Bible Readings for August 26, 2023

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Job 20:1–22:30; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Psalm 40:11-17; and Proverbs 22:2-4. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Job 20-22:30 (Contemporary English Version)

Job 20

Zophar's Second Speech

Your Words Are Disturbing

 ¹Zophar from Naamah ^[a] said: ²Your words are disturbing;

   now I must speak.

    ³You have accused

   and insulted me,

   and reason requires a reply.

    ⁴Since the time of creation,

   everyone has known

    ⁵that sinful people are happy

   for only a while.

    ⁶Though their pride and power

   may reach to the sky,

    ⁷they will disappear like dust,

   and those who knew them

   will wonder what happened.

    ⁸They will be forgotten

   like a dream

    ⁹and vanish from the sight

   of family and friends.

    ¹⁰Their children will have to repay

   what the parents took

   from the poor.

    ¹¹Indeed, the wicked will die

   and go to their graves

   in the prime of life.   

Sinners Love the Taste of Sin

 ¹²Sinners love the taste of sin;

   they relish every bite

    ¹³and swallow it slowly.

    ¹⁴But their food will turn sour

   and poison their stomachs.

    ¹⁵Then God will make them lose

   the wealth they gobbled down.

    ¹⁶They will die from the fangs

   of poisonous snakes

    ¹⁷and never enjoy rivers flowing

   with milk and honey.

    ¹⁸Their hard work will result

   in nothing gained,

    ¹⁹because they cheated the poor

   and took their homes.

    ²⁰Greedy people want everything

   and are never satisfied. ^[b] ²¹But when nothing remains

   for them to grab,

   they will be nothing.

    ²²Once they have everything,

   distress and despair

   will strike them down,

    ²³and God will make them swallow

   his blazing anger. ^[c] ²⁴While running from iron spears,

   they will be killed

   by arrows of bronze,

    ²⁵whose shining tips go straight

   through their bodies.

   They will be trapped by terror,

    ²⁶and what they treasure most

   will be lost in the dark.

   God will send flames

   to destroy them in their tents

   with all their property.

    ²⁷The heavens and the earth

   will testify against them,

    ²⁸and all their possessions

   will be dragged off

   when God becomes angry.

    ²⁹This is what God has decided

   for those who are evil.

   

Job 21

Job's Reply to Zophar

If You Want To Offer Comfort

 ¹Job said:

    ²If you want to offer comfort,

   then listen to me.

    ³And when I have finished,

   you can start your insults

   all over again.

    ⁴My complaint is against God;

   that's why I am impatient.

    ⁵Just looking at me is enough

   to make you sick,

    ⁶and the very thought of myself

   fills me with disgust.

    ⁷Why do evil people live so long

   and gain such power?

    ⁸Why are they allowed to see

   their children grow up? ^[d] ⁹They have no worries at home,

   and God never punishes them.

    ¹⁰Their cattle have lots of calves

   without ever losing one;

    ¹¹their children play and dance

   safely by themselves.

    ¹²These people sing and celebrate

   to the sound of tambourines,

   small harps, and flutes,

    ¹³and they are successful,

   without a worry,

   until the day they die.   

Leave Us Alone!

 ¹⁴Those who are evil say

   to God All-Powerful,

   "Leave us alone! Don't bother us

   with your teachings.

    ¹⁵What do we gain from praying

   and worshiping you?

    ¹⁶We succeeded all on our own."

   And so, I keep away from them

   and their evil schemes.

    ¹⁷How often does God become angry

   and send disaster and darkness

   to punish sinners?

    ¹⁸How often does he strike them

   like a windstorm

   that scatters straw?

    ¹⁹You say, "God will punish

   those sinners' children

   in place of those sinners."

   But I say, "Let him punish

   those sinners themselves

   until they really feel it.

    ²⁰Let God All-Powerful force them

   to drink

   their own destruction

   from the cup of his anger.

    ²¹Because after they are dead,

   they won't care what happens

   to their children."   

Who Can Tell God What To Do?

 ²²Who can tell God what to do?

   He judges powerful rulers.

    ²³Some of us die prosperous,

    ²⁴enjoying good health,

    ²⁵while others die in poverty,

   having known only pain.

    ²⁶But we all end up dead,

   beneath a blanket of worms.

    ²⁷My friends, I know that you

   are plotting against me.

    ²⁸You ask, "Where is the home

   of that important person

   who does so much evil?"

    ²⁹Everyone, near and far, agrees

    ³⁰that those who do wrong

   never suffer disaster,

   when God becomes angry.

    ³¹No one points out their sin

   or punishes them.

    ³²Then at their funerals,

   they are highly praised;

    ³³the earth welcomes them home,

   while crowds mourn.

    ³⁴But empty, meaningless words

   are the comfort you offer me.

   

Job 22

Eliphaz's Third Speech

What Use Are We Humans to God?

 ¹Eliphaz from Teman ^[e] said: ²What use are we humans

   to God,

   even the wisest of us?

    ³If you were completely sinless,

   that would still mean nothing

   to God All-Powerful.

    ⁴Is he correcting you

   for worshiping him?

    ⁵No! It's because

   of your terrible sins.

