Job 11 - 12 - Legacy Standard Bible

Job 11 - 12

Zophar Asks, Can You Find the Depths of God?

Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said, 2

“Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,

And a man of lips be in the right?

Shall your boasts silence men?

And shall you mock and none rebuke?

You have said, ‘My learning is pure,

And I am innocent in your eyes.’

But would that God might speak,

And open His lips against you,

And tell you the secrets of wisdom!

For sound wisdom has two sides.

Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.

“Can you find the depths of God?

Can you find the limits of the Almighty?

They are high as the heavens, what can you do?

Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?

Its measure is longer than the earth

And broader than the sea.

If He sweeps by or shuts up,

Or calls an assembly, who can turn Him around?

For He knows worthless men,

And He sees wickedness, so will He not carefully consider it?

Yet an empty headed man will obtain a heart of wisdom,

And the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

“If you would set your heart right

And spread out your hand to Him,

If wickedness is in your hand, put it far away,

And do not let unrighteousness dwell in your tents;

Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,

And you would be steadfast and not fear.

For you would forget your trouble,

As waters that pass by, so you would remember it.

And your lifetime would arise brighter than noonday;

Darkness would be like the morning.

Then you would trust, because there is hope;

And you would search around and rest securely.

You would lie down and none would make you tremble,

And many would entreat your favor.

But the eyes of the wicked will come to an end,

And escape will perish from them;

And their hope is the expiring of their soul.”

Job Answers

Then Job answered and said, 2

“Truly then you are the people,

And with you wisdom will die!

But I have a heart of wisdom as well as you;

I do not fall short of you.

And who does not know such things as these?

I am a laughingstock to my friends,

The one who called on God and He answered him;

The righteous and blameless man is a laughingstock.

As for upheaval, there is only contempt by the one who acts at ease,

But it is prepared for those whose feet slip.

The tents of the destroyers are complacent,

And those who provoke God are secure,

Whom God brings into their power.

“But now ask the beasts, and let them instruct you;

And the birds of the sky, and let them tell you.

Or muse to the earth, and let it instruct you;

And let the fish of the sea recount it to you.

Who among all these does not know

That the hand of Yahweh has done this,

In whose hand is the life of every living thing,

And the breath of all the flesh of man?

Does not the ear test words,

As the palate tastes its food?

Wisdom is with aged men,

With long life is discernment.

Job Speaks of God’s Strength

“With Him are wisdom and might;

To Him belong counsel and discernment.

Behold, He pulls down, and it cannot be rebuilt;

He closes a man in, and it cannot be opened.

Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;

And He sends them out, and they overturn the earth.

With Him are strength and sound wisdom;

The misled and the misleader belong to Him.

He makes counselors walk barefoot

And makes fools of judges.

He opens the bond of kings

And binds their loins with a belt.

He makes priests walk barefoot

And subverts the enduring ones.

He removes speech from the faithful

And takes away the discerning taste of the elders.

He pours contempt on nobles

And loosens the belt of the strong.

He reveals mysteries from the darkness

And brings out the shadows of death into light.

He makes the nations great, then makes them perish;

He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

He removes the heart of wisdom from the heads of the earth’s people

And makes them wander in a pathless waste.

They grope in darkness with no light,

And He makes them wander about like a drunken man.

Luke 2

Jesus Is Born in Bethlehem

Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for a census to be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was going to be registered for the census, each to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was with child. 6 Now it happened that while they were there, the days were fulfilled for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

15 And it happened that when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it marveled at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary was treasuring all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as was told them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

21 And when eight days were fulfilled so that they could circumcise Him, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days for their cleansing according to the Law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms and blessed God, and said, 29

“Now Master, You are releasing Your slave in peace,

According to Your word.

For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

Which You prepared in the presence of all peoples,

A Light for revelation to the Gentiles,

And for the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And His father and mother were marveling at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce through your own soul as well—that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Return to Nazareth

39 And when they had finished everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. 40 Now the Child continued to grow and become strong, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

41 And His parents would go to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43 and as they were returning, after finishing the days of the Feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents did not know. 44 But supposing Him to be in the caravan, they went a day’s journey, and they began searching for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem searching for Him. 46 And it happened that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him, “Child, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.” 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were searching for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He had spoken to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them, and His mother was treasuring all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Psalm 32

You Forgave the Iniquity of My Sin

Of David. A Maskil.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered!

How blessed is the man whose iniquity Yahweh will not take into account,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

When I kept silent about my sin, my bones wasted away

Through my groaning all day long.

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was drained away as with the heat of summer. Selah.

I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not cover up;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh;”

And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Therefore, let every holy one pray to You at a time when You may be found;

Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

You are my hiding place; You guard me from trouble;

You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

I will give you insight and teach you in the way which you should go;

I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,

Whose harness are bit and bridle to control them,

Otherwise they will not come near you.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

But he who trusts in Yahweh, lovingkindness shall surround him.

Be glad in Yahweh and rejoice, you righteous ones;

And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.