Daily Text and Bible Reading: Tuesday, June 10 [Press play below]

10.1 “I loathe my life. I will give vent to my complaints. I will speak out in my bitter distress!
10.2 I will say to God: ‘Do not pronounce me guilty. Tell me why you are contending with me.
10.3 Does it benefit you to oppress, To despise the work of your hands While you favor the advice of the wicked?
10.4 Do you have eyes of flesh, Or do you see as mortal man does?
10.5 Are your days like the days of mortals, Or are your years like those of a man,
10.6 That you should search out my error And keep looking for my sin?
10.7 You know that I am not guilty; And no one can save me from your hand.
10.8 Your own hands have shaped me and made me, But now you would completely destroy me.
10.9 Remember, please, that you made me out of clay, But now you make me return to dust.
10.10 Did you not pour me out like milk And curdle me like cheese?
10.11 With skin and flesh you clothed me, And with bones and sinews you wove me together.
10.12 You have given me life and loyal love; You have guarded my spirit with your care.
10.13 But you secretly intended to do these things. I know that these things are from you.
10.14 If I sinned, you would watch me, And you would not acquit me of my error.
10.15 If I am guilty, too bad for me! And even if I am innocent, I cannot raise my head, For I am filled with dishonor and affliction.
10.16 If I raise my head up, you hunt for me like a lion And again show your power against me.
10.17 You bring new witnesses against me And increase your anger against me, As hardship after hardship comes upon me.
10.18 So why did you bring me out from the womb? I should have died before any eye could see me.
10.19 It would have been as though I never existed; I would have been taken straight from the womb to the grave.’
10.20 Are not my days few? Let him leave me alone; Let him turn his eyes away from me, so that I may find some relief
10.21 Before I go away—and I will not return— To the land of deepest darkness,
10.22 To the land of utter gloom, A land of deep shadow and disorder, Where even the light is like the gloom.”

11.1 Zophar the Naamathite said in reply:
11.2 “Will all these words go unanswered, Or will a lot of talking make someone right?
11.3 Will your empty talk silence people? Will no one rebuke you for your mocking words?
11.4 For you say, ‘My teaching is pure, And I am clean in your eyes.’
11.5 But if only God would speak And open his lips to you!
11.6 Then he would reveal to you the secrets of wisdom, For practical wisdom has many sides. Then you would realize that God allows some of your error to be forgotten.
11.7 Can you discover the deep things of God Or discover everything about the Almighty?
11.8 It is higher than heaven. What can you accomplish? It is deeper than the Grave. What can you know?
11.9 It is longer than the earth And broader than the sea.
11.10 If he passes by and detains someone and convenes a court, Who can resist him?
11.11 For he knows when men are deceitful. When he sees what is evil, will he not take notice?
11.12 But an empty-headed man will understand Only when a wild donkey can give birth to a man.
11.13 If only you would prepare your heart And stretch out your hands to him.
11.14 If your hand is doing wrong, put it far away, And let no unrighteousness dwell in your tents.
11.15 For then you could lift up your face with no defect; You could stand firm, free of fear.
11.16 For then you will forget your trouble; You will remember it as waters that have flowed past you.
11.17 Your life will become brighter than midday; Even its darkness will be like the morning.
11.18 You will be confident because there is hope, And you will look around and lie down in security.
11.19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, And many people will seek your favor.
11.20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail; And they will find no place to escape, And their only hope will be death.”

12.1 Then Job said in reply:
12.2 “Surely you are the people who know, And wisdom will die out with you!
12.3 But I too have understanding. I am not inferior to you. Who does not know these things?
12.4 I have become a laughingstock to my companions, One calling to God for an answer. A righteous and blameless man is a laughingstock.
12.5 The carefree person has contempt for calamity, Thinking it is only for those whose feet are unsteady.
12.6 The tents of robbers are at peace, And those who provoke God are secure, Those who have their god in their hands.
12.7 However, ask, please, the animals, and they will instruct you; Also the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you.
12.8 Or give consideration to the earth, and it will instruct you; And the fish of the sea will declare it to you.
12.9 Who among all these does not know That the hand of Jehovah has done this?
12.10 In his hand is the life of every living thing And the spirit of every human.
12.11 Does not the ear test out words As the tongue tastes food?
12.12 Is not wisdom found among the aged, And does not understanding come with a long life?
12.13 With him there are wisdom and mightiness; He has counsel and understanding.
12.14 When he tears something down, it cannot be rebuilt; What he has shut, no man can open.
12.15 When he withholds the waters, everything dries up; When he sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
12.16 With him there are strength and practical wisdom; To him belong the one going astray and the one leading astray;
12.17 He makes counselors go barefoot, And he makes fools of judges.
12.18 He loosens the bonds imposed by kings, And he binds a belt around their waist.
12.19 He makes priests walk barefoot, And he overthrows those who are firmly established in power;
12.20 He deprives trusted advisers of speech And takes away the sensibleness of old men;
12.21 He pours out contempt upon nobles, And he makes powerful ones weak;
12.22 He reveals deep things from the darkness, And he brings deep darkness into the light;
12.23 He makes nations grow great in order to destroy them; He enlarges nations, that he may lead them into exile.
12.24 He takes away the understanding of the leaders of the people And makes them wander in trackless wastelands.
12.25 They grope in darkness, where there is no light; He makes them wander about like drunken men.

