August 31st - Day 243

Job 37-39:30



Job 37

1 "At this my heart pounds

and leaps from its place.

2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,

to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven

and sends it to the ends of the earth.

4 After that comes the sound of his roar;

he thunders with his majestic voice.

When his voice resounds,

he holds nothing back.

5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;

he does great things beyond our understanding.

6 He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'

and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'

7 So that all men he has made may know his work,

he stops every man from his labor. [a]

8 The animals take cover;

they remain in their dens.

9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,

the cold from the driving winds.

10 The breath of God produces ice,

and the broad waters become frozen.

11 He loads the clouds with moisture;

he scatters his lightning through them.

12 At his direction they swirl around

over the face of the whole earth

to do whatever he commands them.

13 He brings the clouds to punish men,

or to water his earth [b] and show his love.

14 "Listen to this, Job;

stop and consider God's wonders.

15 Do you know how God controls the clouds

and makes his lightning flash?

16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,

those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?

17 You who swelter in your clothes

when the land lies hushed under the south wind,

18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,

hard as a mirror of cast bronze?

19 "Tell us what we should say to him;

we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.

20 Should he be told that I want to speak?

Would any man ask to be swallowed up?

21 Now no one can look at the sun,

bright as it is in the skies

after the wind has swept them clean.

22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;

God comes in awesome majesty.

23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;

in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

24 Therefore, men revere him,

for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart? [c] "

Job 38

The LORD Speaks

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:

2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel

with words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone-

7 while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels [d] shouted for joy?

8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

9 when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

10 when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

11 when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt'?

12 "Have you ever given orders to the morning,

or shown the dawn its place,

13 that it might take the earth by the edges

and shake the wicked out of it?

14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;

its features stand out like those of a garment.

15 The wicked are denied their light,

and their upraised arm is broken.

16 "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea

or walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?

Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death [e] ?

18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?

Tell me, if you know all this.

19 "What is the way to the abode of light?

And where does darkness reside?

20 Can you take them to their places?

Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

21 Surely you know, for you were already born!

You have lived so many years!

22 "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow

or seen the storehouses of the hail,

23 which I reserve for times of trouble,

for days of war and battle?

24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,

or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,

and a path for the thunderstorm,

26 to water a land where no man lives,

a desert with no one in it,

27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland

and make it sprout with grass?

28 Does the rain have a father?

Who fathers the drops of dew?

29 From whose womb comes the ice?

Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

30 when the waters become hard as stone,

when the surface of the deep is frozen?

31 "Can you bind the beautiful [f] Pleiades?

Can you loose the cords of Orion?

32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons [g]

or lead out the Bear [h] with its cubs?

33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?

Can you set up God's [i] dominion over the earth?

34 "Can you raise your voice to the clouds

and cover yourself with a flood of water?

35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?

Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?

36 Who endowed the heart [j] with wisdom

or gave understanding to the mind [k] ?

37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?

Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens

38 when the dust becomes hard

and the clods of earth stick together?

39 "Do you hunt the prey for the lioness

and satisfy the hunger of the lions

40 when they crouch in their dens

or lie in wait in a thicket?

41 Who provides food for the raven

when its young cry out to God

and wander about for lack of food?

Job 39

1 "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?

Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?

2 Do you count the months till they bear?

Do you know the time they give birth?

3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;

their labor pains are ended.

4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;

they leave and do not return.

5 "Who let the wild donkey go free?

Who untied his ropes?

6 I gave him the wasteland as his home,

the salt flats as his habitat.

7 He laughs at the commotion in the town;

he does not hear a driver's shout.

8 He ranges the hills for his pasture

and searches for any green thing.

9 "Will the wild ox consent to serve you?

Will he stay by your manger at night?

10 Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness?

Will he till the valleys behind you?

11 Will you rely on him for his great strength?

Will you leave your heavy work to him?

12 Can you trust him to bring in your grain

and gather it to your threshing floor?

13 "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,

but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.

14 She lays her eggs on the ground

and lets them warm in the sand,

15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,

that some wild animal may trample them.

16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers;

she cares not that her labor was in vain,

17 for God did not endow her with wisdom

or give her a share of good sense.

18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,

she laughs at horse and rider.

19 "Do you give the horse his strength

or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

20 Do you make him leap like a locust,

striking terror with his proud snorting?

21 He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,

and charges into the fray.

22 He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;

he does not shy away from the sword.

