Today's Bible Reading Tuesday May 19, 2020

[CajunBass]

Old Testament (NKJV)

The Book of Job Chapter 19:1-29

Then Job answered and said:

"How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?

These ten times you have reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you have wronged me.

And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.

If indeed you exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,

Know then that God has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.

"If I cry out concerning wrong,
I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.

He has fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.

He has stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.

He breaks me down on every side,
And I am gone; My hope He has uprooted like a tree.

He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And He counts me as one of His enemies.

His troops come together
And build up their road against me;
They encamp all around my tent.

"He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

My relatives have failed,
And my close friends have forgotten me.

Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
Count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
I beg him with my mouth.

My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am repulsive to the children of my own body.

Even young children despise me;
I arise, and they speak against me.

All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I love have turned against me.

My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

"Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me!

Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

"Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!

That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,

Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!

If you should say, 'How shall we persecute him?'--
Since the root of the matter is found in me,

Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
That you may know there is a judgment."

New Testament (NKJV)

The Gospel According to John Chapter 3:1-22-36

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."