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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
January 23 - Old & New Testament
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Job 36,37
Elihu Speaks of God's Dealings with Mankind
1 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 "Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there (F1)is still more to be said on God's behalf.
3 "I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And ascribe (C1)righteousness to my Maker.
4 "For truly (C1)my words are not false;
One who is (C2)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 "Behold, God is mighty but does not (C1)reject anyone;
He is (C2)mighty in strength of understanding.
6 "He does not (C1)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to (C2)the afflicted.
7 "He does not (C1)withdraw His eyes from the righteous,
But (C2)with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8 "And if they are bound in shackles,
And are caught in the snares of (C1)misery,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their wrongdoings, that they have (C1)been arrogant.
10 "(C1)He opens their ears to instruction,
And (C2)commands that they return from injustice.
11 "If they listen and serve Him,
They will (C1)end their days in prosperity,
And their years in (C2)happiness.
12 "But if they do not listen, they will (F1)perish (C1)by the sword,
And (C2)die without knowledge.
13 "But the godless in heart nurture anger;
They do not call for help when He binds them.
14 "(F1)They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the (C1)cult prostitutes.
15 "He rescues the afflicted in (F1)their (C1)misery,
And (C2)opens their ears in time of oppression.
16 "Then indeed, He induced you away from the mouth of distress,
And instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And your table was full of (F1)rich food.
17 "But you were full of (C1)judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 "Beware that (C1)wrath does not entice you to mockery;
And do not let the greatness of the (C2)ransom turn you aside.
19 "Will your cry for help keep you from distress,
Or all the exertions of your strength?
20 "Do not long for (C1)the night,
When people (F1)vanish in their places.
21 "Be careful, do (C1)not turn to evil,
For you preferred this to (C2)misery.
22 "Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a (C1)teacher like Him?
23 "Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, '(C1)You have done wrong'?
24 "Remember that you are to (C1)exalt His work,
Of which people have (C2)sung.
25 "All people have seen it;
Mankind looks at it from afar.
26 "Behold, God is (C1)exalted, and (C2)we do not know Him;
The (C3)number of His years is unsearchable.
27 "For (C1)He draws up the drops of water;
They distill rain from its (F1)celestial stream,
28 Which clouds pour down;
They drip upon mankind abundantly.
29 "Can anyone understand the (C1)spreading of the clouds,
The (C2)thundering of His (F1)pavilion?
30 "Behold, He spreads His (F1)lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 "For by them He (C1)judges peoples;
He (C2)gives food in abundance.
32 "He covers His hands with the (F1)lightning,
And (C1)commands it to strike the target.
33 "Its (C1)thundering voice declares (F1)His presence;
The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.
Elihu Says God Has Authority over the Storm
1 "At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 "Listen closely to the (C1)thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 "Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His (F1)lightning travels to the (C1)ends of the earth.
4 "After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain (F1)the lightning when His voice is heard.
5 "God (C1)thunders wondrously with His voice,
Doing (C2)great things which we do not comprehend.
6 "For to (C1)the snow He says, 'Fall on the earth,'
And to the (F1)(C2)downpour and the rain, 'Be strong.'
7 "He (C1)seals the hand of every person,
So that (C2)all people may know His work.
8 "Then the animal goes into its (C1)lair
And remains in its (F1)den.
9 "From the (F1)(C1)south comes the storm,
And from the north wind the cold.
10 "From the breath of God (C1)ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 "He also (C1)loads the clouds with moisture;
He (C2)disperses (C3)the cloud of His (F1)lightning.
12 "It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That (F1)it may do whatever He (C1)commands (F2)it
On the (C2)face of the inhabited earth.
13 "Whether for (F1)(C1)correction, or for (C2)His earth,
Or for (C3)goodness, He causes it to (F2)happen.
14 "Listen to this, Job;
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 "Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the (F1)lightning of His clouds to shine?
16 "Do you know about the hovering of the clouds,
The (C1)wonders of One who is (C2)perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 "Can you, with Him, (C1)spread out the skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?
19 "Teach us what we are to say to Him;
We (C1)cannot present our case because of darkness.
20 "Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
(F1)Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
21 "Now people do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 "From the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 "The Almighty—(C1)we cannot find Him;
He is (C2)exalted in power
And (C3)He will not violate (C4)justice and abundant righteousness.
24 "Therefore people (C1)fear Him;
He does not (C2)regard any who are wise of heart."
Matthew 15:1-20
Chapter 15
Tradition and Commandment
1 (C1)Then some Pharisees and scribes (*)came to Jesus (C2)from Jerusalem and said,2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they (C1)do not wash their hands when they eat bread."3 And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?4 "For God said, '(C1)HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, '(C2)THE ONE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO (F1)BE PUT TO DEATH.'5 "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been (F1)given to God,"6 he is not to (F1)honor his father or mother.' And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, by saying:
8 '(C1)THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
9 'AND IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS (C1)DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.'"
10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand!11 "(C1)It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person."
12 Then the disciples came and (*)said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were (F1)offended when they heard this statement?"13 But He answered and said, "(C1)Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.14 "Leave them alone; (C1)they are blind guides (F1)of blind people. And (C2)if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit."
The Heart of Mankind
15 Peter (F1)said to Him, "(C1)Explain the parable to us."16 (F1)Jesus said, "Are you also still lacking in understanding?17 "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is (F1)eliminated?18 "But (C1)the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person.19 "(C1)For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and (F1)slanderous statements.20 "These are the things that defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person."<
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