23 The quiver rattles against his side,

along with the flashing spear and lance.

24 In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground;

he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.

25 At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, 'Aha!'

He catches the scent of battle from afar,

the shout of commanders and the battle cry.

26 "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom

and spread his wings toward the south?

27 Does the eagle soar at your command

and build his nest on high?

28 He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;

a rocky crag is his stronghold.

29 From there he seeks out his food;

his eyes detect it from afar.

30 His young ones feast on blood,

and where the slain are, there is he."

Footnotes:

1. Job 37:7 Or / he fills all men with fear by his power
   
2. Job 37:13 Or to favor them
   
3. Job 37:24 Or for he does not have regard for any who think they are wise.
   
4. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
   
5. Job 38:17 Or gates of deep shadows
   
6. Job 38:31 Or the twinkling; or the chains of the
   
7. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
   
8. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
   
9. Job 38:33 Or his ; or their
   
10. Job 38:36 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
    
11. Job 38:36 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10



13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."[a]With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 5

Our Heavenly Dwelling

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 4:13 Psalm 116:10

Psalm 44:9-26



9 But now you have rejected and humbled us;

you no longer go out with our armies.

10 You made us retreat before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered us.

11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep

and have scattered us among the nations.

12 You sold your people for a pittance,

gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,

the scorn and derision of those around us.

14 You have made us a byword among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads at us.

15 My disgrace is before me all day long,

and my face is covered with shame

16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

17 All this happened to us,

though we had not forgotten you

or been false to your covenant.

18 Our hearts had not turned back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals

and covered us over with deep darkness.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21 would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?

22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

24 Why do you hide your face

and forget our misery and oppression?

25 We are brought down to the dust;

our bodies cling to the ground.

26 Rise up and help us;

redeem us because of your unfailing love.

Proverbs 22:13



13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!"

or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"

August 30th - Day 242

Job 34-36:33



Job 34

1 Then Elihu said:

2 "Hear my words, you wise men;

listen to me, you men of learning.

3 For the ear tests words

as the tongue tastes food.

4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;

let us learn together what is good.

5 "Job says, 'I am innocent,

but God denies me justice.

6 Although I am right,

I am considered a liar;

although I am guiltless,

his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.'

7 What man is like Job,

who drinks scorn like water?

8 He keeps company with evildoers;

he associates with wicked men.

9 For he says, 'It profits a man nothing

when he tries to please God.'

10 "So listen to me, you men of understanding.

Far be it from God to do evil,

from the Almighty to do wrong.

11 He repays a man for what he has done;

he brings upon him what his conduct deserves.

12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,

that the Almighty would pervert justice.

13 Who appointed him over the earth?

Who put him in charge of the whole world?

14 If it were his intention

and he withdrew his spirit [a] and breath,

15 all mankind would perish together

and man would return to the dust.

16 "If you have understanding, hear this;

listen to what I say.

17 Can he who hates justice govern?

Will you condemn the just and mighty One?

18 Is he not the One who says to kings, 'You are worthless,'

and to nobles, 'You are wicked,'

19 who shows no partiality to princes

and does not favor the rich over the poor,

for they are all the work of his hands?

20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;

the people are shaken and they pass away;

the mighty are removed without human hand.

21 "His eyes are on the ways of men;

he sees their every step.

22 There is no dark place, no deep shadow,

where evildoers can hide.

23 God has no need to examine men further,

that they should come before him for judgment.

24 Without inquiry he shatters the mighty

and sets up others in their place.

25 Because he takes note of their deeds,

he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.

26 He punishes them for their wickedness

where everyone can see them,

27 because they turned from following him

and had no regard for any of his ways.

28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,

so that he heard the cry of the needy.

29 But if he remains silent, who can condemn him?

If he hides his face, who can see him?

Yet he is over man and nation alike,

30 to keep a godless man from ruling,

from laying snares for the people.

31 "Suppose a man says to God,

'I am guilty but will offend no more.

32 Teach me what I cannot see;

if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.'

33 Should God then reward you on your terms,

when you refuse to repent?

You must decide, not I;

so tell me what you know.

34 "Men of understanding declare,

wise men who hear me say to me,

35 'Job speaks without knowledge;

his words lack insight.'

36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost

for answering like a wicked man!

37 To his sin he adds rebellion;

scornfully he claps his hands among us

and multiplies his words against God."

Job 35

1 Then Elihu said:

2 "Do you think this is just?

