Saturday, August 25, 2007

August 25th - Day 237

Job 16-19:29

Job 16

Job

1 Then Job replied:

2 "I have heard many things like these;

miserable comforters are you all!

3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?

What ails you that you keep on arguing?

4 I also could speak like you,

if you were in my place;

I could make fine speeches against you

and shake my head at you.

5 But my mouth would encourage you;

comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

6 "Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;

and if I refrain, it does not go away.

7 Surely, O God, you have worn me out;

you have devastated my entire household.

8 You have bound me—and it has become a witness;

my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.

9 God assails me and tears me in his anger

and gnashes his teeth at me;

my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.

10 Men open their mouths to jeer at me;

they strike my cheek in scorn

and unite together against me.

11 God has turned me over to evil men

and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.

12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;

he seized me by the neck and crushed me.

He has made me his target;

13 his archers surround me.

Without pity, he pierces my kidneys

and spills my gall on the ground.

14 Again and again he bursts upon me;

he rushes at me like a warrior.

15 "I have sewed sackcloth over my skin

and buried my brow in the dust.

16 My face is red with weeping,

deep shadows ring my eyes;

17 yet my hands have been free of violence

and my prayer is pure.

18 "O earth, do not cover my blood;

may my cry never be laid to rest!

19 Even now my witness is in heaven;

my advocate is on high.

20 My intercessor is my friend [a]

as my eyes pour out tears to God;

21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God

as a man pleads for his friend.

22 "Only a few years will pass

before I go on the journey of no return.

Job 17


1 My spirit is broken,

my days are cut short,

the grave awaits me.

2 Surely mockers surround me;

my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

3 "Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.

Who else will put up security for me?

4 You have closed their minds to understanding;

therefore you will not let them triumph.

5 If a man denounces his friends for reward,

the eyes of his children will fail.

6 "God has made me a byword to everyone,

a man in whose face people spit.

7 My eyes have grown dim with grief;

my whole frame is but a shadow.

8 Upright men are appalled at this;

the innocent are aroused against the ungodly.

9 Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways,

and those with clean hands will grow stronger.

10 "But come on, all of you, try again!

I will not find a wise man among you.

11 My days have passed, my plans are shattered,

and so are the desires of my heart.

12 These men turn night into day;

in the face of darkness they say, 'Light is near.'

13 If the only home I hope for is the grave, [b]

if I spread out my bed in darkness,

14 if I say to corruption, 'You are my father,'

and to the worm, 'My mother' or 'My sister,'

15 where then is my hope?

Who can see any hope for me?

16 Will it go down to the gates of death [c] ?

Will we descend together into the dust?"

Job 18


Bildad

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

2 "When will you end these speeches?

Be sensible, and then we can talk.

3 Why are we regarded as cattle

and considered stupid in your sight?

4 You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger,

is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?

Or must the rocks be moved from their place?

5 "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out;

the flame of his fire stops burning.

6 The light in his tent becomes dark;

the lamp beside him goes out.

7 The vigor of his step is weakened;

his own schemes throw him down.

8 His feet thrust him into a net

and he wanders into its mesh.

9 A trap seizes him by the heel;

a snare holds him fast.

10 A noose is hidden for him on the ground;

a trap lies in his path.

11 Terrors startle him on every side

and dog his every step.

12 Calamity is hungry for him;

disaster is ready for him when he falls.

13 It eats away parts of his skin;

death's firstborn devours his limbs.

14 He is torn from the security of his tent

and marched off to the king of terrors.

15 Fire resides [d] in his tent;

burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling.

16 His roots dry up below

and his branches wither above.

17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;

he has no name in the land.

18 He is driven from light into darkness

and is banished from the world.

19 He has no offspring or descendants among his people,

no survivor where once he lived.

20 Men of the west are appalled at his fate;

men of the east are seized with horror.

21 Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man;

such is the place of one who knows not God."

Job 19


Job

1 Then Job replied:

2 "How long will you torment me

and crush me with words?

3 Ten times now you have reproached me;

shamelessly you attack me.

4 If it is true that I have gone astray,

my error remains my concern alone.

5 If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me

and use my humiliation against me,

6 then know that God has wronged me

and drawn his net around me.

7 "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response;

though I call for help, there is no justice.

8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;

he has shrouded my paths in darkness.

9 He has stripped me of my honor

and removed the crown from my head.

10 He tears me down on every side till I am gone;

he uproots my hope like a tree.

11 His anger burns against me;

he counts me among his enemies.

12 His troops advance in force;

they build a siege ramp against me

and encamp around my tent.

13 "He has alienated my brothers from me;

my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

14 My kinsmen have gone away;

my friends have forgotten me.

15 My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger;

they look upon me as an alien.

16 I summon my servant, but he does not answer,

though I beg him with my own mouth.

17 My breath is offensive to my wife;

I am loathsome to my own brothers.

18 Even the little boys scorn me;

when I appear, they ridicule me.

19 All my intimate friends detest me;

those I love have turned against me.

20 I am nothing but skin and bones;

I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth. [
e]

21 "Have pity on me, my friends, have pity,

for the hand of God has struck me.

22 Why do you pursue me as God does?

Will you never get enough of my flesh?

23 "Oh, that my words were recorded,

that they were written on a scroll,

24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on [f] lead,

or engraved in rock forever!

25 I know that my Redeemer [g] lives,

and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. [
h]

26 And after my skin has been destroyed,

yet [
i] in [j] my flesh I will see God;

27 I myself will see him

with my own eyes—I, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!

28 "If you say, 'How we will hound him,

since the root of the trouble lies in him, [
k] '

29 you should fear the sword yourselves;

for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,

and then you will know that there is judgment. [
l] "


Footnotes:


  1. Job 16:20 Or My friends treat me with scorn
  2. Job 17:13 Hebrew Sheol
  3. Job 17:16 Hebrew Sheol
  4. Job 18:15 Or Nothing he had remains
  5. Job 19:20 Or only my gums
  6. Job 19:24 Or and
  7. Job 19:25 Or defender
  8. Job 19:25 Or upon my grave
  9. Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then
  10. Job 19:26 Or / apart from
  11. Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts me
  12. Job 19:29 Or / that you may come to know the Almighty


1 Corinthians 16:1-24



1 Corinthians 16


The Collection for God's People

1Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
Personal Requests

5After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. 6Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

10If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

12Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14Do everything in love.

15You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, 16to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. 17I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. 18For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

Final Greetings

19The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla[a] greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. 20All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

21I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

22If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord[b]!

23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

24My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.[c]


Footnotes:


  1. 1 Corinthians 16:19 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
  2. 1 Corinthians 16:22 In Aramaic the expression Come, O Lord is Marana tha.
  3. 1 Corinthians 16:24 Some manuscripts do not have Amen.


Psalm 40:1-10



Psalm 40


For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man

who makes the LORD his trust,

who does not look to the proud,

to those who turn aside to false gods. [
a]

5 Many, O LORD my God,

are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us

no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them,

they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but my ears you have pierced [
b] , [c] ;

burnt offerings and sin offerings

you did not require.

7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—

it is written about me in the scroll. [
d]

8 I desire to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart."

9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;

I do not seal my lips,

as you know, O LORD.

10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.

I do not conceal your love and your truth

from the great assembly.


Footnotes:


  1. Psalm 40:4 Or to falsehood
  2. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; Septuagint but a body you have prepared for me (see also Symmachus and Theodotion)
  3. Psalm 40:6 Or opened
  4. Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me


Proverbs 22:1



Proverbs 22


1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;

to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

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