Bible Reading
August 21
The World English Bible
Aug.
21
Job
20-23
Job
20:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
Job
20:2 "Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by
reason of my haste that is in me.
Job
20:3 I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of
my understanding answers me.
Job
20:4 Don't you know this from old time, since man was placed on
earth,
Job
20:5 that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the
godless but for a moment?
Job
20:6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach
to the clouds,
Job
20:7 yet he shall perish forever like his own dung. Those who have
seen him shall say, 'Where is he?'
Job
20:8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found. Yes, he
shall be chased away like a vision of the night.
Job
20:9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more, neither shall his
place any more see him.
Job
20:10 His children shall seek the favor of the poor. His hands shall
give back his wealth.
Job
20:11 His bones are full of his youth, but youth shall lie down with
him in the dust.
Job
20:12 "Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide
it under his tongue,
Job
20:13 though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still
within his mouth;
Job
20:14 yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within
him.
Job
20:15 He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up
again. God will cast them out of his belly.
Job
20:16 He shall suck cobra venom. The viper's tongue shall kill him.
Job
20:17 He shall not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey
and butter.
Job
20:18 That for which he labored he shall restore, and shall not
swallow it down. According to the substance that he has gotten, he
shall not rejoice.
Job
20:19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently
taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.
Job
20:20 "Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not
save anything of that in which he delights.
Job
20:21 There was nothing left that he didn't devour, therefore his
prosperity shall not endure.
Job
20:22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress shall overtake
him. The hand of everyone who is in misery shall come on him.
Job
20:23 When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the
fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is
eating.
Job
20:24 He shall flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow shall
strike him through.
Job
20:25 He draws it forth, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the
glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.
Job
20:26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire
shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent.
Job
20:27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity. The earth shall rise up
against him.
Job
20:28 The increase of his house shall depart. They shall rush away
in the day of his wrath.
Job
20:29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage
appointed to him by God."
Job
21:1 Then Job answered,
Job
21:2 "Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your
consolation.
Job
21:3 Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on.
Job
21:4 As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn't I be
impatient?
Job
21:5 Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.
Job
21:6 When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.
Job
21:7 "Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty
in power?
Job
21:8 Their child is established with them in their sight, their
offspring before their eyes.
Job
21:9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon
them.
Job
21:10 Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don't
miscarry.
Job
21:11 They send forth their little ones like a flock. Their children
dance.
Job
21:12 They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound
of the pipe.
Job
21:13 They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go
down to Sheol.
Job
21:14 They tell God, 'Depart from us, for we don't want to know
about your ways.
Job
21:15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit
should we have, if we pray to him?'
Job
21:16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of
the wicked is far from me.
Job
21:17 "How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out,
that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in
his anger?
Job
21:18 How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as
chaff that the storm carries away?
Job
21:19 You say, 'God lays up his iniquity for his children.' Let him
recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
Job
21:20 Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the
wrath of the Almighty.
Job
21:21 For what does he care for his house after him, when the number
of his months is cut off?
Job
21:22 "Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing he judges those
who are high?
Job
21:23 One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
Job
21:24 His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is
moistened.
Job
21:25 Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.
Job
21:26 They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.
Job
21:27 "Behold, I know your thoughts, the devices with which you
would wrong me.
Job
21:28 For you say, 'Where is the house of the prince? Where is the
tent in which the wicked lived?'
Job
21:29 Haven't you asked wayfaring men? Don't you know their
evidences,
Job
21:30 that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That
they are led forth to the day of wrath?
Job
21:31 Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him
what he has done?
Job
21:32 Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over
the tomb.
Job
21:33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall
draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.
Job
21:34 So how can you comfort me with nonsense, seeing that in your
answers there remains only falsehood?"
Job
22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Job
22:2 "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is
profitable to himself.
Job
22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or
does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?
Job
22:4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with
you into judgment?
Job
22:5 Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your
iniquities.
Job
22:6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and
stripped the naked of their clothing.
Job
22:7 You haven't given water to the weary to drink, and you have
withheld bread from the hungry.
Job
22:8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man,
he lived in it.
Job
22:9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless
have been broken.
Job
22:10 Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
Job
22:11 or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters
cover you.
Job
22:12 "Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of
the stars, how high they are!