You say, 'I will be cleared by God. [b] '

3 Yet you ask him, 'What profit is it to me, [c]

and what do I gain by not sinning?'

4 "I would like to reply to you

and to your friends with you.

5 Look up at the heavens and see;

gaze at the clouds so high above you.

6 If you sin, how does that affect him?

If your sins are many, what does that do to him?

7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,

or what does he receive from your hand?

8 Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself,

and your righteousness only the sons of men.

9 "Men cry out under a load of oppression;

they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.

10 But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker,

who gives songs in the night,

11 who teaches more to us than to [d] the beasts of the earth

and makes us wiser than [e] the birds of the air?'

12 He does not answer when men cry out

because of the arrogance of the wicked.

13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;

the Almighty pays no attention to it.

14 How much less, then, will he listen

when you say that you do not see him,

that your case is before him

and you must wait for him,

15 and further, that his anger never punishes

and he does not take the least notice of wickedness. [f]

16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;

without knowledge he multiplies words."

Job 36

1 Elihu continued:

2 "Bear with me a little longer and I will show you

that there is more to be said in God's behalf.

3 I get my knowledge from afar;

I will ascribe justice to my Maker.

4 Be assured that my words are not false;

one perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 "God is mighty, but does not despise men;

he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.

6 He does not keep the wicked alive

but gives the afflicted their rights.

7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;

he enthrones them with kings

and exalts them forever.

8 But if men are bound in chains,

held fast by cords of affliction,

9 he tells them what they have done—

that they have sinned arrogantly.

10 He makes them listen to correction

and commands them to repent of their evil.

11 If they obey and serve him,

they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity

and their years in contentment.

12 But if they do not listen,

they will perish by the sword [g]

and die without knowledge.

13 "The godless in heart harbor resentment;

even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.

14 They die in their youth,

among male prostitutes of the shrines.

15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;

he speaks to them in their affliction.

16 "He is wooing you from the jaws of distress

to a spacious place free from restriction,

to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.

17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;

judgment and justice have taken hold of you.

18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;

do not let a large bribe turn you aside.

19 Would your wealth

or even all your mighty efforts

sustain you so you would not be in distress?

20 Do not long for the night,

to drag people away from their homes. [h]

21 Beware of turning to evil,

which you seem to prefer to affliction.

22 "God is exalted in his power.

Who is a teacher like him?

23 Who has prescribed his ways for him,

or said to him, 'You have done wrong'?

24 Remember to extol his work,

which men have praised in song.

25 All mankind has seen it;

men gaze on it from afar.

26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!

The number of his years is past finding out.

27 "He draws up the drops of water,

which distill as rain to the streams [i] ;

28 the clouds pour down their moisture

and abundant showers fall on mankind.

29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,

how he thunders from his pavilion?

30 See how he scatters his lightning about him,

bathing the depths of the sea.

31 This is the way he governs [j] the nations

and provides food in abundance.

32 He fills his hands with lightning

and commands it to strike its mark.

33 His thunder announces the coming storm;

even the cattle make known its approach. [k]

Footnotes:

1. Job 34:14 Or Spirit
   
2. Job 35:2 Or My righteousness is more than God's
   
3. Job 35:3 Or you
   
4. Job 35:11 Or teaches us by
   
5. Job 35:11 Or us wise by
   
6. Job 35:15 Symmachus, Theodotion and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
   
7. Job 36:12 Or will cross the River
   
8. Job 36:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for verses 18-20 is uncertain.
   
9. Job 36:27 Or distill from the mist as rain
   
10. Job 36:31 Or nourishes
    
11. Job 36:33 Or announces his coming—/ the One zealous against evil

2 Corinthians 4:1-12



2 Corinthians 4

Treasures in Jars of Clay

1Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 4:6 Gen. 1:3

Psalm 44:1-8



Psalm 44

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. [a]

1 We have heard with our ears, O God;

our fathers have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

2 With your hand you drove out the nations

and planted our fathers;

you crushed the peoples

and made our fathers flourish.

3 It was not by their sword that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand, your arm,

and the light of your face, for you loved them.

4 You are my King and my God,

who decrees [b] victories for Jacob.

5 Through you we push back our enemies;

through your name we trample our foes.

6 I do not trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

7 but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

8 In God we make our boast all day long,

and we will praise your name forever.

Selah

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
   
2. Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command

Proverbs 22:10-12



10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;

quarrels and insults are ended.

