Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 20 August 2020

Happy Thursday.  I hope all are having a good day and week and month.

Relatively quiet here, which is fine by me.

We are getting further and further into to politics and election section of the year.  I have some opinions and preferences, but this is probably not the proper venue for such.  Your mileage may vary.

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Job 21, 22

JOB 21

1But Job answered and said,

2Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

3Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

4As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

5Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

6Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

7Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

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

9Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

10Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

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

12They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

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

14Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

15What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

16Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

18They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

19God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

20His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

22Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

23One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

24His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

25And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.

26They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

27Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

28For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

29Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

30That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

31Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

32Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

33The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

34How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?

JOB 22

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

4Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

6For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

9Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

12Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

13And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

14Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

15Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

18Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

20Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

22Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

25Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

26For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

28Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

29When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

30He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

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PSALMS 146

1Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.

2While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

3Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

4His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

5Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:

6Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

7Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners:

8The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:

9The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

10The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.

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Galatians 5

GALATIANS 5

1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

7Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

8This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

9A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

10I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

11And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

12I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

13For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.