Today's Reading

Job 7-9

Job Chapter 7
1 - Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
2 - As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
3 - So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 - When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 - My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
6 - My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 - O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
8 - The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
9 - As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
10 - He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
11 - Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 - Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
13 - When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints;
14 - Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:
15 - So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
16 - I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
17 - What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
18 - And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
19 - How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
20 - I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
21 - And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

Job Chapter 8
1 - Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 - How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?
3 - Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
4 - If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;
5 - If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 - If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 - Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
8 - For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
9 - (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)
10 - Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
11 - Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?
12 - Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.
13 - So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:
14 - Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.
15 - He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.
16 - He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
17 - His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.
18 - If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
19 - Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.
20 - Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
21 - Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
22 - They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

Job Chapter 9
1 - Then Job answered and said,
2 - I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
3 - If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 - He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
5 - Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
6 - Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 - Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 - Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 - Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10 - Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
11 - Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12 - Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 - If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
14 - How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
15 - Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
16 - If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
17 - For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 - He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
19 - If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
20 - If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21 - Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22 - This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 - If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 - The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
25 - Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
26 - They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
27 - If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
28 - I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 - If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
30 - If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31 - Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32 - For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
33 - Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
34 - Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
35 - Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.