Today's Reading

¹Then Job answered,

²"Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

³Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on.

⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn't I be impatient?

⁵Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.

⁶When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.

⁷"Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

⁸Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and do not miscarry.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.

¹²They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol.

¹⁴They tell God, 'Depart from us, for we do not want to know about your ways.

¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?'

¹⁶Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷"How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

¹⁸How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?

¹⁹You say, 'God lays up his iniquity for his children.' Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

²²"Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing he judges those who are high?

²³One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

²⁴His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁵Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.

²⁶They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.

²⁷"Behold, I know your thoughts, the devices with which you would wrong me.

²⁸For you say, 'Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?'

²⁹Haven't you asked wayfaring men? Do you not know their evidences,

³⁰that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³¹Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done?

³²Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb.

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.

³⁴So how can you comfort me with nonsense, seeing that in your answers there remains only falsehood?"

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

²"Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

³Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?

⁴Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?

⁵Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.

⁶For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁷You haven't given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.

⁹You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,

¹¹or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.

¹²"Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!

¹³You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'

¹⁵Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,

¹⁶who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

¹⁷who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can the Almighty do for us?'

¹⁸Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,

²⁰saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'

²¹"Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.

²²Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

²³If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

²⁴Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

²⁵The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.

²⁶For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God.

²⁷You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.

²⁸You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways.

²⁹When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' He will save the humble person.

³⁰He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

¹Then Job answered,

²"Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

³Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat!

⁴I would set my cause in order before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would tell me.

⁶Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me.

⁷There the upright might reason with him, so I should be delivered forever from my judge.

⁸"If I go east, he is not there; if west, I can't find him;

⁹He works to the north, but I can't see him. He turns south, but I can't catch a glimpse of him.

¹⁰But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come forth like gold.

¹¹My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and not turned aside.

¹²I haven't gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

¹³But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? What his soul desires, even that he does.

¹⁴For he performs that which is appointed for me. Many such things are with him.

¹⁵Therefore I am terrified at his presence. When I consider, I am afraid of him.

¹⁶For God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified me.

¹⁷Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

¹Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we do not faint.

²But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

³Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish;

⁴in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, to prevent the light shining from the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake;

⁶seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

⁸We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

⁹pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;

¹⁰always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

¹¹For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

¹²So then death works in us, but life in you.

¹³But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, "I believed, and therefore I spoke." We also believe, and therefore also we speak;

¹⁴knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.

¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;

¹⁸while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

¹He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴The king by justice makes the land stable, but he who takes bribes tears it down.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

⁶An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren't concerned about knowledge.

⁸Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

⁹If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, the fool rages or scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity; and they seek the life of the upright.

¹¹A fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man brings himself under control.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked.

¹³The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴The king who fairly judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever.

¹⁵The rod of correction gives wisdom, but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked increase, sin increases; but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Correct your son, and he will give you peace; yes, he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but one who keeps the Law is blessed.

¹⁹A servant can't be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.

²⁰Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹He who pampers his servant from youth will have him become a son in the end.

²²An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.

²³A man's pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify.

²⁵The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's justice comes from the Lord.

²⁷A dishonest man detests the righteous, and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.