in that day he will speak out, saying:
“I will not be a (G)healer;[c]
in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
you shall not make me
leader of the people.”
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled,
and Judah has fallen,
because their (H)speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
(I)defying his glorious presence.[d]

9 For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
they proclaim their sin (J)like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
(K)For they have brought evil on themselves.
10 (L)Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
(M)for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 (N)Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,
for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.
12 My people—(O)infants are their oppressors,
and women rule over them.
O my people, (P)your guides mislead you
and they have swallowed up[e] the course of your paths.

13 The Lord (Q)has taken his place to contend;
he stands to judge peoples.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
with the (R)elders and princes of his people:
“It is you who (S)have devoured[f] the vineyard,
(T)the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by (U)crushing my people,
by grinding the face of the poor?”
declares the Lord God of hosts.

16 The Lord said:
(V)Because (W)the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks,
glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
(X)tinkling with their feet,
17 therefore the Lord (Y)will strike with a scab
the heads of (Z)the daughters of Zion,
and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away (AA)the finery of the anklets, the (AB)headbands, and the (AC)crescents; 19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; 20 the (AD)headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21 the signet rings and (AE)nose rings; 22 the (AF)festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.

24 Instead of (AG)perfume there will be rottenness;
and instead of a (AH)belt, a rope;
and instead of (AI)well-set hair, (AJ)baldness;
and instead of a rich robe, a (AK)skirt of sackcloth;
and (AL)branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword
and your mighty men in battle.
26 And (AM)her gates shall lament and mourn;
empty, she shall (AN)sit on the ground.

4 (AO)And seven women (AP)shall take hold of (AQ)one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; (AR)take away our reproach.”

The Branch of the Lord Glorified

2 In that day (AS)the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and (AT)the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. 3 (AU)And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called (AV)holy, everyone who has (AW)been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 when (AX)the Lord shall have washed away the filth of (AY)the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by (AZ)a spirit of burning.[g] 5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies (BA)a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be (BB)a canopy. 6 (BC)There will be a (BD)booth for shade by day from the heat, and (BE)for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed

5 Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had (BF)a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with (BG)choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and (BH)he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 (BI)What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
(BJ)When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?

5 And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove (BK)its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;[h]
(BL)I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and (BM)briers and thorns shall grow up;
(BN)I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.

7 (BO)For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;[i]
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry![j]

Woe to the Wicked

8 Woe to those who (BP)join house to house,
who add field to field,
until there is no more room,
and you are made to dwell alone
in the midst of the land.
9 The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing:
(BQ)“Surely many houses shall be desolate,
large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.
10 (BR)For ten acres[k] of vineyard shall yield but one bath,
and a (BS)homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”[l]

11 Woe to those who (BT)rise early in the morning,
that they may run after strong drink,
who tarry late into the evening
as wine inflames them!
12 (BU)They have lyre and harp,
tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,
(BV)but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord,
or see the work of his hands.

13 Therefore my people go into exile
(BW)for lack of knowledge;[m]
their (BX)honored men go hungry,[n]
and their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has (BY)enlarged its appetite
and opened (BZ)its mouth beyond measure,
and the nobility of Jerusalem[o] and her multitude will go down,
her revelers and he who (CA)exults in her.
15 (CB)Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,
and the eyes of the haughty[p] are brought low.
16 (CC)But the Lord of hosts is exalted[q] in justice,
and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.
17 Then shall the lambs graze (CD)as in their pasture,
and (CE)nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.

18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with (CF)cords of falsehood,
who draw sin as with cart ropes,
19 who say: (CG)“Let him be quick,
let him speed his work
that we may see it;
let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,
and let it come, that we may know it!”
20 Woe to (CH)those who call evil good
and good evil,
(CI)who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are (CJ)wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are (CK)heroes at drinking wine,
and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
23 who (CL)acquit the guilty for a bribe,
and deprive the innocent of his right!

24 Therefore, (CM)as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,
and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,
so (CN)their root will be (CO)as rottenness,
and their blossom go up like dust;
for they have (CP)rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
and have (CQ)despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore (CR)the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,
and (CS)the mountains quaked;
and their corpses were (CT)as refuse
in the midst of the streets.
(CU)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.

26 He will (CV)raise a signal for nations far away,
and (CW)whistle for them (CX)from the ends of the earth;
and behold, quickly, speedily they come!
27 (CY)None is weary, none stumbles,
none slumbers or sleeps,
not a waistband is loose,
not a sandal strap broken;
28 (CZ)their arrows are sharp,
all their bows bent,
their horses' hoofs seem like flint,
and their wheels (DA)like the whirlwind.
29 Their roaring is like a lion,
like young lions they roar;
they growl and (DB)seize their prey;
they carry it off, and none can rescue.
30 They will growl over it on that day,
like the growling of the sea.
And if one looks to the land,
behold, (DC)darkness and distress;
and the light is darkened by its clouds.

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 3:1 Hebrew staff
  2. Isaiah 3:4 Or caprice
  3. Isaiah 3:7 Hebrew binder of wounds
  4. Isaiah 3:8 Hebrew the eyes of his glory
  5. Isaiah 3:12 Or they have confused
  6. Isaiah 3:14 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5
  7. Isaiah 4:4 Or purging
  8. Isaiah 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5
  9. Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike
  10. Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike
  11. Isaiah 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day
  12. Isaiah 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
  13. Isaiah 5:13 Or without their knowledge
  14. Isaiah 5:13 Or die of hunger
  15. Isaiah 5:14 Hebrew her nobility
  16. Isaiah 5:15 Hebrew high
  17. Isaiah 5:16 Hebrew high

Cross references:

