Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Job 4:1–7:21; 1 Corinthians 14:18-40; Psalm 37:30-40; and Proverbs 21:27. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Job 4-7:21 (Contemporary English Version)
Job 4
Eliphaz's First Speech
Please Be Patient and Listen
1Eliphaz from Teman [a] said: 2Please be patient and listen to what I have to say.3Remember how your words
4have guided and encouraged
many in need.
5But now you feel discouraged
when struck by trouble.
6You respect God and live right,
so don't lose hope!
7No truly innocent person
has ever died young.
8In my experience, only those
who plant seeds of evil
harvest trouble,
9and then they are swept away
by the angry breath of God.
10They may roar and growl
like powerful lions.
But when God breaks their teeth,
11they starve,
and their children
are scattered.
A Secret Was Told to Me
12A secret was told to me in a faint whisper--13I was overcome by sleep,
but disturbed by dreams;
14I trembled with fear,
15and my hair stood on end,
as a wind blew past my face.
16It stopped and stood still.
Then a form appeared--
a shapeless form.
And from the silence,
I heard a voice say,
17"No humans are innocent
in the eyes of God
their Creator.
18He finds fault with his servants
and even with his angels.
19Humans are formed from clay
and are fragile as moths,
so what chance do you have?
20Born after daybreak,
you die before nightfall
and disappear forever.
21Your tent pegs are pulled up,
and you leave this life,
having gained no wisdom."
Job 5
Eliphaz Continues
Call Out for Help
1Job, call out for help and see if an angel comes!2Envy and jealousy
will kill a stupid fool.
3I have seen fools take root.
But God sends a curse,
suddenly uprooting them
4and leaving their children
helpless in court.
5Then hungry and greedy people
gobble down their crops
and grab up their wealth. [b] 6Our suffering isn't caused
by the failure of crops;
7it's all part of life,
like sparks shooting skyward.
8Job, if I were you,
I would ask God for help.
9His miracles are marvelous,
more than we can count.
10God sends showers on earth
and waters the fields.
11He protects the sorrowful
and lifts up those
who have been disgraced.
12God swiftly traps the wicked
13in their own evil schemes,
and their wisdom fails.
14Darkness is their only companion,
hiding their path at noon.
15God rescues the needy
from the words of the wicked
and the fist of the mighty.
16The poor are filled with hope,
and injustice is silenced.
Consider Yourself Fortunate
17Consider yourself fortunate if God All-Powerfulchooses to correct you.
18He may cause injury and pain,
but he will bandage and heal
your cuts and bruises.
19God will protect you from harm,
no matter how often
trouble may strike.
20In times of war and famine,
God will keep you safe.
21You will be sheltered,
without fear of hurtful words
or any other weapon.
22You will laugh at the threat
of destruction and famine.
And you won't be afraid
of wild animals--
23they will no longer be fierce,
and your rocky fields
will become friendly.
24Your home will be secure,
and your sheep will be safe.
25You will have more descendants
than there are blades of grass
on the face of the earth.
26You will live a long life,
and your body will be strong
until the day you die.
27Our experience has proven
these things to be true,
so listen and learn.
Job 6
Job's Reply to Eliphaz
It's Impossible
1Job said: 2It's impossible to weighmy misery and grief!
3They outweigh the sand
along the beach,
and that's why I have spoken
without thinking first.
4The fearsome arrows
of God All-Powerful
have filled my soul
with their poison.
5Do oxen and wild donkeys
cry out in distress
unless they are hungry?
6What is food without salt?
What is more tasteless
than the white of an egg? [c] 7That's how my food tastes,
and my appetite is gone.
8How I wish that God
would answer my prayer
9and do away with me.
10Then I would be comforted,
knowing that in all of my pain
I have never disobeyed God.
11Why should I patiently hope
when my strength is gone?
12I am not strong as stone
or bronze,
13and I have finally reached
the end of my rope.
My Friends, I Am Desperate
14My friends, I am desperate, and you should help me,even if I no longer respect
God All-Powerful. [d] 15But you are treacherous
16as streams that swell
with melting snow,
17then suddenly disappear
in the summer heat.
18I am like a caravan,
lost in the desert
while searching for water.
19Caravans from Tema and Sheba [e] 20thought they would find water.
But they were disappointed,
21just as I am with you. [f] Only one look at my suffering,
and you run away scared.
