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First Reading: Job Chapter 8 and 9Job 8
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long wilt thou speak these things? And `how long' shall the words of thy mouth be `like' a mighty wind?
3 Doth God pervert justice? Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 If thy children have sinned against him, And he hath delivered them into the hand of their transgression;
5 If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 If thou wert pure and upright: Surely now he would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end would greatly increase.
8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:
9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days upon earth are a shadow);
10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, And utter words out of their heart?
11 Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water?
12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness, `and' not cut down, It withereth before any `other' herb.
13 So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish:
14 Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider's web.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.
16 He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped about the `stone' -heap, He beholdeth the place of stones.
18 If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him, `saying', I have not seen thee.
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way; And out of the earth shall others spring.
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.
21 He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting.
22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
2 Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God?
3 If he be pleased to contend with him, He cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 `He is' wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?-
5 `Him' that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger;
6 That shaketh the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble;
7 That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars;
8 That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;
9 That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;
10 That doeth great things past finding out, Yea, marvellous things without number.
11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12 Behold, he seizeth `the prey', who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 God will not withdraw his anger; The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him.
14 How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words `to reason' with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.
17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness.
19 If `we speak' of strength, lo, `he is' mighty! And if of justice, Who, `saith he', will summon me?
20 Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse.
21 I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof: If `it be' not `he', who then is it?
25 Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good,
26 They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my `sad' countenance, and be of good cheer;
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 I shall be condemned; Why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean;
31 Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, That we should come together in judgment.
33 There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, And let not his terror make me afraid:
35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself.
Second Reading: Luke Chapter 6
Luke 6
1 Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 But certain of the Pharisees said, Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read even this, what David did, when he was hungry, he, and they that were with him;
4 how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests alone?
5 And he said unto them, The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.
6 And it came to pass on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man there, and his right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath; that they might find how to accuse him.
8 But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man that had his hand withered, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9 And Jesus said unto them, I ask you, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to destroy it?
10 And he looked round about on them all, and said unto him, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did `so': and his hand was restored.
11 But they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
12 And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called his disciples; and he chose from them twelve, whom also he named apostles:
14 Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew,
15 and Matthew and Thomas, and James `the son' of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,
16 and Judas `the son' of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor;
17 and he came down with them, and stood on a level place, and a great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judaea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 and they that were troubled with unclean spirits were healed.
19 And all the multitude sought to touch him; for power came forth from him, and healed `them' all.
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed `are' ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed `are' ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed `are' ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you `from their company', and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23 Rejoice in that day, and leap `for joy': for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe `unto you', ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe `unto you', when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,
28 bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.
29 To him that smiteth thee on the `one' cheek offer also the other; and from him that taketh away thy cloak withhold not thy coat also.
30 Give to every one that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much.
35 But love your enemies, and do `them' good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
36 Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
37 And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released:
38 give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake also a parable unto them, Can the blind guide the blind? shall they not both fall into a pit?
40 The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
43 For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit.
44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil `man' out of the evil `treasure' bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Every one that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:
48 he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great.
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
JOB
Part 3 of 4
Some of the questions that are asked in the book of Job are:
In chapter 42, after all of the suffering and questioning, Job replies to God: "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
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