  1. Isaiah 3:1 : ch. 1:24
  2. Isaiah 3:1 : Lev. 26:26; Ezek. 4:16
  3. Isaiah 3:2 : 2 Kgs. 24:14; Ezek. 17:13, 14
  4. Isaiah 3:4 : ver. 12; Eccles. 10:16
  5. Isaiah 3:5 : See Mic. 7:3-6
  6. Isaiah 3:6 : ch. 4:1
  7. Isaiah 3:7 : [ch. 1:6]
  8. Isaiah 3:8 : See Ps. 73:9-11
  9. Isaiah 3:8 : ch. 65:3
  10. Isaiah 3:9 : Gen. 13:13; 18:20; Ezek. 16:46, 48, 49
  11. Isaiah 3:9 : [Rom. 6:23]
  12. Isaiah 3:10 : Eccles. 8:12; See Deut. 28:1-14
  13. Isaiah 3:10 : Ps. 128:2
  14. Isaiah 3:11 : Eccles. 8:13; See Deut. 28:15-68
  15. Isaiah 3:12 : ver. 4
  16. Isaiah 3:12 : See ch. 28:14-22
  17. Isaiah 3:13 : Ps. 7:6; Hos. 4:1
  18. Isaiah 3:14 : Mic. 3:1
  19. Isaiah 3:14 : Ps. 14:4
  20. Isaiah 3:14 : Amos 3:10
  21. Isaiah 3:15 : [Ps. 94:5]
  22. Isaiah 3:16 : See ch. 32:9-11
  23. Isaiah 3:16 : ch. 4:4; Song 3:11
  24. Isaiah 3:16 : ver. 18
  25. Isaiah 3:17 : [Deut. 28:60]
  26. Isaiah 3:17 : [See ver. 16 above]; ch. 4:4; Song 3:11
  27. Isaiah 3:18 : ver. 16
  28. Isaiah 3:18 : [1 Pet. 3:3]
  29. Isaiah 3:18 : Judg. 8:21, 26
  30. Isaiah 3:20 : Ex. 39:28; Ezek. 24:17
  31. Isaiah 3:21 : Gen. 24:47; Ezek. 16:12
  32. Isaiah 3:22 : [Luke 15:22]
  33. Isaiah 3:24 : [Esth. 2:12]
  34. Isaiah 3:24 : Prov. 31:24
  35. Isaiah 3:24 : 1 Pet. 3:3
  36. Isaiah 3:24 : ch. 15:2; 22:12; Ezek. 27:31; Amos 8:10; Mic. 1:16
  37. Isaiah 3:24 : ch. 15:3; Gen. 37:34; Lam. 2:10
  38. Isaiah 3:24 : Lev. 19:28
  39. Isaiah 3:26 : Jer. 14:2; Lam. 1:4
  40. Isaiah 3:26 : Job 2:13; Lam. 2:10
  41. Isaiah 4:1 : [ch. 13:12]
  42. Isaiah 4:1 : ch. 3:6
  43. Isaiah 4:1 : [ch. 13:12]
  44. Isaiah 4:1 : See Gen. 30:23
  45. Isaiah 4:2 : Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12
  46. Isaiah 4:2 : [ch. 27:6]
  47. Isaiah 4:3 : ch. 6:13; 10:20
  48. Isaiah 4:3 : Obad. 17
  49. Isaiah 4:3 : Ex. 32:32; Luke 10:20; Heb. 12:23; [Ps. 69:28]
  50. Isaiah 4:4 : Ezek. 36:25
  51. Isaiah 4:4 : ch. 3:16
  52. Isaiah 4:4 : ch. 33:14; Mal. 3:2; Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:17
  53. Isaiah 4:5 : Ex. 13:21
  54. Isaiah 4:5 : [Rev. 7:15]
  55. Isaiah 4:6 : ch. 25:4
  56. Isaiah 4:6 : See Ps. 27:5
  57. Isaiah 4:6 : ch. 25:4
  58. Isaiah 5:1 : Ps. 80:8; Matt. 21:33; Mark 12:1; Luke 20:9; [Hos. 9:10]
  59. Isaiah 5:2 : Jer. 2:21
  60. Isaiah 5:2 : [Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:13; Luke 13:6]
  61. Isaiah 5:4 : [Mic. 6:3, 4]
  62. Isaiah 5:4 : [See ver. 2 above]; [Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:13; Luke 13:6]
  63. Isaiah 5:5 : [Jer. 5:10]
  64. Isaiah 5:5 : Ps. 80:12; [Prov. 24:31]
  65. Isaiah 5:6 : See ch. 7:23-25
  66. Isaiah 5:6 : [1 Kgs. 17:1; Jer. 14:1, 22]
  67. Isaiah 5:7 : [ch. 3:14]; See Ps. 80:8-11
  68. Isaiah 5:8 : Mic. 2:2
  69. Isaiah 5:9 : ch. 6:12
  70. Isaiah 5:10 : [Lev. 26:26; Hag. 1:6; 2:16]
  71. Isaiah 5:10 : Ezek. 45:11
  72. Isaiah 5:11 : ver. 22; [Prov. 23:29, 30; Eccles. 10:16, 17]
  73. Isaiah 5:12 : Amos 6:5, 6
  74. Isaiah 5:12 : ch. 26:11
  75. Isaiah 5:13 : ch. 1:3; Hos. 4:6
  76. Isaiah 5:13 : [Lam. 4:2, 7, 8]
  77. Isaiah 5:14 : Hab. 2:5
  78. Isaiah 5:14 : Ps. 141:7
  79. Isaiah 5:14 : [ver. 12; Job 1:18, 19]
  80. Isaiah 5:15 : ch. 2:9
  81. Isaiah 5:16 : ch. 2:11, 17
  82. Isaiah 5:17 : Mic. 2:12
  83. Isaiah 5:17 : [Judg. 6:3]
  84. Isaiah 5:18 : Prov. 5:22
  85. Isaiah 5:19 : [Ezek. 12:22; 2 Pet. 3:4]
  86. Isaiah 5:20 : [Amos 5:7]
  87. Isaiah 5:20 : [Job 17:12; Matt. 6:22, 23; Luke 11:34, 35]
  88. Isaiah 5:21 : Prov. 3:7; Rom. 12:16
  89. Isaiah 5:22 : ver. 11
  90. Isaiah 5:23 : Ex. 23:8; Prov. 17:15
  91. Isaiah 5:24 : ch. 47:14; Joel 2:5; [Ex. 15:7]
  92. Isaiah 5:24 : Job 18:16
  93. Isaiah 5:24 : Hos. 5:12
  94. Isaiah 5:24 : ch. 30:9
  95. Isaiah 5:24 : ch. 1:4
  96. Isaiah 5:25 : 2 Kgs. 22:13, 17
  97. Isaiah 5:25 : Jer. 4:24; [Ps. 97:5; Hab. 3:6]
  98. Isaiah 5:25 : [2 Kgs. 9:37; Jer. 36:30]
  99. Isaiah 5:25 : ch. 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4
  100. Isaiah 5:26 : ch. 11:12; 13:2; 18:3
  101. Isaiah 5:26 : ch. 7:18; Zech. 10:8
  102. Isaiah 5:26 : ch. 10:3; Deut. 28:49
  103. Isaiah 5:27 : See ch. 10:28-31
  104. Isaiah 5:28 : Ps. 7:12, 13
  105. Isaiah 5:28 : ch. 21:1
  106. Isaiah 5:29 : See 2 Kgs. 18:13-16
  107. Isaiah 5:30 : ch. 8:22
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since (A)I betrothed you to one husband, (B)to present you (C)as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that (D)as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts (E)will be led astray from a (F)sincere and (G)pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and (H)proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept (I)a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that (J)I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 (K)Even if I am unskilled in speaking, (L)I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way (M)we have made this plain to you in all things.

7 Or (N)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because (O)I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was (P)in need, (Q)I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia (R)supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain (S)from burdening you in any way. 10 (T)As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine (U)will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? (V)Because I do not love you? (W)God knows I do!

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, (X)in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are (Y)false apostles, (Z)deceitful workmen, (AA)disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as (AB)an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as (AC)servants of righteousness. (AD)Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Cross references:

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:2 : [Hos. 2:19, 20]
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:2 : Col. 1:22, 28
  3. 2 Corinthians 11:2 : Eph. 5:27; Rev. 14:4
  4. 2 Corinthians 11:3 : Gen. 3:4; 1 Tim. 2:14; [John 8:44; 1 Thess. 3:5]
  5. 2 Corinthians 11:3 : Col. 2:4, 8
  6. 2 Corinthians 11:3 : [Eph. 6:5]
  7. 2 Corinthians 11:3 : ch. 6:6
  8. 2 Corinthians 11:4 : [1 Cor. 3:11]
  9. 2 Corinthians 11:4 : Gal. 1:6
  10. 2 Corinthians 11:5 : ch. 12:11; Gal. 2:6
  11. 2 Corinthians 11:6 : See 1 Cor. 1:17
  12. 2 Corinthians 11:6 : [Eph. 3:4]
  13. 2 Corinthians 11:6 : ch. 4:2; 5:11; 12:12
  14. 2 Corinthians 11:7 : [ch. 12:13]
  15. 2 Corinthians 11:7 : See Acts 18:3
  16. 2 Corinthians 11:9 : Phil. 4:12
  17. 2 Corinthians 11:9 : ch. 12:13, 14
  18. 2 Corinthians 11:9 : [1 Cor. 16:17; Phil. 4:15, 16]
  19. 2 Corinthians 11:9 : ch. 12:16; 1 Thess. 2:6
  20. 2 Corinthians 11:10 : See Rom. 1:9; 9:1
  21. 2 Corinthians 11:10 : 1 Cor. 9:15
  22. 2 Corinthians 11:11 : See ch. 6:11
  23. 2 Corinthians 11:11 : ver. 31; ch. 12:2, 3
  24. 2 Corinthians 11:12 : [1 Cor. 9:12]
  25. 2 Corinthians 11:13 : Rev. 2:2; [Gal. 1:7; 2:4; 6:12; Phil. 1:15; 3:18; Titus 1:10, 12; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1]
  26. 2 Corinthians 11:13 : [Phil. 3:2]
  27. 2 Corinthians 11:13 : ver. 14, 15
  28. 2 Corinthians 11:14 : Gal. 1:8
  29. 2 Corinthians 11:15 : ch. 3:9
  30. 2 Corinthians 11:15 : Phil. 3:19
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 53

There Is None Who Does Good

To the choirmaster: according to (A)Mahalath. A Maskil[a] of David.

53 (B)The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,[b]
who seek after God.

