Job 37 - 38 - Legacy Standard Bible

Job 37 - 38

Elihu Speaks of God’s Voice

“At this also my heart trembles,

And leaps from its place.

Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,

And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.

Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,

And His lightning to the ends of the earth.

After it, a voice roars;

He thunders with His majestic voice,

And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.

God thunders with His voice marvelously,

Doing great things which we do not know.

For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’

And to the downpour of rain and the downpour of rains, ‘Be strong.’

He seals the hand of every man,

That all men may know His work.

Then the beast goes into its lair

And dwells in its den.

Out of the south comes the storm,

And out of the north the cold.

From the breath of God ice is made,

And the expanse of the waters is frozen.

Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;

He scatters the cloud of His lightning.

It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,

That it may do whatever He commands it

On the face of the inhabited earth.

Whether for correction, or for His world,

Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

“Give ear to this, O Job,

Stand and carefully consider the wondrous deeds of God.

Do you know how God establishes them,

And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?

Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,

The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,

You whose garments are hot,

When the land is quiet because of the south wind?

Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,

Strong as a molten mirror?

Make us know what we shall say to Him;

We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.

Shall it be recounted to Him that I would speak?

If a man says a word, will He indeed be swallowed up?

“So now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;

But the wind has passed and cleared them.

Out of the north comes golden splendor;

Around God is fearsome majesty.

The Almighty—we cannot find Him;

He is exalted in power

And He will not afflict justice and abundant righteousness.

Therefore men fear Him;

He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

Yahweh Answers Job

Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 2

“Who is this that darkens counsel

By words without knowledge?

Now gird up your loins like a man,

And I will ask you, and you make Me know!

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell Me, if you know understanding,

Who set its measurements? Since you know.

Or who stretched the line on it?

On what were its bases sunk?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who enclosed the sea with doors

When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb,

When I made a cloud its garment

And dense gloom its swaddling band,

And I placed boundaries on it

And set a bolt and doors,

And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;

And here shall your proud waves stop’?

Yahweh Answers Job, “Have You?”

“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,

And caused the dawn to know its place,

That it might seize the ends of the earth,

And the wicked be shaken out of it?

It is changed like clay under the seal;

And they stand forth like clothing.

From the wicked their light is withheld,

And the arm raised high is broken.

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea

Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

Have you carefully considered the expanse of the earth?

Tell Me, if you know all this.

“Where is the way to where the light dwells?

And darkness, where is its place,

That you may take it to its territory

And that you may discern the paths to its home?

You know, for you were born then,

And the number of your days is great!

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,

Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

Which I have reserved for the time of distress,

For the day of war and battle?

Where is the way that the light is divided,

Or the east wind scattered on the earth?

“Who has cleft a conduit for the flood,

Or a way for the thunderbolt,

To bring rain on a land without people,

On a desert without a man in it,

To satisfy the waste and desolate land

And to make the growth of grass to sprout?

Has the rain a father?

Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

From whose womb has come the ice?

And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?

Water becomes hard like stone,

And the surface of the deep is interlocked.

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,

Or loose the cords of Orion?

Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,

And guide the Bear with her satellites?

Do you know the statutes of the heavens,

Or fix their rule over the earth?

“Can you raise your voice up to the clouds,

So that an abundance of water will cover you?

Can you send forth lightnings that they may go

And say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Who has given wisdom in the innermost being

Or given understanding to the mind?

Who can count the clouds by wisdom,

Or tip the water jars of the heavens,

When the dust hardens into a mass

And the clods stick together?

Yahweh Answers Job, “Where Were You?”

“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,

Or fulfill the appetite of the young lions,

When they crouch in their dens

And lie in wait in their lair?

Who prepares for the raven its provision

When its young cry for help to God

And wander about without food?

Luke 15

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you, if he has one hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Drachma

8 “Or what woman, if she has ten drachmas and loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate living recklessly. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he was desiring to be fed with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will rise up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he rose up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, 23 and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us eat and celebrate, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And summoning one of the servants, he began inquiring what these things could be. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not wanting to go in, and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and never have I neglected a command of yours. And yet never have you given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive, and was lost and has been found.’”

Psalm 46 - 47

God Is Our Refuge and Strength

For the choir director. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change

And though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea;

Though its waters roar and foam,

Though the mountains quake at its lofty pride. Selah.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her, she will not be shaken;

God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations roar, the kingdoms shake;

He gives His voice, the earth melts.

Yahweh of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Come, behold the works of Yahweh,

Who has appointed desolations in the earth.

He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;

He breaks the bow and cuts up the spear;

He burns the chariots with fire.

“Cease striving and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Yahweh of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

God Is King of All the Earth

For the choir director. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.

O clap your hands, all peoples;

Make a loud shout to God with the sound of a shout of joy.

For Yahweh Most High is fearsome,

A great King over all the earth.

He subdues peoples under us

And nations under our feet.

He chooses our inheritance for us,

The pride of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.

God has ascended with a loud shout,

Yahweh, with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;

Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;

Sing praises with a skillful psalm.

God reigns over the nations,

God sits on His holy throne.

The nobles of the peoples have assembled themselves with the people of the God of Abraham,

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

He is highly exalted.