    ⁶To guarantee payment of a debt,

   you have taken clothes

   from the poor.

    ⁷And you refused bread and water

   to the hungry and thirsty,

    ⁸although you were rich,

   respected, and powerful.

    ⁹You have turned away widows

   and have broken the arms

   of orphans.

    ¹⁰That's why you were suddenly

   trapped by terror,

    ¹¹blinded by darkness,

   and drowned in a flood.   

God Lives in the Heavens

 ¹²God lives in the heavens

   above the highest stars,

   where he sees everything.

    ¹³Do you think the deep darkness

   hides you from God?

    ¹⁴Do thick clouds cover his eyes,

   as he walks around heaven's dome

   high above the earth?

    ¹⁵Give up those ancient ideas

   believed by sinners,

    ¹⁶who were swept away

   without warning.

    ¹⁷They rejected God All-Powerful,

   feeling he was helpless,

    ¹⁸although he had been kind

   to their families.

   The beliefs of these sinners

   are truly disgusting.

    ¹⁹When God's people see

   the godless swept away,

   they celebrate, ²⁰saying,

   "Our enemies are gone,

   and fire has destroyed

   their possessions."   

Surrender to God All-Powerful

 ²¹Surrender to God All-Powerful!

   You will find peace

   and prosperity.

    ²²Listen to his teachings

   and take them to heart.

    ²³If you return to God

   and turn from sin,

   all will go well for you.

    ²⁴So get rid of your finest gold,

   as though it were sand.

    ²⁵Let God All-Powerful

   be your silver and gold,

    ²⁶and you will find happiness

   by worshiping him.

    ²⁷God will answer your prayers,

   and you will keep the promises

   you made to him.

    ²⁸He will do whatever you ask,

   and life will be bright.

    ²⁹When others are disgraced,

   God will clear their names

   in answer to your prayers.

    ³⁰Even those who are guilty

   will be forgiven,

   because you obey God. ^[f]

Footnotes:

1. Job 20:1 Naamah: See the note at 2.11.
2. Job 20:20 are never satisfied: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Job 20:23 anger: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 23.
4. Job 21:8 up: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.
5. Job 22:1 Teman: See the note at 2.11.
6. Job 22:30 God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 29,30.

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2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Corinthians 1

 ¹From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.

   To God's church in Corinth and to all of God's people in Achaia.

    ²I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!   

Paul Gives Thanks

 ³Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. ⁴He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble. ⁵We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives. ⁶We suffer in the hope that you will be comforted and saved. And because we are comforted, you will also be comforted, as you patiently endure suffering like ours. ⁷You never disappoint us. You suffered as much as we did, and we know that you will be comforted as we were.

    ⁸My friends, I want you to know what a hard time we had in Asia. Our sufferings were so horrible and so unbearable that death seemed certain. ⁹In fact, we felt sure that we were going to die. But this made us stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting God, who raises the dead to life. ¹⁰God saved us from the threat of death, ^[a] and we are sure that he will do it again and again. ¹¹Please help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks for the blessings we receive in answer to all these prayers.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 1:10 the threat of death: Some manuscripts have "many threats of death."

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Psalm 40:11-17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹You, LORD, never fail

   to have pity on me;

   your love and faithfulness

   always keep me secure.

    ¹²I have more troubles

   than I can count.

   My sins are all around me,

   and I can't find my way.

   My sins outnumber

   the hairs on my head,

   and I feel weak.

    ¹³Please show that you care

   and come to my rescue.

   Hurry and help me!

    ¹⁴Disappoint and confuse

   all who want me dead;

   turn away and disgrace

   all who want to hurt me.

    ¹⁵Embarrass and shame

   all of those who say,

   "Just look at you now!"

    ¹⁶Our LORD, let your worshipers

   rejoice and be glad.

   They love you for saving them,

   so let them always say,

   "The LORD is wonderful!"

    ¹⁷I am poor and needy,

   but, LORD God,

   you care about me,

   and you come to my rescue.

   Please hurry and help.

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Proverbs 22:2-4 (Contemporary English Version)

²The rich and the poor

   are all created

   by the LORD.

    ³When you see trouble coming,

   don't be stupid

   and walk right into it--

   be smart and hide.

    ⁴Respect and serve the LORD!

   Your reward will be wealth,

   a long life, and honor.

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Thought for the Day

 

“A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.” (Romans 12:4-5 - Contemporary English Version) The church is a community made of different people with different skills and talents, but one single goal: to communicate the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to the entire world.

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Quote for the Day

Singer-songwriter and musician specializing in jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley classics, Leon Redbone wrote, "Home is where you hang your hat."

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A Joke for Today

The temporary Sunday School teacher was struggling to open a combination lock on the supply cabinet. She had been told the combination, but couldn't quite remember it. She went to the pastor's study and asked for help. The pastor came into the room and began to turn the dial. After the first two numbers he paused and stared blankly for a moment.

Finally he looked serenely heavenward and his lips moved silently. Then he looked back at the lock, and quickly turned to the final number, and opened the lock. The teacher was amazed. "I'm in awe at your faith, pastor," she said. "It's really nothing," he answered. "The number is on a piece of tape on the ceiling."

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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 we approach our differences with both faith and commonsense.