3 They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?

5 There they are, in great terror,
(C)where there is no terror!
For God (D)scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms
  2. Psalm 53:2 Or who act wisely

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 53:1 : Ps. 88, title
  2. Psalm 53:1 : For ver. 1-6, see Ps. 14:1-7
  3. Psalm 53:5 : [Lev. 26:17, 36; Prov. 28:1]
  4. Psalm 53:5 : Ps. 89:10; 141:7; Jer. 8:1, 2; Ezek. 6:5
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 22:28-29

28 Do not move the ancient (A)landmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will (B)stand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 22:28 : ch. 23:10; Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Hos. 5:10
  2. Proverbs 22:29 : 1 Kgs. 10:8; See Gen. 41:46
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday September 8, 2019 (NIV)

Isaiah 1-2

1 The (A)vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem (B)in the days of (C)Uzziah, (D)Jotham, (E)Ahaz, and (F)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

2 (G)Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O (H)earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
“Children[a] (I)have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox (J)knows its owner,
and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does (K)not know,
my people do not understand.”

4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
(L)offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have (M)despised (N)the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly (O)estranged.

5 Why will you still be (P)struck down?
Why will you (Q)continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 (R)From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are (S)not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.

7 (T)Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And (U)the daughter of Zion is left
like a (V)booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.

9 (W)If the Lord of hosts
had not left us (X)a few survivors,
we should have been like (Y)Sodom,
and become like (Z)Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of (AA)(AB)Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching[b] of our God,
you people of (AC)Gomorrah!
11 (AD)“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.

12 “When you come to (AE)appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
(AF)New moon and Sabbath and the (AG)calling of convocations—
I cannot endure (AH)iniquity and (AI)solemn assembly.
14 Your (AJ)new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you (AK)spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
(AL)even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
(AM)your hands are full of blood.
16 (AN)Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
(AO)cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
(AP)seek justice,
correct oppression;
(AQ)bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.

18 “Come now, (AR)let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as (AS)white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 (AT)If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
(AU)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Unfaithful City

21 How the faithful city
(AV)has become a whore,[d]
(AW)she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
22 (AX)Your silver has become dross,
your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone (AY)loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
(AZ)They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow's cause does not come to them.

24 Therefore the (BA)Lord declares,
the Lord of hosts,
the (BB)Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
(BC)and avenge myself on my foes.
25 (BD)I will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your (BE)dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges (BF)as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward (BG)you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”

27 (BH)Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 (BI)But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 (BJ)For they[e] shall be ashamed of (BK)the oaks
that you desired;
and you shall blush for (BL)the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be (BM)like an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become (BN)tinder,
and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
with (BO)none to quench them.

The Mountain of the Lord

2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 (BP)It shall come to pass in the latter days
that (BQ)the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and (BR)all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and (BS)many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For (BT)out of Zion shall go forth the law,[f]
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
(BU)and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
(BV)nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

5 O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in (BW)the light of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

6 For you have rejected your people,
the house of Jacob,
because they are full of things (BX)from the east
and (BY)of fortune-tellers (BZ)like the Philistines,
and they (CA)strike hands with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land is (CB)filled with silver and gold,
and there is no end to their treasures;
their land is (CC)filled with horses,
and there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land is (CD)filled with idols;
they bow down to (CE)the work of their hands,
to what their own fingers have made.
9 So man (CF)is humbled,
and each one (CG)is brought low—
do not forgive them!
10 (CH)Enter into the rock
and hide in the dust
(CI)from before the terror of the Lord,
and from the splendor of his majesty.
11 (CJ)The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

12 (CK)For the Lord of hosts has a day
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
13 against all the (CL)cedars of Lebanon,
lofty and lifted up;
and against all the (CM)oaks of Bashan;
14 against all (CN)the lofty mountains,
and against all the uplifted hills;
15 against every high tower,
and against every fortified wall;
16 against all (CO)the ships of Tarshish,
and against all the beautiful craft.
17 (CP)And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
18 (CQ)And the idols shall utterly pass away.
19 (CR)And people shall enter the caves of the rocks
and the holes of the ground,[g]
from before the terror of the Lord,
and from the splendor of his majesty,
(CS)when he rises to terrify the earth.

20 In that day (CT)mankind will cast away
their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
which they made for themselves to worship,
to the moles and to the (CU)bats,
21 (CV)to enter the caverns of the rocks
and the clefts of the cliffs,
from before the terror of the Lord,
and from the splendor of his majesty,
(CW)when he rises to terrify the earth.
22 (CX)Stop regarding man
(CY)in whose nostrils is breath,
for of what account is he?

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4
  2. Isaiah 1:10 Or law
  3. Isaiah 1:18 Or dispute
  4. Isaiah 1:21 Or become unchaste
  5. Isaiah 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you
  6. Isaiah 2:3 Or teaching
  7. Isaiah 2:19 Hebrew dust

Cross references:

