Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of
Job, chapters 13 through 17. Chapter 13 Behold,
my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and
understood it. What you know, I also know. I
am not inferior to you, but I would speak to
the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
But you forgers of lies, you are all worthless
physicians. Oh, that you would be silent, and
it would be your wisdom. Now hear my reasoning,
and heed the pleadings of my lips. Will you speak
wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for Him?
Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend
for God? Will it be well when He searches you
out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?
He will surely rebuke you if you secretly show
partiality. Will not his excellence make you
afraid, and the dread of him fall upon you? Your
platitudes are proverbs of ashes, your defences
are defences of clay. Hold your peace with me,
and let me speak, then let come on me what may.
Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my
life in my hands? Though he slay me, yet will
I trust him. Even so I will defend my own ways
before him. He also shall be my salvation. for
a hypocrite could not come before him listen
carefully to my speech and to my declaration
with your ears see now i have prepared my case
i know that i shall be vindicated who is he who
will contend with me if now i hold my tongue
i perish only two things do not do to me then
i will not hide myself from you withdraw your
hand far from me and let not the dread of you
make me afraid then call and i will answer Or
let me speak, then you respond to me. How many
are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression
and my sin. Why do you hide your face and regard
me as your enemy? Will you frighten a leaf driven
to and fro? And will you pursue dry stubble?
For you write bitter things against me and make
me inherit the iniquities of my youth. You put
my feet in the stalks and watch closely all my
paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet.
man decays like a rotten thing like a garment
that is moth -eaten chapter fourteen man who
is born of woman is a few days and full of trouble
he comes forth like a flower and fades away he
flees like a shadow and does not continue and
do you open your eyes on such a one and bring
me to judgment with yourself who can bring a
clean thing out of an unclean no one since his
days are determined the number of his month is
with you you have appointed his limits so that
he cannot pass look away from him that he may
rest till like a hired man he finishes his day
for there is hope for a tree if it is cut down
that it will sprout again and that its tender
shoots will not cease though its roots may grow
old in the earth and its stump may die in the
ground yet at the scent of water it will bud
and bring forth branches like a plant but man
dies and is laid away indeed he breathes his
last and where is he as water disappears from
the sea and a river becomes parched and dries
up so man lies down and does not rise Till the
heavens are no more, they will not awake, nor
be roused from their sleep. O that you would
hide me in the grave, that you would conceal
me until your wrath is past, that you would appoint
me a set time and remember me. If a man dies,
shall he live again? All the days of my hard
service I will wait, till my change comes. You
shall call, and I will answer you. You shall
desire the work of your hands. For now you number
my steps. But do not watch over my sin. My transgression
is sealed up in a bag, and you cover my iniquity.
But as a mountain falls and crumbles away, and
as a rock is moved from its place, as water wears
away stones, and as torrents wash away the soil
of the earth, so you destroy the hope of man.
You prevail forever against him, and he passes
on. You change his countenance and send him away.
his sons come to honour and he does not know
it they are brought low and he does not perceive
it but his flesh will be in pain over it and
his soul will mourn over it chapter fifteen then
alifaz the temnite answered and said should a
wise man answer with empty knowledge and fill
himself with the east wind should he reason with
unprofitable talk or by speeches with which he
can do no good Yes, you cast off fear and restrain
prayer before God, for your iniquity teaches
your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the
crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, and not
I. Yes, your own lips testify against you. Are
you the first man who was born? Or were you made
before the hills? Have you heard the counsel
of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? What
do you know that we do not know? What do you
understand that is not in us? Both the gray -haired
and the aged are among us, much older than your
father. Are the consolations of God too small
for you, and the spoken word gently with you?
Why does your heart carry you away? And what
do your eyes wink at, that you turn your spirit
against God, and let such words go out of your
mouth? What is man that he could be pure, and
he who is born of a woman that he could be righteous?
