February 4
Job 34 & Matthew 25
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Job 34

Chapter 34

34:1Then Elihu continued, saying:
2Hear my words, you wise men,
and listen to me, you knowledgeable ones.
3Doesn't the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
4Let us judge for ourselves what is right;
let us decide together what is good.
5For Job has declared, "I am righteous,
yet God has deprived me of justice.
6Would I lie about my case?
My wound is incurable,
though I am without transgression."
7What man is like Job?
He drinks derision like water.
8He keeps company with evildoers
and walks with wicked men.
9For he has said, "A man gains nothing
when he becomes God's friend."
10Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding.
It is impossible for God to do wrong,
and for the Almighty to act unjustly.
11For He repays a person according to his deeds,
and He brings his ways on him.
12Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly
and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13Who gave Him authority over the earth?
Who put Him in charge of the entire world?
14If He put His mind to it
and withdrew the spirit and breath He gave,
15every living thing would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.
16If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I have to say.
17Could one who hates justice govern the world?
Will you condemn the mighty Righteous One,
18who says to a king, "Worthless man!"
and to nobles, "Wicked men!"?
19God is not partial to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of His hands.
20They die suddenly in the middle of the night;
people shudder, then pass away.
Even the mighty are removed without effort.
21For His eyes watch over a man's ways,
and He observes all his steps.
22There is no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves.
23God does not need to examine a person further,
that one should approach Him in court.
24He shatters the mighty without an investigation
and sets others in their place.
25Therefore, He recognizes their deeds
and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed.
26In full view of the public,
He strikes them for their wickedness,
27because they turned aside from following Him
and did not understand any of His ways
28but caused the poor to cry out to Him,
and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
29But when God is silent, who can declare Him guilty?
When He hides His face, who can see Him?
Yet He watches over both individuals and nations,
30so that godless men should not rule
or ensnare the people.
31Suppose someone says to God,
"I have endured my punishment;
I will no longer act wickedly.
32Teach me what I cannot see;
if I have done wrong, I won't do it again."
33Should God repay you on your terms
when you have rejected His?
You must choose, not I!
So declare what you know.
34Reasonable men will say to me,
along with the wise men who hear me,
35"Job speaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight."
36If only Job were tested to the limit,
because his answers are like those of wicked men.
37For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he scornfully claps in our presence,
while multiplying his words against God.

Matthew 25

Chapter 25

25:1"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they didn't take olive oil with them. 4But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6"In the middle of the night there was a shout: 'Here's the groom! Come out to meet him.'
7"Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.'
9"The sensible ones answered, 'No, there won't be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.'
10"When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.
11"Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, 'Master, master, open up for us!'
12"But he replied, 'I assure you: I do not know you!'
13"Therefore be alert, because you don't know either the day or the hour.
14"For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one-to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I've earned five more talents.'
21"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy!'
22"Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I've earned two more talents.'
23"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy!'
24"Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, 'Master, I know you. You're a difficult man, reaping where you haven't sown and gathering where you haven't scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.'
26"But his master replied to him, 'You evil, lazy slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven't sown and gather where I haven't scattered, 27then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money back with interest.
28"'So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
31"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?'
40"And the King will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.' 41Then He will also say to those on the left, 'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!
42For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43I was a stranger
and you didn't take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn't clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn't take care of Me.'
44"Then they too will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?'
45"Then He will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.'
46"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

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