the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
January 14 - Old & New Testament
csb
Job 14,15,16
1 Man born of woman
is short of days and full of trouble.(a)
2 He blossoms like a flower, then withers;(b)
he flees like a shadow and does not last.
3 Do You really take notice of one like this?
Will You bring me into judgment against You?[a](c)
4 Who can produce something pure from what is impure?
No one!
5 Since man's days are determined
and the number of his months depends on You,
and since You have set[b] limits he cannot pass,(d)
6 look away from him and let him rest
so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand.(e)
7 There is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its shoots will not die.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground
and its stump starts to die in the soil,
9 the smell of water makes it thrive
and produce twigs like a sapling.(f)
10 But a man dies and fades away;
he breathes his last—where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea
and a river becomes parched and dry,
12 so man lies down never to rise again.
They will not wake up until the heavens are no more;(g)
they will not stir from their sleep.
13 If only You would hide me in Sheol(h)
and conceal me until Your anger(i) passes.
If only You would appoint a time for me
and then remember me.
14 When a man dies, will he come back to life?
If so, I would wait(j) all the days of my struggle(k)
until my relief comes.
15 You would call, and I would answer You.
You would long for the work of Your hands.(l)
16 For then You would count my steps(m)
but would not take note(n) of my sin.
17 My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag,
and You would cover over my iniquity.
18 But as a mountain collapses and crumbles
and a rock is dislodged from its place,
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil from the land,
so You destroy a man's hope.(o)
20 You completely overpower him, and he passes on;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;
if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.(p)
22 He feels only the pain of his own body
and mourns only for himself.
Eliphaz Speaks
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 Does a wise man answer with empty[a] counsel(a)
or fill himself[b] with the hot east wind?
3 Should he argue(b) with useless talk
or with words that serve no good purpose?
4 But you even undermine the fear of God
and hinder meditation before Him.
5 Your iniquity(c) teaches you what to say,
and you choose the language of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I;
your own lips testify against you.(d)
7 Were you the first person ever born,
or were you brought forth before the hills?(e)
8 Do you listen in on the council of God,
or have a monopoly on wisdom?(f)
9 What do you know that we don't?
What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us,
men older than your father.
11 Are God's consolations not enough for you,
even the words that deal gently with you?
12 Why has your heart misled you,
and why do your eyes flash
13 as you turn your anger[c] against God
and allow such words to leave your mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be pure,(g)
or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones(h)
and the heavens are not pure in His sight,(i)
16 how much less one who is revolting and corrupt,(j)
who drinks injustice(k) like water?
17 Listen to me and I will inform you.
I will describe what I have seen,
18 what was declared by wise men
and was not suppressed by their ancestors,(l)
19 the land was given to them alone
when no foreigner passed among them.
20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days;
only a few[d] years are reserved for the ruthless.
21 Dreadful sounds fill his ears;
when he is at peace, a robber attacks him.
22 He doesn't believe he will return from darkness;
he is destined for the sword.(m)
23 He wanders about for food, saying, "Where is it?"
He knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Trouble(n) and distress terrify him,
overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle.
25 For he has stretched out his hand(o) against God
and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty.
26 He rushes headlong at Him
with his thick, studded shields.
27 Though his face is covered with fat[e]
and his waistline bulges with it,
28 he will dwell in ruined cities,
in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble.(p)
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure.
His possessions[f] will not increase in the land.
30 He will not escape from the darkness;
flames will wither his shoots,
and by the breath of God's mouth, he will depart.(q)
31 Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray,
for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.
32 It will be accomplished before his time,
and his branch will not flourish.
33 He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes(r)
and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
34 For the company of the godless(s) will have no children,
and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes.
35 They conceive trouble(t) and give birth to evil;
their womb(u) prepares deception.(v)
Job's Reply to Eliphaz
1 Then Job answered:
2 I have heard many things like these.
You are all miserable comforters.(a)
3 Is there no end to your empty[a](b) words?
What provokes you that you continue testifying?
4 If you were in my place I could also talk like you.
I could string words together against you
and shake my head at you.
5 Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth,
and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.(c)
6 Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved,
and if I hold back, what have I lost?
7 Surely He[b] has now exhausted me.
You have devastated my entire family.
8 You have shriveled me up[c]—it has become a witness;
My frailty rises up against me and testifies to my face.
9 His anger tears at me, and He harasses(d) me.
He gnashes His teeth at me.
My enemy pierces me with His eyes.
10 They open their mouths against me
and strike my cheeks with contempt;(e)
they join themselves together against me.
11 God hands me over to unjust men;[d]
He throws me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but He shattered me;
He seized me by the scruff of the neck
and smashed me to pieces.
He set me up as His target;(f)
13 His archers[e] surround me.
He pierces my kidneys without mercy
and pours my bile on the ground.
14 He breaks through my defenses again and again;[f]
He charges at me like a warrior.(g)
15 I have sewn sackcloth over my skin;
I have buried my strength[g] in the dust.(h)
16 My face has grown red with weeping,
and darkness(i) covers my eyes,
17 although my hands are free from violence(j)
and my prayer is pure.
18 Earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry for help find no resting place.(k)
19 Even now my witness is in heaven,
and my advocate is in the heights!(l)
20 My friends scoff at me
as I weep before God.
21 I wish that someone might arbitrate
between a man and God(m)
just as a man pleads for his friend.
22 For only a few years will pass
before I go the way of no return.
Matthew 10:1-20
Chapter 10
Commissioning the Twelve
1 Summoning His 12 disciples,(a) He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every[a] disease and sickness.(b) 2 These are the names of the 12 apostles:(c)
First, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;
3 Philip and Bartholomew;[b]
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[c]
4 Simon the Zealot,[d] and Judas Iscariot,[e]
who also betrayed Him.(d)
5 Jesus sent out these 12 after giving them instructions: "Don't take the road leading to other nations, and don't enter any Samaritan(e) town. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep(f) of the house of Israel.(g) 7 As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.'(h) 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons.(i) You have received free of charge; give free of charge. 9 Don't take along gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. (j) 10 Don't take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker(k) is worthy of his food.
11 "When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 Greet a household when you enter it,(l) 13 and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.(m) 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet(n) when you leave that house or town. 15 I assure you: It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment(o) for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. (p)
Persecutions Predicted
16 "Look, I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.(q) 17 Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins[f] and flog you in their synagogues,(r) beware of them. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations.(s) 19 But when they hand you over, don't worry about how or what you should speak.(t) For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit(u) of your Father is speaking through you. (v)
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