Daily Text and Bible Reading: Monday, June 17 [Press play below]

35.1 Elihu continued his response:
35.2 “Are you so convinced that you are right that you would say, ‘I am more righteous than God’?
35.3 For you say, ‘What does it matter to you? Am I better off than if I had sinned?’
35.4 I will reply to you And to your companions with you.
35.5 Look up to heaven and see, Observe the clouds, which are high above you.
35.6 If you sin, how do you hurt him? If your transgressions multiply, what do you do to him?
35.7 If you are righteous, what do you give him; What does he receive from you?
35.8 Your wickedness affects only a human like yourself, And your righteousness, a son of man.
35.9 People cry out when under great oppression; They cry for relief from the domination of the powerful.
35.10 But no one says, ‘Where is God, my Grand Maker, The one causing songs to be sung in the night?’
35.11 He teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, And he makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens.
35.12 People cry out, but he does not answer, Because of the pride of the wicked.
35.13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry; The Almighty does not pay attention to it.
35.14 How much less, then, when you complain that you do not see him! Your legal case is before him, so you should wait anxiously for him.
35.15 For he has not angrily called for an accounting; Nor has he taken note of your extreme rashness.
35.16 Job opens his mouth wide in vain; He multiplies words without knowledge.”
36.1 Elihu continued:
36.2 “Be patient with me a little longer while I explain, For I still have words to speak on God’s behalf.
36.3 I will speak comprehensively about what I know, And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
36.4 Truly my words are not false; The One perfect in knowledge is here before you.
36.5 Indeed, God is mighty and rejects no one; He is great in his power of understanding.
36.6 He will not preserve the lives of the wicked, But he gives justice to the afflicted.
36.7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous; He enthrones them with kings, and they are exalted forever.
36.8 But if they are bound in shackles And caught in ropes of affliction,
36.9 He reveals to them what they have done, Their transgressions caused by their pride.
36.10 He opens their ears to correction And tells them to turn away from wrongdoing.
36.11 If they obey and serve him, They will live out their days in prosperity, And their years will be pleasant.
36.12 But if they do not obey, they will perish by the sword And die without knowledge.
36.13 The godless at heart will harbor resentment. They do not cry for help even when he binds them.
36.14 They die while still young, Spending their life among male temple prostitutes.
36.15 But God rescues the afflicted during their affliction; He opens their ear when they are oppressed.
36.16 He draws you away from the brink of distress To a broad space, free of restriction, With rich food on your table as consolation.
36.17 Then you will be satisfied with the judgment on the wicked, When judgment is rendered and justice is upheld.
36.18 But take care that rage does not lead you into spitefulness, And do not let a large bribe lead you astray.
36.19 Would your cry for help Or any of your strenuous efforts keep you from distress?
36.20 Do not long for the night, When people vanish from their place.
36.21 Beware that you do not turn to wrongdoing, Choosing this instead of affliction.
36.22 Look! God is exalted in his power; What instructor is like him?
36.23 Who has directed his way Or said to him, ‘What you have done is wrong’?
36.24 Remember to magnify his activity, Of which men have sung.
36.25 All mankind has seen it, Mortal man looks on from a distance.
36.26 Yes, God is greater than we can know; The number of his years is beyond comprehension.
36.27 He draws up the drops of water; They condense into rain from his mist;
36.28 Then the clouds pour it down; They shower down upon mankind.
36.29 Can anyone understand the layers of clouds, The thundering from his tent?
36.30 See how he spreads his lightning over it And covers the depths of the sea.
36.31 By these he sustains the peoples; He gives them food in abundance.
36.32 With his hands he covers the lightning, And he directs it against its target.
36.33 His thunder tells about him, Even the livestock tell who is coming.
37.1 “At this my heart pounds And leaps from its place.
37.2 Listen carefully to the rumbling of his voice And the thunder that comes from his mouth.
37.3 He unleashes it under the entire heavens And sends his lightning to the ends of the earth.
37.4 After that is a roaring sound; He thunders with a majestic voice, And he does not hold it back when his voice is heard.
