Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 23 August 2020

VERY late, VERY brief.  Fighting this somewhat-over-the-hill desktop.  It's nice to have a real keyboard again, very, but we are having some "issues" with the system.  Perhaps tomorrow will be better.

So I have posted the day's readings, with apologies for the gaps in coverage and such.  Not from lack of interest, and I do think that the readings from Job, though not really in favor with certain high-profile religious leaders, are important.  I guess the Lord had a reason for seeing that they are included in our Bible, and that counts for much.

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Job 27

JOB 27

1Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

3All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

4My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

5God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

6My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

7Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

8For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

9Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

10Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

11I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

12Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?

13This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

14If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

15Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

16Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;

17He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

18He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

19The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

20Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

21The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

22For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

23Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

Job 28

JOB 28

1Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

2Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

3He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

4The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

5As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

6The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

7There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:

8The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

12But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

13Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

15It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

18No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

21Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

22Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

23God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

24For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

27Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.