  1. Isaiah 1:1 : ch. 6:1
  2. Isaiah 1:1 : Hos. 1:1; Mic. 1:1
  3. Isaiah 1:1 : [2 Kgs. 15:1, 7]; See 2 Chr. 26
  4. Isaiah 1:1 : See 2 Kgs. 15:32-38; 2 Chr. 27
  5. Isaiah 1:1 : ch. 7:1, 3, 10, 12; 14:28; See 2 Kgs. 16; 2 Chr. 28
  6. Isaiah 1:1 : See ch. 37:2–39:8; 2 Kgs. 18-20; 2 Chr. 29–32
  7. Isaiah 1:2 : Deut. 32:1; [Deut. 4:26]
  8. Isaiah 1:2 : Mic. 1:2; 6:2
  9. Isaiah 1:2 : [Deut. 32:6, 10, 15]
  10. Isaiah 1:3 : [Jer. 8:7]
  11. Isaiah 1:3 : [Jer. 8:7]
  12. Isaiah 1:4 : [Matt. 3:7]
  13. Isaiah 1:4 : ch. 5:24
  14. Isaiah 1:4 : See ch. 31:1
  15. Isaiah 1:4 : Ezek. 14:5
  16. Isaiah 1:5 : Jer. 5:3; [ch. 9:13]
  17. Isaiah 1:5 : ch. 31:6
  18. Isaiah 1:6 : Ps. 38:3
  19. Isaiah 1:6 : [Jer. 8:22]
  20. Isaiah 1:7 : ch. 5:5; 6:11, 12; Deut. 28:51, 52
  21. Isaiah 1:8 : ch. 10:32; 37:22; Zech. 2:10; 9:9
  22. Isaiah 1:8 : Job 27:18
  23. Isaiah 1:9 : Lam. 3:22
  24. Isaiah 1:9 : ch. 10:21, 22; Cited Rom. 9:29
  25. Isaiah 1:9 : ch. 13:19; Gen. 19:24, 25
  26. Isaiah 1:9 : ch. 13:19; Gen. 19:24, 25
  27. Isaiah 1:10 : Ezek. 16:46, 48, 49, 55; [ch. 3:9; Rev. 11:8]
  28. Isaiah 1:10 : [Deut. 32:32]
  29. Isaiah 1:10 : [Deut. 32:32]
  30. Isaiah 1:11 : Prov. 15:8; Jer. 6:20; Mal. 1:10; [ch. 66:3]; See 1 Sam. 15:22
  31. Isaiah 1:12 : Ex. 23:17; 34:23
  32. Isaiah 1:13 : Num. 28:11; 1 Chr. 23:31
  33. Isaiah 1:13 : Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:36
  34. Isaiah 1:13 : [Jer. 7:9, 10]
  35. Isaiah 1:13 : See Joel 2:15-17
  36. Isaiah 1:14 : [See ver. 13 above]; Num. 28:11; 1 Chr. 23:31
  37. Isaiah 1:15 : 1 Kgs. 8:22
  38. Isaiah 1:15 : Prov. 1:28; Mic. 3:4
  39. Isaiah 1:15 : ch. 59:3
  40. Isaiah 1:16 : [Jer. 2:22]
  41. Isaiah 1:16 : [1 Pet. 3:11]
  42. Isaiah 1:17 : Jer. 22:3
  43. Isaiah 1:17 : [ver. 23; James 1:27]
  44. Isaiah 1:18 : Mic. 6:2; [ch. 43:26]
  45. Isaiah 1:18 : Ps. 51:7; [Rev. 7:14]
  46. Isaiah 1:19 : Deut. 30:15, 16
  47. Isaiah 1:20 : ver. 2; ch. 24:3; 40:5; 58:14; Mic. 4:4; [Num. 23:19]
  48. Isaiah 1:21 : Jer. 2:20; [Ex. 34:15]
  49. Isaiah 1:21 : [Jer. 31:23]
  50. Isaiah 1:22 : [Jer. 6:30; Ezek. 22:18]
  51. Isaiah 1:23 : Mic. 7:3; [Ex. 23:8]
  52. Isaiah 1:23 : Jer. 5:28; Zech. 7:10; [ver. 17]
  53. Isaiah 1:24 : ch. 3:1; 10:33
  54. Isaiah 1:24 : Ps. 132:2
  55. Isaiah 1:24 : [Deut. 32:41]
  56. Isaiah 1:25 : Ps. 81:14; Amos 1:8; [ch. 5:25]
  57. Isaiah 1:25 : [Ezek. 22:20; Mal. 3:3]
  58. Isaiah 1:26 : Jer. 33:7, 11
  59. Isaiah 1:26 : [Zech. 8:3]
  60. Isaiah 1:27 : Jer. 22:3, 4
  61. Isaiah 1:28 : Job 31:3; Ps. 1:6
  62. Isaiah 1:29 : Hos. 4:19
  63. Isaiah 1:29 : ch. 57:5; Hos. 4:13
  64. Isaiah 1:29 : ch. 65:3; 66:17
  65. Isaiah 1:30 : [Jer. 17:8]
  66. Isaiah 1:31 : Judg. 16:9
  67. Isaiah 1:31 : ch. 66:24
  68. Isaiah 2:2 : For ver. 2-4, see Mic. 4:1-3
  69. Isaiah 2:2 : ch. 14:13; 25:6
  70. Isaiah 2:2 : [ch. 56:7]
  71. Isaiah 2:3 : See Zech. 8:20-23
  72. Isaiah 2:3 : [Luke 24:47; John 4:22]
  73. Isaiah 2:4 : [Joel 3:10]
  74. Isaiah 2:4 : ch. 9:7; Ps. 72:3, 7; Hos. 2:18; Zech. 9:10
  75. Isaiah 2:5 : ch. 60:1, 2; [Eph. 5:8]
  76. Isaiah 2:6 : [2 Kgs. 16:10, 11]
  77. Isaiah 2:6 : Mic. 5:12
  78. Isaiah 2:6 : 2 Kgs. 1:2
  79. Isaiah 2:6 : [2 Kgs. 16:7, 8]
  80. Isaiah 2:7 : ch. 39:2; [ch. 22:8, 11; Deut. 17:17]
  81. Isaiah 2:7 : ch. 30:16; [Deut. 17:16; Mic. 5:10]
  82. Isaiah 2:8 : ver. 18, 20; ch. 10:10, 11; Jer. 2:28
  83. Isaiah 2:8 : See ch. 44:9-17
  84. Isaiah 2:9 : ch. 5:15
  85. Isaiah 2:9 : ch. 5:15
  86. Isaiah 2:10 : ver. 19, 21; [Rev. 6:15, 16]
  87. Isaiah 2:10 : Cited 2 Thess. 1:9
  88. Isaiah 2:11 : ver. 17; Ps. 18:27; [Mic. 2:3; 2 Cor. 10:5]
  89. Isaiah 2:12 : [Job 40:11, 12; Mal. 4:1]
  90. Isaiah 2:13 : ch. 14:8; See Judg. 9:15
  91. Isaiah 2:13 : Ezek. 27:6; Zech. 11:2
  92. Isaiah 2:14 : [ch. 30:25]
  93. Isaiah 2:16 : ch. 60:9; 1 Kgs. 10:22
  94. Isaiah 2:17 : Ps. 18:27; [Mic. 2:3; 2 Cor. 10:5]
  95. Isaiah 2:18 : ver. 8
  96. Isaiah 2:19 : ver. 10; Hos. 10:8; Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16
  97. Isaiah 2:19 : [Ps. 76:8, 9; Hab. 3:6]
  98. Isaiah 2:20 : ch. 30:22; 31:7
  99. Isaiah 2:20 : Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18
  100. Isaiah 2:21 : [See ver. 19 above]; ver. 10; Hos. 10:8; Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16
  101. Isaiah 2:21 : [See ver. 19 above]; [Ps. 76:8, 9; Hab. 3:6]
  102. Isaiah 2:22 : Ps. 146:3
  103. Isaiah 2:22 : Job 27:3; [James 4:14]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2 Corinthians 10

Paul Defends His Ministry

10 (A)I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the (B)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you (C)that when I am present I may not have to show (D)boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the (E)weapons of (F)our warfare are not of the flesh but have (G)divine power (H)to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and (I)every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to (J)obey Christ, 6 (K)being ready to punish every disobedience, (L)when your obedience is complete.

7 (M)Look at what is before your eyes. (N)If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as (O)he is Christ's, (P)so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of (Q)our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but (R)his bodily presence is weak, and (S)his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or (T)compare ourselves with some of those who (U)are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are (V)without understanding.

13 But we will not boast (W)beyond limits, but will (X)boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, (Y)to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. (Z)For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that (AA)as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be (AB)greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “Let (AC)the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is (AD)not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one (AE)whom the Lord commends.

Cross references:

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:1 : See Rom. 12:1
  2. 2 Corinthians 10:1 : Zech. 9:9; Matt. 11:29; Phil. 2:7, 8
  3. 2 Corinthians 10:2 : ch. 13:2, 10; 1 Cor. 4:18, 21
  4. 2 Corinthians 10:2 : ver. 6
  5. 2 Corinthians 10:4 : ch. 6:7; [Eph. 6:11; 1 Thess. 5:8]
  6. 2 Corinthians 10:4 : See 1 Cor. 9:7
  7. 2 Corinthians 10:4 : ch. 13:3, 4; See 1 Cor. 2:5
  8. 2 Corinthians 10:4 : Jer. 1:10
  9. 2 Corinthians 10:5 : [Isa. 2:11, 12]
  10. 2 Corinthians 10:5 : ch. 9:13; [Rom. 5:19]
  11. 2 Corinthians 10:6 : See ver. 2
  12. 2 Corinthians 10:6 : ch. 2:9; 7:15
  13. 2 Corinthians 10:7 : [ch. 5:12; John 7:24]
  14. 2 Corinthians 10:7 : [1 Cor. 1:12; 14:37; 1 John 4:6]
  15. 2 Corinthians 10:7 : 1 Cor. 3:23
  16. 2 Corinthians 10:7 : [ch. 11:23; 1 Cor. 9:1; Gal. 1:12]
  17. 2 Corinthians 10:8 : ch. 13:10
  18. 2 Corinthians 10:10 : ch. 11:21; [ch. 12:7]
  19. 2 Corinthians 10:10 : See 1 Cor. 1:17
  20. 2 Corinthians 10:12 : 1 Cor. 2:13
  21. 2 Corinthians 10:12 : ver. 18; ch. 3:1; 12:6; [Prov. 27:2]
  22. 2 Corinthians 10:12 : [Prov. 26:12]
  23. 2 Corinthians 10:13 : ver. 15
  24. 2 Corinthians 10:13 : See Rom. 12:3
  25. 2 Corinthians 10:13 : [Rom. 15:20]
  26. 2 Corinthians 10:14 : 1 Cor. 3:5; 4:15; 9:1
  27. 2 Corinthians 10:15 : 2 Thess. 1:3
  28. 2 Corinthians 10:15 : [Acts 5:13]
  29. 2 Corinthians 10:17 : 1 Cor. 1:31; [Jer. 9:23, 24]
  30. 2 Corinthians 10:18 : See ver. 12
  31. 2 Corinthians 10:18 : Rom. 2:29; 1 Cor. 4:5
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 52

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of David, when (A)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
2 Your (B)tongue plots destruction,
like (C)a sharp razor, you (D)worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
and (E)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.

