NKJV Bible in 365 Days
Friends' Wisdom Debated, God's Sovreignty — May 3
Job 12-15
Job 12
1 Then Job answered and said: 365N 123.1
2 “No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you! 365N 123.2
3 But I have [a] understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not know such things as these? 365N 123.3
4 “I am one mocked by his friends, Who called on God, and He answered him, The just and blameless who is ridiculed. 365N 123.4
5 A [b] lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready for those whose feet slip. 365N 123.5
6 The tents of robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure— In what God provides by His hand. 365N 123.6
7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 365N 123.7
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. 365N 123.8
9 Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, 365N 123.9
10 In whose hand is the [c] life of every living thing, And the breath of [d] all mankind? 365N 123.10
11 Does not the ear test words And the [e] mouth taste its food? 365N 123.11
12 Wisdom is with aged men, And with [f] length of days, understanding. 365N 123.12
13 “With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. 365N 123.13
14 If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. 365N 123.14
15 If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth. 365N 123.15
16 With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. 365N 123.16
17 He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. 365N 123.17
18 He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt. 365N 123.18
19 He leads [g] princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty. 365N 123.19
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders. 365N 123.20
21 He pours contempt on princes, And [h] disarms the mighty. 365N 123.21
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light. 365N 123.22
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; He [i] enlarges nations, and guides them. 365N 123.23
24 He takes away the [j] understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. 365N 123.24
25 They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man. 365N 123.25
Job 13
1 “Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it. 365N 123.26
2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. 365N 123.27
3 But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. 365N 123.28
4 But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians. 365N 123.29
5 Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom! 365N 123.30
6 Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips. 365N 123.31
7 Will you speak [a] wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? 365N 123.32
8 Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? 365N 123.33
9 Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? 365N 123.34
10 He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality. 365N 123.35
11 Will not His [b] excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you? 365N 123.36
12 Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. 365N 123.37
13 “Hold [c] your peace with me, and let me speak, Then let come on me what may! 365N 123.38
14 Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands? 365N 123.39
15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. 365N 123.40
16 He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him. 365N 123.41
17 Listen carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears. 365N 123.42
18 See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated. 365N 123.43
19 Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish. 365N 123.44
20 “Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide myself from You: 365N 123.45
21 Withdraw Your hand far from me, And let not the dread of You make me afraid. 365N 123.46
22 Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me. 365N 123.47
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. 365N 123.48
24 Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy? 365N 123.49
25 Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble? 365N 123.50
26 For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. 365N 123.51
27 You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You [d] set a limit for the [e] soles of my feet. 365N 123.52
28 “ Man [f] decays like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten. 365N 123.53
Job 14
1 “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of [a] trouble. 365N 123.54
2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue. 365N 123.55
3 And do You open Your eyes on such a one, And bring [b] me to judgment with Yourself? 365N 123.56
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! 365N 123.57
5 Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass. 365N 123.58
6 Look away from him that he may [c] rest, Till like a hired man he finishes his day. 365N 123.59
7 “For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. 365N 123.60
8 Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, 365N 123.61
9 Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant. 365N 123.62
10 But man dies and [d] is laid away; Indeed he [e] breathes his last And where is he? 365N 123.63
11 As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, 365N 123.64
12 So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. 365N 123.65
13 “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! 365N 123.66
14 If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. 365N 123.67
15 You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands. 365N 123.68
16 For now You number my steps, But do not watch over my sin. 365N 123.69
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You [f] cover my iniquity. 365N 123.70
18 “But as a mountain falls and crumbles away, And as a rock is moved from its place; 365N 123.71
19 As water wears away stones, And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; So You destroy the hope of man. 365N 123.72
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away. 365N 123.73
21 His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it. 365N 123.74
22 But his flesh will be in pain over it, And his soul will mourn over it.” 365N 123.75
Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: 365N 123.76
2 “Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, And fill [a] himself with the east wind? 365N 123.77
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or by speeches with which he can do no good? 365N 123.78
4 Yes, you cast off fear, And restrain [b] prayer before God. 365N 123.79
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, And you choose the tongue of the crafty. 365N 123.80
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you. 365N 123.81
7 “ Are you the first man who was born? Or were you made before the hills? 365N 123.82
8 Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? 365N 123.83
9 What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us? 365N 123.84
10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Much older than your father. 365N 123.85
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, And the word spoken [c] gently with you? 365N 123.86
12 Why does your heart carry you away, And [d] what do your eyes wink at, 365N 123.87
13 That you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your mouth? 365N 123.88
14 “What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? 365N 123.89
15 If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight, 365N 123.90
16 How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water! 365N 123.91
17 “I will tell you, hear me; What I have seen I will declare, 365N 123.92
18 What wise men have told, Not hiding anything received from their fathers, 365N 123.93
19 To whom alone the [e] land was given, And no alien passed among them: 365N 123.94
20 The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor. 365N 123.95
21 [f] Dreadful sounds are in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him. 365N 123.96
22 He does not believe that he will return from darkness, For a sword is waiting for him. 365N 123.97
23 He wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it? ’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand. 365N 123.98
24 Trouble and anguish make him afraid; They overpower him, like a king ready for [g] battle. 365N 123.99
25 For he stretches out his hand against God, And acts defiantly against the Almighty, 365N 123.100
26 Running stubbornly against Him With his strong, embossed shield. 365N 123.101
27 “Though he has covered his face with his fatness, And made his waist heavy with fat, 365N 123.102
28 He dwells in desolate cities, In houses which no one inhabits, Which are destined to become ruins. 365N 123.103
29 He will not be rich, Nor will his wealth continue, Nor will his possessions overspread the earth. 365N 123.104
30 He will not depart from darkness; The flame will dry out his branches, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away. 365N 123.105
31 Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself, For futility will be his reward. 365N 123.106
32 It will be accomplished before his time, And his branch will not be green. 365N 123.107
33 He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine, And cast off his blossom like an olive tree. 365N 123.108
34 For the company of hypocrites will be barren, And fire will consume the tents of bribery. 365N 123.109
35 They conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit.” 365N 123.110