11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious

will have the king for his friend.

12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,

but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

August 29th - Day 241

Job 31-33:33

Job 31

1 "I made a covenant with my eyes

not to look lustfully at a girl.

2 For what is man's lot from God above,

his heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Is it not ruin for the wicked,

disaster for those who do wrong?

4 Does he not see my ways

and count my every step?

5 "If I have walked in falsehood

or my foot has hurried after deceit-

6 let God weigh me in honest scales

and he will know that I am blameless-

7 if my steps have turned from the path,

if my heart has been led by my eyes,

or if my hands have been defiled,

8 then may others eat what I have sown,

and may my crops be uprooted.

9 "If my heart has been enticed by a woman,

or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door,

10 then may my wife grind another man's grain,

and may other men sleep with her.

11 For that would have been shameful,

a sin to be judged.

12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction [a] ;

it would have uprooted my harvest.

13 "If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants

when they had a grievance against me,

14 what will I do when God confronts me?

What will I answer when called to account?

15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?

Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

16 "If I have denied the desires of the poor

or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

17 if I have kept my bread to myself,

not sharing it with the fatherless-

18 but from my youth I reared him as would a father,

and from my birth I guided the widow-

19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,

or a needy man without a garment,

20 and his heart did not bless me

for warming him with the fleece from my sheep,

21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,

knowing that I had influence in court,

22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,

let it be broken off at the joint.

23 For I dreaded destruction from God,

and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

24 "If I have put my trust in gold

or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,'

25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,

the fortune my hands had gained,

26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance

or the moon moving in splendor,

27 so that my heart was secretly enticed

and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

28 then these also would be sins to be judged,

for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

29 "If I have rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune

or gloated over the trouble that came to him-

30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin

by invoking a curse against his life-

31 if the men of my household have never said,

'Who has not had his fill of Job's meat?'-

32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,

for my door was always open to the traveler-

33 if I have concealed my sin as men do, [b]

by hiding my guilt in my heart

34 because I so feared the crowd

and so dreaded the contempt of the clans

that I kept silent and would not go outside

35 ("Oh, that I had someone to hear me!

I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;

let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,

I would put it on like a crown.

37 I would give him an account of my every step;

like a prince I would approach him.)-

38 "if my land cries out against me

and all its furrows are wet with tears,

39 if I have devoured its yield without payment

or broken the spirit of its tenants,

40 then let briers come up instead of wheat

and weeds instead of barley."

The words of Job are ended.

Job 32

Elihu

1 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. [c] 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

"I am young in years,

and you are old;

that is why I was fearful,

not daring to tell you what I know.

7 I thought, 'Age should speak;

advanced years should teach wisdom.'

8 But it is the spirit [d] in a man,

the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

9 It is not only the old [e] who are wise,

not only the aged who understand what is right.

10 "Therefore I say: Listen to me;

I too will tell you what I know.

11 I waited while you spoke,

I listened to your reasoning;

while you were searching for words,

12 I gave you my full attention.

But not one of you has proved Job wrong;

none of you has answered his arguments.

13 Do not say, 'We have found wisdom;

let God refute him, not man.'

14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,

and I will not answer him with your arguments.

15 "They are dismayed and have no more to say;

words have failed them.

16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,

now that they stand there with no reply?

17 I too will have my say;

I too will tell what I know.

18 For I am full of words,

and the spirit within me compels me;

19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,

like new wineskins ready to burst.

20 I must speak and find relief;

I must open my lips and reply.

21 I will show partiality to no one,

nor will I flatter any man;

22 for if I were skilled in flattery,

my Maker would soon take me away.

Job 33

1 "But now, Job, listen to my words;

pay attention to everything I say.

2 I am about to open my mouth;

my words are on the tip of my tongue.

3 My words come from an upright heart;

my lips sincerely speak what I know.

4 The Spirit of God has made me;

the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5 Answer me then, if you can;

prepare yourself and confront me.

6 I am just like you before God;

I too have been taken from clay.

7 No fear of me should alarm you,

nor should my hand be heavy upon you.

8 "But you have said in my hearing—

I heard the very words-

9 'I am pure and without sin;

I am clean and free from guilt.

10 Yet God has found fault with me;

he considers me his enemy.

11 He fastens my feet in shackles;

he keeps close watch on all my paths.'

12 "But I tell you, in this you are not right,

for God is greater than man.

