Bible in a Year - Daily Reading Program

Job 33

¹Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.

²Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

³My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

⁴The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

⁵If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.

⁶Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

⁷Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

⁸Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

⁹I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

¹⁰Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,

¹¹He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

¹²Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

¹³Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

¹⁴For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:

²⁰So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

²¹His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

²²Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

²³If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

²⁴Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

²⁵His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth:

²⁶He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.

²⁷He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

²⁸He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

²⁹Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,

³⁰To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

³¹Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.

³²If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.

³³If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

Job 34

¹Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

²Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

³For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

⁴Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

⁶Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.

⁷What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

⁸Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

⁹For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

¹¹For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

¹²Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

¹³Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

¹⁴If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

¹⁵All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

¹⁶If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

¹⁷Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

¹⁸Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

¹⁹How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

²⁰In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

²¹For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

²²There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.

²⁴He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.

²⁵Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

²⁶He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

²⁷Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:

²⁸So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

³⁰That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

³¹Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

³²That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

³³Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

³⁴Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

³⁵Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

³⁶My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.

³⁷For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

Job 35

¹Elihu spake moreover, and said,

²Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

³For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

⁴I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

⁵Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

⁶If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

⁸Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

⁹By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

¹¹Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

¹²There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

¹⁴Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

¹⁵But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

¹⁶Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Job 36

¹Elihu also proceeded, and said,

²Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

³I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.

⁷He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

⁸And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;

⁹Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

¹⁰He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

¹¹If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

¹²But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

¹³But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

¹⁴They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

¹⁵He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

¹⁶Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.

¹⁷But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.

¹⁸Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

¹⁹Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

²⁰Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

²¹Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

²³Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

²⁴Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.

²⁵Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

²⁶Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

²⁷For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:

²⁸Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

²⁹Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

³⁰Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

³¹For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

³²With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

³³The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.

Congratulations! You've reached the end of today's reading.

Feeling on a roll? See Tomorrow's Reading -->