Job
22:13 You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick
darkness?
Job
22:14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He
walks on the vault of the sky.'
Job
22:15 Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
Job
22:16 who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was
poured out as a stream,
Job
22:17 who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can the Almighty
do for us?'
Job
22:18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel
of the wicked is far from me.
Job
22:19 The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule
them,
Job
22:20 saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The
fire has consumed the remnant of them.'
Job
22:21 "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace.
Thereby good shall come to you.
Job
22:22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his
words in your heart.
Job
22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, if you
put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
Job
22:24 Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the
stones of the brooks.
Job
22:25 The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to
you.
Job
22:26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and shall
lift up your face to God.
Job
22:27 You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You
shall pay your vows.
Job
22:28 You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to
you. Light shall shine on your ways.
Job
22:29 When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' He will
save the humble person.
Job
22:30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be
delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
Job
23:1 Then Job answered,
Job
23:2 "Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy
in spite of my groaning.
Job
23:3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even
to his seat!
Job
23:4 I would set my cause in order before him, and fill my mouth
with arguments.
Job
23:5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand
what he would tell me.
Job
23:6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but
he would listen to me.
Job
23:7 There the upright might reason with him, so I should be
delivered forever from my judge.
Job
23:8 "If I go east, he is not there; if west, I can't find him;
Job
23:9 He works to the north, but I can't see him. He turns south, but
I can't catch a glimpse of him.
Job
23:10 But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I
shall come forth like gold.
Job
23:11 My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and
not turned aside.
Job
23:12 I haven't gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have
treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
Job
23:13 But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? What his soul
desires, even that he does.
Job
23:14 For he performs that which is appointed for me. Many such
things are with him.
Job
23:15 Therefore I am terrified at his presence. When I consider, I
am afraid of him.
Job
23:16 For God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified
me.
Job
23:17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he
cover the thick darkness from my face.
Aug.
21
Romans
2
Rom
2:1 Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who
judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For
you who judge practice the same things.
Rom
2:2 We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against
those who practice such things.
Rom
2:3 Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such
things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
Rom
2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and
patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to
repentance?
Rom
2:5 But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are
treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and
of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom
2:6 who "will pay back to everyone according to their works:"
Rom
2:7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor,
and incorruptibility, eternal life;
Rom
2:8 but to those who are self-seeking, and don't obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation,
Rom
2:9 oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom
2:10 But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom
2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
Rom
2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without
the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the
law.
Rom
2:13 For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before
God, but the doers of the law will be justified
Rom
2:14 (for when Gentiles who don't have the law do by nature the
things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to
themselves,
Rom
2:15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts,
their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among
themselves accusing or else excusing them)
Rom
2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to
my Good News, by Jesus Christ.
Rom
2:17 Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and
glory in God,
Rom
2:18 and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent,
being instructed out of the law,
Rom
2:19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a
light to those who are in darkness,
Rom
2:20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the
law the form of knowledge and of the truth.
Rom
2:21 You therefore who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You
who preach that a man shouldn't steal, do you steal?
Rom
2:22 You who say a man shouldn't commit adultery. Do you commit
adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Rom
2:23 You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law
do you dishonor God?
Rom
2:24 For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles
because of you," just as it is written.
Rom
2:25 For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law,
but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has
become uncircumcision.
Rom
2:26 If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law,
won't his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision?
Rom
2:27 Won't the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the
law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a
transgressor of the law?
Rom
2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that
circumcision which is outward in the flesh;
Rom
2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that
of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not
from men, but from God.
American
views of Islam going back to the origins of America have been generally
consistent. With a Christian worldview intact at the beginning,
Americans have naturally recognized Islam’s inherent hostility toward
Christianity and its fundamental threat to the American way of life. For
example, Elias Boudinot was a premiere Founding Father with a long and
distinguished career. He served as a member of the Continental Congress,
where he served as its president (1782-1783); he signed the Treaty of
Peace with Great Britain; he was a member of the U.S. House where he
helped frame the Bill of Rights; he served as the Director of Mint under
presidents Washington and Adams; etc. In his masterful refutation of
Thomas Paine’s Age of Reason, Boudinot labeled Muhammad an “impostor,” and insightfully observed that