JOB 37

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Elihu Says God Is Back of the Storm37:1 “At this also my heart trembles,

And leaps from its place.

2 “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,

And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.

3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,

And His lightning to the ends of the earth.

4 “After it, a voice roars;

He thunders with His majestic voice,

And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.

5 “God thunders with His voice wondrously,

Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.

6 “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’

And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’

7 “He seals the hand of every man,

That all men may know His work.

8 “Then the beast goes into its lair

And remains in its den.

9 “Out of the south comes the storm,

And out of the north the cold.

10 “From the breath of God ice is made,

And the expanse of the waters is frozen.

11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;

He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,

That it may do whatever He commands it

On the face of the inhabited earth.

13 “Whether for correction, or for His world,

Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

14 “Listen to this, O Job,

Stand and consider the wonders of God.

15 “Do you know how God establishes them,

And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?

16 “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,

The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,

17 You whose garments are hot,

When the land is still because of the south wind?

18 “Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,

Strong as a molten mirror?

19 “Teach us what we shall say to Him;

We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.

20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?

Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

21 “Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;

But the wind has passed and cleared them.

22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;

Around God is awesome majesty.

23 “The Almighty--we cannot find Him;

He is exalted in power

And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.

24 “Therefore men fear Him;

He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

JOB 38

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God Speaks Now to Job  38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel

By words without knowledge?

3 “Now gird up your loins like a man,

And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding,

5 Who set its measurements? Since you know.

Or who stretched the line on it?

6 “On what were its bases sunk?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

7 When the morning stars sang together

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8 “Or who enclosed the sea with doors

When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;

9 When I made a cloud its garment

And thick darkness its swaddling band,

10 And I placed boundaries on it

And set a bolt and doors,

11 And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;

And here shall your proud waves stop’?

God’s Mighty Power12 “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,

And caused the dawn to know its place,

13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,

And the wicked be shaken out of it?

14 “It is changed like clay under the seal;

And they stand forth like a garment.

15 “From the wicked their light is withheld,

And the uplifted arm is broken.

16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea

Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

18 “Have you understood the expanse of the earth?

Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?

And darkness, where is its place,

20 That you may take it to its territory

And that you may discern the paths to its home?

21 “You know, for you were born then,

And the number of your days is great!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,

Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress,

For the day of war and battle?

24 “Where is the way that the light is divided,

Or the east wind scattered on the earth?

25 “Who has cleft a channel for the flood,

Or a way for the thunderbolt,

26 To bring rain on a land without people,

On a desert without a man in it,

27 To satisfy the waste and desolate land

And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?

28 “Has the rain a father?

Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 “From whose womb has come the ice?

And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?

30 “Water becomes hard like stone,

And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,

Or loose the cords of Orion?

32 “Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,

And guide the Bear with her satellites?

33 “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,

Or fix their rule over the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

So that an abundance of water will cover you?

35 “Can you send forth lightnings that they may go

And say to you, ‘Here we are’?

36 “Who has put wisdom in the innermost being

Or given understanding to the mind?

37 “Who can count the clouds by wisdom,

Or tip the water jars of the heavens,

38 When the dust hardens into a mass

And the clods stick together?

39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,

Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

40 When they crouch in their dens

And lie in wait in their lair?

41 “Who prepares for the raven its nourishment

When its young cry to God

And wander about without food?

PROVERBS 23

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On Life and Conduct23:1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,

Consider carefully what is before you,

2 And put a knife to your throat

If you are a man of great appetite.

3 Do not desire his delicacies,

For it is deceptive food.

4 Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,

Cease from your consideration of it.

5 When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.

For wealth certainly makes itself wings

Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

6 Do not eat the bread of a selfish man,

Or desire his delicacies;

7 For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

He says to you, “Eat and drink!”

But his heart is not with you.

8 You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten,

And waste your compliments.

9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10 Do not move the ancient boundary

Or go into the fields of the fatherless,

11 For their Redeemer is strong;

He will plead their case against you.

12 Apply your heart to discipline

And your ears to words of knowledge.

13 Do not hold back discipline from the child,

Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

14 You shall strike him with the rod

And rescue his soul from Sheol.

15 My son, if your heart is wise,

My own heart also will be glad;

16 And my inmost being will rejoice

When your lips speak what is right.

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,

But live in the fear of the LORD always.

18 Surely there is a future,

And your hope will not be cut off.

19 Listen, my son, and be wise,

And direct your heart in the way.

20 Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine,

Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

21 For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,

And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

22 Listen to your father who begot you,

And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23 Buy truth, and do not sell it,

Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,

And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

25 Let your father and your mother be glad,

And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

26 Give me your heart, my son,

And let your eyes delight in my ways.

27 For a harlot is a deep pit

And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

28 Surely she lurks as a robber,

And increases the faithless among men.

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has contentions? Who has complaining?

Who has wounds without cause?

Who has redness of eyes?

30 Those who linger long over wine,

Those who go to taste mixed wine.

31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,

When it sparkles in the cup,

When it goes down smoothly;

32 At the last it bites like a serpent

And stings like a viper.

33 Your eyes will see strange things

And your mind will utter perverse things.

34 And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea,

Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.

35 “They struck me, but I did not become ill;

They beat me, but I did not know it.

When shall I awake?

I will seek another drink.”

1 TIMOTHY 1

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Misleadings in Doctrine and Living  1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,
    2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
    3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
    8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
    12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
    18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.