5 But God will break you down forever;
he will snatch and (F)tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from (G)the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous shall (H)see and fear,
and shall (I)laugh at him, saying,
7 “See the man who would not make
God his refuge,
but (J)trusted in the abundance of his riches
and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[b]

8 But I am like (K)a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, (L)for it is good,
in the presence of the (M)godly.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 52:1 : 1 Sam. 22:9
  2. Psalm 52:2 : Ps. 50:19
  3. Psalm 52:2 : [Ps. 57:4]
  4. Psalm 52:2 : Ps. 101:7
  5. Psalm 52:3 : [Jer. 9:4, 5]
  6. Psalm 52:5 : Prov. 2:22
  7. Psalm 52:5 : See Ps. 27:13
  8. Psalm 52:6 : See Ps. 40:3
  9. Psalm 52:6 : See Ps. 2:4
  10. Psalm 52:7 : See Ps. 49:6
  11. Psalm 52:8 : Jer. 11:16; [Ps. 1:3; 37:35; 92:12, 13; 128:3; 144:12; Hos. 14:6]
  12. Psalm 52:9 : Ps. 54:6
  13. Psalm 52:9 : See Ps. 50:5
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 22:26-27

26 Be not one of those who (A)give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should (B)your bed be taken from under you?

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 22:26 : See Job 17:3
  2. Proverbs 22:27 : [ch. 20:16; Ex. 22:26]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday September 7, 2019 (NIV)

Song of Solomon 5-8

Young Man

5 I have entered my garden, my treasure,[a] my bride!
I gather myrrh with my spices
and eat honeycomb with my honey.
I drink wine with my milk.

Young Women of Jerusalem

Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink!
Yes, drink deeply of your love!

Young Woman

2 I slept, but my heart was awake,
when I heard my lover knocking and calling:
“Open to me, my treasure, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”

3 But I responded,
“I have taken off my robe.
Should I get dressed again?
I have washed my feet.
Should I get them soiled?”

4 My lover tried to unlatch the door,
and my heart thrilled within me.
5 I jumped up to open the door for my love,
and my hands dripped with perfume.
My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh
as I pulled back the bolt.
6 I opened to my lover,
but he was gone!
My heart sank.
I searched for him
but could not find him anywhere.
I called to him,
but there was no reply.
7 The night watchmen found me
as they made their rounds.
They beat and bruised me
and stripped off my veil,
those watchmen on the walls.

8 Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem—
If you find my lover,
tell him I am weak with love.

Young Women of Jerusalem

9 Why is your lover better than all others,
O woman of rare beauty?
What makes your lover so special
that we must promise this?

Young Woman

10 My lover is dark and dazzling,
better than ten thousand others!
11 His head is finest gold,
his wavy hair is black as a raven.
12 His eyes sparkle like doves
beside springs of water;
they are set like jewels
washed in milk.
13 His cheeks are like gardens of spices
giving off fragrance.
His lips are like lilies,
perfumed with myrrh.
14 His arms are like rounded bars of gold,
set with beryl.
His body is like bright ivory,
glowing with lapis lazuli.
15 His legs are like marble pillars
set in sockets of finest gold.
His posture is stately,
like the noble cedars of Lebanon.
16 His mouth is sweetness itself;
he is desirable in every way.
Such, O women of Jerusalem,
is my lover, my friend.

Young Women of Jerusalem

6 Where has your lover gone,
O woman of rare beauty?
Which way did he turn
so we can help you find him?

Young Woman

2 My lover has gone down to his garden,
to his spice beds,
to browse in the gardens
and gather the lilies.
3 I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine.
He browses among the lilies.

Young Man

4 You are beautiful, my darling,
like the lovely city of Tirzah.
Yes, as beautiful as Jerusalem,
as majestic as an army with billowing banners.
5 Turn your eyes away,
for they overpower me.
Your hair falls in waves,
like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.
6 Your teeth are as white as sheep
that are freshly washed.
Your smile is flawless,
each tooth matched with its twin.[b]
7 Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates
behind your veil.

8 Even among sixty queens
and eighty concubines
and countless young women,
9 I would still choose my dove, my perfect one—
the favorite of her mother,
dearly loved by the one who bore her.
The young women see her and praise her;
even queens and royal concubines sing her praises:
10 “Who is this, arising like the dawn,
as fair as the moon,
as bright as the sun,
as majestic as an army with billowing banners?”

Young Woman

11 I went down to the grove of walnut trees
and out to the valley to see the new spring growth,
to see whether the grapevines had budded
or the pomegranates were in bloom.
12 Before I realized it,
my strong desires had taken me to the chariot of a noble man.[c]

Young Women of Jerusalem

13 [d]Return, return to us, O maid of Shulam.
Come back, come back, that we may see you again.

Young Man

Why do you stare at this young woman of Shulam,
as she moves so gracefully between two lines of dancers?[e]

7 [f]How beautiful are your sandaled feet,
O queenly maiden.
Your rounded thighs are like jewels,
the work of a skilled craftsman.
2 Your navel is perfectly formed
like a goblet filled with mixed wine.
Between your thighs lies a mound of wheat
bordered with lilies.
3 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twin fawns of a gazelle.
4 Your neck is as beautiful as an ivory tower.
Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon
by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is as fine as the tower of Lebanon
overlooking Damascus.
5 Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel,
and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty.
The king is held captive by its tresses.
6 Oh, how beautiful you are!
How pleasing, my love, how full of delights!
7 You are slender like a palm tree,
and your breasts are like its clusters of fruit.
8 I said, “I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like grape clusters,
and the fragrance of your breath like apples.
9 May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine—

Young Woman

Yes, wine that goes down smoothly for my lover,
flowing gently over lips and teeth.[g]
10 I am my lover’s,
and he claims me as his own.
11 Come, my love, let us go out to the fields
and spend the night among the wildflowers.[h]
12 Let us get up early and go to the vineyards
to see if the grapevines have budded,
if the blossoms have opened,
and if the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I will give you my love.
13 There the mandrakes give off their fragrance,
and the finest fruits are at our door,
new delights as well as old,
which I have saved for you, my lover.

Young Woman

8 Oh, I wish you were my brother,
who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching,
and no one would criticize me.
2 I would bring you to my childhood home,
and there you would teach me.[i]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
my sweet pomegranate wine.
3 Your left arm would be under my head,
and your right arm would embrace me.

4 Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
not to awaken love until the time is right.[j]

Young Women of Jerusalem

5 Who is this sweeping in from the desert,
leaning on her lover?

Young Woman

I aroused you under the apple tree,
where your mother gave you birth,
where in great pain she delivered you.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
its jealousy[k] as enduring as the grave.[l]
Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.
If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth,
his offer would be utterly scorned.

The Young Woman’s Brothers

8 We have a little sister
too young to have breasts.
What will we do for our sister
if someone asks to marry her?
9 If she is a virgin, like a wall,
we will protect her with a silver tower.
But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door,
we will block her door with a cedar bar.

Young Woman

10 I was a virgin, like a wall;
now my breasts are like towers.
When my lover looks at me,
he is delighted with what he sees.

11 Solomon has a vineyard at Baal-hamon,
which he leases out to tenant farmers.
Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver
for harvesting its fruit.
12 But my vineyard is mine to give,
and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver.
But I will give two hundred pieces
to those who care for its vines.

Young Man

13 O my darling, lingering in the gardens,
your companions are fortunate to hear your voice.
Let me hear it, too!

Young Woman

14 Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

Footnotes:

  1. 5:1 Hebrew my sister; also in 5:2.
  2. 6:6 Hebrew Not one is missing; each has a twin.
  3. 6:12 Or to the royal chariots of my people, or to the chariots of Amminadab. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  4. 6:13a Verse 6:13 is numbered 7:1 in Hebrew text.
  5. 6:13b Or as you would at the movements of two armies? or as you would at the dance of Mahanaim? The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  6. 7:1 Verses 7:1-13 are numbered 7:2-14 in Hebrew text.
  7. 7:9 As in Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew reads over lips of sleepers.
  8. 7:11 Or in the villages.
  9. 8:2 Or there she will teach me.
  10. 8:4 Or not to awaken love until it is ready.
  11. 8:6a Or its passion.
  12. 8:6b Hebrew as Sheol.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


2 Corinthians 9

The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem

9 I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem.[a] 2 For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece[b] were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.

