23rd December

¹ I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?² For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?³ Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?⁴ Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?⁵ If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;⁶ Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.⁷ If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;⁸ Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.⁹ If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;¹⁰ Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.¹¹ For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.¹² For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.¹³ If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;¹⁴ What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?¹⁵ Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?¹⁶ If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;¹⁷ Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;¹⁸ (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)¹⁹ If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;²⁰ If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;²¹ If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:²² Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.²³ For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.²⁴ If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;²⁵ If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;²⁶ If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;²⁷ And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:²⁸ This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.²⁹ If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:³⁰ Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.³¹ If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.³² The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.³³ If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:³⁴ Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?³⁵ Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.³⁶ Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.³⁷ I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.³⁸ If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;³⁹ If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:⁴⁰ Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

¹ So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.² Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.³ Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.⁴ Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.⁵ When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.⁶ And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.⁷ I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.⁸ But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.⁹ Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.¹⁰ Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.¹¹ Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.¹² Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:¹³ Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.¹⁴ Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.¹⁵ They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.¹⁶ When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)¹⁷ I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.¹⁸ For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.¹⁹ Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.²⁰ I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.²¹ Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.²² For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.

¹ Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,² Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.³ Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.⁴ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.⁵ And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.⁶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.⁷ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;⁸ And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.⁹ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.¹⁰ For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.¹¹ But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.¹² For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.¹³ And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.¹⁴ For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:¹⁵ So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.¹⁶ These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:¹⁷ And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.¹⁸ And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,¹⁹ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.²⁰ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:²¹ And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.²² Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.²³ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

¹ And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.² And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?³ And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.⁴ And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.⁵ And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.⁶ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.⁷ And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.⁸ And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.⁹ And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;¹⁰ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.¹¹ And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;¹² Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.¹³ And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.¹⁴ And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

¹ And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.² And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.³ And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.⁴ And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.⁵ And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.⁷ And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.⁸ And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.⁹ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?¹¹ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.¹² And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;¹³ And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?