Job 13

New International Version

13 “My eyes have seen all this,^(A)
    my ears have heard and understood it.
²What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.^(B)
³But I desire to speak to the Almighty^(C)
    and to argue my case with God.^(D)
⁴You, however, smear me with lies;^(E)
    you are worthless physicians,^(F) all of you!^(G)
⁵If only you would be altogether silent!^(H)
    For you, that would be wisdom.^(I)
⁶Hear now my argument;
    listen to the pleas of my lips.^(J)
⁷Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
    Will you speak deceitfully for him?^(K)
⁸Will you show him partiality?^(L)
    Will you argue the case for God?
⁹Would it turn out well if he examined you?^(M)
    Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?^(N)
¹⁰He would surely call you to account
    if you secretly showed partiality.^(O)
¹¹Would not his splendor^(P) terrify you?
    Would not the dread of him fall on you?^(Q)
¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.^(R)

¹³“Keep silent^(S) and let me speak;^(T)
    then let come to me what may.^(U)
¹⁴Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?^(V)
¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I hope^(W) in him;^(X)
    I will surely^[a] defend my ways to his face.^(Y)
¹⁶Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,^(Z)
    for no godless^(AA) person would dare come before him!^(AB)
¹⁷Listen carefully to what I say;^(AC)
    let my words ring in your ears.
¹⁸Now that I have prepared my case,^(AD)
    I know I will be vindicated.^(AE)
¹⁹Can anyone bring charges against me?^(AF)
    If so, I will be silent^(AG) and die.^(AH)

²⁰“Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
²¹Withdraw your hand^(AI) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.^(AJ)
²²Then summon me and I will answer,^(AK)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.^(AL)
²³How many wrongs and sins have I committed?^(AM)
    Show me my offense and my sin.^(AN)
²⁴Why do you hide your face^(AO)
    and consider me your enemy?^(AP)
²⁵Will you torment^(AQ) a windblown leaf?^(AR)
    Will you chase^(AS) after dry chaff?^(AT)
²⁶For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.^(AU)
²⁷You fasten my feet in shackles;^(AV)
    you keep close watch on all my paths^(AW)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

²⁸“So man wastes away like something rotten,
like a garment^(AX) eaten by moths.^(AY)

Footnotes

Job 13:15 Or He will surely slay me; I have no hope — / yet I will

Galatians 5

New International Version

Freedom in Christ

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.^(A) Stand firm,^(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.^(C)

²Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,^(D) Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.^(E) ⁴You who are trying to be justified by the law^(F) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^(G) ⁵For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.^(H) ⁶For in Christ Jesus^(I) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.^(J) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.^(K)

⁷You were running a good race.^(L) Who cut in on you^(M) to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.^(N) ⁹“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”^(O) ¹⁰I am confident^(P) in the Lord that you will take no other view.^(Q) The one who is throwing you into confusion,^(R) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?^(S) In that case the offense^(T) of the cross has been abolished. ¹²As for those agitators,^(U) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

¹³You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.^(V) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a];^(W) rather, serve one another^(X) humbly in love. ¹⁴For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b]^(Y) ¹⁵If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶So I say, walk by the Spirit,^(Z) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.^(AA) ¹⁷For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.^(AB) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want.^(AC) ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit,^(AD) you are not under the law.^(AE)

¹⁹The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,^(AF) impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.^(AG) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.^(AH)

²²But the fruit^(AI) of the Spirit is love,^(AJ) joy, peace,^(AK) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control.^(AL) Against such things there is no law.^(AM) ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh^(AN) with its passions and desires.^(AO) ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit,^(AP) let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited,^(AQ) provoking and envying each other.

Footnotes

Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

Psalm 139

New International Version

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹You have searched me,^(A) Lord,
    and you know^(B) me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;^(C)
    you perceive my thoughts^(D) from afar.
³You discern my going out^(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.^(F)
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.^(G)
⁵You hem me in^(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,^(I)
    too lofty^(J) for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee^(K) from your presence?
⁸If I go up to the heavens,^(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed^(M) in the depths, you are there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me,^(N)
    your right hand^(O) will hold me fast.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹²even the darkness will not be dark^(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being;^(Q)
    you knit me together^(R) in my mother’s womb.^(S)
¹⁴I praise you^(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,^(U)
    I know that full well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made^(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together^(W) in the depths of the earth.^(X)
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained^(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a]^(Z) God!^(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them,^(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand^(AC)—
    when I awake,^(AD) I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you, God, would slay the wicked!^(AE)
    Away from me,^(AF) you who are bloodthirsty!^(AG)
²⁰They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries^(AH) misuse your name.^(AI)
²¹Do I not hate those^(AJ) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor^(AK) those who are in rebellion against you?
²²I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.^(AL)
²³Search me,^(AM) God, and know my heart;^(AN)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴See if there is any offensive way^(AO) in me,
    and lead me^(AP) in the way everlasting.