The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NIV. Switch to the NIV to read along with the audio.
34 Elihu continued:
2 Hear my words, wise ones;
knowledgeable ones, listen to me,
3 for the ear tests words
like the palate tastes food.
4 Let’s choose for us what’s right;
let’s determine among ourselves what’s good;
5 for Job has said, “I’m innocent;
God has denied my just cause;
6 because of my cause I’m thought a liar;
my wound from an arrow is incurable, even though I didn’t rebel.”
7 Who is a man like Job?
He drinks mockery like water
8 and travels a path with wrongdoers,
walking with evil persons.
9 Indeed he said, “No one is rewarded
for delighting in God.”
10 Therefore, intelligent ones, hear me;
far be it from God to do evil
and the Almighty to sin,
11 for he repays people based on what they do,
paying back everyone according to their ways.
12 Surely God doesn’t act wickedly;
the Almighty doesn’t distort justice.
13 Who placed earth in his care,
and who gave him dominion over the entire world?
14 If he were to decide to do it—
to gather his spirit and breath back to himself—
15 all flesh would die together,
and humans would return to dust.
16 But if you have understanding, hear this;
pay attention to the sound of my words.
17 Will one who hates justice rule;
will you condemn the most righteous one?
18 Will you say to a king, “Worthless!”
to royalty, “Evil!”
19 Who shows no favor to princes
nor regards the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of God’s hands?
20 In the middle of the night they suddenly die;
people are shaken and pass away.
The mighty are removed, not by a human hand.
21 God’s eyes are on human ways,
and he sees all their steps.
22 There’s no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves;
23 surely no time is set for a person
to appear before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without examining them;
makes others take their place.
25 Thus he regards their deeds,
overturns them at night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them because of their wickedness
at a place where people can see it.
27 Because they turned from following him
and didn’t value all his ways,
28 causing the cry of the poor to reach him,
he hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 Still, if he remains quiet, who can condemn;
if he hides his face, who can see him?
30 He prevents a lawless person from ruling,
from capturing people.
31 Has Job said to God,
“I have borne punishment; I won’t sin again?
32 You teach me what I can’t see;
if I’ve sinned, I won’t do it again.”
33 Will he repay you because you reject sin,
for you must choose, not I;
declare what you know.
34 Smart people say to me,
the wise who hear me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;
his words aren’t astute.”
36 I wish Job would be tested to the limit
because he responds like evil people.
37 He adds rebellion to his sin;
mocks us openly
and adds to his words against God.
Sin’s impact
35 Elihu continued:
2 Do you think it right?
You say, “I’m more just than God.”
3 Yet you ask, “What does it benefit you?
What have I gained by avoiding sin?”
4 I’ll answer you,
and your friends along with you.
5 Look at the heavens and see;
scan the clouds high over you.
6 If you’ve sinned, how have you affected God?
Your offenses have multiplied;
what have you done to him?
7 If you are righteous,
what do you give to him?
Or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your evil affects others like you,
and your righteousness affects fellow human beings.
9 People cry out because of heavy oppression;
shout under the power of the mighty.
10 But no one says, “Where is God my maker;
who gives songs in the night;
11 who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?”
12 Then they cry out; but he doesn’t answer,
because of the pride of the wicked.
13 God certainly doesn’t respond to a deceitful cry;
the Almighty doesn’t pay attention to it.
14 Although you say that you don’t see him,
the case is before him;
so wait anxiously for him.
15 Even though his anger is now held back,
a person doesn’t know it’s only delayed.[a]
16 So Job mouths emptiness;
he piles up ignorant words.
Reason for continuing
36 Continuing, Elihu said,
2 Wait a little while so I can demonstrate for you
that there is still something more to say about God.
3 I will draw from my broad knowledge,
attribute justice to my maker.
4 My words are certainly truthful;
one with total knowledge is present with you.
Divine discipline
5 Look, God is mighty and doesn’t reject anyone;
he is mighty in strength and mind.
6 He doesn’t let the wicked live,
but grants justice to the poor.
7 He doesn’t avert his eyes from the righteous;
he seats kings on thrones forever,
and they are lifted up.
8 If they are tied with ropes,
caught in cords of affliction,
9 he informs them about their offenses
and their grave sins.
10 He opens their ears with discipline
and commands them to turn from wrong.
11 If they listen and serve,
they spend their days in plenty,
their years contentedly.
12 But if they don’t listen,
they perish by the sword,
breathe their last without understanding.
13 Those with impious hearts become furious;
they don’t cry out even though he binds them.
14 They die young;
they are among the holy ones.
15 He saves the weak in their affliction,
opens their ears through oppression.
16 Surely he draws you up from the brink of trouble
to a wide place without distress;
your table is set with rich food.
17 You are overly concerned about the case of the wicked;
justice will be upheld in it.
18 Don’t let them lure you with wealth;
don’t let a huge bribe mislead you.
19 Will he arrange your rescue from distress
or from all your exertions of strength?
20 Don’t wish for the night
when people vanish from their place.
21 Take care; don’t turn to evil
because you’ve chosen it over affliction.
22 Look, God is inaccessible due to his power;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has repaid him for his action,
and who would ever say, “You’ve done wrong”?
24 Remember to praise his work
that all of us have seen.
25 Every person has seen him;
people can observe at great distance.
God’s control of the storm
26 Look, God is exalted and unknowable;
the number of his years is beyond counting.
27 He draws up drops of water
that distill rain from his flood;
28 the clouds pour moisture
and drip continually on humans.
29 Even if one perceives a spreading cloud
and the thunder of his pavilion,[b]
30 look how he spreads lightning across it
and covers the seabed;
31 for by water[c] he judges peoples
and gives food in abundance.
32 He conceals lightning in his palms
and orders it to its target.
33 His thunder announces it;
even cattle proclaim its rising.
4 This is why we don’t get discouraged, given that we received this ministry in the same way that we received God’s mercy. 2 Instead, we reject secrecy and shameful actions. We don’t use deception, and we don’t tamper with God’s word. Instead, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God by the public announcement of the truth. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are on the road to destruction. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who don’t have faith so they couldn’t see the light of the gospel that reveals Christ’s glory. Christ is the image of God.
5 We don’t preach about ourselves. Instead, we preach about Jesus Christ as Lord, and we describe ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 God said that light should shine out of the darkness. He is the same one who shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
Physical bodies and eternal glory
7 But we have this treasure in clay pots so that the awesome power belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. 8 We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. 9 We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out.
10 We always carry Jesus’ death around in our bodies so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies. 11 We who are alive are always being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies that are dying. 12 So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Psalm 44
For the music leader. A maskil[a] of the Korahites.
44 We have heard it, God, with our own ears;
our ancestors told us about it:
about the deeds you did in their days,
in days long past.
2 You, by your own hand, removed all the nations,
but you planted our ancestors.
You crushed all the peoples,
but you set our ancestors free.
3 No, not by their own swords
did they take possession of the land—
their own arms didn’t save them.
No, it was your strong hand, your arm,
and the light of your face
because you were pleased with them.
4 It’s you, God! You who are my king,
the one who orders salvation for Jacob.
5 We’ve pushed our foes away by your help;
we’ve trampled our enemies by your name.
6 No, I won’t trust in my bow;
my sword won’t save me
7 because it’s you who saved us from our foes,
you who put those who hate us to shame.
8 So we glory in God at all times
and give thanks to your name forever. Selah
10 Remove the mocker and conflict disappears;
judgment and shame also stop.
11 Those who love a pure heart—
their speech is gracious, and the king is their friend.
12 The Lord’s eyes protect knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the treacherous.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible