The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday August 25, 2017 (NIV)

Job 16-19

Job Says Friends Are Sorry Comforters

16 Then Job answered and said,


“I have heard many such things;
Wearisome and miserable comforters are you all.

“Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind?
Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?

“I also could speak like you,
If you were in my place;
I could compose and join words together against you
And shake my head at you.

“[But instead] I could strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth,
And the consolation and solace of my lips would soothe your suffering and lessen your anguish.

Job Says God Shattered Him


“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved;
And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

“But now God has exhausted me.
You [O Lord] have destroyed all my family and my household.

“You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness [against me];
And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,
It testifies to my face [about my guilt].

“His wrath has torn me and hunted me down,
He has gnashed at me with his teeth;
My adversary sharpens His gaze and glares [with piercing eyes] at me.
10 
“They have gaped at me with their mouths,
With contempt they have struck me on the cheek;
They massed themselves together [and conspired] against me.(A)
11 
“God hands me over to [a]criminals
And tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.
12 
“I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart,
And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
13 
“His arrows surround me.
He pierces my kidneys (vital organs) without mercy;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
14 
“He attacks me, making wound after wound;
He runs at me like a warrior.
15 
“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning]
And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.
16 
“My face is red and swollen with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],
17 
Although there is no violence or wrongdoing in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

18 
“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].
19 
“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven,
And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.(B)
20 
“My friends are scoffers [who ridicule];
My eye pours out tears to God.
21 
“Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me]
Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.(C)
22 
“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.

Job Says He Has Become a Byword

17 “My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished,
The grave is ready for me.

“Surely there are mockers and mockery with me,
And my eye gazes on their obstinacy and provocation.


“Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death];
Who is there that will [b]be my guarantor and give security for me?

“But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].

“He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil,
The eyes of his children will also languish and fail.


“But He has made me a byword and mockery among the people,
And I have become one in whose face people spit.

“My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief,
And all my [body’s] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.

“The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this,
And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted.

“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.(D)
10 
“But as for all of you, come back again,
Even though I do not find a wise man among you.
11 
“My days are past, my purposes and plans are frustrated and torn apart;
The wishes of my heart [are broken].
12 
“These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day;
‘The light is near,’ they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].
13 
“But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home,
If I make my bed in the darkness,
14 
If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’
15 
Where now is my hope?
And who regards or considers or is even concerned about my hope?
16 
“Will my hope go down with me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)?
Shall we go down together in the dust?”

Bildad Speaks of the Wicked

18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,


“How long will you hunt for words and continue these speeches?
Do some clear thinking and show understanding and then we can talk.

“Why are we regarded as beasts,
As if [we are] stupid (senseless) in your eyes?

“You who tear yourself apart in anger,
Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake,
Or the rock to be moved out of its place?


“Indeed, the light of the wicked will be put out,
And the flame of his fire will not shine.(E)

“The light will be dark in his tent,
And his lamp beside him will be put out.(F)

“The vigorous stride will be shortened,
And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.

“For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness),
And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].

“A snare catches him by the heel,
And a trap snaps shut on him.
10 
“A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
11 
“Terrors frighten him on every side
And chase at his heels.
12 
“The strength [of the wicked] is famished and weakened,
And disaster is ready at his side [if he stops].
13 
“His skin is devoured by disease;
The firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] consumes his limbs.
14 
“He is torn from his tent which he trusted [for safety],
And he is marched and brought to the king of terrors (death).
15 
“Nothing of his dwells in his tent;
Brimstone (burning sulfur) is scattered over his dwelling [to purify it].
16 
“The roots [of the wicked] are dried up below,
And above, his branch is cut off and withers.
17 
“Memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name on the street.
18 
“He is driven and propelled from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.
19 
“He has no offspring or prosperity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
20 
“Those in the west are astonished and appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
21 
“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and the ungodly,
And such is the place of him who does not know or recognize or honor God.”

Job Feels Insulted

19 Then Job answered and said,


“How long will you torment and exasperate me
And crush me with words?

“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].

“And if it were true that I have erred,
My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].

“If indeed you [braggarts] vaunt and magnify yourselves over me
And prove my disgrace (humiliation) to me,

Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me
And has closed His net around me.

Everything Is Against Him


“Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not heard;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.

“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has set darkness upon my paths.

“He has stripped me of my honor
And removed the crown from my head.
10 
“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
He has uprooted my hope like a tree.
11 
“He has also kindled His wrath [like a fire] against me
And He considers and counts me as one of His adversaries.
12 
“His troops come together
And build up their way and siege works against me
And camp around my tent.

13 
“He has put my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14 
“My relatives have failed [me],
And my intimate friends have forgotten me.
15 
“Those who live [temporarily] in my house and my maids consider me a stranger;
I am a foreigner in their sight.
16 
“I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with words.
17 
“My breath is repulsive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18 
“Even young children despise me;
When I get up, they speak against me.
19 
“All the men of my council hate me;
Those I love have turned against me.
20 
“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.
21 
“Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has touched me.
22 
“Why do you persecute me as God does?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?

Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives”

23 
“Oh, that the words I now speak were written!
Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!
24 
“That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
25 
“For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives,
And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.(G)
26 
“Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death],
Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,
27 
Whom I, even I, will see for myself,
And my eyes will see Him and not another!
My heart faints within me.
28 
“If you say, ‘How shall we [continue to] persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?’
29 
Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves,
For wrathful are the punishments of that sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”

Footnotes:

  1. Job 16:11 MT reads boys.
  2. Job 17:3 Lit strike hands with me.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 16

Instructions and Greetings

16 Now concerning the money collected for [the relief of] the saints [in Jerusalem], you are to do the same as I directed the churches of Galatia to do. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put something aside, in proportion to his prosperity, and save it so that no collections [will need to] be made when I come. When I arrive, I will send whomever you approve with letters [of authorization] to take your gift [of charity and love] to Jerusalem; and if it is fitting for me to go too, they will accompany me.

I will visit you after I go through Macedonia, for I am only passing through Macedonia; but it may be that I will stay with you [for a while], or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way to wherever I may go afterward. For I do not wish to see you right now just in passing, but I hope to remain with you for some time [later on], if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until [a]Pentecost, because a wide door for effective service has opened to me [in Ephesus, a very promising opportunity], and there are many adversaries.(A)

10 If Timothy comes, see to it that [you put him at ease, so that] he has nothing to fear in regard to you, for he is [devotedly] doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. 11 So allow no one to treat him with disdain [as if he were inconsequential]. But send him off [cordially, and speed him on his way] in peace, so that he may come to me, for I am expecting him [to come along] with the other brothers.

12 As for our brother Apollos, I have strongly encouraged him to visit you with the other brothers. It was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity.

13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.(B) 14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

15 Brothers and sisters, you know that those of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to [b]God’s people—now I urge you 16 to be subject to such leaders [treating them with courtesy and respect], and to everyone who helps in the work and labors [for the benefit of yourselves and the church]. 17 I rejoice because Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus have arrived, for they have made up for your absence. 18 They have refreshed my spirit as well as yours. So fully acknowledge such men and deeply appreciate them.

19 The churches of Asia send you their greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church [that meets] in their house, send you their warm greetings in the Lord. 20 All the believers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

21 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord [does not obey and respect and believe in Jesus Christ and His message], he is to be accursed. Maranatha (O our Lord, come)! 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus [His unmerited favor, His spiritual blessing, His profound mercy] be with you. 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 16:8 Feast of the Harvest, also called Feast of Weeks.
  2. 1 Corinthians 16:15 Lit the saints.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 40:1-10

God Sustains His Servant.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.(A)


Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of your wonders,
They would be too many to count.


Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them;
You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word];
Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.(B)

Then I said, “Behold, I come [to the throne];
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

“I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”(C)


I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness],
As You know, O Lord.
10 
I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart;
I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.(D)

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 22:1

On Life and Conduct

22 A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches;
And favor is better than silver and gold.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday August 25, 2017 (NIV)

Job 16-19

Job Says Friends Are Sorry Comforters

16 Then Job answered and said,


“I have heard many such things;
Wearisome and miserable comforters are you all.

“Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind?
Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?

“I also could speak like you,
If you were in my place;
I could compose and join words together against you
And shake my head at you.

“[But instead] I could strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth,
And the consolation and solace of my lips would soothe your suffering and lessen your anguish.

Job Says God Shattered Him


“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved;
And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

“But now God has exhausted me.
You [O Lord] have destroyed all my family and my household.

“You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness [against me];
And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,
It testifies to my face [about my guilt].

“His wrath has torn me and hunted me down,
He has gnashed at me with his teeth;
My adversary sharpens His gaze and glares [with piercing eyes] at me.
10 
“They have gaped at me with their mouths,
With contempt they have struck me on the cheek;
They massed themselves together [and conspired] against me.(A)
11 
“God hands me over to [a]criminals
And tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.
12 
“I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart,
And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
13 
“His arrows surround me.
He pierces my kidneys (vital organs) without mercy;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
14 
“He attacks me, making wound after wound;
He runs at me like a warrior.
15 
“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning]
And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.
16 
“My face is red and swollen with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],
17 
Although there is no violence or wrongdoing in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

18 
“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].
19 
“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven,
And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.(B)
20 
“My friends are scoffers [who ridicule];
My eye pours out tears to God.
21 
“Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me]
Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.(C)
22 
“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.

Job Says He Has Become a Byword

17 “My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished,
The grave is ready for me.

“Surely there are mockers and mockery with me,
And my eye gazes on their obstinacy and provocation.


“Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death];
Who is there that will [b]be my guarantor and give security for me?

“But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].

“He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil,
The eyes of his children will also languish and fail.


“But He has made me a byword and mockery among the people,
And I have become one in whose face people spit.

“My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief,
And all my [body’s] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.

“The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this,
And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted.

“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.(D)
10 
“But as for all of you, come back again,
Even though I do not find a wise man among you.
11 
“My days are past, my purposes and plans are frustrated and torn apart;
The wishes of my heart [are broken].
12 
“These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day;
‘The light is near,’ they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].
13 
“But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home,
If I make my bed in the darkness,
14 
If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’
15 
Where now is my hope?
And who regards or considers or is even concerned about my hope?
16 
“Will my hope go down with me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)?
Shall we go down together in the dust?”

Bildad Speaks of the Wicked

18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,


“How long will you hunt for words and continue these speeches?
Do some clear thinking and show understanding and then we can talk.

“Why are we regarded as beasts,
As if [we are] stupid (senseless) in your eyes?

“You who tear yourself apart in anger,
Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake,
Or the rock to be moved out of its place?


“Indeed, the light of the wicked will be put out,
And the flame of his fire will not shine.(E)

“The light will be dark in his tent,
And his lamp beside him will be put out.(F)

“The vigorous stride will be shortened,
And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.

“For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness),
And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].

“A snare catches him by the heel,
And a trap snaps shut on him.
10 
“A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
11 
“Terrors frighten him on every side
And chase at his heels.
12 
“The strength [of the wicked] is famished and weakened,
And disaster is ready at his side [if he stops].
13 
“His skin is devoured by disease;
The firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] consumes his limbs.
14 
“He is torn from his tent which he trusted [for safety],
And he is marched and brought to the king of terrors (death).
15 
“Nothing of his dwells in his tent;
Brimstone (burning sulfur) is scattered over his dwelling [to purify it].
16 
“The roots [of the wicked] are dried up below,
And above, his branch is cut off and withers.
17 
“Memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name on the street.
18 
“He is driven and propelled from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.
19 
“He has no offspring or prosperity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
20 
“Those in the west are astonished and appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
21 
“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and the ungodly,
And such is the place of him who does not know or recognize or honor God.”

Job Feels Insulted

19 Then Job answered and said,


“How long will you torment and exasperate me
And crush me with words?

“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].

“And if it were true that I have erred,
My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].

“If indeed you [braggarts] vaunt and magnify yourselves over me
And prove my disgrace (humiliation) to me,

Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me
And has closed His net around me.

Everything Is Against Him


“Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not heard;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.

“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has set darkness upon my paths.

“He has stripped me of my honor
And removed the crown from my head.
10 
“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
He has uprooted my hope like a tree.
11 
“He has also kindled His wrath [like a fire] against me
And He considers and counts me as one of His adversaries.
12 
“His troops come together
And build up their way and siege works against me
And camp around my tent.