3 But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. 4 We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! 5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”[c] 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”[d]

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity[e] in you.

11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem[f] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for this gift[g] too wonderful for words!

Footnotes:

  1. 9:1 Greek about the offering for God’s holy people.
  2. 9:2 Greek in Achaia, the southern region of the Greek peninsula. Macedonia was in the northern region of Greece.
  3. 9:7 See footnote on Prov 22:8.
  4. 9:9 Ps 112:9.
  5. 9:10 Greek righteousness.
  6. 9:12 Greek of God’s holy people.
  7. 9:15 Greek his gift.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 51

Psalm 51

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.[a]
5 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the womb,[b]
teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
15 Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.

16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
18 Look with favor on Zion and help her;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—
with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

Footnotes:

  1. 51:4 Greek version reads and you will win your case in court. Compare Rom 3:4.
  2. 51:6 Or from the heart; Hebrew reads in the inward parts.
  3. 51:7 Hebrew Purify me with the hyssop branch.
  4. 51:11 Or your spirit of holiness.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 22:24-25

24 Don’t befriend angry people
or associate with hot-tempered people,
25 or you will learn to be like them
and endanger your soul.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday September 6, 2019 (NIV)

Song of Solomon 1-4

1 This is Solomon’s song of songs, more wonderful than any other.

Young Woman[a]

2 Kiss me and kiss me again,
for your love is sweeter than wine.
3 How pleasing is your fragrance;
your name is like the spreading fragrance of scented oils.
No wonder all the young women love you!
4 Take me with you; come, let’s run!
The king has brought me into his bedroom.

Young Women of Jerusalem

How happy we are for you, O king.
We praise your love even more than wine.

Young Woman

How right they are to adore you.

5 I am dark but beautiful,
O women of Jerusalem—
dark as the tents of Kedar,
dark as the curtains of Solomon’s tents.
6 Don’t stare at me because I am dark—
the sun has darkened my skin.
My brothers were angry with me;
they forced me to care for their vineyards,
so I couldn’t care for myself—my own vineyard.

7 Tell me, my love, where are you leading your flock today?
Where will you rest your sheep at noon?
For why should I wander like a prostitute[b]
among your friends and their flocks?

Young Man

8 If you don’t know, O most beautiful woman,
follow the trail of my flock,
and graze your young goats by the shepherds’ tents.
9 You are as exciting, my darling,
as a mare among Pharaoh’s stallions.
10 How lovely are your cheeks;
your earrings set them afire!
How lovely is your neck,
enhanced by a string of jewels.
11 We will make for you earrings of gold
and beads of silver.

Young Woman

12 The king is lying on his couch,
enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume.
13 My lover is like a sachet of myrrh
lying between my breasts.
14 He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En-gedi.

Young Man

15 How beautiful you are, my darling,
how beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.

Young Woman

16 You are so handsome, my love,
pleasing beyond words!
The soft grass is our bed;
17 fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house,
and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters.

Young Woman

2 I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain,[c]
the lily of the valley.

Young Man

2 Like a lily among thistles
is my darling among young women.

Young Woman

3 Like the finest apple tree in the orchard
is my lover among other young men.
I sit in his delightful shade
and taste his delicious fruit.
4 He escorts me to the banquet hall;
it’s obvious how much he loves me.
5 Strengthen me with raisin cakes,
refresh me with apples,
for I am weak with love.
6 His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.

7 Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles and wild deer,
not to awaken love until the time is right.[d]

8 Ah, I hear my lover coming!
He is leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My lover is like a swift gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he is behind the wall,
looking through the window,
peering into the room.

10 My lover said to me,
“Rise up, my darling!
Come away with me, my fair one!
11 Look, the winter is past,
and the rains are over and gone.
12 The flowers are springing up,
the season of singing birds[e] has come,
and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.
13 The fig trees are forming young fruit,
and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming.
Rise up, my darling!
Come away with me, my fair one!”

Young Man

14 My dove is hiding behind the rocks,
behind an outcrop on the cliff.
Let me see your face;
let me hear your voice.
For your voice is pleasant,
and your face is lovely.

Young Women of Jerusalem

15 Catch all the foxes,
those little foxes,
before they ruin the vineyard of love,
for the grapevines are blossoming!

Young Woman

16 My lover is mine, and I am his.
He browses among the lilies.
17 Before the dawn breezes blow
and the night shadows flee,
return to me, my love, like a gazelle
or a young stag on the rugged mountains.[f]

Young Woman

3 One night as I lay in bed, I yearned for my lover.
I yearned for him, but he did not come.
2 So I said to myself, “I will get up and roam the city,
searching in all its streets and squares.
I will search for the one I love.”
So I searched everywhere but did not find him.
3 The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds,
and I asked, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 Then scarcely had I left them
when I found my love!
I caught and held him tightly,
then I brought him to my mother’s house,
into my mother’s bed, where I had been conceived.

5 Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles and wild deer,
not to awaken love until the time is right.[g]

Young Women of Jerusalem

6 Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness
like a cloud of smoke?
Who is it, fragrant with myrrh and frankincense
and every kind of spice?
7 Look, it is Solomon’s carriage,
surrounded by sixty heroic men,
the best of Israel’s soldiers.
8 They are all skilled swordsmen,
experienced warriors.
Each wears a sword on his thigh,
ready to defend the king against an attack in the night.
9 King Solomon’s carriage is built
of wood imported from Lebanon.
10 Its posts are silver,
its canopy gold;
its cushions are purple.
It was decorated with love
by the young women of Jerusalem.

Young Woman

11 Come out to see King Solomon,
young women of Jerusalem.[h]
He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day,
his most joyous day.

Young Man

4 You are beautiful, my darling,
beautiful beyond words.
Your eyes are like doves
behind your veil.
Your hair falls in waves,
like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.
2 Your teeth are as white as sheep,
recently shorn and freshly washed.
Your smile is flawless,
each tooth matched with its twin.[i]
3 Your lips are like scarlet ribbon;
your mouth is inviting.
Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates
behind your veil.
4 Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David,
jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes.
5 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twin fawns of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
6 Before the dawn breezes blow
and the night shadows flee,
I will hurry to the mountain of myrrh
and to the hill of frankincense.
7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
beautiful in every way.

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
come with me from Lebanon.
Come down[j] from Mount Amana,
from the peaks of Senir and Hermon,
where the lions have their dens
and leopards live among the hills.

9 You have captured my heart,
my treasure,[k] my bride.
You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes,
with a single jewel of your necklace.
10 Your love delights me,
my treasure, my bride.
Your love is better than wine,
your perfume more fragrant than spices.
11 Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride.
Honey and milk are under your tongue.
Your clothes are scented
like the cedars of Lebanon.

12 You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride,
a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.
13 Your thighs shelter a paradise of pomegranates
with rare spices—
henna with nard,
14 nard and saffron,
fragrant calamus and cinnamon,
with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes,
and every other lovely spice.
15 You are a garden fountain,
a well of fresh water
streaming down from Lebanon’s mountains.

Young Woman

16 Awake, north wind!
Rise up, south wind!
Blow on my garden
and spread its fragrance all around.
Come into your garden, my love;
taste its finest fruits.

Footnotes:

  1. 1:1 The headings identifying the speakers are not in the original text, though the Hebrew usually gives clues by means of the gender of the person speaking.
  2. 1:7 Hebrew like a veiled woman.
  3. 2:1 Traditionally rendered I am the rose of Sharon. Sharon Plain is a region in the coastal plain of Palestine.
  4. 2:7 Or not to awaken love until it is ready.
  5. 2:12 Or the season of pruning vines.
  6. 2:17 Or on the hills of Bether.
  7. 3:5 Or not to awaken love until it is ready.
  8. 3:11 Hebrew of Zion.
  9. 4:2 Hebrew Not one is missing; each has a twin.
  10. 4:8 Or Look down.
  11. 4:9 Hebrew my sister; also in 4:10, 12.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Titus and His Companions

16 But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. 17 Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. 18 We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. 19 He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem[a]—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.

20 We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.

22 We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches,[b] and they bring honor to Christ. 24 So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.

