Bible Reading Plan – Day 269

₁I have made a solemn promise

never to look with lust at a woman.

₂What does Almighty God do to us?

How does he repay human deeds?

₃He sends disaster and ruin

to those who do wrong.

₄God knows everything I do;

he sees every step I take.

₅I swear I have never acted wickedly

and never tried to deceive others.

₆Let God weigh me on honest scales,

and he will see how innocent I am.

₇If I have turned from the right path

or let myself be attracted to evil,

if my hands are stained with sin,

₈then let my crops be destroyed,

or let others eat the food I grow.

₉If I have been attracted to my neighbour's wife,

and waited, hidden, outside her door,

₁₀then let my wife cook another man's food

and sleep in another man's bed.

₁₁Such wickedness should be punished by death.

₁₂It would be like a destructive, hellish fire,

consuming everything I have.

₁₃When any of my servants complained against me,

I would listen and treat them fairly.

₁₄If I did not, how could I then face God?

What could I say when God came to judge me?

₁₅The same God who created me

created my servants also.

₁₆I have never refused to help the poor;

never have I let widows live in despair

₁₇or let orphans go hungry while I ate.

₁₈All my life I have taken care of them.

₁₉When I found someone in need,

too poor to buy clothes,

₂₀I would give him clothing made of wool

that had come from my own flock of sheep.

Then he would praise me with all his heart.

₂₁If I have ever cheated an orphan,

knowing I could win in court,

₂₂then may my arms be broken;

may they be torn from my shoulders.

₂₃Because I fear God's punishment,

I could never do such a thing.

₂₄I have never trusted in riches

₂₅or taken pride in my wealth.

₂₆I have never worshipped the sun in its brightness

or the moon in all its beauty.

₂₇I have not been led astray to honour them

by kissing my hand in reverence to them.

₂₈Such a sin should be punished by death;

it denies Almighty God.

₂₉I have never been glad when my enemies suffered,

or pleased when they met with disaster;

₃₀I never sinned by praying for their death.

₃₁All those who work for me know

that I have always welcomed strangers.

₃₂I invited travellers into my home

and never let them sleep in the streets.

₃₃Others try to hide their sins,

but I have never concealed mine.

₃₄I have never feared what people would say;

I have never kept quiet or stayed indoors

because I feared their scorn.

₃₅Will no one listen to what I am saying?

I swear that every word is true.

Let Almighty God answer me.

If the charges my opponent brings against me

were written down so that I could see them,

₃₆I would wear them proudly on my shoulder

and place them on my head like a crown.

₃₇I would tell God everything I have done,

and hold my head high in his presence.

₃₈If I have stolen the land I farm

and taken it from its rightful owners —

₃₉if I have eaten the food that grew there

but let the farmers that grew it starve —

₄₀then instead of wheat and barley,

may weeds and thistles grow.

I am young, and you are old,

so I was afraid to tell you what I think.

₇I told myself that you ought to speak,

that you older men should share your wisdom.

₈But it is the Spirit of Almighty God

that comes to human beings and gives them wisdom.

₉It is not growing old that makes people wise

or helps them to know what is right.

₁₀So now I want you to listen to me;

let me tell you what I think.

₁₁I listened patiently while you were speaking

and waited while you searched for wise phrases.

₁₂I paid close attention and heard you fail;

you have not disproved what Job has said.

₁₃How can you claim you have discovered wisdom?

God must answer Job, for you have failed.

₁₄Job was speaking to you, not to me,

but I would never answer as you did.

₁₅Words have failed them, Job;

they have no answer for you.

₁₆Shall I go on waiting when they are silent?

They stand there with nothing more to say.

₁₇No, I will give my own answer now

and tell you what I think.

₁₈I can hardly wait to speak.

I can't hold back the words.

₁₉If I don't get a chance to speak,

I will burst like a wineskin full of new wine.

₂₀I can't stand it; I have to speak.

₂₁I will not take sides in this debate;

I am not going to flatter anyone.

₂₂I don't know how to flatter,

and God would quickly punish me if I did.

₁And now, Job, listen carefully

to all that I have to say.

₂I am ready to say what's on my mind.

₃All my words are sincere,

and I am speaking the truth.

₄God's Spirit made me and gave me life.

₅Answer me if you can. Prepare your arguments.

₆You and I are the same in God's sight,

both of us were formed from clay.

₇So you have no reason to fear me;

I will not overpower you.

₈Now this is what I heard you say:

₉“I am not guilty; I have done nothing wrong.

I am innocent and free from sin.

₁₀But God finds excuses for attacking me

and treats me like an enemy.

₁₁He binds chains on my feet;

he watches every move I make.”

₁₂But I tell you, Job, you are wrong.

God is greater than any human being.

₁₃Why do you accuse God

of never answering our complaints?

₁₄Although God speaks again and again,

no one pays attention to what he says.

₁₅At night when people are asleep,

God speaks in dreams and visions.

₁₆He makes them listen to what he says,

and they are frightened at his warnings.

₁₇God speaks to make them stop their sinning

and to save them from becoming proud.

₁₈He will not let them be destroyed;

he saves them from death itself.

₁₉God corrects people by sending sickness

and filling their bodies with pain.

₂₀Those who are sick lose their appetites,

and even the finest food looks revolting.

₂₁Their bodies waste away to nothing;

you can see all their bones;

₂₂they are about to go to the world of the dead.

₂₃Perhaps an angel may come to their aid —

one of God's thousands of angels,

who remind us of our duty.

₂₄In mercy the angel will say, “Release them!

They are not to go down to the world of the dead.

Here is the ransom to set them free.”

₂₅Their bodies will grow young and strong again;

₂₆when they pray, God will answer;

they will worship God with joy;

God will set things right for them again.

₂₇Each one will say in public, “I have sinned.

I have not done right, but God spared me.

₂₈He kept me from going to the world of the dead,

and I am still alive.”

₂₉God does all this again and again;

₃₀he saves a person's life,

and gives him the joy of living.

₃₁Now, Job, listen to what I am saying;

be quiet and let me speak.

₃₂But if you have something to say, let me hear it;

I would gladly admit you are in the right.

₃₃But if not, be quiet and listen to me,

and I will teach you how to be wise.