13 
“He has put my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14 
“My relatives have failed [me],
And my intimate friends have forgotten me.
15 
“Those who live [temporarily] in my house and my maids consider me a stranger;
I am a foreigner in their sight.
16 
“I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with words.
17 
“My breath is repulsive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18 
“Even young children despise me;
When I get up, they speak against me.
19 
“All the men of my council hate me;
Those I love have turned against me.
20 
“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.
21 
“Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has touched me.
22 
“Why do you persecute me as God does?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?

Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives”

23 
“Oh, that the words I now speak were written!
Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!
24 
“That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
25 
“For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives,
And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.(G)
26 
“Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death],
Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,
27 
Whom I, even I, will see for myself,
And my eyes will see Him and not another!
My heart faints within me.
28 
“If you say, ‘How shall we [continue to] persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?’
29 
Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves,
For wrathful are the punishments of that sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”

Footnotes:

  1. Job 16:11 MT reads boys.
  2. Job 17:3 Lit strike hands with me.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 16

Instructions and Greetings

16 Now concerning the money collected for [the relief of] the saints [in Jerusalem], you are to do the same as I directed the churches of Galatia to do. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put something aside, in proportion to his prosperity, and save it so that no collections [will need to] be made when I come. When I arrive, I will send whomever you approve with letters [of authorization] to take your gift [of charity and love] to Jerusalem; and if it is fitting for me to go too, they will accompany me.

I will visit you after I go through Macedonia, for I am only passing through Macedonia; but it may be that I will stay with you [for a while], or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way to wherever I may go afterward. For I do not wish to see you right now just in passing, but I hope to remain with you for some time [later on], if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until [a]Pentecost, because a wide door for effective service has opened to me [in Ephesus, a very promising opportunity], and there are many adversaries.(A)

10 If Timothy comes, see to it that [you put him at ease, so that] he has nothing to fear in regard to you, for he is [devotedly] doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. 11 So allow no one to treat him with disdain [as if he were inconsequential]. But send him off [cordially, and speed him on his way] in peace, so that he may come to me, for I am expecting him [to come along] with the other brothers.

12 As for our brother Apollos, I have strongly encouraged him to visit you with the other brothers. It was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity.

13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.(B) 14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

15 Brothers and sisters, you know that those of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to [b]God’s people—now I urge you 16 to be subject to such leaders [treating them with courtesy and respect], and to everyone who helps in the work and labors [for the benefit of yourselves and the church]. 17 I rejoice because Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus have arrived, for they have made up for your absence. 18 They have refreshed my spirit as well as yours. So fully acknowledge such men and deeply appreciate them.

19 The churches of Asia send you their greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church [that meets] in their house, send you their warm greetings in the Lord. 20 All the believers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

21 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord [does not obey and respect and believe in Jesus Christ and His message], he is to be accursed. Maranatha (O our Lord, come)! 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus [His unmerited favor, His spiritual blessing, His profound mercy] be with you. 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 16:8 Feast of the Harvest, also called Feast of Weeks.
  2. 1 Corinthians 16:15 Lit the saints.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 40:1-10

God Sustains His Servant.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.(A)


Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of your wonders,
They would be too many to count.


Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them;
You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word];
Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.(B)

Then I said, “Behold, I come [to the throne];
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

“I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”(C)


I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness],
As You know, O Lord.
10 
I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart;
I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.(D)

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 22:1

On Life and Conduct

22 A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches;
And favor is better than silver and gold.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday August 24, 2017 (NIV)

Job 12-15

Job Chides His Accusers

12 Then Job responded,


“No doubt you are the [only wise] people [in the world],
And wisdom will die with you!

“But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?

“I am a joke to my friends;
I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him—
A just and blameless man is a joke [and laughed to scorn].

“He who is at ease has contempt for misfortune,
But misfortune is ready [and anxiously waiting] for those whose feet slip.

“The tents of the destroyers prosper;
And those who provoke God are [apparently] secure,
Whom God brings into their power.


“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;

Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.

“Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life]
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
11 
“Does the ear not put words to the test,
Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?
12 
“With the aged [you say] is wisdom,
And with [a]long life is understanding.

Job Speaks of the Power of God

13 
“But [only] with Him are [perfect] wisdom and might;
He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding.
14 
“Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
15 
“Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
Again, He sends the waters out, and they overwhelm and devastate the earth.
16 
“With Him are might and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader are His [and in His power].
17 
“He makes [great and scheming] counselors walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.
18 
“He loosens the bond of kings
And binds their loins with a loincloth.
19 
“He makes priests walk barefoot,
And He overturns men firmly seated and secure.
20 
“He deprives the trusted ones of speech
And takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.
21 
“He pours contempt on princes and nobles
And loosens the belt of the strong [disabling them].
22 
“He uncovers mysteries [that are difficult to grasp and understand] out of the darkness
And brings black gloom and the shadow of death into light.
23 
“He makes nations great, and He destroys them;
He enlarges nations, and leads them away [captive].
24 
“He removes intelligence and understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth
And makes them wander and move blindly in a pathless waste.
25 
“They grope in darkness without light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.”

Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

13 [Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.

“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.


“But I wish to speak to [b]the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.

“But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully];
You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.

“Oh, that you would be completely silent,
And that silence would be your wisdom!

“Please hear my argument
And listen to the pleadings of my lips.

“Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?

“Will you show partiality for Him [and be unjust to me so that you may gain favor with Him]?
Will you contend and plead for God?

“Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 
“He will surely reprimand you
If you secretly show partiality.
11 
“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And will not the dread of Him fall upon you?
12 
“Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes;
Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.

Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated

13 
“Be silent before me so that I may speak;
And let happen to me what may.
14 
“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands [incurring the wrath of God]?
15 
“Even though He kills me;
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.
16 
“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before Him.
17 
“Listen diligently to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 
“Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.
19 
“Who will argue and contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.

20 
“Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me,
And then I will not hide myself from Your face:
21 
Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22 
“Then [Lord,] call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, and then reply to me.
23 
“How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]?
Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin.(A)
24 
“Why do You hide Your face [as if offended]
And consider me Your enemy?
25 
“Will You cause a windblown leaf to tremble?
Will You pursue the chaff of the dry stubble?
26 
“For You write bitter things against me [in Your indictment]
And make me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.
27 
“You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment]
And [critically] observe all my paths;
You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],
28 
While I waste away like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Job Speaks of the Finality of Death

14 “Man, who is born of a woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.

“Like a flower he comes forth and withers;
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

“You also open Your eyes upon him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

“Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean?
No one!(B)

“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You [in Your control],
And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].

“[O God] turn your gaze from him so that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day [on earth] like a hired man.


“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that the shoots of it will not cease nor fail, [but there is no such hope for man].

“Though its roots grow old in the earth
And its stump dies in the dry soil,

Yet at the scent of water [the stump of the tree] will flourish
And bring forth sprigs and shoots like a seedling.
10 
“But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie face down;
Man breathes his last, and where is he?
11 
“As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river drains and dries up,
12 
So man lies down and does not rise [again].
Until the heavens are no longer,
The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.

13 
“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!
14 
“If a man dies, will he live again?
I will wait all the days of my struggle
Until my change and release will come.(C)
15 
“[Then] You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.
16 
“But now You number [each of] my steps;
You do not observe nor take note of my sin.
17 
“My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover my wickedness [from Your view].

18 
“But as a mountain, if it falls, crumbles into nothing,
And as the rock is moved from its place,
19 
Water wears away the stones,
Its floods and torrents wash away the soil of the earth,
So You [O Lord] destroy the hope of man.
20 
“You prevail forever against him and overpower him, and he passes on;
You change his appearance and send him away [from the presence of the living].
21 
“His sons achieve honor, and he does not know it;
They become insignificant, and he is not aware of it.
22 
“But his body [lamenting its decay] grieves in pain over it,
And his soul mourns over [the loss of] himself.”

Eliphaz Says Job Presumes Much

15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,


“Should a wise man [such as you] utter such windy and vain knowledge [as we have just heard]
And fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]?

“Should he rebuke and argue with useless talk?
Or with words in which there is no benefit?

“Indeed, you are doing away with fear,
And you are diminishing meditation before God.

“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.

“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.


“Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man],
Or were you created before the hills?

“Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?

“What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?
10 
“Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged,
Older than your father.
11 
“Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you,
[Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?
12 
“Why does your heart carry you away [allowing you to be controlled by emotion]?
And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt],
13 
That you should turn your spirit against God
And let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?
14 
“What is man, that he should be pure and clean,
Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?
15 
“Behold, God puts no trust in His holy ones (angels);
Indeed, the heavens are not pure in His sight—
16 
How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt,
Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!

What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life

17 
“I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;
18 
What wise men have [freely] told,
And have not hidden [anything passed on to them] from their fathers,
19 
To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].
20 
“The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
And numbered are the years stored up for him, the ruthless one.
21 
“A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;
While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].
22 
“He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered],
And he is destined for the sword [of God’s vengeance].
23 
“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.
24 
“Distress and anxiety terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for battle.
25 
“Because he has stretched out his hand against God
And behaves arrogantly against [c]the Almighty,
26 
Running and charging headlong against Him
With his ornamented and massive shield;
27 
For he has covered his face with his fat,
Adding layers of fat to his thighs [giving himself up to pleasures],
28 
And he has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities,
In houses which no one should inhabit,
Which were destined to become heaps [of ruins];
29 
He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.
30 
“He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster];
The flame [of God’s wrath] will wither his branch,
And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.
31 
“Let him not trust in vanity (emptiness, futility) and be led astray;
For emptiness will be his [d]reward [for such living].
32 
“It will be fulfilled while he still lives,
And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].
33 
“He will fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine,
And will cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.
34 
“For the company of the godless is barren,
And fire consumes the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).
35 
“They conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness,
And their inmost soul prepares deceit and fraud.”

Footnotes:

  1. Job 12:12 Lit length of days.
  2. Job 13:3 Heb Shaddai.
  3. Job 15:25 Heb Shaddai.
  4. Job 15:31 Lit exchange.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 15:29-58

29 Otherwise, what will those do who are being [a]baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people even baptized for them? 30 [For that matter] why are we [running such risks and putting ourselves] [b]in danger [nearly] every hour [if there is no resurrection]? 31 I assure you, believers, by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self]. 32 What good has it done me if, [merely] from a human point of view, I [c]fought with wild animals at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink [enjoying ourselves now], for tomorrow we die.(A) 33 Do not be deceived: [d]“Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor] as you ought, and stop sinning; for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths]. I say this to your shame.

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body will they come?” 36 You fool! Every time you plant seed you sow something that does not come to life [germinating, springing up and growing] unless it first dies. 37 The seed you sow is not the body (the plant) which it is going to become, but it is a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body just as He planned, and to each kind of seed a body of its own [is given].(B) 39 All flesh is not the same. There is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies [sun, moon and stars] and earthly bodies [humans, animals, and plants], but the glory and beauty of the heavenly is one kind, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is a glory and beauty of the sun, another glory of the moon, and yet another [distinctive] glory of the stars; and one star differs from another in glory and brilliance.

42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. The [human] body that is sown is perishable and mortal, it is raised imperishable and immortal.(C) 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; 44 it is sown a natural body [mortal, suited to earth], it is raised a spiritual body [immortal, suited to heaven]. As surely as there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written [in Scripture], “The first man, Adam, became a living soul (an individual);” the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving spirit [restoring the dead to life].(D) 46 However, the spiritual [the immortal life] is not first, but the physical [the mortal life]; then the spiritual. 47 The first man [Adam] is from the earth, earthy [made of dust]; the second Man [Christ, the Lord] is from heaven.(E) 48 As is the earthly man [the man of dust], so are those who are of earth; and as is the heavenly [Man], so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthly [the man of dust], [e]we will also bear the image of the heavenly [the Man of heaven].

The Mystery of Resurrection

50 Now I say this, believers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit nor be part of the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (mortal) inherit the imperishable (immortal). 51 Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery [a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden, but now revealed]; we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed], 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believed in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed]. 53 For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us that is capable of dying] must put on immortality [which is freedom from death]. 54 And when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the Scripture will be fulfilled that says, “Death is swallowed up in victory (vanquished forever).(F) 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”(G) 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin [by which it brings death] is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:29 This has nothing to do with Christian baptism or salvation. Paul may be referring to the practices of a pagan religion that required a ritual washing to enter an afterlife.
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:30 Paul’s life was continuously threatened because of his public commitment to Christ.
  3. 1 Corinthians 15:32 This may refer figuratively to the furious crowd that rose up against Paul in Ephesus, rather than to literal animals (Acts 19:23-41).
  4. 1 Corinthians 15:33 Paul quotes this one verse maxim from the writings of the Greek dramatist Menander (342-291 b.c.). “Bad company” in this case undoubtedly refers to the teachers who were denying the truth of the resurrection.
  5. 1 Corinthians 15:49 Two early mss read “let us also.”
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 39

The Vanity of Life.

To the Chief Musician; for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will muzzle my mouth
While the wicked are in my presence.”

I was mute and silent [before my enemies],
I refrained even from good,
And my [a]distress grew worse.

My heart was hot within me.
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:

Lord, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].

“Behold, You have made my days as [short as] hand widths,
And my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight.
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]!(A) Selah.

“Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade];
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them.(B)


“And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait?
My hope [my confident expectation] is in You.

“Save me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the scorn and reproach of the [self-righteous, arrogant] fool.

“I am mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who has done it.
10 
“Remove Your plague from me;
I am wasting away because of the conflict and opposition of Your hand.
11 
“With rebukes You discipline man for sin;
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]. Selah.

12 
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and listen to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am Your temporary guest,
A sojourner like all my fathers.
13 
“O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joy
Before I depart and am no more.”

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 39:2 Lit pain.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 21:30-31

30 
There is no [human] wisdom or understanding
Or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord.
31 
The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance and victory belong to the Lord.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday August 23, 2017 (NIV)

Job 8-11

Bildad Says God Rewards the Good

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,


“How long will you say these things?
And will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

“Does God pervert justice?
Or does [a]the Almighty pervert righteousness?

“If your children have sinned against Him,
Then He has handed them over to the power of their transgression and punished them.

“If you would [diligently] seek God
And implore the compassion and favor of the Almighty,

Then, if you are pure and upright,
Surely now He will awaken for you
And restore your righteous place.

“Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your end will greatly increase.


“Inquire, please, of past generations,
And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.

“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are [like] a shadow [just a breath or a vapor].
10 
“Will they (the fathers) not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their hearts [the deepest part of their nature]?

11 
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes or reed grass grow without water?
12 
“While it is still green (in flower) and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant [when without water].
13 
“So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish,
14 
For his confidence is fragile and breaks,
And his trust is [like] a spider’s web.
15 
“He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds tightly to it, but it does not endure.
16 
“He thrives and prospers [like a green plant] before the sun,
And his branches spread out over his garden.
17 
“His [godless] roots are wrapped around a pile of rocks,
And he gazes at a house of stones.
18 
“If he is snatched from his place [in the garden],
Then his place will forget him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
19 
“Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And from out of the dust others will spring up and grow [to take his place].
20 
“Behold, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He strengthen or support evildoers.
21 
“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with joyful shouting [if you are found blameless].
22 
“Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tents of the wicked will be no longer.”

Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man

Then Job answered and said,


“Yes, I know it is true.
But how can a mortal man be right before God?

“If one should want to contend or dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?

It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it,
When He overturns them in His anger;

Who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;

Who commands the sun, and it does not shine;
Who seals up the stars [from view];

Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the [b]waves of the sea;

Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the [vast starry] spaces of the south;
10 
Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable,
Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.
11 
“Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him;
He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.
12 
“Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back?
Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13 
“God will not turn back His anger;
The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.
14 
“How can I answer Him [and plead my case],
Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?
15 
For though I were righteous, I could not answer.
I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.
16 
“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 
“For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 
“He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills and saturates me with bitterness.
19 
“If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty!
And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?
20 
“Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty;
Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.
21 
“[Though] I am blameless,
I do not care about myself;
I despise my life.
22 
“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’
23 
“When [His] scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks at the despair of the innocent.
24 
“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

25 
“Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They vanish, they see no good.
26 
“They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds,
Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.
27 
“If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,’
28 
I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come];
I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.
29 
“I am accounted wicked and held guilty;
Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?
30 
“If I were to wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,
31 
You would still plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].
32 
“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court and judgment together.
33 
“There is no arbitrator between us,
Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].(A)
34 
“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.
35 
Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

Job Despairs of God’s Dealings

10 “I am disgusted with my life and loathe it!
I will give free expression to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]!
Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.

‘Does it indeed seem right to You to oppress,
To despise and reject the work of Your hands,
And to look with favor on the schemes of the wicked?

‘Do You have eyes of flesh?
Do You see as a man sees?

‘Are Your days as the days of a mortal,
Are Your years as man’s years,

That You seek my guilt
And search for my sin?

‘Although You know that I am not guilty or wicked,
Yet there is no one who can rescue me from Your hand.


‘Your hands have formed and made me altogether.
Would You [turn around and] destroy me?

‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
So will You turn me into dust again?
10 
‘Have You not poured me out like milk
And curdled me like cheese?
11 
‘[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your providence (divine care, supervision) has preserved my spirit.
13 
‘Yet these [present evils] You have hidden in Your heart [since my creation]:
I know that this was within You [in Your purpose and thought].
14 
‘If I sin, then You would take note and observe me,
And You would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 
‘If I am wicked, woe to me [for judgment comes]!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
For I am sated and filled with disgrace and the sight of my misery.
16 
‘Should I lift my head up, You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your marvelous power against me.
17 
‘You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your indignation and anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me [attacking me time after time].

18 
‘Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!
19 
‘I should have been as though I had not existed;
[I should have been] carried from the womb to the grave.’
20 
“Would He not let my few days alone,
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
21 
Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and the deep shadow [of death],
22 
The [sunless] land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
[The land] of the shadow of death, without order,
And [where] it shines as [thick] darkness.”

Zophar Rebukes Job

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,


“Shall a multitude of words not be answered?
And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?

“Should your boasts and babble silence men?
And shall you scoff and no one put you to shame?

“For you have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’(B)

“But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips [to speak] against you,

And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [c]has two sides.
Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.


“Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you [by searching] discover the limits of the Almighty [ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?

His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven. What can you do?
It is deeper than Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). What can you know?

“It is longer in measure [and scope] than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
10 
“If God passes by or arrests,
Or calls an assembly [of judgment], who can restrain Him?
[If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?]
11 
“For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men,
And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?
12 
“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the [d]colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

13 
“If you direct your heart [on the right path]
And stretch out your hands to Him,
14 
If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you],
And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;
15 
Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect,
And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.
16 
“For you would forget your trouble;
You would remember it as waters that have passed by.
17 
“And your [e]life would be brighter than the noonday;
Darkness [then] would be like the morning.
18 
“Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope;
You would look around you and rest securely.
19 
“You would lie down with no one to frighten you,
And many would entreat and seek your favor.
20 
“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they will not escape [the justice of God];
And their hope is to breathe their last [and die].”

Footnotes:

  1. Job 8:3 Heb Shaddai.
  2. Job 9:8 Lit high places.
  3. Job 11:6 Lit is double.
  4. Job 11:12 Lit male donkey.
  5. Job 11:17 Lit lifespan.

Cross references:

  1. Job 9:33 : 1 Tim 2:5
  2. Job 11:4 : Job 10:7
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 15:1-28

The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection

15 Now brothers and sisters, let me remind you [once again] of the good news [of salvation] which I preached to you, which you welcomed and accepted and on which you stand [by faith]. By this faith you are saved [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain [just superficially and without complete commitment].

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold],(A) and that He was buried, and that He was [bodily] raised on the third day according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold],(B) and that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the [a]Twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep [in death]. Then He was seen by James, then by all the apostles, and last of all, as to one [b]untimely (prematurely, traumatically) born, He appeared to me also.(C) For I am the least [worthy] of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I [at one time] fiercely oppressed and violently persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the [remarkable] grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me. 11 So whether it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed and trusted in and relied on with confidence.

12 Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that [c]some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain [useless, amounting to nothing], and your faith is also vain [imaginary, unfounded, devoid of value and benefit—not based on truth]. 15 We are even discovered to be false witnesses [misrepresenting] God, because we testified concerning Him that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised, either; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and powerless [mere delusion]; you are still in your sins [and under the control and penalty of sin]. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

20 But now [as things really are] Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, [and He became] the first fruits [that is, the first to be resurrected with an incorruptible, immortal body, foreshadowing the resurrection] of those who have fallen asleep [in death].(D) 21 For since [it was] by a man that death came [into the world], it is also by a Man that the resurrection of the dead has come. 22 For just as [d]in Adam all die, so also [e]in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s [own will be resurrected with incorruptible, immortal bodies] at His coming. 24 After that comes the end (completion), when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has made inoperative and abolished every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign [as King] until He has put all His enemies under His feet.(E) 26 The last enemy to be abolished and put to an end is death. 27 For He (the Father) has put all things in subjection under His (Christ’s) feet. But when He says, “All things have been put in subjection [under Christ],” it is clear that He (the Father) who put all things in subjection to Him (Christ) is excepted [since the Father is not in subjection to His own Son].(F) 28 However, when all things are subjected to Him (Christ), then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One (the Father) who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all [manifesting His glory without any opposition, the supreme indwelling and controlling factor of life].

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:5 A title referring to the original disciples chosen by Jesus (including Judas). A few hours after betraying Jesus, Judas committed suicide (Matt 27:5) leaving only the eleven (Matt 28:16; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:9, 33).
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:8 Paul’s life-changing encounter with the resurrected Christ occurred on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
  3. 1 Corinthians 15:12 Perhaps these were converted Sadducees, who as a sect denied the possibility of a resurrection (Acts 23:8).
  4. 1 Corinthians 15:22 Because of our physical nature as descendants of Adam.
  5. 1 Corinthians 15:22 Because of our spiritual nature as born-again believers in Christ.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 38

Prayer in Time of Discipline.

A Psalm of David; to bring to remembrance.

38 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor discipline me in Your burning anger.

For Your arrows have sunk into me and penetrate deeply,
And Your hand has pressed down on me and greatly disciplined me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head [like the waves of a flood];
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

My wounds are loathsome and foul
Because of my foolishness.

I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go about mourning all day long.

For my sides are filled with burning,
And there is no health in my flesh.

I am numb and greatly bruised [deadly cold and completely worn out];
I groan because of the disquiet and moaning of my heart.


Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 
My heart throbs violently, my strength fails me;
And as for the light of my eyes, even that has also gone from me.
11 
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my neighbors stand far away.(A)
12 
Those who seek my life lay snares for me,
And those who seek to injure me threaten mischievous things and destruction;
They devise treachery all the day long.

13 
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14 
Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
In whose mouth are no arguments.
15 
For in You, O Lord, I hope;
You will answer, O Lord my God.
16 
For I pray, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would boast against me.”
17 
For I am ready to fall;
My sorrow is continually before me.
18 
For I do confess my guilt and iniquity;
I am filled with anxiety because of my sin.(B)
19 
But my [numerous] enemies are vigorous and strong,
And those who hate me without cause are many.
20 
They repay evil for good, they attack and try to kill me,
Because I follow what is good.
21 
Do not abandon me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me.
22 
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my Salvation.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 21:28-29

28 
A false witness will perish,
But a man who listens to the truth will speak forever and go unchallenged.
29 
A wicked man puts on a bold face,
But as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday August 22, 2017 (NIV)

Job 4-7

Eliphaz: Innocent Do Not Suffer

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,


“If we dare to converse with you, will you be impatient [or offended]?
But who can restrain himself from speaking?

“Behold, you have admonished and instructed many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.

“Your words have helped the one who was stumbling to stand,
And you have strengthened feeble knees.

“But now [a]adversity comes upon you, and you are impatient and intolerant;
It touches you, and you are horrified.

“Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And [is not] the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?


“Remember now, who, being innocent, ever perished?
Or where [and in what circumstances] were those upright and in right standing with God destroyed?

“As I have seen, those who plow wickedness
And those who sow trouble and harm harvest it.

“By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they are consumed.
10 
“The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 
“The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

12 
“Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
13 
“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 
Dread and trembling came upon me,
Which made all my bones shake.
15 
“Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my skin stood on end!
16 
“The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying:
17 
‘Can [mortal] man be just before God or be more righteous than He?
Can a man be pure before his Maker or be more cleansed than He?(A)
18 
‘God puts no trust or confidence, even in His [heavenly] servants,
And He charges His angels with error.
19 
‘How much more [will He blame and charge] those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay,
Whose foundations are in the dust,
Who are crushed like a moth.
20 
‘Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces and destroyed;
Unobserved and unnoticed, they perish forever.
21 
‘Is not their tent-cord drawn up within them [so that the tent collapses]?
Do they not die, and yet without [acquiring] wisdom?’

