Day 231 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

Job 20

1 Then Sophar the Minæan answered and said, 2 I did not suppose that thou wouldest answer thus: neither do ye understand more than I. 3 I will hear my shameful reproach; and the spirit of my understanding answers me. 4 Hast thou [not] known these things of old, from the time that man was set upon the earth? 5 But the mirth of the ungodly is a signal downfall, and the joy of transgressors is destruction: 6 although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the clouds. 7 For when he shall seem to be now established, then he shall utterly perish: and they that knew him shall say, Where is he? 8 Like a dream that has fled away, he shall not be found; and he has fled like a vision of the night. 9 The eye has looked upon him, but shall not [see him] again; and his place shall no longer perceive him. 10 Let [his] inferiors destroy his children, and let his hands kindle the fire of sorrow. 11 His bones have been filled with [vigour of] his youth, and it shall lie down with him in the dust. 12 Though evil be sweet in his mouth, [though] he will hide it under his tongue; 13 though he will not spare it, and will not leave it, but will keep it in the midst of his throat: 14 yet he shall not at all be able to help himself; the gall of an asp is in his belly. 15 [His] wealth unjustly collected shall be vomited up; a messenger [of wrath] shall drag him out of his house. 16 And let him suck the poison of serpents, and let the serpent's tongue slay him. 17 Let him not see the milk of the pastures, nor the supplies of honey and butter. 18 He has laboured unprofitably and in vain, [for] wealth of which he shall not taste: [it is] as a lean thing, unfit for food, which he cannot swallow. 19 For he has broken down the houses of many mighty men: and he has plundered an habitation, though he built [it] not. 20 There is no security to his possessions; he shall not be saved by his desire. 21 There is nothing remaining of his provisions; therefore his goods shall not flourish. 22 But when he shall seem to be just satisfied, he shall be straitened; and all distress shall come upon him. 23 If by any means he would fill his belly, let [God] send upon him the fury of wrath; let him bring a torrent of pains upon him. 24 And he shall by no means escape from the power of the sword; let the brazen bow wound him. 25 And let the arrow pierce through his body; and let the stars be against his dwelling-place: let terrors come upon him. 26 And let all darkness wait for him: a fire that burns not out shall consume him; and let a stranger plague his house. 27 And let the heaven reveal his iniquities, and the earth rise up against him. 28 Let destruction bring his house to an end; let a day of wrath come upon him. 29 This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of his goods [appointed him] by the all-seeing [God].

Job 21

1 But Job answered and said, 2 Hear ye, hear ye my words, that I may not have this consolation from you. 3 Raise me, and I will speak; then ye shall not laugh me to scorn. 4 What! is my reproof of man? and why should I not be angry? 5 Look upon me, and wonder, laying your hand upon your cheek. 6 For even when I remember, I am alarmed, and pains seize my flesh. 7 Wherefore do the ungodly live, and grow old even in wealth? 8 Their seed is according to [their] desire, and their children are in [their] sight. 9 Their houses are prosperous, neither [have they] any where [cause for] fear, neither is there a scourge from the Lord upon them. 10 Their cow does not cast her calf, and their [beast] with young is safe, and does not miscarry. 11 And they remain as an unfailing flock, and their children play before [them], taking up the psaltery and harp; 12 and they rejoice at the voice of a song. 13 And they spend their days in wealth, and fall asleep in the rest of the grave. 14 Yet [such a man] says to the Lord, Depart from me; I desire not to know thy ways. 15 What is the Mighty One, that we should serve him? and what profit is there that we should approach him? 16 For their good things were in [their] hands, but he regards not the works of the ungodly. 17 Nevertheless, the lamp of the ungodly also shall be put out, and destruction shall come upon them, and pangs of vengeance shall seize them. 18 And they shall be as chaff before the wind, or as dust which the storm has taken up. 19 Let his substance fail [to supply] his children: [God] shall recompense him, and he shall know it. 20 Let his eyes see his own destruction, and let him not be saved by the Lord. 21 For his desire is in his house with him, and the number of his months has been suddenly cut off. 22 Is it not the Lord who teaches understanding and knowledge? and does not he judge murders? 23 One shall die in his perfect strength, and wholly at ease and prosperous; 24 and his inwards are full of fat, and his marrow is diffused [throughout him]. 25 And another dies in bitterness of soul, not eating any good thing. 26 But they lie down in the earth together, and corruption covers them. 27 So I know you, that ye presumptuously attack me: 28 so that ye will say, Where is the house of the prince? and where is the covering of the tabernacles of the ungodly? 29 Ask those that go by the way, and do not disown their tokens. 30 For the wicked hastens to the day of destruction: they shall be led away for the day of his vengeance. 31 Who will tell him his way to his face, whereas he has done [it]? who shall recompense him? 32 And he has been led away to the tombs, and he has watched over the heaps. 33 The stones of the valley have been sweet to him, and every man shall depart after him, and [there are] innumerable [ones] before him. 34 How then do ye comfort me in vain? whereas I have no rest from your molestation.

