Friday, 28 June

1.   Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2.   "Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated? 3.   Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you? 4.   For you have said, ‘My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in your eyes.’ 5.   But oh, that God would speak, And open His lips against you, 6.   That He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For they would double your prudence. Know therefore that God exacts from you Less than your iniquity deserves . 7.   "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? 8.   They are higher than heaven––what can you do? Deeper than Sheol––what can you know? 9.   Their measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea. 10.   "If He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment , Then who can hinder Him? 11.   For He knows deceitful men; He sees wickedness also. Will He not then consider it ? 12.   For an empty–headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man. 13.   "If you would prepare your heart, And stretch out your hands toward Him; 14.   If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents; 15.   Then surely you could lift up your face without spot; Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear; 16.   Because you would forget your misery, And remember it as waters that have passed away, 17.   And your life would be brighter than noonday. Though you were dark, you would be like the morning. 18.   And you would be secure, because there is hope; Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety. 19.   You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid; Yes , many would court your favor. 20.   But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they shall not escape, And their hope––loss of life!"

1.   Then Job answered and said: 2.   "No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you! 3.   But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not know such things as these? 4.   "I am one mocked by his friends, Who called on God, and He answered him, The just and blameless who is ridiculed. 5.   A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready for those whose feet slip. 6.   The tents of robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure––In what God provides by His hand. 7.   "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8.   Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. 9.   Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, 10.   In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? 11.   Does not the ear test words And the mouth taste its food? 12.   Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding. 13.   "With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. 14.   If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. 15.   If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth. 16.   With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. 17.   He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. 18.   He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt. 19.   He leads princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty. 20.   He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders. 21.   He pours contempt on princes, And disarms the mighty. 22.   He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light. 23.   He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them. 24.   He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. 25.   They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man .

1.   "Behold, my eye has seen all this , My ear has heard and understood it. 2.   What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. 3.   But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. 4.   But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians. 5.   Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom! 6.   Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips. 7.   Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? 8.   Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? 9.   Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? 10.   He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality. 11.   Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you? 12.   Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. 13.   "Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, Then let come on me what may ! 14.   Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands? 15.   Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. 16.   He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him. 17.   Listen carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears. 18.   See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated. 19.   Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish. 20.   "Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide myself from You: 21.   Withdraw Your hand far from me, And let not the dread of You make me afraid. 22.   Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me. 23.   How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. 24.   Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy? 25.   Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble? 26.   For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. 27.   You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet. 28.   "Man decays like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth–eaten.

1.   Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2.   and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3.   Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4.   who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5.   to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 6.   I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7.   which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8.   But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9.   As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10.   For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. 11.   But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12.   For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it , but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13.   For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14.   And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15.   But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16.   to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17.   nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18.   Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19.   But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20.   (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) 21.   Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22.   And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23.   But they were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy." 24.   And they glorified God in me.