Footnotes:

  1. 8:19 See 1 Cor 16:3-4.
  2. 8:23 Greek are apostles of the churches.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 50

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

1 The Lord, the Mighty One, is God,
and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
3 Our God approaches,
and he is not silent.
Fire devours everything in his way,
and a great storm rages around him.
4 He calls on the heavens above and earth below
to witness the judgment of his people.
5 “Bring my faithful people to me—
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”
6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself will be the judge. Interlude

7 “O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns
or the goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 Do I eat the meat of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?
14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.”

16 But God says to the wicked:
“Why bother reciting my decrees
and pretending to obey my covenant?
17 For you refuse my discipline
and treat my words like trash.
18 When you see thieves, you approve of them,
and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouth is filled with wickedness,
and your tongue is full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander your brother—
your own mother’s son.
21 While you did all this, I remained silent,
and you thought I didn’t care.
But now I will rebuke you,
listing all my charges against you.
22 Repent, all of you who forget me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 22:22-23

22 Don’t rob the poor just because you can,
or exploit the needy in court.
23 For the Lord is their defender.
He will ruin anyone who ruins them.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday September 5, 2019 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 10-12

10 As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink,
so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.

2 A wise person chooses the right road;
a fool takes the wrong one.

3 You can identify fools
just by the way they walk down the street!

4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit!
A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

The Ironies of Life

5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. 7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!

8 When you dig a well,
you might fall in.
When you demolish an old wall,
you could be bitten by a snake.
9 When you work in a quarry,
stones might fall and crush you.
When you chop wood,
there is danger with each stroke of your ax.

10 Using a dull ax requires great strength,
so sharpen the blade.
That’s the value of wisdom;
it helps you succeed.

11 If a snake bites before you charm it,
what’s the use of being a snake charmer?

12 Wise words bring approval,
but fools are destroyed by their own words.

13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions,
so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
14 they chatter on and on.

No one really knows what is going to happen;
no one can predict the future.

15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work
that they can’t even find their way home.

16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant,[a]
the land whose leaders feast in the morning.
17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader
and whose leaders feast at the proper time
to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.

18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof;
idleness leads to a leaky house.

19 A party gives laughter,
wine gives happiness,
and money gives everything!

20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts.
And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom.
For a little bird might deliver your message
and tell them what you said.

The Uncertainties of Life

11 Send your grain across the seas,
and in time, profits will flow back to you.[b]
2 But divide your investments among many places,[c]
for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

3 When clouds are heavy, the rains come down.
Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.

4 Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.
If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb,[d] so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

6 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

Advice for Young and Old

7 Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.

8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless.

9 Young people,[e] it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.

12 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Concluding Thoughts about the Teacher

8 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”

9 Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.[f]

11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd[g] drives the sheep.

12 But, my child,[h] let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.

13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

Footnotes:

  1. 10:16 Or a child.
  2. 11:1 Or Give generously, / for your gifts will return to you later. Hebrew reads Throw your bread on the waters, / for after many days you will find it again.
  3. 11:2 Hebrew among seven or even eight.
  4. 11:5 Some manuscripts read Just as you cannot understand how breath comes to a tiny baby in its mother’s womb.
  5. 11:9 Hebrew Young man.
  6. 12:10 Or sought to write what was upright and true.
  7. 12:11 Or one shepherd.
  8. 12:12 Hebrew my son.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


2 Corinthians 8:1-15

A Call to Generous Giving

8 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters,[a] what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.[b] 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. 7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us[c]—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.

9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. 13 Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. 14 Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. 15 As the Scriptures say,

“Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over,
and those who gathered only a little had enough.”[d]

Footnotes:

  1. 8:1 Greek brothers.
  2. 8:4 Greek for God’s holy people.
  3. 8:7 Some manuscripts read your love for us.
  4. 8:15 Exod 16:18.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 49

Psalm 49

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the world!
2 High and low,
rich and poor—listen!
3 For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with insight.
4 I listen carefully to many proverbs
and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

5 Why should I fear when trouble comes,
when enemies surround me?
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of great riches.
7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death[a]
by paying a ransom to God.
8 Redemption does not come so easily,
for no one can ever pay enough
9 to live forever
and never see the grave.

10 Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
11 The grave[b] is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
12 but their fame will not last.
They will die, just like animals.
13 This is the fate of fools,
though they are remembered as being wise.[c] Interlude

14 Like sheep, they are led to the grave,[d]
where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
Their bodies will rot in the grave,
far from their grand estates.
15 But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude

16 So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
and their homes become ever more splendid.
17 For when they die, they take nothing with them.
Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate
and are applauded for their success.
19 But they will die like all before them
and never again see the light of day.
20 People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
they will die, just like animals.

Footnotes:

  1. 49:7 Some Hebrew manuscripts read no one can redeem the life of another.
  2. 49:11 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads Their inward [thought].
  3. 49:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  4. 49:14 Hebrew Sheol; also in 49:14b, 15.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 22:20-21

20 I have written thirty sayings[a] for you,
filled with advice and knowledge.
21 In this way, you may know the truth
and take an accurate report to those who sent you.

Footnotes:

  1. 22:20 Or excellent sayings; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday September 4, 2019 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 7-9

Wisdom for Life

7 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.
And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
After all, everyone dies—
so the living should take this to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
for sadness has a refining influence on us.
4 A wise person thinks a lot about death,
while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

5 Better to be criticized by a wise person
than to be praised by a fool.
6 A fool’s laughter is quickly gone,
like thorns crackling in a fire.
This also is meaningless.

7 Extortion turns wise people into fools,
and bribes corrupt the heart.

8 Finishing is better than starting.
Patience is better than pride.

9 Control your temper,
for anger labels you a fool.

10 Don’t long for “the good old days.”
This is not wise.

11 Wisdom is even better when you have money.
Both are a benefit as you go through life.
12 Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
but only wisdom can save your life.

13 Accept the way God does things,
for who can straighten what he has made crooked?
14 Enjoy prosperity while you can,
but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

The Limits of Human Wisdom

15 I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. 16 So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? 17 On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? 18 Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.[a]

19 One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

20 Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

21 Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. 22 For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

23 I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. 24 Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. 25 I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

26 I discovered that a seductive woman[b] is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

27 “This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. 28 Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! 29 But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

8 How wonderful to be wise,
to analyze and interpret things.
Wisdom lights up a person’s face,
softening its harshness.

Obedience to the King

2 Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. 3 Don’t try to avoid doing your duty, and don’t stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. 4 His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. 5 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, 6 for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.

7 Indeed, how can people avoid what they don’t know is going to happen? 8 None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.

The Wicked and the Righteous

9 I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other. 10 I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised[c] in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless. 11 When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. 12 But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. 13 The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

14 And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

15 So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

16 In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. 17 I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.

Death Comes to All

9 This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. 2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad,[d] ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.

3 It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. 4 There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”

5 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. 6 Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. 7 So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! 8 Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

9 Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. 10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave,[e] there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.

12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly

13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. 16 So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

17 Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person
than the shouts of a foolish king.
18 Better to have wisdom than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Footnotes:

  1. 7:18 Or will follow them both.
  2. 7:26 Hebrew a woman.
  3. 8:10 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version; many Hebrew manuscripts read and are forgotten.
  4. 9:2 As in Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew lacks or bad.
  5. 9:10 Hebrew to Sheol.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


2 Corinthians 7:8-16

8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind[a] at ease. 14 I had told him how proud I was of you—and you didn’t disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true! 15 Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect. 16 I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.

Footnotes:

  1. 7:13 Greek his spirit.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 48

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 How great is the Lord,
how deserving of praise,
in the city of our God,
which sits on his holy mountain!
2 It is high and magnificent;
the whole earth rejoices to see it!
Mount Zion, the holy mountain,[a]
is the city of the great King!
3 God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,
revealing himself as its defender.

4 The kings of the earth joined forces
and advanced against the city.
5 But when they saw it, they were stunned;
they were terrified and ran away.
6 They were gripped with terror
and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish
shattered by a powerful east wind.

