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Daily Readings for December 9
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Job 11
1.Then Zophar, the Naamathite, answered, 2."Shouldn't the multitude of words be answered? Should a man full of talk be justified? 3.Should your boastings make men hold their peace? When you mock, shall no man make you ashamed? 4.For you say, 'My doctrine is pure. I am clean in your eyes.' 5.But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against you, 6.that he would show you the secrets of wisdom! For true wisdom has two sides. Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves.
7."Can you fathom the mystery of God? Or can you probe the limits of the Almighty? 8.They are high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol4. What can you know? 9.Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. 10.If he passes by, or confines, or convenes a court, then who can oppose him? 11.For he knows false men. He sees iniquity also, even though he doesn't consider it. 12.An empty-headed man becomes wise when a man is born as a wild donkey's colt.
13."If you set your heart aright, stretch out your hands toward him. 14.If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away. Don't let unrighteousness dwell in your tents. 15.Surely then you shall lift up your face without spot; Yes, you shall be steadfast, and shall not fear: 16.for you shall forget your misery. You shall remember it as waters that are passed away. 17.Life shall be clearer than the noonday. Though there is darkness, it shall be as the morning. 18.You shall be secure, because there is hope. Yes, you shall search, and shall take your rest in safety. 19.Also you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. Yes, many shall court your favor. 20.But the eyes of the wicked shall fail. They shall have no way to flee. Their hope shall be the giving up of the spirit."
Micah 7
1.Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig. 2.The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net. 3.Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together. 4.The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion. 5.Don't trust in a neighbor. Don't put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth! 6.For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 7.But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. 8.Don't rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me. 9.I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light. I will see his righteousness. 10.Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, where is Yahweh your God? Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets. 11.A day to build your walls-- In that day, he will extend your boundary. 12.In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain. 13.Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. 14.Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the midst of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. 15."As in the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things." 16.The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf. 17.They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you. 18.Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. 19.He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20.You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
James 3
1.Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment. 2.For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn't stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. 3.Indeed, we put bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body. 4.Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires. 5.So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! 6.And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.8 7.For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. 8.But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9.With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. 10.Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11.Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 12.Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
13.Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom. 14.But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth. 15.This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 16.For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. 17.But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18.Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 4
1.Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members? 2.You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask. 3.You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures. 4.You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5.Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"? 6.But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."9 7.Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8.Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9.Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10.Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11.Don't speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12.Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?
13.Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit." 14.Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15.For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that." 16.But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil. 17.To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.