Job Says God Seems to Ignore Wrongs

24 (A)Why are [a]times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not see (B)His [b]days?
People (C)remove landmarks;
They seize and [c]devour flocks.
They drive away the donkeys of (D)orphans;
They seize the (E)widow’s ox as a pledge.
They push (F)the needy aside from the road;
The (G)poor of the land have to hide themselves together.
Behold, like (H)wild donkeys in the wilderness
They (I)go out scavenging for food in their activity,
As [d]bread for their children in the desert.
They harvest their feed in the field
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
(J)They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
They are wet from the mountain rains,
And they hug the rock for lack of a shelter.
Others snatch an (K)orphan from the breast,
And they seize it as a pledge against the poor.
10 The poor move about naked without clothing,
And they carry sheaves, while going hungry.
11 Within the walls they produce oil;
They tread wine presses but go thirsty.
12 From the city people groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry for help;
Yet God (L)does not pay attention to the offensiveness.

13 [e]Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor stay in its paths.
14 The murderer (M)arises at dawn;
He (N)kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the (O)adulterer watches for [f]twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he [g]disguises his face.
16 In the darkness they (P)dig into houses,
They (Q)shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light.
17 For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the (R)terrors of thick darkness.

18 “They are [h](S)insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their plot of land on the earth is (T)cursed.
They do not turn [i]toward the (U)vineyards.
19 Dryness and heat (V)snatch away the snow waters,
As [j](W)Sheol snatches those who have sinned.
20 A [k](X)mother will forget him;
The (Y)maggot feeds sweetly until he is (Z)no longer remembered.
And injustice will be broken (AA)like a tree.
21 He wrongs the [l]infertile woman,
And does no good for (AB)the widow.
22 But He drags off the mighty by (AC)His power;
He rises, but (AD)no one has assurance of life.
23 He provides them (AE)with security, and they are supported;
And His (AF)eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted a (AG)little while, then they are gone;
Moreover, they are (AH)brought low, and like everything they are gathered up;
Like the heads of grain they wither.
25 Now if it is not so, (AI)who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 24:1 I.e., of judgment for the wicked
  2. Job 24:1 I.e., of judgment for the wicked
  3. Job 24:2 Or pasture
  4. Job 24:5 Lit his bread
  5. Job 24:13 Lit They
  6. Job 24:15 Lit the twilight
  7. Job 24:15 Or puts a covering on his face
  8. Job 24:18 Or light; or swift
  9. Job 24:18 Lit to the path of
  10. Job 24:19 I.e., the netherworld
  11. Job 24:20 Lit womb
  12. Job 24:21 Lit infertile who does not bear

Serve God Willingly

(A)Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your (B)fellow elder and a (C)witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a [a](D)fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: shepherd (E)the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, (F)not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and (G)not [b]with greed but with eagerness; nor yet as (H)domineering over [c]those assigned to your care, but by [d]proving to be [e](I)examples to the flock. And when the Chief (J)Shepherd appears, you will receive the (K)unfading [f](L)crown of glory. (M)You [g]younger men, likewise, (N)be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with (O)humility toward one another, because (P)God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

Therefore (Q)humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your (R)anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. (S)Be of sober spirit, (T)be on the alert. Your adversary, (U)the devil, prowls around like a roaring (V)lion, seeking someone to devour. [h](W)So resist him, (X)firm in your faith, knowing that (Y)the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your [i]brothers and sisters who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered (Z)for a little while, the (AA)God of all grace, who (AB)called you to His (AC)eternal glory in Christ, will Himself (AD)perfect, (AE)confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 (AF)To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

12 Through (AG)Silvanus, our faithful brother [j](for so I regard him), (AH)I have written to you briefly, [k]exhorting and testifying that this is (AI)the true grace of God. (AJ)Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, (AK)Mark. 14 (AL)Greet one another with a kiss of love.