What Have I Done Wrong?
22Have I ever asked any of you to give me a gift23or to purchase my freedom
from brutal enemies?
24What have I done wrong?
Show me,
and I will keep quiet.
25The truth is always painful,
but your arguments
prove nothing.
26Here I am desperate,
and you consider my words
as worthless as wind.
27Why, you would sell an orphan
or your own neighbor!
28Look me straight in the eye;
I won't lie to you.
29Stop accusing me falsely;
my reputation is at stake.
30I know right from wrong,
and I am not telling lies.
Job 7
Job Continues
Why Is Life So Hard?
1Why is life so hard? Why do we suffer?2We are slaves in search of shade;
we are laborers longing
for our wages.
3God has made my days drag on
and my nights miserable.
4I pray for night to end,
but it stretches out
while I toss and turn.
5My parched skin is covered
with worms, dirt, and sores,
6and my days are running out
quicker than the thread
of a fast-moving needle.
Don't Forget!
7I beg you, God, don't forget! My life is just a breath,and trouble lies ahead.
8I will vanish from sight,
and no one, including you,
will ever see me again.
9I will disappear in the grave
or vanish from sight
like a passing cloud.
10Never will I return home;
soon I will be forgotten.
11And so, I cry out to you
in agony and distress.
12Am I the sea or a sea monster?
Is that why you imprison me? [g] 13I go to bed, hoping for rest,
14but you torture me
with terrible dreams.
15I'd rather choke to death
than live in this body.
16Leave me alone and let me die;
my life has no meaning.
17What makes you so concerned
about us humans?
18Why do you test us
from sunrise to sunset?
19Won't you look away
just long enough
for me to swallow?
20Why do you watch us so closely?
What's it to you, if I sin?
Why am I your target
and such a heavy burden?
21Why do you refuse to forgive?
Soon you won't find me,
because I'll be dead.
Footnotes:
- Job 4:1 Teman: See the note at 2.11.
- Job 5:5 wealth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
- Job 6:6 What is more tasteless. . . egg: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Job 6:14 and you should help me. . . God All-Powerful: Or "and if you don't help me, you no longer respect God All-Powerful."
- Job 6:19 Tema and Sheba: Tema was a region in northwest Arabia, and Sheba was probably a region in southwest Arabia.
- Job 6:21 just. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Job 7:12 sea monster. . . imprison me: "Sea monster" translates the Hebrew word "Tannin," which was possibly a sea monster similar to Leviathan (3.8), Rahab (9.13), and Behemoth (40.15). According to 38.8-11, God makes the sea his prisoner by setting its boundaries.
1 Corinthians 14:18-40 (Contemporary English Version)
18I thank God that I speak unknown languages more than any of you. 19But words that make sense can help the church. That's why in church I had rather speak five words that make sense than to speak ten thousand words in a language that others don't know.
20My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies. 21In the Scriptures the Lord says,
"I will use strangers
who speak unknown languages
to talk to my people.
They will speak to them
in foreign languages,
but still my people
won't listen to me."
22Languages that others don't know may mean something to unbelievers, but not to the Lord's followers. Prophecy, on the other hand, is for followers, not for unbelievers. 23Suppose everyone in your worship service started speaking unknown languages, and some outsiders or some unbelievers come in. Won't they think you are crazy? 24But suppose all of you are prophesying when those unbelievers and outsiders come in. They will realize that they are sinners, and they will want to change their ways because of what you are saying. 25They will tell what is hidden in their hearts. Then they will kneel down and say to God, "We are certain that you are with these people."
20My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies. 21In the Scriptures the Lord says,
"I will use strangers
who speak unknown languages
to talk to my people.
They will speak to them
in foreign languages,
but still my people
won't listen to me."
22Languages that others don't know may mean something to unbelievers, but not to the Lord's followers. Prophecy, on the other hand, is for followers, not for unbelievers. 23Suppose everyone in your worship service started speaking unknown languages, and some outsiders or some unbelievers come in. Won't they think you are crazy? 24But suppose all of you are prophesying when those unbelievers and outsiders come in. They will realize that they are sinners, and they will want to change their ways because of what you are saying. 25They will tell what is hidden in their hearts. Then they will kneel down and say to God, "We are certain that you are with these people."
