09 January - Job 21-23

Jude Sat Aug 18, 2018 4:05 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

JOB 21

1And Iyoḇ answered and said,

2“Listen closely to my word, and let this be your comfort.

3Bear with me and let me speak, and after I have spoken, keep mocking.

4As for me, is my complaint against man? And why should I not be impatient?

5Look at me and be appalled, then put your hand on your mouth.

6And when I consider it I am frightened, and my body shudders.

7Why do the wrong live, become old, and become mighty in powera?

8Their seed is established with them before their face, and their offspring before their eyes.

9Their houses are peace without fear, neither is the rod of Eloah upon them.

10Their bull breeds and does not fail, their cow calves without miscarriage.

11They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

12They sing to the tambourine and lyre, and rejoice to the sound of the flute.

13They spend their days in goodness, and in a moment go down to the grave.

14And they say to Ěl, ‘Turn aside from us, for we have no desire to know Your ways.

15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’

16See, is their good not in their own hand? (The counsel of the wrong has been far from me).

17How often is the lamp of the wrong put out, and does come upon them their calamity, sorrows He allots in His displeasure?

18They are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that a storm steals away.

19You say, ‘Eloah stores up one’s wickedness for his children.’ Let Him repay him, so that he knows it.

20Let his eyes see his destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21For what is his delight in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

22Does anyone teach Ěl knowledge, since He judges those that are exalted?

23One dies in his perfect strength, completely at ease and satisfied;

24His pails are filled with milk, and his bones are juicy with marrow.

25Another one dies in the bitterness of his being, and never eats with pleasure.

26Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them.

27Look, I know your thoughts, and the plots with which you would wrong me.

28For you say, ‘Where is the house of the noble one? And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wrong ones?’

29Have you not asked those passing by the way? And do you not know their signs?

30That the wicked is kept for the day of calamity. They are brought to the day of wrath.

31Who declares his way to his face? And who repays him for what he has done?

32As for him, he is brought to the grave, and a watch is kept over the tomb.

33The clods of the wadi shall be sweet to him, and all men follow him, innumerable are those before him.

34How then do you comfort me in vain, seeing that perverseness remains in your answers?”

JOB 22

1And Eliphaz the Tĕmanite answered and said,

2“Would a strong man be of use to Ěl? Even he who is wise be of use to Him?

3Is it a delight to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or gain, that you make your ways perfect?

4Is it because of your fear of Him that He reproves you, or enters into right-ruling with you?

5Is not your evil great? And is there no end to your crookednesses?

6For you take pledges from your brother for naught, and strip the naked of their garments.

7You do not give the weary water to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

8But the man of strength, he has the earth, and the highly respected man dwells in it.

9You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless are crushed.

10Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden fear alarms you,

11or darkness, so that you do not see, and a flood of water covers you.

12Is not Eloah in the height of heaven? And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!

13And you have said, ‘What does Ěl know? Would He judge through the dark cloud?

14‘Clouds screen Him, so that He does not see, and He moves about the circuit of the heavens.’

15Do you observe the old way which wicked men have trod,

16who were cut down before their time, whose foundations were swept away by a flood?

17They said to Ěl, ‘Turn aside from us!’ And what did the Almighty do to them?

18Yet He filled their houses with the good! (But the counsel of the wrong has been far from me).

19The righteous see it and are glad, and the innocent mock at them and say,

20‘Truly, our adversaries are cut off, and fire has consumed their excess.’

21Be of service to Him, and be at peace; thereby blessing shall come to you.

22Please accept the Torah from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.

23If you return to the Almighty, you are built up. If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,

24and lay your gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the wadis,

25then the Almighty shall be your gold and your silver, strength to you.

26Then you shall certainly delight in the Almighty, and lift up your face to Eloah,

27make your prayer to Him. And He shall hear you, and you shall pay your vows.

28And whatever you decide on shall be established for you, and light shine on your ways.

29For they have made low, and you say, ‘Up!’ And He saves the lowly of eyes.

30Would He deliver one who is not innocent? So by the cleanness of your hands you shall be delivered.”

JOB 23

1And Iyoḇ answered and said,

2“Even today my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning.

3If only I knew where to find Him, I would come to His dwelling-place!

4I would present my case before Him, and fill my mouth with proofs.

5I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me.

6Would He contend with me in great power? No! But He would pay attention to me.

7There the upright might reason with Him, and I would go safe forever from my Judge.

8See, I go forward, but He is not; and backward, but I do not perceive Him;

9to the left where He is working, but I do not see; He turns to the right, but I do not see.

10For He knows the way that I take. When He has tried me, I would come forth as gold.

11My foot has held fast to His steps. I have guarded His way, and did not turn aside.

12I have not strayed from the command of His lips. I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily portion.

13But He is One, and who does turn Him? And He does whatever His being has desired.

14For He completes my portion, and many like these are with Him.

15Therefore I am troubled at His presence; I consider, and I am afraid of Him.

16For Ěl has made me faint-hearted, and the Almighty has alarmed me;

17because I was not cut off before darkness, and from my face He has covered the thick darkness.