One Year Bible.

In the LORD I Take Refuge

¹For the choirmaster. Of David.

In the LORD I take refuge.

How then can you say to me:

“Flee like a bird to your mountain!

²For behold, the wicked bend their bows.

They set their arrow on the string

to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

³If the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

⁴The LORD is in His holy temple;

the LORD is on His heavenly throne.

His eyes are watching closely;

they examine the sons of men.

⁵The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked;

His soul hates the lover of violence.

⁶On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur;

a scorching wind will be their portion.

⁷For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice.

The upright will see His face.

The Mission of John the Baptist

¹In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ²and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” ³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for Him.’”

⁴John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. ⁶Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

⁷But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. ⁹And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

¹⁵“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.

¹⁶As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. ¹⁷And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

²“Does a wise man answer with empty counsel

or fill his belly with the hot east wind?

³Should he argue with useless words

or speeches that serve no purpose?

⁴But you even undermine the fear of God

and hinder meditation before Him.

⁵For your iniquity instructs your mouth,

and you choose the language of the crafty.

⁶Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you;

your own lips testify against you.

⁷Were you the first man ever born?

Were you brought forth before the hills?

⁸Do you listen in on the council of God

or limit wisdom to yourself?

⁹What do you know that we do not?

What do you understand that is not clear to us?

¹⁰Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side —

men much older than your father.

¹¹Are the consolations of God not enough for you,

even words spoken gently to you?

¹²Why has your heart carried you away,

and why do your eyes flash,

¹³so that you turn your spirit against God

and pour such words from your mouth?

¹⁴What is man, that he should be pure,

or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

¹⁵If God puts no trust in His holy ones,

if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,

¹⁶how much less man, who is vile and corrupt,

who drinks injustice like water?

¹⁷Listen to me and I will inform you.

I will describe what I have seen,

¹⁸what was declared by wise men

and was not concealed from their fathers,

¹⁹to whom alone the land was given

when no foreigner passed among them.

²⁰A wicked man writhes in pain all his days;

only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.

²¹Sounds of terror fill his ears;

in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.

²²He despairs of his return from darkness;

he is marked for the sword.

²³He wanders about as food for vultures;

he knows the day of darkness is at hand.

²⁴Distress and anguish terrify him,

overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.

²⁵For he has stretched out his hand against God

and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,

²⁶rushing headlong at Him

with a thick, studded shield.

²⁷Though his face is covered with fat

and his waistline bulges with flesh,

²⁸he will dwell in ruined cities,

in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.

²⁹He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure.

His possessions will not overspread the land.

³⁰He will not escape from the darkness;

the flame will wither his shoots,

and the breath of God’s mouth

will carry him away.

³¹Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness,

for emptiness will be his reward.

³²It will be paid in full before his time,

and his branch will not flourish.

³³He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,

like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.

³⁴For the company of the godless will be barren,

and fire will consume the tents of bribery.

³⁵They conceive trouble and give birth to evil;

their womb is pregnant with deceit.”