the Fifth Week after Easter
Click to donate today!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
January 16 - Old & New Testament
niv
Job 20,21
Zophar
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite(a) replied:
2 "My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
because I am greatly disturbed.(b)
3 I hear a rebuke(c) that dishonors me,
and my understanding inspires me to reply.
4 "Surely you know how it has been from of old,(d)
ever since mankind[a] was placed on the earth,
5 that the mirth of the wicked(e) is brief,
the joy of the godless(f) lasts but a moment.(g)
6 Though the pride(h) of the godless person reaches to the heavens(i)
and his head touches the clouds,(j)
7 he will perish forever,(k) like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?'(l)
8 Like a dream(m) he flies away,(n) no more to be found,
banished(o) like a vision of the night.(p)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
his place will look on him no more.(q)
10 His children(r) must make amends to the poor;
his own hands must give back his wealth.(s)
11 The youthful vigor(t) that fills his bones(u)
will lie with him in the dust.(v)
12 "Though evil(w) is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,(x)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
and lets it linger in his mouth,(y)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;(z)
it will become the venom of serpents(aa) within him.
15 He will spit out the riches(ab) he swallowed;
God will make his stomach vomit(ac) them up.
16 He will suck the poison(ad) of serpents;
the fangs of an adder will kill him.(ae)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers(af) flowing with honey(ag) and cream.(ah)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;(ai)
he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.(aj)
19 For he has oppressed the poor(ak) and left them destitute;(al)
he has seized houses(am) he did not build.
20 "Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(an)
he cannot save himself by his treasure.(ao)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
his prosperity will not endure.(ap)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(aq)
the full force of misery will come upon him.(ar)
23 When he has filled his belly,(as)
God will vent his burning anger(at) against him
and rain down his blows on him.(au)
24 Though he flees(av) from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(aw)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(ax) will come over him;(ay)
26
total darkness(az) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(ba) unfanned will consume him(bb)
and devour what is left in his tent.(bc)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
the earth will rise up against him.(bd)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(be)
rushing waters[b] on the day of God's wrath.(bf)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
the heritage appointed for them by God."(bg)
Job
1 Then Job replied:
2 "Listen carefully to my words;(a)
let this be the consolation you give me.(b)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.(c)
4 "Is my complaint(d) directed to a human being?
Why should I not be impatient?(e)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
clap your hand over your mouth.(f)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;(g)
trembling seizes my body.(h)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
growing old and increasing in power?(i)
8 They see their children established around them,
their offspring before their eyes.(j)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;(k)
the rod of God is not on them.(l)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.(m)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;(n)
their little ones dance about.
12 They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;(o)
they make merry to the sound of the pipe.(p)
13 They spend their years in prosperity(q)
and go down to the grave(r) in peace.[a](s)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!(t)
We have no desire to know your ways.(u)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
What would we gain by praying to him?'(v)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(w)
17 "Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?(x)
How often does calamity(y) come upon them,
the fate God allots in his anger?(z)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
like chaff(aa) swept away(ab) by a gale?(ac)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.'(ad)
Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!(ae)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;(af)
let them drink(ag) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.(ah)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind(ai)
when their allotted months(aj) come to an end?(ak)
22 "Can anyone teach knowledge to God,(al)
since he judges even the highest?(am)
23 One person dies in full vigor,(an)
completely secure and at ease,(ao)
24 well nourished(ap) in body,[b]
bones(aq) rich with marrow.(ar)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,(as)
never having enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust,(at)
and worms(au) cover them both.(av)
27 "I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,(aw)
the tents where the wicked lived?'(ax)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,(ay)
that they are delivered from[c] the day of wrath?(az)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
Who repays them for what they have done?(ba)
32 They are carried to the grave,
and watch is kept over their tombs.(bb)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;(bc)
everyone follows after them,
and a countless throng goes[d] before them.(bd)
34 "So how can you console me(be) with your nonsense?
Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!"(bf)
Matthew 11
Chapter 11
Jesus and John the Baptist(a)
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,(b) he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.[a]
2 When John,(c) who was in prison,(d) heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come,(e) or should we expect someone else?"
4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.(f) 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."(g)
7 As John's(h) disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness(i) to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?(j) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
"‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,(k)
who will prepare your way before you.'[c](l)
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,[d] and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.(m) 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.(n) 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.(o)
16 "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17 "‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.'
18 For John came neither eating(p) nor drinking,(q) and they say, ‘He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'(r) But wisdom is proved right by her deeds."
Woe on Unrepentant Towns(s)
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!(t) For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon,(u) they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.(v) 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.(w) 23 And you, Capernaum,(x) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[e](y) For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."(z)
The Father Revealed in the Son(aa)
25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father,(ab) Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.(ac) 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 "All things have been committed to me(ad) by my Father.(ae) No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.(af)
28 "Come to me,(ag) all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(ah) 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,(ai) for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.(aj) 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."(ak)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