13 Why do you complain to him

that he answers none of man's words [f] ?

14 For God does speak—now one way, now another—

though man may not perceive it.

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,

when deep sleep falls on men

as they slumber in their beds,

16 he may speak in their ears

and terrify them with warnings,

17 to turn man from wrongdoing

and keep him from pride,

18 to preserve his soul from the pit, [g]

his life from perishing by the sword. [h]

19 Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain

with constant distress in his bones,

20 so that his very being finds food repulsive

and his soul loathes the choicest meal.

21 His flesh wastes away to nothing,

and his bones, once hidden, now stick out.

22 His soul draws near to the pit, [i]

and his life to the messengers of death. [j]

23 "Yet if there is an angel on his side

as a mediator, one out of a thousand,

to tell a man what is right for him,

24 to be gracious to him and say,

'Spare him from going down to the pit [k] ;

I have found a ransom for him'-

25 then his flesh is renewed like a child's;

it is restored as in the days of his youth.

26 He prays to God and finds favor with him,

he sees God's face and shouts for joy;

he is restored by God to his righteous state.

27 Then he comes to men and says,

'I sinned, and perverted what was right,

but I did not get what I deserved.

28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, [l]

and I will live to enjoy the light.'

29 "God does all these things to a man—

twice, even three times-

30 to turn back his soul from the pit, [m]

that the light of life may shine on him.

31 "Pay attention, Job, and listen to me;

be silent, and I will speak.

32 If you have anything to say, answer me;

speak up, for I want you to be cleared.

33 But if not, then listen to me;

be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

Footnotes:

1. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon
   
2. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did
   
3. Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God
   
4. Job 32:8 Or Spirit ; also in verse 18
   
5. Job 32:9 Or many ; or great
   
6. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
   
7. Job 33:18 Or preserve him from the grave
   
8. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the River
   
9. Job 33:22 Or He draws near to the grave
   
10. Job 33:22 Or to the dead
    
11. Job 33:24 Or grave
    
12. Job 33:28 Or redeemed me from going down to the grave
    
13. Job 33:30 Or turn him back from the grave

2 Corinthians 3:1-18



2 Corinthians 3

1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or contemplate

Psalm 43:1-5



Psalm 43

1[a] Vindicate me, O God,

and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;

rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.

2 You are God my stronghold.

Why have you rejected me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?

3 Send forth your light and your truth,

let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell.

4 Then will I go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the harp,

O God, my God.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.

Proverbs 22:8-9



8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,

and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

9 A generous man will himself be blessed,

for he shares his food with the poor.

August 28th - Day 240

Job 28-30:31

Job 28

1 "There is a mine for silver

and a place where gold is refined.

2 Iron is taken from the earth,

and copper is smelted from ore.

3 Man puts an end to the darkness;

he searches the farthest recesses

for ore in the blackest darkness.

4 Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft,

in places forgotten by the foot of man;

far from men he dangles and sways.

5 The earth, from which food comes,

is transformed below as by fire;

6 sapphires [a] come from its rocks,

and its dust contains nuggets of gold.

7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,

no falcon's eye has seen it.

8 Proud beasts do not set foot on it,

and no lion prowls there.

9 Man's hand assaults the flinty rock

and lays bare the roots of the mountains.

10 He tunnels through the rock;

his eyes see all its treasures.

11 He searches [b] the sources of the rivers

and brings hidden things to light.

12 "But where can wisdom be found?

Where does understanding dwell?

13 Man does not comprehend its worth;

it cannot be found in the land of the living.

14 The deep says, 'It is not in me';

the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,

nor can its price be weighed in silver.

16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,

with precious onyx or sapphires.

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,

nor can it be had for jewels of gold.

18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;

the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;

it cannot be bought with pure gold.

20 "Where then does wisdom come from?

Where does understanding dwell?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,

concealed even from the birds of the air.

22 Destruction [c] and Death say,

'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.'

23 God understands the way to it

and he alone knows where it dwells,

24 for he views the ends of the earth

and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When he established the force of the wind

and measured out the waters,

26 when he made a decree for the rain

and a path for the thunderstorm,

27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;

he confirmed it and tested it.

28 And he said to man,

'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,

and to shun evil is understanding.' "

Job 29

1 Job continued his discourse:

2 "How I long for the months gone by,

for the days when God watched over me,

3 when his lamp shone upon my head

and by his light I walked through darkness!

