The Daily Audio Bible

Zophar Talks

20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, ² “My troubled thoughts make me answer, because I have no rest inside. ³ I heard the strong words that take away my honor. The spirit of my understanding makes me answer. ⁴ Do you not know from long ago, since man was put on earth, ⁵ that the honor of the sinful is short, and the joy of the sinful lasts only a short time? ⁶ Even if his pride is as high as the heavens and his head touches the clouds, ⁷ he will be gone forever, like his own waste. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ ⁸ He will fly away like a dream, and not be found. He will be driven away like a dream of the night. ⁹ The eye which saw him will see him no more. His place will no longer see him. ¹⁰ His sons will look for the favor of the poor. And his hands will give back his riches. ¹¹ His bones are full of the strength of the young, but it will lie down with him in the dust.

¹² “Sin is sweet in his mouth. He hides it under his tongue. ¹³ He hates to let it go, and holds it in his mouth. ¹⁴ Yet his food in his stomach is changed to the poison of snakes inside him. ¹⁵ He eats riches, but will spit them up. God will take them out of his stomach. ¹⁶ He will drink the poison of snakes. The snake’s tongue will kill him. ¹⁷ He will not look at the rivers, the rivers flowing with honey and milk. ¹⁸ He must return what he has worked for, and can not eat it. He will not have joy from the riches of his trading. ¹⁹ For he has taken from the poor and left them with nothing. He has taken houses which he has not built.

²⁰ “Because he thought he never had enough, he has nothing that gives him joy. ²¹ There was nothing more for him to get, so his having everything will not last. ²² Even when he has many riches, he will have trouble. Everyone who suffers will come against him. ²³ When he fills his stomach, God will send His great anger on him. He will send it on him while he is eating. ²⁴ He may get away from the iron sword, but the brass bow will shoot an arrow in him. ²⁵ It cuts through his body and comes out of his back. The shining arrow comes out of his liver. Much fear comes upon him. ²⁶ Complete darkness is stored up for his riches. A fire not kept going by man will burn him up. It will destroy all that is left in his tent. ²⁷ The heavens will make his sin known, and the earth will rise up against him. ²⁸ The things of his house will be carried away. They will be taken away in the day of God’s anger. ²⁹ This is what God has for sinful men. It is what God chooses to give to them.”

Job Talks

21 Then Job answered, ² “Be careful to listen to my words. Let this be the comfort you give me. ³ Listen to me while I speak. Then after I have spoken, you may keep on making fun of me. ⁴ As for me, am I complaining against man? Why should my spirit not be troubled? ⁵ Look at me, and be surprised; and put your hand over your mouth. ⁶ When I think, I am troubled; and fear takes hold of my body. ⁷ Why do the sinful live, become old, and become very powerful? ⁸ They watch their children’s children become strong in front of their eyes. ⁹ Their houses are safe from fear. And the punishment of God does not come upon them. ¹⁰ Their bull mates without trouble. Their cow gives birth to live calves. ¹¹ They send out their little ones like a flock, and their children jump around. ¹² They sing to the timbrel and the harp. They show their joy at the sound of the horn. ¹³ They spend their days with much more than they need. And all at once they go down to the place of the dead. ¹⁴ They say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We do not want to know Your ways. ¹⁵ Who is the All-powerful, that we should serve Him? What would we have more than we have if we prayed to Him?’ ¹⁶ See, their well-being is not in their own hands. The wisdom of the sinful is far from me.

¹⁷ “How many times is the lamp of the sinful put out, that their trouble comes upon them? How often does God send trouble to them in His anger? ¹⁸ Are they like straw blown by the wind? Are they like straw that the storm carries away? ¹⁹ You say, ‘God stores up a man’s punishment for his sons.’ Let God punish him so that he may know it. ²⁰ Let his own eyes see himself being destroyed. Let him drink the anger of the All-powerful. ²¹ For what does he care for his house and family after he is dead, when the number of his months is over? ²² Can anyone teach God anything, when He judges those on high? ²³ One man dies while still very strong, having everything he needs and time to enjoy it. ²⁴ His body has good food and his bones are strong. ²⁵ Another dies with bitter feelings in his soul, never having enjoyed anything good. ²⁶ Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them.

²⁷ “See, I know your thoughts and your plans to wrong me. ²⁸ For you say, ‘Where is the house of the leader? Where are the tents where the sinful men live?’ ²⁹ Have you not asked those who travel this way? Do you listen to what they say? ³⁰ For the sinful are kept for the day of trouble. They will be brought out on the day of anger. ³¹ Who will talk to him about his way to his face? And who will punish him for what he has done? ³² When he is carried to the grave, men will keep watch over his grave. ³³ The earth of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will follow after him, and those who go before him are too many to number. ³⁴ How then can you comfort me with foolish words? Your answers are full of lies.”