37.5 God thunders with his voice in a wonderful way; He does great things that are beyond our understanding.
37.6 For he says to the snow, ‘Fall to the earth,’ And to the downpour of rain, ‘Pour down mightily.’
37.7 God puts a stop to all human activity So that every mortal man will know His work.
37.8 The wild animals go into their dens And remain in their lairs.
37.9 The storm wind blows from its chamber, And the cold comes from the north winds.
37.10 By the breath of God, the ice is produced, And the broad waters are frozen solid.
37.11 Yes, he weighs down the clouds with moisture; He scatters his lightning in the clouds;
37.12 They swirl around where he directs them; They carry out whatever he commands on the surface of the inhabited earth.
37.13 Whether it is for punishment or for the sake of the land Or for loyal love, he causes it to happen.
37.14 Listen to this, Job; Stop and consider carefully the wonderful works of God.
37.15 Do you know how God controls the clouds And how he causes the lightning to flash from his cloud?
37.16 Do you know how the clouds float? These are the wonderful works of the One perfect in knowledge.
37.17 Why does your clothing become hot When the earth is still because of the south wind?
37.18 Can you, with him, spread out the skies As solid as a metal mirror?
37.19 Tell us what we should say to him; We cannot answer because we are in the dark.
37.20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Or has anyone said something that should be communicated to him?
37.21 They cannot even see the light, Though it is bright in the sky, Until a wind passes by and clears away the clouds.
37.22 Out of the north comes golden splendor; God’s majesty is awe-inspiring.
37.23 Understanding the Almighty is beyond our reach; He is great in power, And he never violates his justice and abundant righteousness.
37.24 Therefore, people should fear him. For he does not favor any who think that they are wise.”
38.1 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the windstorm:
38.2 “Who is this who is obscuring my counsel And speaking without knowledge?
38.3 Brace yourself, please, like a man; I will question you, and you inform me.
38.4 Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you think you understand.
38.5 Who set its measurements, in case you know, Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
38.6 Into what were its pedestals sunk, Or who laid its cornerstone,
38.7 When the morning stars joyfully cried out together, And all the sons of God began shouting in applause?
38.8 And who barricaded the sea behind doors When it burst out from the womb,
38.9 When I clothed it with clouds And wrapped it in thick gloom,
38.10 When I established my limit for it And put its bars and doors in place,
38.11 And I said, ‘You may come this far, and no farther; Here is where your proud waves will stop’?
38.12 Have you ever commanded the morning Or made the dawn know its place,
38.13 To take hold of the ends of the earth And to shake the wicked out of it?
38.14 It is transformed like clay under a seal, And its features stand out like those of a garment.
38.15 But the light of the wicked is held back from them, And their uplifted arm is broken.
38.16 Have you gone down to the sources of the sea Or explored the deep waters?
38.17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you, Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
38.18 Have you understood the vast expanse of the earth? Tell me, if you know all of this.
38.19 In which direction does the light reside? And where is the place of darkness,
38.20 That you should take it to its territory And understand the paths to its home?
38.21 Do you know this because you were already born And the number of your years is great?
38.22 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
38.23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of battle and war?
38.24 From what direction is light dispersed, And from where does the east wind blow on the earth?
38.25 Who has cut a channel for the flood And made a path for the thunderous storm cloud,
38.26 To make it rain where no man lives, On the wilderness where there are no humans,
38.27 To satisfy devastated wastelands And cause the grass to sprout?
38.28 Does the rain have a father, Or who fathered the dewdrops?
38.29 From whose womb did the ice emerge, And who gave birth to the frost of heaven
38.30 When the waters are covered as if with stone, And the surface of the deep waters is frozen solid?
38.31 Can you tie the ropes of the Kimah constellation Or untie the cords of the Kesil constellation?
38.32 Can you lead out a constellation in its season Or guide the Ash constellation along with its sons?
38.33 Do you know the laws governing the heavens, Or can you impose their authority on the earth?
38.34 Can you raise your voice to the clouds To cause a flood of water to cover you?
38.35 Can you send out lightning bolts? Will they come and say to you, ‘Here we are!’
38.36 Who put wisdom within the clouds Or gave understanding to the sky phenomenon?
38.37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds, Or who can tip over the water jars of heaven
38.38 When the dust pours into a mass And the clods of earth stick together?
38.39 Can you hunt prey for a lion Or satisfy the appetites of young lions
38.40 When they crouch in their lairs Or lie in ambush in their dens?
38.41 Who prepares food for the raven When its young cry to God for help And wander about because there is nothing to eat?