Luke 12:1-31
Contemporary English Version
Warnings
12 (A) As thousands of people crowded around Jesus and were stepping on each other, he told his disciples:
Be sure to guard against the dishonest teaching[a] of the Pharisees! It is their way of fooling people. 2 (B) Everything that is hidden will be found out, and every secret will be known. 3 Whatever you say in the dark will be heard when it is day. Whatever you whisper in a closed room will be shouted from the housetops.
The One To Fear
(Matthew 10.28-31)
4 (C) My friends, don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but after that, there is nothing else they can do. 5 God is the one you must fear. Not only can he take your life, but he can throw you into hell. God is certainly the one you should fear!
6 Five sparrows are sold for only a few cents, but God doesn't forget a single one of them. 7 Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.
Telling Others about Christ
(Matthew 10.32,33; 12.32; 10.19,20)
8 If you tell others that you belong to me, the Son of Man will tell God's angels that you are my followers. 9 But if you reject me, you will be rejected in front of them. 10 (D) If you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven, but if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you cannot be forgiven.
11 (E) When you are brought to trial in the synagogues or before rulers or officials, don't worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say. 12 At that time the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say.
A Rich Fool
13 A man in a crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of what our father left us when he died.”
14 Jesus answered, “Who gave me the right to settle arguments between you and your brother?”
15 Then he said to the crowd, “Don't be greedy! Owning a lot of things won't make your life safe.”
16 So Jesus told them this story:
A rich man's farm produced a big crop, 17 and he said to himself, “What can I do? I don't have a place large enough to store everything.”
18 Later, he said, “Now I know what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. 19 (F) Then I'll say to myself, ‘You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’ ”
20 But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”
21 “This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.”
Worry
(Matthew 6.25-34)
22 Jesus said to his disciples:
I tell you not to worry about your life! Don't worry about having something to eat or wear. 23 Life is more than food or clothing. 24 Look at the crows! They don't plant or harvest, and they don't have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds. 25 Can worry make you live longer?[b] 26 If you don't have power over small things, why worry about everything else?
27 (G) Look how the wild flowers grow! They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you Solomon with all his wealth[c] wasn't as well clothed as one of these flowers. 28 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won't he do even more for you? You have such little faith!
29 Don't keep worrying about having something to eat or drink. 30 Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need. 31 But put God's work first, and these things will be yours as well.
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Genesis 21
Contemporary English Version
Sarah Has a Son
21 The Lord was good to Sarah and kept his promise. 2 (A) Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said. 3 Abraham named his son Isaac, 4 (B) and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as God had commanded.
5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, 6 and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh.[a] And now everyone will laugh with me. 7 Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son.”
8 The time came when Sarah no longer had to nurse Isaac,[b] and on that day Abraham gave a big feast.
Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away
9-10 (C) One day, Sarah noticed Hagar's son Ishmael[c] playing,[d] and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that Egyptian slave woman and her son! I don't want him to inherit anything. It should all go to my son.”[e]
11 Abraham was worried about Ishmael. 12 (D) But God said, “Abraham, don't worry about your slave woman and the boy. Just do what Sarah tells you. Isaac will inherit your family name, 13 but the son of the slave woman is also your son, and I will make his descendants into a great nation.”
14 Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away.
They wandered around in the desert near Beersheba, 15 and after they had run out of water, Hagar put her son under a bush. 16 Then she sat down a long way off, because she could not bear to watch him die. And she cried bitterly.
17 When God heard the boy crying, the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven and said, “Hagar, why are you worried? Don't be afraid. I have heard your son crying. 18 Help him up and hold his hand, because I will make him the father of a great nation.” 19 Then God let her see a well. So she went to the well and filled the skin with water, then gave some to her son.
20-21 God blessed Ishmael, and as the boy grew older, he became an expert at hunting with his bow and arrows. He lived in the Paran Desert, and his mother chose an Egyptian woman for him to marry.
A Peace Treaty
22 (E) About this time Abimelech and his army commander Phicol said to Abraham, “God blesses everything you do! 23 Now I want you to promise in the name of God that you will always be loyal to me and my descendants, just as I have always been loyal to you in this land where you have lived as a foreigner.” 24 And so, Abraham promised he would.
25 One day, Abraham told Abimelech, “Some of your servants have taken over one of my wells.”
26 “This is the first I've heard about it,” Abimelech replied. “Why haven't you said something before? I don't have any idea who did it.” 27 Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, then the two men made a peace treaty.
28 Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock of sheep, 29 and Abimelech asked, “Why have you done this?”
30 Abraham replied, “I want you to accept these seven lambs as proof that I dug this well.” 31 So they called the place Beersheba,[f] because they made a treaty there.
32 When the treaty was completed, Abimelech and his army commander Phicol went back to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree[g] in Beersheba and worshiped the eternal Lord God. 34 Then Abraham lived a long time as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines.
Footnotes
- 21.6 God has made me laugh: In Hebrew “Isaac” sounds like “laugh.”
- 21.8 no longer had to nurse Isaac: In ancient Israel mothers nursed their children until they were about three years old. Then there was a family celebration.
- 21.9,10 Ishmael: The son of Abraham and Hagar, who was Sarah's slave woman (see 16.1-16).
- 21.9,10 playing: Hebrew; one ancient translation “playing with her son Isaac.”
- 21.9,10 Get rid … son: When Abraham accepted Ishmael as his son, it gave Ishmael the right to inherit part of what Abraham owned. But slaves who were given their freedom lost the right to inherit such property.
- 21.31 Beersheba: Meaning “Well of Good Fortune” or “Peace Treaty Well.”
- 21.33 tamarisk tree: A tall shade tree that has deep roots and needs little water.
Psalm 14
Contemporary English Version
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
No One Can Ignore the Lord
1 (A) Only a fool would say,
“There is no God!”
People like that are worthless;
they are heartless and cruel
and never do right.
2 From heaven the Lord
looks down to see
if anyone is wise enough
to search for him.
3 But all of them are corrupt;
no one does right.
4 Won't you evil people learn?
You refuse to pray,
and you gobble up
the Lord's people.
5 But you will be frightened,
because God is on the side
of every good person.
6 You may spoil the plans
of the poor,
but the Lord protects them.
7 I long for someone from Zion
to come and save Israel!
Our Lord, when you bless
your people again,
Jacob's family will be glad,
and Israel will celebrate.
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