God Is Just

“Call now —is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones (angels) will you turn?

“For anger slays the foolish man,
And jealousy kills the simple (naive).

“I have seen the foolish taking root [and outwardly prospering],
But I cursed his dwelling immediately [for his destruction was certain].

“His children are far from safety [and included in their father’s ruin],
They are oppressed and crushed in the [court of justice in the city’s] gate,
And there is no [b]one to rescue them.

“The hungry devour his harvest
And take it even [when it grows] among the thorns;
The trap opens for [his] wealth.

“For affliction does not come forth from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring forth from the ground.

“For man is born for trouble,
[As naturally] as sparks fly upward.


“As for me, I would seek God and inquire of Him,
And I would commit my cause to God;

Who does great and unsearchable things,
Marvelous things without number.
10 
“He gives rain upon the earth
And sends waters upon the fields,
11 
So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And He lifts to safety those who mourn.
12 
“He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.
13 
“He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.(B)
14 
“In the daytime they meet in darkness,
And at noon they grope as in the night.
15 
“But God saves [the innocent] from the sword of the mouth of the devious,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.
16 
“So the helpless have hope,
And injustice shuts its mouth.

17 
“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].
18 
“For He inflicts pain, but He binds up and gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 
“He will rescue you from six troubles;
Even in seven, evil will not touch you.
20 
“In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.
21 
“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 
“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of the wild beasts of the earth.
23 
“For you will be in harmony with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 
“You will know also that your tent is secure and at peace,
And you will visit your dwelling and fear no loss [nor find anything amiss].
25 
“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 
“You will come to your grave in old age,
Like the stacking of grain [on the threshing floor] in its season.
27 
“Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true.
Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good].”

Job’s Friends Are No Help

Then Job answered and said,


“Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed
And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!

“For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;
Therefore my words have been incoherent,

Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
My spirit drinks their poison;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

“Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass?
Or does the ox low over his fodder?

“Can something that has no taste to it be eaten without salt?
Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?

“My soul refuses to touch them;
Such things are like loathsome food to me [sickening and repugnant].


“Oh that my request would come to pass,
And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

“I wish that it would please God to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off.
10 
“Then I would still have consolation,
And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain,
That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.
11 
“What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]?
And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?
12 
“Is my strength and endurance that of stones,
Or is my flesh made of bronze?
13 
“Is it that I have no help within myself,
And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?

14 
“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not [c]abandon (turn away from) the fear of the Almighty.
15 
“My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook,
Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,
16 
Which are dull and dirty because of ice,
And into which the snow melts and hides itself;
17 
When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 
“The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
[Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]
19 
“The caravans of [d]Tema looked [for water],
The caravans of [e]Sheba waited for them [in vain].
20 
“They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water];
They came there and were ashamed.
21 
“Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream,
You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].
22 
“Did I ever say, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 
Or, ‘Rescue me from the adversary’s hand,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

24 
“Teach me, and I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.
25 
“How painful are words of honesty.
But what does your argument prove?
26 
“Do you intend to reprove my words [with a convincing argument],
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind [and go ignored]?
27 
“You would cast lots (gamble) over the fatherless
And bargain away your friend.
28 
“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].
29 
“Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice;
Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.
30 
“Is there injustice or malice on my tongue?
Can my palate not discern what is destructive?

Job’s Life Seems Futile

“Is not man forced to labor on earth?
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

“As a slave earnestly longs for the shade,
And as a hired man eagerly awaits his wages,

So am I allotted months of futility and suffering,
And [long] nights of trouble and misery are appointed to me.

“When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise [and the night be gone]?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until the dawning of day.

“My body is clothed with worms and a crust of dust;
My skin is hardened [and broken and loathsome], and [breaks out and] runs.

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.


“Remember that my life is but breath [a puff of wind, a sigh];
My eye will not see good again.

“The eye of him who sees me [now] will see me no more;
Your eyes will be upon me, but I will not be.

“As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) does not come up.
10 
“He will not return again to his house,
Nor will his place know about him anymore.

11 
“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul [O Lord].
12 
“Am I the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 
“When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 
Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me through visions,
15 
So that I would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [f]pain.
16 
“I waste away and loathe my life; I will not live forever.
Let me alone, for my days are but a breath [futile and without substance].
17 
“What is man that You [should] magnify him [and think him important]?
And that You are concerned about him?(C)
18 
“And that You examine him every morning
And try and test him every moment?
19 
“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me [it plagues me],
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 
“If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You,
O Watcher of mankind?
Why have You set me as a target for You,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 
“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my sin and guilt?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me [diligently], but I will not be.”

Footnotes:

  1. Job 4:5 Lit it.
  2. Job 5:4 Lit deliverer.
  3. Job 6:14 Lit forsake.
  4. Job 6:19 Tema, tribal descendants of the ninth son of Ishmael.
  5. Job 6:19 Sheba, tribal descendants of Abraham and Keturah.
  6. Job 7:15 Lit bones.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 14:18-40

18 I thank God that I speak in [unknown] tongues more than all of you; 19 nevertheless, in public worship I would rather say five understandable words in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue [which others cannot understand].

Instruction for the Church

20 Brothers and sisters, do not be children [immature, childlike] in your thinking; be infants in [matters of] evil [completely innocent and inexperienced], but in your minds be mature [adults]. 21 It is written in the Law, “By men of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, and not even then will they listen to Me,” says the Lord.(A) 22 Therefore, [unknown] tongues are [meant] for a [supernatural] sign, not to believers but to unbelievers [who might be receptive]; while prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people] is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 So then, if the whole church gathers together and all of you speak in [unknown] tongues, and outsiders or those who are not gifted [in spiritual matters] or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and an unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted [of his sins] by all, and he is called to account by all [because he can understand what is being said]; 25 the secrets of his heart are laid bare. And so, falling on his face, he will worship God, declaring that God is really among you.

26 What then is the right course, believers? When you meet together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation (disclosure of special knowledge), a tongue, or an interpretation. Let everything be constructive and edifying and done for the good of all the church. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be limited to two or at the most three, and each one speaking in turn, and one must interpret [what is said]. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, the one [who wishes to speak in a tongue] must keep silent in church; let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak [as inspired by the Holy Spirit], while the rest pay attention and weigh carefully what is said. 30 But if an inspired revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one must be silent. 31 For [in this way] you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may be instructed and everyone may be encouraged; 32 for the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets [the prophecy is under the speaker’s control, and he can stop speaking]; 33 for God [who is the source of their prophesying] is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order.

As [is the practice] in all the churches of the saints (God’s people),

34 the [a]women should be silent in the churches, for they are not authorized to speak, but are to take a subordinate place, as the Law says. 35 If there is anything they want to learn [that is, if they have questions about anything being said or taught], they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a [b]woman to talk in church. 36 Did the word of the Lord originate from you [Corinthians], or has it come to you only [so that you know best what God requires]?

37 If anyone thinks and claims that he is a prophet [a true spokesman for God] or spiritually astute [filled with and energized by the Holy Spirit], let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. 38 If anyone does not recognize this [that it is a command of the Lord], he is not recognized [by God].

39 Therefore, believers, desire earnestly to prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people], and do not forbid speaking in unknown tongues. 40 But all things must be done appropriately and in an orderly manner.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:34 When used elsewhere in the New Testament, in specific reference to a woman (cf Eph 5:22; Col 3:18; Titus 2:4, 5; 1 Peter 3:1, 5), this word refers to a married woman, so these admonitions (vv 34, 35) may be directed primarily to the wives of believing husbands.
  2. 1 Corinthians 14:35 Paul does not comment on unmarried women; they probably have to abide by the prohibition against speaking out in church as well, and ask questions outside the service.

Cross references:

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:21 : Is 28:11, 12
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 37:30-40

30 
The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice and truth.
31 
The law of his God is in his heart;
Not one of his steps will slip.
32 
The wicked lies in wait for the righteous
And seeks to kill him.
33 
The Lord will not leave him in his hand
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 
Wait for and expect the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 
I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power]
Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil,
36 
Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more;
I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 
Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity];
There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants].
38 
As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 
But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 
The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 21:27

27 
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable and offensive [to the Lord].
How much more [unacceptable and insulting can it be] when he brings it with evil intention?

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

8/06/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezra 3:1-4:23 ~ 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4 ~ Psalm 28:1-9 ~ Proverbs 20:24-25

Today is the 6th day of August. I was going to say July and as you know, I often mess up my months, especially at the beginning of new month. And I was going to do it. I’m confessing. It’s the 6th day of August. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. Here we are at the threshold of a brand new, shiny, sparkly, new week, a week that we will be made new again in, moment by moment, a week that is out in front of us and we consecrated to God in advance. It’s going to be a great week. And one of the things that we do as a community here that helps that rhythm stay true in our lives is that we come to the scriptures each day. So, it’s a brand-new week. And we’ll read from the Good News translation this week. And we can pick up where we left. Ezra, chapter 3 verse 1 through 4 verse 23. And what we’re talking about here, because we have had sort of a list of names, sort of like, oh, are we still back kind of in the Chronicles and all that? No, I mean, we had a list of names, kind of written down, as people came into exile, this a attempt to remember, to not forget who they were. And then we get into Ezra and we have this list of people going back, people returning from exile. And it’s the returning exiled people, it’s their story that we’re in now. So, Ezra chapter 3 verse 1 through 4:23.

Commentary:

OK. So, yesterday as we really, kind of, begin to sink into this Letter to the Corinthians, Paul’ talking about nonsense. He’s saying that this gospel, this message, this good news, seems like nonsense to people who are completely unaware of it. It just looks like something crazy, something nonsense, because it can’t be proved by any means that people have devised to measure such things. You can’t put spirituality on an excel spreadsheet. You can’t describe the movement of God’s Spirit in the world and in our own lives on some sort of grid or into some sort of foolproof recipe that, if you just follow these steps exactly, then you will always find God’s movement. We have the bible to show us that God moves how He moves and how He moves is right and correct and just and true and loving and kind because that’s who He is. But how He moves is how He moves. It’s going to be right. But whether we understand it or can put it on a grid or can scientifically measure it or not is not important to Him. So, Paul’s saying, it looks like nonsense to lots of people but that does not make it any less wisdom. We’re talking about the wisdom of God here. So, are we going to say that the wisdom of God is actually true wisdom or are we going to say that the wisdom of man is actually true wisdom? And if we’re going to say that the wisdom of God is actually true wisdom then we have to acknowledge that our own wisdom, our own methods of dealing and coping with the world, are probably backward. And Paul uses the people of Jesus’ time as an example that this wisdom was in the world. It was in the world in the person of Jesus himself, God in the flesh, the human God speaking God’s wisdom from His own mouth. And none of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom, Paul says. Because if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord of Glory. Fair enough. Point taken. But this wisdom from the Spirit of God is available. And Paul talks about the Spirit. It’s like, only your Spirit really understands the complexities and depths of who you really are. No one else gets to go that deep within you. And only the Spirit of God fully understands the depths and complexities and beauty of who God is. But we haven’t received this worlds spirit, instead we have received the Spirit of God. I mean, can that sink in for a second? God’s Spirit within us does understand the complexities of who we are, everything about us, even more about us than we know about ourselves. And He has allowed His Spirit to reside in us so that we also have access to what He’s thinking about things in this world, how He wants to involve himself in humanity, how He wants to collaborate in our lives personally. We don’t have to sort this all out, segregated from God. It’s not us and then God somewhere else hopefully whispering something in our ear that we can then process and make decisions about. It’s much more integrated than that. The way that Paul boils it down is a very good way -  we; however have the mind of Christ. Which means that we have the mind of God, if Christ is God, if Jesus is God. And he is. That means we have access to the mind of God on anything and everything as long as we understand that we are not going to be able to make Him fit our mold, that we’re not going to be able to make Him be crushed into whatever it is that we’re doing so that He can tell us how to do whatever we’re doing. It’s the opposite of that. We surrender everything that we’re doing. We surrender everything that we are, everything we think we know, everything that we will ever hope for. And we begin to live our lives with God in this world only to realize this is what we were created to be. This is how it’s supposed to be. This is how it was always supposed to be. It’s a way, way, way bigger story then we’ve been living in. And basically, Paul says, don’t believe me? You don’t believe me? I mean, you think this is working for you? When there is jealousy among you and you quarrel with one another, doesn’t this prove that you still belong to this world, that you’re still living by its standards and measures and grids and recipes? And where we end today is not the end of what Paul is saying about this but where we end the day is an example. Paul’s saying, some of say, I follow Paul and others of you say, I follow Apollos and isn’t that just acting like worldly people? Aren’t you just throwing heroes of the charts again? That is not how this works. You will not find yourself comparing yourself to somebody else. You will not find your identity by saying I follow this particular person or I like this particular person or I stay away from that guy. I wouldn’t even listen to what they have to say because so many of these other people say they’re a heretic. And I won’t listen to that woman because of this or that and the other and it’s like we’re lost in the weeds here. We have the mind of Christ and we’re trying to use the mind of Christ to live by the world’s system of things and they were never meant to go together. It’s almost opposite, the way that we should be living. And this is straight from Jesus. Go read the Sermon on the Mount and find that it’s backward, the way that this world works. But we don’t have to. We don’t have to work that way. We don’t have to live that way. That’s exactly what’s being described when we are told to be in this world but not of this world. So often, I mean my whole-life, I’ve thought, OK I am in this world, but my home is somewhere else. I’m supposed to be somewhere else. I’m not of this world. When actually, I am a human being made for this world. At least for right now, I’m supposed to be here. And I’m not just supposed to be here waiting for something that isn’t going to happen. I am supposed to be here, intertwined with the God, having the mind of Christ, allowing God’s wisdom to envelop and overwhelm everything else that’s going on and to live with clarity and purpose in relationship with God, being with God, collaborating with God in His work and in this world. That’s a big story. That’s a huge story. That’s the invitation of the gospel. That’s the good news. May we continue to wake up. That has become such a rallying cry to me, that I will continue to wake up. And I hope it’s the same for you because the world is at stake here and we have a role to play. Our humanity, our species, our brothers and sisters of the human race, this is at stake and we have a role to play.

