Job 19:1-27
English Standard Version
Job Replies: My Redeemer Lives
19 Then Job answered and said:
2 “How long will you torment me
and break me in pieces with words?
3 These (A)ten times you have cast reproach upon me;
are you not ashamed to wrong me?
4 And even if it be true that I have erred,
my error remains with myself.
5 If indeed you (B)magnify yourselves against me
and make my disgrace an argument against me,
6 know then that God has (C)put me in the wrong
and closed his net about me.
7 Behold, I (D)cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered;
I call for help, but there is no justice.
8 He has (E)walled up my way, so that I cannot pass,
and he has set darkness upon my paths.
9 He has (F)stripped from me my glory
and taken the (G)crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side, and I (H)am gone,
and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.
11 He has kindled his wrath against me
and (I)counts me as his adversary.
12 His (J)troops come on together;
they have (K)cast up their siege ramp[a] against me
and encamp around my tent.
13 “He has put my (L)brothers far from me,
and (M)those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.
14 My relatives (N)have failed me,
my close (O)friends have forgotten me.
15 The guests (P)in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger;
I have become a foreigner in their eyes.
16 I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer;
I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy.
17 My breath is strange to my (Q)wife,
and I am a stench to the children of (R)my own mother.
18 Even young (S)children despise me;
when I rise they talk against me.
19 All my (T)intimate friends abhor me,
and those whom I loved have turned against me.
20 My (U)bones stick to my skin and to my flesh,
and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has (V)touched me!
22 Why do you, like God, (W)pursue me?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?
23 “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were (X)inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron (Y)pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I (Z)know that my (AA)Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the (AB)earth.[b]
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in[c] my flesh I shall (AC)see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not (AD)another.
My heart (AE)faints within me!
Proverbs 14:31-15:17
English Standard Version
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man (A)insults his (B)Maker,
(C)but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32 (D)The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
but (E)the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom (F)rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.[a]
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has (G)the king's favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
15 (H)A soft answer turns away wrath,
but (I)a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but (J)the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 (K)The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 (L)A gentle[b] tongue is (M)a tree of life,
but (N)perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 (O)A fool (P)despises his father's instruction,
but (Q)whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7 (R)The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
(S)not so the hearts of fools.[c]
8 (T)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but (U)the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but he loves him (V)who pursues righteousness.
10 There is (W)severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
(X)whoever hates reproof will die.
11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;
how much more (Y)the hearts of the children of man!
12 (Z)A scoffer (AA)does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.
13 (AB)A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by (AC)sorrow of heart the spirit is (AD)crushed.
14 (AE)The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but (AF)the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 (AG)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 (AH)Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
than (AI)a fattened ox and hatred with it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:33 Or Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding, but makes itself known in the midst of fools
- Proverbs 15:4 Or healing
- Proverbs 15:7 Or the hearts of fools are not steadfast
Colossians 1:21-2:7
English Standard Version
21 (A)And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, (B)doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled (C)in his body of flesh by his death, (D)in order to present you holy and blameless and (E)above reproach before him, 23 (F)if indeed you continue in the faith, (G)stable and steadfast, not shifting from (H)the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed (I)in all creation[a] under heaven, (J)and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Paul's Ministry to the Church
24 Now (K)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (L)I am filling up (M)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions (N)for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 (O)of which I became a minister according to (P)the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 (Q)the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 (R)To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are (S)the riches of the glory of (T)this mystery, which is Christ in you, (U)the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that (V)we may present everyone (W)mature in Christ. 29 For this (X)I toil, (Y)struggling (Z)with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
2 For I want you to know (AA)how great a (AB)struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that (AC)their hearts may be encouraged, being (AD)knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of (AE)God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 (AF)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order (AG)that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For (AH)though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your (AI)good order and (AJ)the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Alive in Christ
6 (AK)Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 (AL)rooted and (AM)built up in him and (AN)established in the faith, just (AO)as you were taught, abounding (AP)in thanksgiving.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:23 Or to every creature
Luke 12:1-21
English Standard Version
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
12 In the meantime, (A)when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, (B)“Beware of (C)the leaven of the Pharisees, (D)which is hypocrisy. 2 (E)Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in (F)private rooms shall be proclaimed on (G)the housetops.
Have No Fear
4 “I tell you, my friends, (H)do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him (I)who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.[a] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?[b] And (J)not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, (K)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; (L)you are of more value than many sparrows.
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
8 “And I tell you, (M)everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge (N)before the angels of God, 9 but (O)the one who denies me before men (P)will be denied (Q)before the angels of God. 10 And (R)everyone who speaks a word (S)against the Son of Man (T)will be forgiven, but the one who (U)blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 (V)And when they (W)bring you before the synagogues and (X)the rulers and (Y)the authorities, (Z)do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 (AA)for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 (AB)Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, (AC)“Man, (AD)who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, (AE)“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, (AF)“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, (AG)‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my (AH)barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up (AI)for many years; relax, (AJ)eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, (AK)‘Fool! (AL)This night (AM)your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, (AN)whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one (AO)who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Read full chapterThe Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Bible Gateway Recommends