8 We had heard of the city’s glory,
but now we have seen it ourselves—
the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
It is the city of our God;
he will make it safe forever. Interlude

9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love
as we worship in your Temple.
10 As your name deserves, O God,
you will be praised to the ends of the earth.
Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.
Let all the towns of Judah be glad
because of your justice.

12 Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.[b]
Walk around and count the many towers.
13 Take note of the fortified walls,
and tour all the citadels,
that you may describe them
to future generations.
14 For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die.

Footnotes:

  1. 48:2 Or Mount Zion, in the far north; Hebrew reads Mount Zion, the heights of Zaphon.
  2. 48:12 Hebrew Zion.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 22:17-19

Sayings of the Wise

17 Listen to the words of the wise;
apply your heart to my instruction.
18 For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
and always ready on your lips.
19 I am teaching you today—yes, you—
so you will trust in the Lord.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday September 4, 2019 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 7-9

Wisdom for Life

7 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.
And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
After all, everyone dies—
so the living should take this to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
for sadness has a refining influence on us.
4 A wise person thinks a lot about death,
while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

5 Better to be criticized by a wise person
than to be praised by a fool.
6 A fool’s laughter is quickly gone,
like thorns crackling in a fire.
This also is meaningless.

7 Extortion turns wise people into fools,
and bribes corrupt the heart.

8 Finishing is better than starting.
Patience is better than pride.

9 Control your temper,
for anger labels you a fool.

10 Don’t long for “the good old days.”
This is not wise.

11 Wisdom is even better when you have money.
Both are a benefit as you go through life.
12 Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
but only wisdom can save your life.

13 Accept the way God does things,
for who can straighten what he has made crooked?
14 Enjoy prosperity while you can,
but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

The Limits of Human Wisdom

15 I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. 16 So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? 17 On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? 18 Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.[a]

19 One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

20 Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

21 Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. 22 For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

23 I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. 24 Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. 25 I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

26 I discovered that a seductive woman[b] is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

27 “This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. 28 Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! 29 But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

8 How wonderful to be wise,
to analyze and interpret things.
Wisdom lights up a person’s face,
softening its harshness.

Obedience to the King

2 Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. 3 Don’t try to avoid doing your duty, and don’t stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. 4 His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. 5 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, 6 for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.

7 Indeed, how can people avoid what they don’t know is going to happen? 8 None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.

The Wicked and the Righteous

9 I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other. 10 I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised[c] in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless. 11 When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. 12 But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. 13 The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

14 And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

15 So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

16 In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. 17 I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.

Death Comes to All

9 This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. 2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad,[d] ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.

3 It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. 4 There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”

5 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. 6 Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. 7 So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! 8 Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

9 Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. 10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave,[e] there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.

12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly

13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. 16 So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

17 Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person
than the shouts of a foolish king.
18 Better to have wisdom than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Footnotes:

  1. 7:18 Or will follow them both.
  2. 7:26 Hebrew a woman.
  3. 8:10 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version; many Hebrew manuscripts read and are forgotten.
  4. 9:2 As in Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew lacks or bad.
  5. 9:10 Hebrew to Sheol.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


2 Corinthians 7:8-16

8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind[a] at ease. 14 I had told him how proud I was of you—and you didn’t disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true! 15 Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect. 16 I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.

Footnotes:

  1. 7:13 Greek his spirit.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 48

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 How great is the Lord,
how deserving of praise,
in the city of our God,
which sits on his holy mountain!
2 It is high and magnificent;
the whole earth rejoices to see it!
Mount Zion, the holy mountain,[a]
is the city of the great King!
3 God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,
revealing himself as its defender.

4 The kings of the earth joined forces
and advanced against the city.
5 But when they saw it, they were stunned;
they were terrified and ran away.
6 They were gripped with terror
and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish
shattered by a powerful east wind.

8 We had heard of the city’s glory,
but now we have seen it ourselves—
the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
It is the city of our God;
he will make it safe forever. Interlude

9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love
as we worship in your Temple.
10 As your name deserves, O God,
you will be praised to the ends of the earth.
Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.
Let all the towns of Judah be glad
because of your justice.

12 Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.[b]
Walk around and count the many towers.
13 Take note of the fortified walls,
and tour all the citadels,
that you may describe them
to future generations.
14 For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die.

Footnotes:

  1. 48:2 Or Mount Zion, in the far north; Hebrew reads Mount Zion, the heights of Zaphon.
  2. 48:12 Hebrew Zion.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 22:17-19

Sayings of the Wise

17 Listen to the words of the wise;
apply your heart to my instruction.
18 For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
and always ready on your lips.
19 I am teaching you today—yes, you—
so you will trust in the Lord.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday September 3, 2019 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 4-6

4 Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. 2 So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. 3 But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.

4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

5 “Fools fold their idle hands,
leading them to ruin.”

6 And yet,

“Better to have one handful with quietness
than two handfuls with hard work
and chasing the wind.”

The Advantages of Companionship

7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

The Futility of Political Power

13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. 15 But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth[a] who replaces him. 16 Endless crowds stand around him,[b] but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Approaching God with Care

5 [c]As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 [d]Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.

4 When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. 5 It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. 6 Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.

7 Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.

The Futility of Wealth

8 Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9 Even the king milks the land for his own profit![e]

10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. 14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.

18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.

6 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.

3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. 4 His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. 6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?

7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. 8 So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?

9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

The Future—Determined and Unknown

10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.

11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?

12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?

Footnotes:

  1. 4:15 Hebrew the second youth.
  2. 4:16 Hebrew There is no end to all the people, to all those who are before them.
  3. 5:1 Verse 5:1 is numbered 4:17 in Hebrew text.
  4. 5:2 Verses 5:2-20 are numbered 5:1-19 in Hebrew text.
  5. 5:9 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 8 and 9 is uncertain.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7

The Temple of the Living God

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil[a]? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.[b]
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.[c]
18 And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.[d]”

7 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

2 Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. 3 I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you. 4 I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.

Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance

5 When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. 6 But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. 7 His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!

Footnotes:

  1. 6:15 Greek Beliar; various other manuscripts render this proper name of the devil as Belian, Beliab, or Belial.
  2. 6:16 Lev 26:12; Ezek 37:27.
  3. 6:17 Isa 52:11; Ezek 20:34 (Greek version).
  4. 6:18 2 Sam 7:14.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 47

Psalm 47

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 Come, everyone! Clap your hands!
Shout to God with joyful praise!
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome.
He is the great King of all the earth.
3 He subdues the nations before us,
putting our enemies beneath our feet.
4 He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,
the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves. Interlude

5 God has ascended with a mighty shout.
The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm.[a]
8 God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.
9 The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere.

Footnotes:

  1. 47:7 Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 22:16

16 A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor
or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday September 2, 2019 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 1-3

1 These are the words of the Teacher,[a] King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.

Everything Is Meaningless

2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

The Teacher Speaks: The Futility of Wisdom

12 I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. 14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

15 What is wrong cannot be made right.
What is missing cannot be recovered.

16 I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” 17 So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.

18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

The Futility of Pleasure

2 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2 So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” 3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

The Wise and the Foolish

12 So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?[b]). 13 I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14 For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. 15 Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!” 16 For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.

17 So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

The Futility of Work

18 I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. 19 And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! 20 So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.

21 Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. 22 So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? 23 Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.

24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?[c] 26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

A Time for Everything

3 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

The Injustices of Life

16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”

18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe[d] and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die.

Footnotes:

  1. 1:1 Hebrew Qoheleth; this term is rendered “the Teacher” throughout this book.
  2. 2:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 2:25 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads apart from me?
  4. 3:19 Or both have the same spirit.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


2 Corinthians 6:1-13

6 As God’s partners,[a] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”[b]

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[c] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!

Footnotes:

  1. 6:1 Or As we work together.
  2. 6:2 Isa 49:8 (Greek version).
  3. 6:6 Or by our holiness of spirit.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 46

Psalm 46

For the choir director: A song of the descendants of Korah, to be sung by soprano voices.[a]

1 God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude

4 A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
6 The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel[b] is our fortress. Interlude

8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude

Footnotes:

  1. 46:Title Hebrew according to alamoth.
  2. 46:7 Hebrew of Jacob; also in 46:11. See note on 44:4.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 22:15

15 A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness,
but physical discipline will drive it far away.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.