4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,

when God's intimate friendship blessed my house,

5 when the Almighty was still with me

and my children were around me,

6 when my path was drenched with cream

and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.

7 "When I went to the gate of the city

and took my seat in the public square,

8 the young men saw me and stepped aside

and the old men rose to their feet;

9 the chief men refrained from speaking

and covered their mouths with their hands;

10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,

and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

and those who saw me commended me,

12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to assist him.

13 The man who was dying blessed me;

I made the widow's heart sing.

14 I put on righteousness as my clothing;

justice was my robe and my turban.

15 I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy;

I took up the case of the stranger.

17 I broke the fangs of the wicked

and snatched the victims from their teeth.

18 "I thought, 'I will die in my own house,

my days as numerous as the grains of sand.

19 My roots will reach to the water,

and the dew will lie all night on my branches.

20 My glory will remain fresh in me,

the bow ever new in my hand.'

21 "Men listened to me expectantly,

waiting in silence for my counsel.

22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;

my words fell gently on their ears.

23 They waited for me as for showers

and drank in my words as the spring rain.

24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;

the light of my face was precious to them. [d]

25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;

I dwelt as a king among his troops;

I was like one who comforts mourners.

Job 30

1 "But now they mock me,

men younger than I,

whose fathers I would have disdained

to put with my sheep dogs.

2 Of what use was the strength of their hands to me,

since their vigor had gone from them?

3 Haggard from want and hunger,

they roamed [e] the parched land

in desolate wastelands at night.

4 In the brush they gathered salt herbs,

and their food [f] was the root of the broom tree.

5 They were banished from their fellow men,

shouted at as if they were thieves.

6 They were forced to live in the dry stream beds,

among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

7 They brayed among the bushes

and huddled in the undergrowth.

8 A base and nameless brood,

they were driven out of the land.

9 "And now their sons mock me in song;

I have become a byword among them.

10 They detest me and keep their distance;

they do not hesitate to spit in my face.

11 Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me,

they throw off restraint in my presence.

12 On my right the tribe [g] attacks;

they lay snares for my feet,

they build their siege ramps against me.

13 They break up my road;

they succeed in destroying me—

without anyone's helping them. [h]

14 They advance as through a gaping breach;

amid the ruins they come rolling in.

15 Terrors overwhelm me;

my dignity is driven away as by the wind,

my safety vanishes like a cloud.

16 "And now my life ebbs away;

days of suffering grip me.

17 Night pierces my bones;

my gnawing pains never rest.

18 In his great power God becomes like clothing to me [i] ;

he binds me like the neck of my garment.

19 He throws me into the mud,

and I am reduced to dust and ashes.

20 "I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer;

I stand up, but you merely look at me.

21 You turn on me ruthlessly;

with the might of your hand you attack me.

22 You snatch me up and drive me before the wind;

you toss me about in the storm.

23 I know you will bring me down to death,

to the place appointed for all the living.

24 "Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man

when he cries for help in his distress.

25 Have I not wept for those in trouble?

Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;

when I looked for light, then came darkness.

27 The churning inside me never stops;

days of suffering confront me.

28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun;

I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

29 I have become a brother of jackals,

a companion of owls.

30 My skin grows black and peels;

my body burns with fever.

31 My harp is tuned to mourning,

and my flute to the sound of wailing.

Footnotes:

1. Job 28:6 Or lapis lazuli ; also in verse 16
   
2. Job 28:11 Septuagint, Aquila and Vulgate; Hebrew He dams up
   
3. Job 28:22 Hebrew Abaddon
   
4. Job 29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
   
5. Job 30:3 Or gnawed
   
6. Job 30:4 Or fuel
   
7. Job 30:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
   
8. Job 30:13 Or me. / 'No one can help him,' they say .
   
9. Job 30:18 Hebrew; Septuagint God grasps my clothing

2 Corinthians 2:12-17



Ministers of the New Covenant

12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? 17Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

Psalm 42:1-11



Psalm 42

BOOK II : Psalms 42-72

1

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. [a]

[b] As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food

day and night,

while men say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

4 These things I remember

as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go with the multitude,

leading the procession to the house of God,

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving

among the festive throng.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and 6 my God.

My [c] soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

8 By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock,

"Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?"

10 My bones suffer mortal agony

as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
   
2. Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
   
3. Psalm 42:6 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts praise him for his saving help. / 6 O my God, my

Proverbs 22:7



7 The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is servant to the lender.