Prayer:

Father we want to fit perfectly into that role. We want to be people who look like Jesus, who do what Jesus did, who operate in this world as human beings like You modeled for us, and like You created us to be. And that requires that we disengage from the world’s system of measurement and that we disengage from finding our identity in comparison. If we could just do those two things, radical shifts would happen within us. And we’re inviting your Holy Spirit to guide us in that so that the day does come that we have become sanctified to the point that we’re really not moved by the world’s systems and what it considers valuable. That we have lost ourselves in a relationship with you and everything else is in its proper context and that we no longer look to each other, fighting against one another to try to find an identity. Our identity is wrapped up in relationship with You. There is nothing else for us. There is no other way that we’re going to get it. There will always be a hole and it will always empty out until You have filled us. And, so, fill us Holy Spirit. Come, indwell us. Be within us, collaborating in this life. We surrender to You. We want you to guide us. Come Jesus we pray in your precious name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to check it out. Check out the resources that are available. Check out the prayer wall.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you - profoundly, humbly, literally. We would not be here if we did not do this together. Thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage of dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the More button in the lower right hand corner or if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill TN 37174.

And of course, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayers and Praise Reports:

Hi, my name is Debbie. I am in California. I walked with the Lord for a while and then turned my back on Him. And now I have been diagnosed with cancer. And I would like to receive prayer so I can walk with Him again and he can give me strength to get through what I need to get through. I just found out and I logged on to listen to the bible and this is the first station I went to. I really enjoyed the readings and the people that were talking after. So, I ask if you can please, please pray for me for strength to walk with Him again, to believe, to guide, to have stronger faith. Thank you so much. I will listen every day and I just appreciate prayer. Thank you.

Hi. My name is Betty from Southern California. I’ve been a listener for many years and this is the first time I’ve called. I’m calling for prayer for my daughter, who had a minor surgery, a laparoscopic surgery, but they punctured the bowel. She’s been in intensive care for over six weeks and it’s going to be a very difficult recovery. Please pray for her, that she can recover, that she can heal. And I just ask just this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hi. My name is Jason. I called a while back in regards to my marriage and it had gotten…my marriage had been destroyed…and recently…about maybe thirteen months ago…my wife and I reunited. We reunited our kids. And listened to a brother on the call today, today is August 2nd. And he was just pouring out his heart about his walk with God that had diminished and he lost his family. I just want to tell you, hold on brother. Things may look grim and impossible right now but we serve a God that can make the impossible a stepping stone into greatness. Hold on, don’t give up. No matter what, do not give up. Keep fighting. I promise you it will be worth it in the end. God, bless you. And thank you Brian and your wife for this wonderful, wonderful moment that you’ve created for people to share and to give their testimony. God, bless everybody.

Hi. This is RC and the first time I’ve called in. But I heard someone call in. It was on yesterday’s program and he was just distraught over bitterness and feeling like God had let him down…and…man…I’ve been there…and I just want you to know…my heart was breaking for you. It’s such a struggle to try to figure out…ya know…what is our part….what is God’s part…which promises can we claim and things like that. And…my brother…I just…my heart aches for you. I’m praying for you. I love you and I can empathize. Ya know…we feel like we do a lot of things to deserve God’s grace and one thing I think I’m kind of learning is, God loves us. He will never leave us. But on this earth, there will be struggles and there are things that we must do. We must cling to Him. We must stay close to Him. When things are going well we can’t turn our back on Him. I’m not saying that’s anything you’ve done but I will be praying for you. I just had to call as quickly as possible and just let you know I’m with you and I love you and I’m praying for your family. Cling to Him no matter what and I love you. And please pray for me and my family. We’re going through a business loss and tremendous financial loss and trying to figure out handle all that in a Godly way…and the debt that’s left and those kind of things. I appreciate all of you and pray for many of you. Bye.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday August 21, 2017 (NIV)

Job 1-3

Job’s Character and Wealth

[a]There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God]. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. He also possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (pairs) of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest [and wealthiest and most respected] of all the men of the east (northern Arabia). His sons used to go [in turn] and feast in the house of each one on his [b]day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.(A) When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and [c]cursed God in their hearts.” Job did this at all [such] times.

Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the [d]Lord, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them.(B) The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God].” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

13 Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15 and the [e]Sabeans attacked and swooped down on them and took away the animals. They also killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The [f]Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and have taken them away and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly, a great wind came from across the desert, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

20 Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God]. 21 He said,

“Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb,
And naked I will return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Job Loses His Health

Again there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord, “[g]Skin for skin! Yes, a man will give all he has for his life. But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh [and severely afflict him]; and he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life.”

So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome boils and agonizingly painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and he sat [down] among the ashes (rubbish heaps).

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. 12 When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him [because of his disfigurement], they raised their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe [in grief] and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky [in sorrow]. 13 So they sat down on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Job’s Lament

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. [h]And Job said,


“Let the day on which I was born perish,
And the night which announced: ‘There is a man-child conceived.’

“May that day be darkness;
Let God above not care about it,
Nor light shine on it.

“Let darkness and gloom claim it for their own;
Let a cloud settle upon it;
Let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born).

“As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not be counted in the number of the months.

“Behold, let that night be barren [and empty];
Let no joyful voice enter it.

“Let those curse it [i]who curse the day,
Who are skilled in rousing up Leviathan.

“Let the stars of its early dawn be dark;
Let the morning wait in vain for the light,
Let it not see the eyelids of morning (the day’s dawning),
10 
Because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide trouble from my eyes.

11 
“Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?
12 
“Why did the knees receive me?
And why the breasts, that I would nurse?
13 
“For now I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest [in death],
14 
With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who built up [now desolate] ruins for themselves;
15 
Or with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver.
16 
“Or like a miscarriage which is hidden and put away, I would not exist,
Like infants who never saw light.
17 
“There [in death] the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary are at rest.
18 
“There the prisoners rest together;
They do not hear the taskmaster’s voice.
19 
“The small and the great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.(C)

20 
“Why is the light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the bitter in soul,
21 
Who wait for death, but it does not come,
And dig (search) for death more [diligently] than for hidden treasures,
22 
Who rejoice exceedingly,
And rejoice when they find the grave?
23 
Why is the light of day given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?
24 
“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries [of despair] are poured out like water.
25 
“For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me,
And that of which I am afraid has come upon me.
26 
“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, and yet trouble still comes [upon me].”

Footnotes:

  1. Job 1:1 The written structure of this book is unusual because it combines prose and poetry. No other book in the Bible uses this prose-poetry-prose pattern. Chapters 1 and 2 are prose, and introduce the poetic monologues and dialogues that comprise the essence of the story of Job. The opening verse of each of the intervening chapters is also prose as is the denouement in ch 42:7-17. A slightly longer introductory prose section is in ch 32:1-6a. Job is probably the most ancient book in the Bible and in addition to its biblical message it is highly regarded as a literary masterpiece.
  2. Job 1:4 Lit house of each man his day. It has been inferred by some that his refers to Job, and that his day was Job’s birthday or some other special occasion for him. But the Hebrew wording indicates instead that his refers to each of the brothers in turn, and since there were seven of them, it follows that they held a banquet every day of the week, rotating from house to house, as is also indicated in v 5. This is evidence both of the brothers’ prosperity and the close relationship they maintained with one another.
  3. Job 1:5 Lit blessed, a euphemism for “cursed.” The very idea of cursing God was so repugnant and sacrilegious to the godly that they would not use the word in speech or thought.
  4. Job 1:6 Heb YHWH (Yahweh), and so throughout chs 1, 2, 12, 38, 40, 42.
  5. Job 1:15 Terrorizing robbers from SW Arabia.
  6. Job 1:17 Marauding nomads from the Arabian desert. Much later the Chaldeans became the dominant people in the Babylonian Empire.
  7. Job 2:4 This probably refers to a trade of one animal skin for another, but even so its application here is unclear. One possibility is that according to Satan, Job would be willing to give up his wife (his remaining loved one) to save his own life, thus surrendering his integrity (v 3). Another is that Satan is hypothetically offering to give up his own life if Job is actually willing to die for his integrity. In any case, this is a bluff on Satan’s part, probably to make what he really wants (v 5) appear less drastic.
  8. Job 3:2 The prose introduction ends at v 1 and the poetic heart of the book begins with v 2. One of the features of Hebrew poetry is the prevalence of pairs of statements in which the second statement either is parallel in thought to the first or contrasts with it. There is no rhyming or metrical correspondence.
  9. Job 3:8 Some ancient sorcerers claimed the ability to curse a day by calling up a terrifying, legendary creature, such as Leviathan, to devour the sun.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 14:1-17

Prophecy a Superior Gift

14 Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may [a]prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people]. For one who speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to people but to God; for no one understands him or catches his meaning, but by the Spirit he speaks mysteries [secret truths, hidden things]. But [on the other hand] the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification [to promote their spiritual growth] and [speaks words of] encouragement [to uphold and advise them concerning the matters of God] and [speaks words of] consolation [to compassionately comfort them]. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church [promotes growth in spiritual wisdom, devotion, holiness, and joy]. Now I wish that all of you spoke in unknown tongues, but even more [I wish] that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater [and more useful] than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he translates or explains [what he says], so that the church may [b]be edified [instructed, improved, strengthened].

Now, believers, if I come to you speaking in unknown tongues, how will I benefit you unless I also speak to you [clearly] either by revelation [revealing God’s mystery], or by knowledge [teaching about God], or by prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], or by instruction [teaching precepts that develop spiritual maturity]? Yet even lifeless things, whether flute or harp, when producing a sound, if they do not produce distinct [musical] tones, how will anyone [listening] know what is piped or played? And if the [war] bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So it is with you, if you speak words [in an unknown tongue] that are not intelligible and clear, how will anyone understand what you are saying? You will be talking into the air [wasting your breath]! 10 There are, I suppose, a great many kinds of languages in the world [unknown to us], and none is lacking in meaning. 11 But if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will [appear to] be a [c]foreigner to the one who is speaking [since he knows exactly what he is saying], and the one who is speaking will [appear to] be a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you, since you are so very eager to have spiritual gifts and manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in ways that will build up the church [spiritually].

