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.

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.