Eliphaz Talks

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, ² “Can a man be of use to God? Can a wise man be of use to himself? ³ Is the All-powerful pleased if you are right and good? Is it of any use to Him if your ways were perfect? ⁴ Is it because of how you honor God that He speaks strong words to you and punishes you? ⁵ Have you not done much wrong and your sins have no end? ⁶ For you have taken things from your brothers when they did not owe you anything. You have taken all their clothing and they have had nothing to wear. ⁷ To those who were tired, you have given no water to drink. And you have kept bread from the hungry. ⁸ But you were a powerful and respected man owning land and living on it. ⁹ You have sent women away with nothing, whose husbands have died. And you have crushed the strength of children who have no parents. ¹⁰ So traps are all around you, and much fear comes upon you all at once. ¹¹ This is why it is dark and you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

¹² “Is not God high up in heaven? See the highest stars, how high they are! ¹³ So you say, ‘What does God know? Can He judge through the darkness? ¹⁴ Clouds cover Him so that He cannot see. He walks on the roof of heaven.’ ¹⁵ Will you keep to the old way which sinful men have walked? ¹⁶ They were taken away before their time. The ground they stood on was washed away by a river. ¹⁷ They said to God, ‘Leave us!’ and ‘What can the All-powerful do to us?’ ¹⁸ Yet He filled their houses with good things. But the wisdom of the sinful is far from me. ¹⁹ Those who are right and good see it and are glad. Those who are without guilt make fun of them, ²⁰ saying, ‘For sure those who hate us are destroyed, and fire has destroyed what they owned.’

²¹ “Agree with God, and be at peace with Him. Then good will come to you. ²² Receive the teaching from His mouth, and keep His words in your heart. ²³ If you return to the All-powerful, things will be well with you again. Put sin far from your tent. ²⁴ Put your gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the river. ²⁵ Then the All-powerful will be your gold and silver of much worth. ²⁶ Then you will have joy in the All-powerful, and lift up your face to God. ²⁷ You will pray to Him, and He will hear you. And you will keep your promises to Him. ²⁸ You will decide something, and it will be done for you. Light will shine on your path. ²⁹ For God puts down the man who is filled with pride. But He saves the one who is not proud. ³⁰ He will save the man who is even guilty because he will be helped by your hands that are clean.”

1 This letter is from Paul. I have been chosen by God to be a missionary of Jesus Christ. Sosthenes, a Christian brother, writes also. ² I write to God’s church in the city of Corinth. I write to those who belong to Christ Jesus and to those who are set apart by Him and made holy. I write to all the Christians everywhere who call on the name of Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and their Lord also. ³ May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul Gives Thanks for Their Faith

⁴ I am thankful to God all the time for you. I am thankful for the loving-favor God has given to you because you belong to Christ Jesus. ⁵ He has made your lives rich in every way. Now you have power to speak for Him. He gave you good understanding. ⁶ This shows that what I told you about Christ and what He could do for you has been done in your lives. ⁷ You have the gifts of the Holy Spirit that you need while you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to come again. ⁸ Christ will keep you strong until He comes again. No blame will be held against you. ⁹ God is faithful. He chose you to be joined together with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Church in Corinth Is Divided

¹⁰ Christian brothers, I ask you with all my heart in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to agree among yourselves. Do not be divided into little groups. Think and act as if you all had the same mind. ¹¹ My Christian brothers, I have heard from some of Chloe’s family that you are arguing among yourselves.

¹¹ O Lord, You will not keep Your loving-pity from me. Your loving-kindness and Your truth will always keep me safe. ¹² Too many troubles gather around me. My sins have taken such a hold on me that I am not able to see. There are more of them than there are hairs on my head. And the strength of my heart has left me.

¹³ Be pleased to save me, O Lord. Hurry, O Lord, to help me. ¹⁴ Let all who want to destroy my life be ashamed and troubled. Let those who want to hurt me be turned away without honor. ¹⁵ Let those who say to me, “O! O!” be filled with fear because of their shame. ¹⁶ But let all who look for You have joy and be glad in You. Let those who love Your saving power always say, “The Lord be honored!” ¹⁷ Because I suffer and am in need, let the Lord think of me. You are my help and the One Who sets me free. O my God, do not wait.

² The rich and the poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all. ³ A wise man sees sin and hides himself, but the foolish go on, and are punished for it.

⁴ The reward for not having pride and having the fear of the Lord is riches, honor and life.