JOB 35

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Elihu Sharply Reproves Job  35:1 Then Elihu continued and said,

2 “Do you think this is according to justice?

Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

3 “For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You?

What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

4 “I will answer you,

And your friends with you.

5 “Look at the heavens and see;

And behold the clouds--they are higher than you.

6 “If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?

And if your transgressions are many, what do you 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 is for a man like yourself,

And your righteousness is for a son of man.

9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;

They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.

10 “But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,

Who gives songs in the night,

11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth

And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

12 “There they cry out, but He does not answer

Because of the pride of evil men.

13 “Surely God will not listen to an empty cry,

Nor will the Almighty regard it.

14 “How much less when you say you do not behold Him,

The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

15 “And now, because He has not visited in His anger,

Nor has He acknowledged transgression well,

16 So Job opens his mouth emptily;

He multiplies words without knowledge.”

JOB 36

« Job 35 | Job 36 | Job 37 »

Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men  36:1 Then Elihu continued and said,

2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you

That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.

3 “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,

And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4 “For truly my words are not false;

One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 “Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;

He is mighty in strength of understanding.

6 “He does not keep the wicked alive,

But gives justice to the afflicted.

7 “He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;

But with kings on the throne

He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

8 “And if they are bound in fetters,

And are caught in the cords of affliction,

9 Then He declares to them their work

And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves.

10 “He opens their ear to instruction,

And commands that they return from evil.

11 “If they hear and serve Him,

They will end their days in prosperity

And their years in pleasures.

12 “But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword

And they will die without knowledge.

13 “But the godless in heart lay up anger;

They do not cry for help when He binds them.

14 “They die in youth,

And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.

15 “He delivers the afflicted in their affliction,

And opens their ear in time of oppression.

16 “Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress,

Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;

And that which was set on your table was full of fatness.

17 “But you were full of judgment on the wicked;

Judgment and justice take hold of you.

18 “Beware that wrath does not entice you to scoffing;

And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

19 “Will your riches keep you from distress,

Or all the forces of your strength?

20 “Do not long for the night,

When people vanish in their place.

21 “Be careful, do not turn to evil,

For you have preferred this to affliction.

22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;

Who is a teacher like Him?

23 “Who has appointed Him His way,

And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?

24 “Remember that you should exalt His work,

Of which men have sung.

25 “All men have seen it;

Man beholds from afar.

26 “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;

The number of His years is unsearchable.

27 “For He draws up the drops of water,

They distill rain from the mist,

28 Which the clouds pour down,

They drip upon man abundantly.

29 “Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,

The thundering of His pavilion?

30 “Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him,

And He covers the depths of the sea.

31 “For by these He judges peoples;

He gives food in abundance.

32 “He covers His hands with the lightning,

And commands it to strike the mark.

33 “Its noise declares His presence;

The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.

PROVERBS 20

« Proverbs 19 | Proverbs 20 | Proverbs 21 »

On Life and Conduct20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,

And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;

He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

3 Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man,

But any fool will quarrel.

4 The sluggard does not plow after the autumn,

So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.

5 A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,

But a man of understanding draws it out.

6 Many a man proclaims his own loyalty,

But who can find a trustworthy man?

7 A righteous man who walks in his integrity--

How blessed are his sons after him.

8 A king who sits on the throne of justice

Disperses all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,

I am pure from my sin”?

10 Differing weights and differing measures,

Both of them are abominable to the LORD.

11 It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself

If his conduct is pure and right.

12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

The LORD has made both of them.

13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor;

Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.

14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

15 There is gold, and an abundance of jewels;

But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.

16 Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;

And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.

17 Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man,

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18 Prepare plans by consultation,

And make war by wise guidance.

19 He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

Therefore do not associate with a gossip.

20 He who curses his father or his mother,

His lamp will go out in time of darkness.

21 An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning

Will not be blessed in the end.

22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”;

Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

23 Differing weights are an abomination to the LORD,

And a false scale is not good.

24 Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD,

How then can man understand his way?

25 It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”

And after the vows to make inquiry.

26 A wise king winnows the wicked,

And drives the threshing wheel over them.

27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,

Searching all the innermost parts of his being.

28 Loyalty and truth preserve the king,

And he upholds his throne by righteousness.

29 The glory of young men is their strength,

And the honor of old men is their gray hair.

30 Stripes that wound scour away evil,

And strokes reach the innermost parts.

LUKE 24

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The Resurrection  24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
The Road to Emmaus    13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
    28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
Other Appearances    36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them.
    44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension    50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising God.