Job 22

1 Then Eliphaz the Thæmanite answered and said, 2 Is it not the Lord that teaches understanding and knowledge? 3 For what matters it to the Lord, if thou wert blameless in [thy] works? or is it profitable that thou shouldest perfect thy way? 4 Wilt thou maintain and plead thine own cause? and will he enter into judgment with thee? 5 Is not thy wickedness abundant, and thy sins innumerable? 6 And thou hast taken security of thy brethren for nothing, and hast taken away the clothing of the naked. 7 Neither hast thou given water to the thirsty to drink, but hast taken away the morsel of the hungry. 8 And thou hast accepted the persons of some; and thou hast established those [that were already settled] on the earth. 9 But thou hast sent widows away empty, and hast afflicted orphans. 10 Therefore snares have compassed thee, and disastrous war has troubled thee. 11 The light has proved darkness to thee, and water has covered thee on thy lying down. 12 Does not he that dwells in the high places observe? and has he not brought down the proud? 13 And thou hast said, What does the Mighty One know? does he judge in the dark? 14 A cloud is his hiding-place, and he shall not be seen; and he passes through the circle of heaven. 15 Wilt thou [not] mark the old way, which righteous men have trodden? 16 who were seized before their time: their foundations [are as] an overflowing stream. 17 Who say, What will the Lord do to us? or what will the Almighty bring upon us? 18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from him. 19 The righteous have seen [it], and laughed, and the blameless one has derided [them]. 20 Verily their substance has been utterly destroyed, and the fire shall devour what is left of their [property]. 21 Be firm, I pray thee, if thou canst endure; then thy fruit shall prosper. 22 And receive a declaration from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 And if thou shalt turn and humble thyself before the Lord, thou hast [thus] removed unrighteousness far from thy habitation. 24 Thou shalt lay up for thyself [treasure] in a heap on the rock; and Sophir [shall be] as the rock of the torrent. 25 So the Almighty shall be thy helper from enemies, and he shall bring thee forth pure as silver that has been tried by fire. 26 Then shalt thou have boldness before the Lord, looking up cheerfully to heaven. 27 And he shall hear thee when thou prayest to him, and he shall grant thee [power] to pay thy vows. 28 And he shall establish to thee again a habitation of righteousness and there shall be light upon thy paths. 29 Because thou hast humbled thyself; and thou shalt say, [Man] has behaved proudly, but he shall save him that is of lowly eyes. 30 He shall deliver the innocent, and do thou save thyself by thy pure hands.

1 Corinthians 11

1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2 Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered. 7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man; 9 for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this cause the woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled? 14 Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies. 17 But in giving you this command I don’t praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it. 19 For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you. 20 When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly and put them to shame who don’t have enough? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you. 23 For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. 24 When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” 25 In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. 31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.