13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may [be gifted to] translate or explain [what he says]. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive [because it does not understand what my spirit is praying]. 15 Then what am I to do? I will pray with the [d]spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me] and I will pray with the mind [using words I understand]; I will sing with the spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me] and I will sing with the mind [using words I understand]. 16 Otherwise if you bless [and give thanks to God] in the spirit only, how will any outsider or someone who is not gifted [in spiritual matters] say the “Amen” [of agreement] to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?(A) 17 You are giving thanks well enough [in a way that God is glorified], but the other person [who does not understand you] is not edified [and spiritually strengthened since he cannot join in your thanksgiving].

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:1 In both the Old and the New Testaments, prophets are divinely inspired to foretell the future in the process of delivering God’s word to the people. Paul is saying to the Corinthians that all gifts are worthy and necessary (cf 12:11, 18, 29, 30), but that they should give the gift of prophecy the highest priority (cf Deut 18).
  2. 1 Corinthians 14:5 Lit receive edification.
  3. 1 Corinthians 14:11 Lit barbarian, i.e. one who did not speak Greek; especially a person from an uncivilized region whose speech could not be readily translated.
  4. 1 Corinthians 14:15 May refer to Paul’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 37:12-29

12 
The wicked plots against the righteous
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 
The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous],
For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming.
14 
The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].
15 
The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart,
And their bow will be broken.

16 
Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God]
Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless).(A)
17 
For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him].
18 
The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
And their inheritance will continue forever.
19 
They will not be [a]ashamed in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.
20 
But the wicked (ungodly) will perish,
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [b]glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke],
They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 
The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and kind and gives.
22 
For those blessed by God will [at last] inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be cut off.(B)

23 
The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].
24 
When he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.
25 
I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned
Or his descendants pleading for bread.
26 
All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.

27 
Depart from evil and do good;
And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever.
28 
For the Lord delights in justice
And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones);
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off.
29 
The righteous will inherit the land
And live in it forever.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 37:19 I.e. have their expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.
  2. Psalm 37:20 I.e. flowers.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 21:25-26

25 
The desire of the lazy kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor;
26 
He craves all the day long [and does no work],
But the righteous [willingly] gives and does not withhold [what he has].(A)

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 21:26 : 2 Cor 9:6-10
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday August 20, 2017 (NIV)

Esther 8-10

Mordecai Promoted

On that day King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) gave the [a]house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, because Esther had disclosed what [[b]relation] he was to her. The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther put Mordecai in charge of the house of Haman.

Then Esther spoke again to the king and fell down at his feet and wept and implored him to avert the evil plot of Haman the Agagite and his plan which he had devised against the Jews [because the decree to annihilate the Jews was still in effect]. Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose and stood before the king. Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter is proper in the king’s view and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote [in order] to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. For how can I endure to see the tragedy that will happen to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?” Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he stretched out his hand against the Jews.

The King’s Decree Avenges the Jews

Also, concerning the Jews, write as you see fit, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for a decree which is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked.”

So the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month of Sivan) on the twenty-third day; and it was written in accordance with everything that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, to the chief rulers (satraps), and the governors and officials of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia (Cush), 127 provinces, to every province in its own script (writing), and to every people in their own language and to the Jews according to their script and their language. 10 He wrote [a decree] in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on the royal [mail] relay horses, the offspring of the racing mares. 11 In it the king granted the Jews who were in every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives; to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force that might attack them, their little children, and women; and to take the enemies’ goods as plunder, 12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar). 13 A copy of the edict was to be issued as a law in every province and as a proclamation to all peoples, so that the Jews would be ready on that day, to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, who were mounted on the royal relay horses, left quickly, urged on by the king’s command; and the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa [the capital].

15 Then Mordecai departed from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and with a robe of fine linen and purple wool; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 For [at this time] the Jews had light [a dawn of new hope] and gladness and joy and honor. 17 In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s command and his decree arrived, the Jews celebrated with gladness and joy, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land [c]became Jews, for the fear of the Jews [and their God] had fallen on them.

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar) on the thirteenth day when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the [very] day when the enemies of the Jews had hoped to gain power over them [and slaughter them], it happened the other way around so that the Jews themselves gained power over those who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to apprehend those who wanted to do them harm; and no one could stand before them, for the fear of them [and their God] had fallen on all the peoples. Even all the officials of the provinces and the chief rulers (satraps) and the governors and those who attended to the king’s business supported the Jews [in defeating their enemies], because the fear of Mordecai [and his God’s power] had fallen on them. For Mordecai was great and respected in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. So the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, and [they killed] Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. What is your further request? It shall also be done.” 13 Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to act tomorrow also in accordance with the decree of today; and let [the dead bodies of] Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”(A) 14 So the king commanded it to be done; the decree was given in Susa, and they hanged [the bodies of] Haman’s ten sons. 15 The Jews who were in Susa also gathered together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

18 But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth of the same month, and on the fifteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural [unwalled] towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending choice portions of food to one another.

The Feast of Purim Instituted

20 Now Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who lived in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from grief to joy and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending choice portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 So the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, [to find the right time] to disturb and destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he commanded in writing that Haman’s wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons should [endure what he planned for the Jews and] be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name Pur (lot). And because of all the instructions in this letter, and what they had faced in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and made it a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all who joined them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days as it was written and at the appointed time annually. 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to cease from among the Jews, nor their memory fade from their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full power and authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30 He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 to establish these days of Purim [to be observed] at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions regarding their times of fasting and their lamentations (expressions of needing help). 32 The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book [of the royal archives].

Mordecai’s Greatness

10 King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) imposed a tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many fellow people, for he worked for the good of his people and spoke for the welfare and peace of his whole nation.

Footnotes:

  1. Esther 8:1 I.e. all the property and possessions of Haman.
  2. Esther 8:1 Mordecai was her cousin and guardian (2:7).
  3. Esther 8:17 Or embraced Judaism.

Cross references:

  1. Esther 9:13 : Esth 9:10
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13

27 Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body, and individually [you are] members of it [each with his own special purpose and function]. 28 So God has appointed and placed in the church [for His own use]: first apostles [chosen by Christ], second prophets [those who foretell the future, those who speak a new message from God to the people], third teachers, then those who work miracles, then those with the gifts of healings, the helpers, the administrators, and speakers in various kinds of [unknown] tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal].

And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love].

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not [a]love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing. If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body [b]to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.

Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part [for our knowledge is fragmentary and incomplete]. 10 But when that which is complete and perfect comes, that which is incomplete and partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God]. 13 And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:1 I.e. a profound thoughtfulness and unselfish concern for other believers regardless of their circumstances or station in life.
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Early mss read so that I may boast, i.e. as a martyr.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 37:1-11

Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

A Psalm of David.

37 [a]Do not worry because of evildoers,
Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;

For they will wither quickly like the grass,
And fade like the green herb.

Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord,
And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
Trust in Him also and He will do it.

He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light,
And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun].


Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;
Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evil.

For those who do evil will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.(A)
10 
For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever];
Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found].(B)
11 
But the humble will [at last] inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace.(C)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 37:1 One of the longer psalms, Ps 37 also has the distinction of having every other verse (sometimes succeeding verses) begin with a letter of the Hebrew in alphabetical order. This technique served as a memory aid.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 21:23-24

23 
He who guards his mouth and his tongue
Guards himself from troubles.(A)
24 
“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names
Who acts with overbearing and insolent pride.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

8/05/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezra 1:1-2:70 ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 ~ Psalm 27:7-14 ~ Proverbs 20:22-23

Today is the 5th day of August. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you as we end another week. And this is the first weekend in August. So, we end this week together with a beginning. We finished the book of Second Chronicles yesterday, which brings us to the book of Ezra. And Ezra will pick up, historically, where Second Chronicles leaves off, with the children of Israel in exile in Babylon, having been carried off for their rebelliousness to God, which we covered in detail in the previous readings. So, the book of Ezra is going to cover about eighty years and it will include three different kings in Babylon - Cyrus the Great, Darius, and then Artaxerxes, all who provide favor and cover for the Israelites, who are returning to their homeland. Cyrus the Great begins the process desiring, literally, to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem for the worship of God. And about forty-two-thousand Israelites, who have been in exile in Babylon, crying and weeping for the day that God would restore them, they finally get to make the trip back, under the leadership of a man name Zerubbabel, to rebuild Jerusalem. And, of course, they and their leaders are going to face all kinds of opposition both through intimidation of those nearby people who have been kind of in the land as it was dismantled and they’ve just kind of been there for the last decades and don’t necessarily want returning people to come in. And they’ll be opposed through political maneuvers but they will stick to the task. And it’s a great reference point for us in our own lives. This becomes a really, really poignant piece of scripture that applies to our lives as we persevere, as we stick to what we know God has given us to do in our calling in life, regardless of what seems to be caving in and around us, whatever our position we may face. Ezra later returns with a second group of returning exiles, the remainder of the exiles that are in Babylon, with the blessing of the king.  And then Israel is fully restored to its homeland. So, let’s embrace Ezra, not only for its history but as metaphor for your own life. And we’ll definitely find ourselves in these pages, without a doubt. And, so, we begin. Ezra chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 70. And we’ve been reading from the names of God Bible this week, which is what we’ll finish doing today.

Commentary:

OK. I was talking about this particular passage of scripture from First Corinthians when we did the Facebook Live in the Sneezing Jesus group the other night. Here’s the thing. It’s hard, it’s actually hard for me at this point not talk in terms of Sneezing Jesus or in terms of my previous book, Reframe, when we’re in the New Testament because both of those works were my deepest dive, like, they were me looking for where is the bedrock in certain aspects of our faith. So, with Reframe, it was, what is a relationship with God. And with Sneezing Jesus it was, what does it mean to be Christ-like, is that real, or is that metaphor and ambition, what is Jesus humanity mean to mine, does it matter that I’m a human being right now. And Paul talks about both of those things in this particular passage of scripture, when he is simply unpacking what reality is. And, so, if we move back through this passage of scripture it’s just so enlightening and so helpful to the way that we look at the world. Paul says - and he’s just getting going in this letter by the way, we’ve just got past the introductions, right, the hello, the “hey, it’s me Paul and I’m writing to you” stuff. So, Paul kind of gets against this letter going by saying, the message about the cross is nonsense to the people who are being destroyed. Right? The people who are destroying themselves by the choices that they are making to reject and renounce and move away from God, to stay devolved, to stay sub human, to stay as they were. But this same message about the cross that’s nonsense to them is God’s very power to us who are being saved, who are being sanctified, who are being awakened, who are being made new again as human beings. So, with that in mind then Paul asks, where is the wise person, where is the scholar, where’s the persuasive speaker of our time, hasn’t God turned that wisdom of the world into nonsense? Because the world with its wisdom, right, with its knowledge of good and evil, what mankind did after the fall, to try to recreate shalom, to try to be like God without God, the world with its wisdom was unable to recognize God in terms of His wisdom. So, God did something kind. He decided to use the nonsense of the good news that we speak to save those who believe. Jews ask for miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom. So, Paul is saying, basically Jews and Gentiles, because the Greeks were the gentiles for Paul, the predominant group of Gentiles for Paul. Jews are looking for miraculous signs, Gentiles are looking for wisdom. Right? So, people of faith are looking for signs from God. People that aren’t particularly religious or have a pantheon of gods, they’re looking for wisdom. Right? I mean, we can look at this in our own world. Christians ask for miraculous signs and secular people are searching for wisdom. Devout people want a sign from God or the gods, where other people use their knowledge as god and say, if it doesn’t measure up to this, it doesn’t exist. So, Paul takes that and juxtaposes it, but our message is that Christ was crucified and that is a ridiculous message. I mean, think about it. That is a ridiculous message. We walk around talking about a man who was crucified -  a horrible death, of course, terrible, brutal execution, absolutely - and that’s the big-game changer? You see how ridiculous this is? This offends Jewish people, Paul says. And, of course it does. This was their fear from the Romans. And it makes no sense to people aren’t Jewish. But to those Jews and Greeks who are called, He is the Christ. God’s power. Right? The signs. And God’s wisdom. Gods nonsense is wiser then human wisdom and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Right? So, no matter how you look at this nonsensical story of the gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter where you are coming from on it, it all leads to God, who is more powerful than anything that we can ever dream up. And, so, Paul is invites us, brothers and sisters, think about who you were when God called you to faith. Not many of you were wise. Not many of you were in powerful places or positions. Not many of you were upper class people. But God chose you anyway. He chose what the world considers nonsense. Right? So, he put the crown on your head when you were nothing. The world would have never done that for you. The world throws people up the movie charts, the music charts, the book charts. The world throws people up and celebrates their giftedness and worships them until they fall down and then they start with the next person. And Paul is saying, you were not that at all. God came down and put the crown on your head and you were nothing and that is nonsense to the world. But he did it to put the world’s wisdom to shame, to show that it’s backward, its opposite of the way the world is operating. It is God’s grace and kindness and His choosing of us that matters. We cannot earn our way toward it. Even if we become the most celebrated human being on the face of the earth, we cannot earn our way to God. He came or us specifically and rescued us intentionally. And while it may look like nonsense, it is the salvation of the world. And, so, Paul’s point is, you can’t brag about this. You can’t walk around being super Christian. That’s an oxymoron. All of us were rescued in a nonsensical way -  at least to the world’s way of thinking. But what this gospel reveals is the backwardness of the worlds system. God game and chose you. You have nothing to brag about. The only thing you can brag about is the same thing Paul was bragging about - Christ crucified, Christ alive within me rescuing me, Christ who knows my name, Christ who lives his life out through me. I have nothing in myself to brag about. I am a partner. And Paul says this, you are partners with Christ Jesus because of God, a partner. A partner with Jesus in this world. A collaborator with Jesus in this world. Jesus is the wisdom from God. Jesus is the approval from God. Jesus is the holiness before God. Jesus is the ransom from sin.

