25th December

¹ Furthermore Elihu answered and said,² Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.³ For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.⁴ Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.⁵ For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.⁶ Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.⁷ What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?⁸ Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.⁹ For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.¹⁰ Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.¹¹ For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.¹² Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.¹³ Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?¹⁴ If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;¹⁵ All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.¹⁶ If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.¹⁷ Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?¹⁸ Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?¹⁹ How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.²⁰ In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.²¹ For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.²² There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.²³ For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.²⁴ He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.²⁵ Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.²⁶ He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;²⁷ Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:²⁸ So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.²⁹ When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:³⁰ That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.³¹ Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:³² That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.³³ Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.³⁴ Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.³⁵ Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.³⁶ My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.³⁷ For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

¹ Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.² For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.³ Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.⁴ Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.⁵ And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.⁶ And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them.⁷ And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.⁸ I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.⁹ And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.¹⁰ I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.¹¹ And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.¹² And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.

¹ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:² And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,³ And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.⁴ And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.⁵ And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,⁶ And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:⁷ But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.⁸ And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.⁹ And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.¹⁰ And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.¹¹ And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

¹ And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.² But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.³ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.⁴ These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.⁵ And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.⁶ These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.⁷ And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.⁸ And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.⁹ And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.¹⁰ And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.¹¹ And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.¹² And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.¹³ And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.¹⁴ The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.¹⁵ And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.¹⁶ And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,¹⁷ Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.¹⁸ And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.¹⁹ And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.