13.1 “Yes, my eye has seen all of this, My ear has heard and understood it.
13.2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
13.3 For my part, I would rather speak to the Almighty himself; I desire to argue my case with God.
13.4 But you are smearing me with lies; All of you are useless physicians.
13.5 If only you would keep absolutely silent, That would show wisdom on your part.
13.6 Listen, please, to my arguments, And pay attention to the pleadings of my lips.
13.7 Will you speak unjustly on God’s behalf, And will you speak deceitfully for him?
13.8 Will you take his side, Will you try to plead the case of the true God?
13.9 Would it turn out well if he examined you? Will you fool him as you would a mortal man?
13.10 He will surely rebuke you If you secretly try to show favoritism.
13.11 Will not his very dignity terrify you And the dread of him fall upon you?
13.12 Your wise sayings are proverbs of ashes; Your defenses are as fragile as defenses of clay.
13.13 Keep silent before me, so that I may speak. Then let whatever may come upon me come!
13.14 Why do I put myself in danger And take my life in my hands?
13.15 Though he may slay me, I would still wait; I would argue my case before his face.
13.16 He would then become my salvation, For no godless person may come in before him.
13.17 Listen closely to my word; Pay attention to my declaration.
13.18 See, now, I have prepared my legal case; I know I am in the right.
13.19 Who will contend with me? I would die if I were to stay silent!
13.20 Only grant two things to me, O God, So that I will not conceal myself from before you:
13.21 Remove your heavy hand far away from me, And do not let the fear of you terrify me.
13.22 Either call and I will answer, Or let me speak, and you answer me.
13.23 What are my errors and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and my sin.
13.24 Why do you hide your face And consider me your enemy?
13.25 Will you try to frighten a windblown leaf Or chase after dry stubble?
13.26 For you keep recording bitter accusations against me, And you make me answer for the sins of my youth.
13.27 You have put my feet in stocks, You scrutinize all my paths, And you trace out each of my footprints.
13.28 So man decays like something rotten, Like a garment eaten by moths.

14.1 “Man, born of woman, Is short-lived and filled with trouble.
14.2 He comes up like a blossom and then withers away; He flees like a shadow and disappears.
14.3 Yes, you have fixed your eye upon him, And you bring him into judgment with yourself.
14.4 Who can produce someone clean from someone unclean? No one can!
14.5 If his days are decided, The number of his months is with you; You have set a limit for him that he may not go beyond.
14.6 Turn your gaze away from him so that he may rest, Until, like a hired worker, he finishes out his day.
14.7 For there is hope even for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout again, And its twigs will continue to grow.
14.8 If its root grows old in the ground And its stump dies in the soil,
14.9 At the scent of water it will sprout; And it will produce branches like a new plant.
14.10 But a man dies and lies powerless; When a human expires, where is he?
14.11 Waters disappear from the sea, And a river drains away and dries up.
14.12 Man also lies down and does not get up. Until heaven is no more, they will not wake up, Nor will they be aroused from their sleep.
14.13 O that in the Grave you would conceal me, That you would hide me until your anger passes by, That you would set a time limit for me and remember me!
14.14 If a man dies, can he live again? I will wait all the days of my compulsory service Until my relief comes.
14.15 You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.
14.16 But for now, you keep counting my every step; You watch only for my sin.
14.17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And you seal up my error with glue.
14.18 As a mountain falls and crumbles away And a rock is dislodged from its place,
14.19 As water wears away stones And its torrents wash away earth’s soil, So you have destroyed the hope of mortal man.
14.20 You keep overpowering him until he perishes; You change his appearance, and you send him away.
14.21 His sons are honored, but he does not know it; They become insignificant, but he does not realize it.
14.22 He feels pain only while he is still in his flesh; He mourns only while he is still alive.”