Wow! That’s the big story of what’s going on here. That’s the good news that were supposed to be sneezing into the world everywhere, with everything that we’ve got, in every way that we can. And this is not an obnoxious thing. This is the simple weight of our lives, the impact of our lives being light in the darkness. Paul describes this kind of posture and this behavior of sneezing it forward, of spreading the good news, spreading it like a virus, spreading it like something that will take hold and grow and be nourished and flourish and replicate itself. Paul talks about that very posture. He says, brothers and sisters, when I came to you I didn’t speak about Gods mystery as if it were some kind of brilliant message. He’s like, I didn’t come to show you the next big thing, which is what their culture and, for sure, what our culture is looking for. I didn’t come with this gospel to show you that it was the next big thing. When I was with you I decided to talk about only one thing, Jesus Christ, who was crucified. When I came to you I was not strong, I was weak. When I came to you I was afraid and very nervous. I didn’t speak my message with persuasive intellectual arguments. Right? I didn’t get into theological battles, thinking that if I could win the argument that I could win a convert. I spoke my message with a spiritual power. Right? Something from within. Something welling up from within that just is. Not something that I needed to prove. Something that just is so that your faith wouldn’t be based on human wisdom but on God’s power. And isn’t that how the gospel comes to each of us? And isn’t that how we sneeze it forward?

Prayer:

Father, we come to You and we’re humbled. Were humbled by just this small little passage from an ancient letter because it fillets things. It opens them up. And all the sudden what is inside is exposed and we have to admit that we’ve tried to intellectualize this and we’ve tried to frost it and we’ve tried to bake it and we’ve tried to broil it and we’ve tried to microwave it and we’ve tried to cook it on an open fire. We’ve tried every conceivable way to make it work in a palatable way, when Paul is just showing its not palatable. That was never the point. The point was restoration, redemption, a complete reversal of the order of things. And, so, yes, we can see clearly how this is nonsense. And yet this is the wisdom of God. It’s this juxtaposition of the cultures that we live in, what we declare as nonsense, what we declare is illogical. As if we are the de-facto people that get to make these decisions. Then You come in and say it’s backward. The things that you think are the next big thing aren’t. The next big thing comes through a cross and defeat because in that utter helplessness and hopelessness the power of God comes with the resurrection and restoration. And, so, yes, we will never earn our way. Yes, we will never become holy enough or perfect enough before You to say that on our own You must acknowledge us. It is only because You have come personally to rescue us. And we have nothing to brag about. And that posture of our lives and hearts, that we have nothing to brag about. And we are not trying to create something to brag about. We are simply trying to throw ourselves on the truth of Your rescue of our souls through the cross through Your death, burial, and resurrection. That’s all we’ve got. It’s all we’ve ever needed and we accept fully. And we ask Your Holy Spirit to transform us, to continually transform us, to continually remind us not to go back to the old ways of thinking, that we are being made new. And while that may not be understandable to everyone in our sphere, the weight of our lives, the transformation of our lives, the impact of this truth on our lives, that is compelling. And that is how we spread the good news. That is how we sneeze Jesus. Help us, Holy Spirit, to come into this place and live from here. We ask this in Your precious name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here.

That Facebook Live that I was talking about. You can still see that. It’s one of the posts at the Sneezing Jesus discussion group, which is at facebook.com/groups/sneezingjesus. If you are going through the book. If you are interested in what it looks like for you to move the gospel forward, then it’s a great place to ask questions and have conversations and share stories and be encouraged by one another. It’s an excellent resource. So, you should check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership here in the summer months. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the More button in the lower right hand corner or if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill TN 37174.

And of course, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayers and Praise Reports:

Hey Daily Audio Bible family. It’s doctor John from Jordan, New York. Cherry C., thank you for the shout out. I’ve been praying for Malcolm and I want specifically pray. In Jesus’ name, I ask you to provide Malcolm with a ticket home to honor his father and be able to provide for him. I ask that the price of that ticket will be less than $425 so that they can afford it and be able to complete the service for Malcom’s father. Jen, Prayer Warrior Princess, which, of course, I love your moniker, thanks for the shout. I just love this community and how we get to fellowship around the world. I truly believe that this is a vision of heaven on earth, where we care for one another and pray for one another in Spirit and in truth and help to have God’s will done here on earth through the prayers of the righteous. And none of us are righteous except through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. So, thank you all, for everyone, what you do, and how you love one another. And as our poet, Tony, says, keep it flowin’ y’all.

Hi DAB family. This is Will from beautiful Bozeman, Montana. I’ve been in the background just listening and praying for others and learning. Asia, I heard you sister. I’m praying for you. And I just want to share this with you and with everyone else. God said to Paul, My grace is sufficient for you for My power is made perfect in weakness. He said, My grace is sufficient for you for My power is made perfect in weakness. He said, My grace is sufficient for you for My power is made perfect in weakness. And, I know that many who are hurting, I just want to be sincere in what I’m saying for Jesus said, blessed is he who is not offended on account of me. So, take His words. Trust Him. And then He said, come to Me all you of heavy laden in burden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am meek and lowly of heart and you will find rest for your soul. Now, what is that yoke? I call this my Sneezing Jesus moment as I thought through this process. It’s His grace. Now, in saying all this, that grace is sufficient for you. That is not a time to shrink back. It is not a time to retreat but for each and everyone to stand firm in God’s truth, to stand firm in who He is, for every word that He shared in these scriptures is not a point of shrinking back. So, hold on firm to your hope, your faith, your truth of who God is. And remember also, that if you can see hope then it’s not hope. So, true hope is something you’re holding onto by faith, knowing that the One who created life is the One who is able to do it. I love you all. You guys are such a blessing to me. Love you DAB. Thank you, Brian and Jill.

Hi. It’s Stanley from Maryland. Daily Audio Bible family, let’s  pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for who You are. We thank You because You are God. We thank You because You are our Father and You love us. We thank You because You know every single thing that we’re going through and You’re sad with us and You’re happy with us and You rejoice with us when we rejoice in You and You cry with us when we cry.  Thank You for who You are God. Psalm chapter 37, verse 23 and 24 says, the Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in the details all their lives. Though they stumble they will never fall for the Lord holds them by the hand. Thank You, God, for this word. And we just love You today no matter what we are going through. I hope that this encourages anyone who’s struggling with something or who feels like giving up. God knows. He delights in every detail of your life.  And though you stumble, you will never fall because He knows you and He holds you by your hand. So, I love you today. Bye.

The is Alyssa from New Jersey, AKA Zion Sinner.  And I’m calling to encourage Lawrence from California who called in. Lauren, God hears your cry. And you may have walked away from Him but He’s never walked away from you. God doesn’t lose His sheep. And He wants you to know that He’s with you and He never left you. And I want you to know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Even during that dark night of your soul, when you walked away, there’s still no condemnation because you’re in Christ Jesus. You’re still in Him. And, so, Lawrence, I want you to know that, with God, all things are possible. Restoration is possible. He is the king of restoration. So, I pray in the name of Jesus that you will have an encounter with the Lord, that you will continue to stay hungry for him, and that the fruit that you bear from that will be the evidence that your family needs to be willing to work in the restoration process. I thank you, Lord, for Lawrence. I thank you that he was vulnerable enough call in and cry out in front of the entire world that listens. Lawrence, your tears are in Gods bottle. He collects your tears. He wipes tear from your eye. And though weeping may last for a night, joy comes in the morning. So, be encouraged my brother. Your joy is coming. Your joy is coming. Morning is coming. Its darkest before the dawn. And the Lord is here and He never left to. He’s not angry with you. And He just loves and. And He’s just standing there with arms wide open, ready to put the ring on your finger, the sandals on your feet, and the robe upon your back. So be blessed my brother and take care.

My name is Jake O. and my father took his life over the weekend. We just found out Tuesday. You can probably hear it in my voice…I’m struggling today. But…it’s not easy.  ___ Nation Guard ___ oak.  It’s way too early. It’s wrong on so many levels.  It’s not easy. And I know that without prayer and without God ___. I just need your prayer. My family needs all the prayer it can get. Thank you. Thank you.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday August 19, 2017 (NIV)

Esther 4-7

Mordecai mourned when he found out what had happened. He ripped his clothes, put on sackcloth, and wiped ash onto his body. Then he went through the city, weeping loudly in anguish. When he came to the king’s gate, not far from the palace, he stopped since those wearing sackcloth were not permitted to enter it and disrupt the mood of the court.

In the meantime, as word of the king’s decree began to spread throughout all of the provinces, terrible distress grew among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and screamed out in misery. Like Mordecai, many put on sackcloth and ashes.

Back in Susa, Esther’s maids and eunuchs witnessed Mordecai mourning outside of the king’s gate. They went and reported to the queen all that they saw.

Esther: What is wrong? Why is he doing this? It breaks my heart to think of him like this. Take these clothes to Mordecai so he can put them on instead of wearing sackcloth.

But when the servants arrived, Mordecai refused to wear the clothes Queen Esther had sent. So Esther sent for Hathach, who was one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to serve her.

Esther: Hathach, go to Mordecai at once. Find out why he is mourning, and report back to me all that he says.

Hathach went to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. Mordecai told the queen’s servant everything that had happened and how much money Haman had pledged to place into the royal treasury in exchange for the destruction of the Jews. Then he gave Hathach a copy of the order for mass murder of the Jews, the same order issued in the city of Susa.

Mordecai: Show it to Esther. Tell her everything I have told you. Convince her to go before her king and plead for his favor, not only for her life, but also for the lives of her people.

Hathach returned to Esther and told her everything Mordecai had said. 10 Esther ordered Hathach to return to the city gate and reply to Mordecai.

Esther: 11 How am I supposed to see the king? It’s known throughout the land, from the greatest of the king’s officials to the common folk who live in the provinces, that any person who approaches the king in the inner chamber without being invited is sentenced to death. That’s the law! There’s only one exception, and that’s if the king were to hold out the gold scepter to that person and spare his or her life. It’s been 30 days since the king last summoned me!

12 Hathach and the other servants took Esther’s response to Mordecai.

Mordecai: 13 Tell Esther, “Don’t be fooled. Just because you are living inside the king’s palace doesn’t mean that you out of all of the Jews will escape the carnage. You must go before your king. 14 If you stay silent during this time, deliverance for the Jews will come from somewhere, but you, my child, and all of your father’s family will die. And who knows? Perhaps you have been made queen for such a time as this.”

Of all the books in the Bible, Esther is unique because God is never once mentioned explicitly. Still, for those who know God and who know history, God is in the story, behind it, above it, beneath it. He is the main actor in history, even if He is not acknowledged. Here, Mordecai shows great wisdom. The Jews, God’s chosen people, will be delivered whether Esther involves herself or not. Divine Providence has ways and means that go beyond human understanding. Still Providence has made Esther queen for a purpose, a purpose she cannot easily escape.