(AM)Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 5:1 Or partner in
  2. 1 Peter 5:2 Or for dishonest gain
  3. 1 Peter 5:3 Lit the allotments
  4. 1 Peter 5:3 Or becoming examples
  5. 1 Peter 5:3 Or role models
  6. 1 Peter 5:4 Lit wreath
  7. 1 Peter 5:5 Or young people
  8. 1 Peter 5:9 Lit Whom resist
  9. 1 Peter 5:9 Lit fellowship
  10. 1 Peter 5:12 Lit (as I consider)
  11. 1 Peter 5:12 Or encouraging

Bildad Says Mankind Is Inferior

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

(A)Dominion and awe [a]belong to Him
Who makes peace in (B)His heights.
Is there any number to (C)His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?
How then can mankind be (D)righteous with God?
Or how can anyone who is born of woman be (E)pure?
If even (F)the moon has no brightness
And the (G)stars are not pure in His sight,
How much less (H)man, that (I)maggot,
And a son of man, that worm!”

Job Rebukes Bildad

26 Then Job responded,

“What a help you are to [b](J)the weak!
You have saved the arm (K)without strength!
What advice you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly [c]provided!
To whom have you uttered words?
And whose [d]spirit was expressed through you?

The Greatness of God

“The [e](L)departed spirits are made to tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
[f](M)Sheol is naked before Him,
And [g](N)Abaddon has no covering.
He (O)stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.
He (P)wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.
He [h](Q)obscures the face of the [i]full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He has inscribed a (R)circle on the surface of the waters
At the (S)boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.
12 With His power He (T)quieted the sea,
And by His (U)understanding He shattered [j](V)Rahab.
13 By His breath the (W)heavens are [k]cleared;
His hand has pierced (X)the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint (Y)a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty (Z)thunder, who can understand?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 25:2 Lit are with Him
  2. Job 26:2 Lit no strength
  3. Job 26:3 Lit made known
  4. Job 26:4 Lit breath has gone forth
  5. Job 26:5 Or shades; Heb Rephaim
  6. Job 26:6 I.e., the netherworld
  7. Job 26:6 I.e., the place of destruction
  8. Job 26:9 Lit covers
  9. Job 26:9 Or throne
  10. Job 26:12 I.e., a sea monster, not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
  11. Job 26:13 Lit beauty

The Syrophoenician Woman

24 (A)Now Jesus got up and went from there to the region of (B)Tyre[a]. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know about it; and yet He could not escape notice. 25 But after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a [b]Gentile, of Syrophoenician descent. And she repeatedly asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not [c]good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the [d]dogs.” 28 But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29 And He said to her, “Because of this [e]answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And after going back to her home, she found the child [f]lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

31 (C)Again He left the region of (D)Tyre and came through Sidon to (E)the Sea of Galilee, within the region of (F)Decapolis. 32 And they *brought to Him one who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they *begged Him to (G)lay His hand on him. 33 And Jesus (H)took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers in his ears, and after (I)spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 34 and looking up to heaven with a deep (J)sigh, He *said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” 35 And his ears were opened, and the [g]impediment of his tongue was [h]removed, and he began speaking plainly. 36 And (K)He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they (L)continued to proclaim it. 37 And they were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.”

Four Thousand Men Fed

In those days, (M)when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus summoned His disciples and *said to them, (N)I feel compassion for the [i]people because they have remained with Me for three days already and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” And His disciples replied to Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough [j]bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” And He *directed the [k]people to recline on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve, and they served them to the [l]people. They also had a few small fish; and (O)after He had blessed them, He told the disciples to serve these as well. And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large (P)baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. About four thousand [m]men were there; and He dismissed them. 10 And immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and came to the region of (Q)Dalmanutha.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:24 Two early mss add and Sidon
  2. Mark 7:26 Lit Greek
  3. Mark 7:27 Or proper
  4. Mark 7:27 I.e., pet dogs
  5. Mark 7:29 Lit word
  6. Mark 7:30 Lit thrown
  7. Mark 7:35 Lit bond
  8. Mark 7:35 Lit undone
  9. Mark 8:2 Lit crowd
  10. Mark 8:4 Lit loaves
  11. Mark 8:6 Lit crowd
  12. Mark 8:6 Lit crowd
  13. Mark 8:9 I.e., 4,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 15:38

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