If God puts no trust in his saints, and the heavens
are not pure in his sight, how much less man
who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity
like water. I will tell you, hear me. What I
have seen I will declare, what wise men have
told, not hiding anything received from the fathers,
to whom alone the land was given, and no alien
passed among them. The wicked man rides with
pain all his days, and the number of years is
hidden from the oppressor. Dreadful sounds are
in his ears, in prosperity the destroyer comes
upon him. He does not believe that he will return
from darkness, for a sword is waiting for him.
He wanders about for bread, saying, Where is
it? He knows that a day of darkness is ready
at his hand. Trouble and anguish make him afraid.
They overpower him like a king ready for battle.
For he stretches out his hand against God and
acts defiantly against the Almighty, running
stubbornly against Him with his strong embossed
shield. Though he has covered his face with his
fatness and made his waist heavy with fat, he
dwells in desolate cities, in houses which no
one inhabits, which are destined to become ruins.
He will not be rich, nor will his wealth continue,
nor will his possessions overspread the earth.
He will not depart from darkness. The flame will
dry out his branches, and by the breath of his
mouth he will go away. Let him not trust in futile
things, deceiving himself, for futility will
be his reward. It will be accomplished before
his time, and his branch will not be green. He
will shake off his unripe grape like a vine,
and cast off his blossom like an olive tree.
For the company of hypocrites will be barren.
and fire will consume the tents of bribery. They
conceive trouble and bring forth futility. Their
womb prepares deceit. Chapter 16 Then Job answered
and said, I have heard many such things. Miserable
comforters are you all! Shall words of wind have
an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
I also could speak as you do. If your soul were
in my soul's place, I could heap up words against
you and shake my head at you. But I would strengthen
you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips
would relieve your grief. Though I speak, my
grief is not relieved. And if I remain silent,
how am I eased? But now he has worn me out. You
have made desolate all my company. You have shriveled
me up, and it is a witness against me. My leanness
rises up against me. and bears witness to my
face. He tears me in his wrath and hates me.
He gnashes at me with his teeth. My adversary
sharpens his gaze on me. They gape at me with
their mouth. They strike me reproachfully on
the cheek. They gather together against me. God
has delivered me to the ungodly and turned me
over to the hands of the wicked. I was at ease,
but he has shattered me. He also has taken me
by my neck and shaken me to pieces. He has set
me up for his target. His archers surround me.
He pierces my heart and does not pity. He pours
out my gall on the ground. He breaks me with
wound upon wound. He runs at me like a warrior.
I have sewn sackcloth over my skin and laid my
head in the dust. My face is flushed with weeping,
and on my eyelids is the shadow of death, although
no violence is in my hands and my prayer is pure.
O earth, do not cover my blood, and let my cry
have no resting place. Surely even now my witness
is in heaven, and my evidence is on high. My
friends scorn me, my eyes pour out tears to God.
O that one might plead for a man with God, as
a man pleads for his neighbor. For when a few
years are finished, I shall go the way of no
return. Chapter 17 My spirit is broken. My days
are extinguished. The grave is ready for me.
Are not mockers with me? And does not my eye
dwell on their provocation? Now put down a pledge
for me with yourself. Who is he who will shake
hands with me? For you have hidden their heart
from understanding. Therefore you will not exalt
them. He who speaks flattery to his friends,
even the eyes of his children, will fail. But
he has made me a byword of the people. and I
have become one in whose face men spit. My eye
has also grown dim because of sorrow, and all
my members are like shadows. Upright men are
astonished at this, and the innocent stirs himself
up against the hypocrite. Yet the righteous will
hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will
be stronger and stronger. But please come back
again, all of you, for I shall not find one wise
man among you. My days are past, my purposes
are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.
They change the night into day. The light is
near, they say, in the face of darkness. If I
wait for the grave as my house, if I make my
bed in the darkness, if I say to corruption,
you are my father, and to the worm, you are my
mother and my sister. Where then is my hope?
As for my hope, who can see it? Will they go
down to the gates of Sheol? Shall we have rest
together? In the dust? I hope you enjoyed today's
reading as much as I did. And I look forward
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey. God bless you and have a great day.