15 Once again, Hathach returned to Queen Esther with Mordecai’s message. In turn she sent a reply back to Mordecai.

Esther: Tell Mordecai, 16 In preparation for my audience with the king, do this: gather together all the Jews in Susa, and fast and pray for me. Intercede for me. For three days and nights, abstain from all food and drink. My maids and I will join you in this time. And after the three days, I will go in to the king and plead my people’s case, even though it means breaking the law. And if I die, then I die!”

17 Mordecai left the king’s gate and put all of Esther’s instructions into action.

When the third day arrived, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king’s rooms. The king was sitting on his throne facing the palace entrance. He was pleased when he noticed Queen Esther waiting in the court. He extended his gold scepter with his hand, inviting her in. Esther walked toward him, and when she was close enough, she reached out and touched the king’s scepter.

King Ahasuerus: What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? I’ll give you anything—even half of my kingdom—all you need to do is ask.

Queen Esther: If it would please you, my king, I’d like for you and Haman to come today to a banquet I have made in your honor.

King Ahasuerus (looking at his servants): Go and find Haman this instant, so we can do as Esther desires.

So the king and Haman came to Esther’s banquet. As Haman, the king, and Esther were enjoying the wine at the end of her banquet, the king pressed the question.

King Ahasuerus: Now, my queen, what is your request? I promise that half of my kingdom is not too much to ask! Don’t be afraid to ask for whatever you want.

Queen Esther: I do want something. My request is: If I have found favor before you, and if you truly desire to grant my request, would you and Haman join me again tomorrow for another banquet I will prepare? Then I will answer your question.

Haman left dinner in high spirits, almost gleeful, but his joy was short lived. As he walked through the king’s gate, he passed by Mordecai. It angered Haman to see the Jew unwilling to stand and, worse still, seemingly unafraid. 10 But he resisted showing his anger right then and there. Instead, he went home and spent time with friends and Zeresh, his wife. 11 Haman spent the evening bragging to them about being rich and having lots of sons in his family. He even boasted about his relationship with the king, talking to his guests about his promotion above all of his fellow nobles and the officials of the king.

Haman: 12 And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited me today to dine with her and the king. Just the three of us! And guess what? She’s invited me again tomorrow. What do you think about that? 13 But I must be honest; seeing that Jew, Mordecai, as I pass through the gate makes it difficult to celebrate any of my good fortune.

14 Then his wife Zeresh and all of his friends came up with an idea.

Zeresh and His Friends: You should make a wood pole 75 feet high! Tomorrow morning, have the king sentence Mordecai to be executed on it. Then you’ll be able to have a good time at the banquet with the king.

Haman thought the idea was brilliant. So he had the pole made.

The Persians have a particularly grisly way of humiliating and killing those they hate. A tree is cut down and sharpened to a point at one end. In some cases, the condemned are killed, and their lifeless bodies are impaled on it. Others are hung on the pole as a mode of torture and execution. It is erected in some public place as an example for others, and the 75-foot pole described here is high enough to be seen over most buildings and small trees. Soon birds and insects begin eating away at the dead or dying. Political enemies, criminals, and dissidents often end their lives this way. The threat of public death and humiliation has kept many from disobeying the law, but not Mordecai.

That same night the king was unable to sleep, so he ordered the official records of his reign to be brought and read before him. As the record was read, the king was reminded of the time when Mordecai saved his life. Mordecai had been the one who reported that Bigthana and Teresh, two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the doors, were plotting to assassinate the king.[a]

King Ahasuerus (to his servants): Did Mordecai receive any recognition for this action? Was he honored in any way?

Servants: He received no recognition for this.

King Ahasuerus: Is anyone out in the court now?

Haman had just arrived at the outer court of King Ahasuerus’ palace. He hoped to speak with the king about executing Mordecai and hanging him on the pole he had prepared.

Servants: Haman is here waiting in the court to see you.

King Ahasuerus: Allow him to come in.

So Haman entered the king’s chambers. He waited for the king to speak first.

King Ahasuerus: Haman, I want to ask you something. What do you believe is the proper manner in which to honor a man who has pleased me?

Then Haman thought to himself, “There is no one the king wishes to honor more than me.”

Haman: If you desire to honor a man, I believe you should do this: First, have your servants bring one of the robes you have worn and one of the horses you have ridden that has worn the royal crown on its head. Then, you should give the robe and horse to one of your most noble officials. Have him robe the man whom you want to honor and then lead the man on horseback throughout the center of the city. It should be announced that this is what happens for the man whom the king wants to honor.

King Ahasuerus: 10 Your idea is perfect, Haman. I want you to go and do this immediately. Take one of my robes and one of my horses and do exactly what you have suggested to Mordecai, the Jewish man who sits at my gate. Do everything you have said, and don’t leave out one single detail. Not one!

The situation is now reversed, and Haman is forced to honor the man he has sought to kill.

11 Haman was mortified. He took the robe and horse; he dressed Mordecai in the king’s robe and led him throughout the square of the city.

Haman (shouting): This is what happens for the man whom the king desires to honor!

12 When it was done, Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman fled to his home, mourning and covering his head in humiliation. 13 He told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends everything that had happened to him. They offered him a bit of wise advice.

Zeresh and His Friends: You must be very careful with how you handle Mordecai! If he really is a Jew, a descendant of the nation that defeated your ancestors, then you won’t be able to succeed. In fact, you will most certainly be destroyed! Look, you’ve already begun to bow to him.

14 In the middle of their conversation, the king’s eunuchs arrived at Haman’s house and rushed him off to have dinner with Esther and the king.

King Ahasuerus and Haman came to dine with Queen Esther; and while they were drinking wine, the king posed his question once again.

King Ahasuerus: What is your request, Queen Esther? I’m willing to give you anything you want. Just make your request. Even if it’s half the kingdom you desire, I will make it happen!

Queen Esther: If you favor me, my king, and if it pleases you, spare my life. That’s all I’m asking for—that my people and I be spared. That is my wish. There are some, my king, who wish to rid your kingdom of us. For my people and I have been sold, marked for destruction and massacre. Now if the plan were simply to sell our men and women into slavery, I would have kept my mouth closed because that would not have been important enough to disturb you, my king.

Esther’s plea to Ahasuerus echoes the words of Moses to Pharaoh: “Let my people go.”

King Ahasuerus: Who has targeted your people? Where is this man who dares to do this?

Queen Esther (pointing to Haman): The man responsible for these actions is wicked Haman. He is vile, and an enemy to my people.

In that moment, Haman’s joy turned to terror before the king and queen. Angered, the king shoved away from the table, left his wine, and walked into the palace garden. But Haman, aware that King Ahasuerus had already sealed his fate, didn’t follow behind. Instead, he pleaded with Queen Esther to spare his life. In desperation, he threw himself onto the couch where Queen Esther was sitting, just as King Ahasuerus walked back from the garden to the place where the wine and the banquet had been set.

King Ahasuerus: Haman, will you even violate my queen right here in the palace, where I can see you?

As soon as the king gave the order, the royal eunuchs covered Haman’s face. His fate had been sealed. One of those eunuchs was Harbonah.

Harbonah: Look! Haman has prepared a 75-foot pole for execution in his own courtyard. He was hoping to use it to hang Mordecai, the man who spoke up and saved the king.

King Ahasuerus: Well, hang him on it!

10 So they took Haman and killed him and displayed him on the pole he had made ready for Mordecai. And King Ahasuerus’ anger subsided.

Footnotes:

  1. 6:2 Esther 2:21–22
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 12:1-26

12 Now let me turn to some issues about spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters. There’s much you need to learn.

Remember the way you used to live when you were pagans apart from God? You were engrossed—enchanted with voiceless idols, led astray by mere images carved by human hands. With that in mind, I want you to understand that no one saying “Jesus is cursed” is operating under God’s Spirit, and no one confessing “Jesus is Lord” can do so without the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.

Now there are many kinds of grace gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. There are many different ways to serve, but they’re all directed by the same Lord. There are many amazing working gifts in the church, but it is the same God who energizes them all in all who have the gifts.

Paul’s description of the works of the Spirit, the Lord (Jesus), and God (the Father) links the three persons together in remarkable ways. Although Paul never articulates the doctrine of the Trinity, what he writes here about the Godhead relationship—their community of persons—becomes the raw materials used by later believers to construct the church’s teaching on the Trinity. In this chapter the apostle emphasizes the agency of the Spirit. For him the Spirit is not just an impersonal force or feeling; He is just as much a person within the Trinity as the Father and the Son. Accordingly, the Spirit chooses where to impart gifts as He works together with the Father and the Son to build up the church.

Each believer has received a gift that manifests the Spirit’s power and presence. That gift is given for the good of the whole community. The Spirit gives one person a word of wisdom, but to the next person the same Spirit gives a word of knowledge. Another will receive the gift of faith by the same Spirit, and still another gifts of healing—all from the one Spirit. 10 One person is enabled by the Spirit to perform miracles, another to prophesy, while another is enabled to distinguish those prophetic spirits. The next one speaks in various kinds of unknown languages, while another is able to interpret those languages. 11 One Spirit works all these things in each of them individually as He sees fit.

12 Just as a body is one whole made up of many different parts, and all the different parts comprise the one body, so it is with the Anointed One. 13 We were all ceremonially washed through baptism[a] together into one body by one Spirit. No matter our heritage—Jew or Greek, insider or outsider—no matter our status—oppressed or free—we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Here’s what I mean: the body is not made of one large part but of many different parts. 15 Would it seem right for the foot to cry, “I am not a hand, so I couldn’t be part of this body”? Even if it did, it wouldn’t be any less joined to the body. 16 And what about an ear? If an ear started to whine, “I am not an eye; I shouldn’t be attached to this body,” in all its pouting, it is still part of the body. 17 Imagine the entire body as an eye. How would a giant eye be able to hear? And if the entire body were an ear, how would an ear be able to smell? 18 This is where God comes in. God has meticulously put this body together; He placed each part in the exact place to perform the exact function He wanted. 19 If all members were a single part, where would the body be? 20 So now, many members function within the one body. 21 The eye cannot wail at the hand, “I have no need for you,” nor could the head bellow at the feet, “I won’t go one more step with you.” 22 It’s actually the opposite. The members who seem to have the weaker functions are necessary to keep the body moving; 23 the body parts that seem less important we treat as some of the most valuable; and those unfit, untamed, unpresentable members we treat with an even greater modesty. 24 That’s something the more presentable members don’t need. But God designed the body in such a way that greater significance is given to the seemingly insignificant part. 25 That way there should be no division in the body; instead, all the parts mutually depend on and care for one another. 26 If one part is suffering, then all the members suffer alongside it. If one member is honored, then all the members celebrate alongside it.

Footnotes:

  1. 12:13 Literally, immersed, in a rite of initiation and purification
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 36

Psalm 36

For the worship leader. A song of David, the Eternal’s servant.

Sin speaks in the depths of the soul
of those who oppose God; they listen closely to its urgings.
You’ll never see the fear of God
in their eyes,
For they flatter themselves—
convinced their sin will remain secret, undiscovered, and so unhated.
They speak words of evil and deceit.
Wisdom and goodness, they deserted long ago.
Even as they sleep, they are plotting mischief.
They journey along a path far from anything good,
gravitating to trouble, welcoming evil.

Your love, O Eternal One, towers high into the heavens.
Even the skies are lower than Your faithfulness.
Your justice is like the majestic mountains.
Your judgments are as deep as the oceans, and yet in Your greatness,
You, O Eternal, offer life for every person and animal.

Your strong love, O True God, is precious.
All people run for shelter under the shadow of Your wings.
In Your house, they eat and are full at Your table.
They drink from the river of Your overflowing kindness.
You have the fountain of life that quenches our thirst.
Your light has opened our eyes and awakened our souls.

10 May Your love continue to grow deeply in the lives of all who know You.
May Your salvation reach every heart committed to do right.
11 Give me shelter from prideful feet that hunt me down
and wicked hands that push me from Your path.
12 It is there, far away from You, that the wicked will be forced down,
face to the earth, never again returning to their feet.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 21:21-22

21 Whoever pursues justice and treats others with kindness
discovers true life marked by integrity and respect.
22 One wise person can rise against a city of mighty men
and cause the citadel they trust to collapse.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.