the Fifth Week after Easter
Click here to learn more!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
January 19 - Old & New Testament
niv
Job 28,29
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
1 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.(a)
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.(b)
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;(c)
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.(d)
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(e)
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,(f)
is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli(g) comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(h)
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon's eye has seen it.(i)
8 Proud beasts(j) do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.(k)
9 People assault the flinty rock(l) with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(m)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(n)
their eyes see all its treasures.(o)
11 They search[a] the sources of the rivers(p)
and bring hidden things(q) to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found?(r)
Where does understanding dwell?(s)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(t)
it cannot be found in the land of the living.(u)
14 The deep(v) says, "It is not in me";
the sea(w) says, "It is not with me."
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(x)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(y)
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(z)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(aa)
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(ab)
18 Coral(ac) and jasper(ad) are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(ae)
19 The topaz(af) of Cush(ag) cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.(ah)
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?(ai)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.(aj)
22 Destruction[b](ak) and Death(al) say,
"Only a rumor of it has reached our ears."
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone(am) knows where it dwells,(an)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(ao)
and sees everything under the heavens.(ap)
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,(aq)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(ar)
and a path for the thunderstorm,(as)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.(at)
28 And he said to the human race,
"The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil(au) is understanding."(av)
Job's Final Defense
1 Job continued his discourse:(a)
2 "How I long for the months gone by,(b)
for the days when God watched over me,(c)
3 when his lamp shone on my head
and by his light I walked through darkness!(d)
4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
when God's intimate friendship(e) blessed my house,(f)
5 when the Almighty was still with me
and my children(g) were around me,(h)
6 when my path was drenched with cream(i)
and the rock(j) poured out for me streams of olive oil.(k)
7 "When I went to the gate(l) of the city
and took my seat in the public square,
8 the young men saw me and stepped aside(m)
and the old men rose to their feet;(n)
9 the chief men refrained from speaking(o)
and covered their mouths with their hands;(p)
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,(q)
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.(r)
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
and those who saw me commended me,(s)
12 because I rescued the poor(t) who cried for help,
and the fatherless(u) who had none to assist them.(v)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(w)
I made the widow's(x) heart sing.
14 I put on righteousness(y) as my clothing;
justice was my robe and my turban.(z)
15 I was eyes(aa) to the blind
and feet to the lame.(ab)
16 I was a father to the needy;(ac)
I took up the case(ad) of the stranger.(ae)
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
and snatched the victims(af) from their teeth.(ag)
18 "I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
my days as numerous as the grains of sand.(ah)
19 My roots will reach to the water,(ai)
and the dew will lie all night on my branches.(aj)
20 My glory will not fade;(ak)
the bow(al) will be ever new in my hand.'(am)
21 "People listened to me expectantly,
waiting in silence for my counsel.(an)
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;(ao)
my words fell gently on their ears.(ap)
23 They waited for me as for showers
and drank in my words as the spring rain.(aq)
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
the light of my face(ar) was precious to them.[a](as)
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;(at)
I dwelt as a king(au) among his troops;
I was like one who comforts mourners.(av)
Matthew 13:1-30
Chapter 13
The Parable of the Sower(a)(b)(c)
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house(d) and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat(e) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(f) sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear."(g)
10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11 He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(h) has been given to you,(i) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(j) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(k)
14 In them is fulfilled(l) the prophecy of Isaiah:
"‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.'[a](m)
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(n) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(o) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(p) and does not understand it, the evil one(q) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.(r) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(s) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."(t)
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like(u) a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
28 "‘An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
29 "‘No,' he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"(v)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