Worship Must Be Orderly
26My friends, when you meet to worship, you must do everything for the good of everyone there. That's how it should be when someone sings or teaches or tells what God has said or speaks an unknown language or explains what the language means. 27No more than two or three of you should speak unknown languages during the meeting. You must take turns, and someone should always be there to explain what you mean. 28If no one can explain, you must keep silent in church and speak only to yourself and to God. 29Two or three persons may prophesy, and everyone else must listen carefully. 30If someone sitting there receives a message from God, the speaker must stop and let the other person speak. 31Let only one person speak at a time, then all of you will learn something and be encouraged. 32A prophet should be willing to stop and let someone else speak. 33God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order.
When God's people meet in church, 34the women must not be allowed to speak. They must keep quiet and listen, as the Law of Moses teaches. 35If there is something they want to know, they can ask their husbands when they get home. It is disgraceful for women to speak in church. 36God's message did not start with you people, and you are not the only ones it has reached.
37If you think of yourself as a prophet or a spiritual person, you will know that I am writing only what the Lord has commanded. 38So don't pay attention to anyone who ignores what I am writing. 39My friends, be eager to prophesy and don't stop anyone from speaking languages that others don't know. 40But do everything properly and in order.
When God's people meet in church, 34the women must not be allowed to speak. They must keep quiet and listen, as the Law of Moses teaches. 35If there is something they want to know, they can ask their husbands when they get home. It is disgraceful for women to speak in church. 36God's message did not start with you people, and you are not the only ones it has reached.
37If you think of yourself as a prophet or a spiritual person, you will know that I am writing only what the Lord has commanded. 38So don't pay attention to anyone who ignores what I am writing. 39My friends, be eager to prophesy and don't stop anyone from speaking languages that others don't know. 40But do everything properly and in order.
Psalm 37:30-40 (Contemporary English Version)
30Words of wisdom come
when good people speak
for justice.
31They remember God's teachings,
and they never take
a wrong step. 32The wicked try to trap
and kill good people,
33but the LORD is on their side,
and he will defend them
when they are on trial.
34Trust the LORD and follow him.
He will give you the land,
and you will see
the wicked destroyed.
35I have seen brutal people
abuse others
and grow strong
like trees in rich soil. [a] 36Suddenly they disappeared!
I looked, but they were gone
and no longer there.
37Think of the bright future
waiting
for all the families
of honest
and innocent
and peace-loving people.
38But not a trace will be left
of the wicked
or their families.
39The LORD protects his people,
and they can come to him
in times of trouble.
40The LORD helps them
and saves them from the wicked
because they run to him.
Footnotes:- Psalm 37:35 like. . . soil: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
when good people speak
for justice.
31They remember God's teachings,
and they never take
a wrong step.
and kill good people,
33but the LORD is on their side,
and he will defend them
when they are on trial.
34Trust the LORD and follow him.
He will give you the land,
and you will see
the wicked destroyed.
35I have seen brutal people
abuse others
and grow strong
like trees in rich soil. [a] 36Suddenly they disappeared!
I looked, but they were gone
and no longer there.
37Think of the bright future
waiting
for all the families
of honest
and innocent
and peace-loving people.
38But not a trace will be left
of the wicked
or their families.
39The LORD protects his people,
and they can come to him
in times of trouble.
40The LORD helps them
and saves them from the wicked
because they run to him.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 37:35 like. . . soil: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Proverbs 21:27 (Contemporary English Version)
27The Lord despises the offerings
of wicked people
with evil motives.
of wicked people
with evil motives.
Thought for the Day
“God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 - Contemporary English Version) If we needed any proof of God's love, we don't need to look beyond Jesus Christ. On the cross, he set us free from our past and enabled us to live in the present with peace and confidence.
Quote for the Day
American journalist and columnist, Mary McGrory wrote, “Baseball is what we were, and football is what we have become.”
Joke for Today
Old Farmer Johnson was dying. The family was standing around his bed. With a low voice he sad to his wife: "When I'm dead I want you to marry farmer Jones."
Wife: "No, I can't marry anyone after you."
Johnson: "But I want you to."
Wife: "But why?"
Johnson: "Jones once cheated me in a horse deal!"
Wife: "No, I can't marry anyone after you."
Johnson: "But I want you to."
Wife: "But why?"
Johnson: "Jones once cheated me in a horse deal!"
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That churches fulfill their purpose as lighthouses for Christ.
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