Bible in a Year.

On the seventh day, we continue following Abraham's journey in Genesis 14-15, including his mysterious encounter with Melchizedek and the powerful covenant God establishes with him, promising countless descendants. In Job 3-4, we delve into Job's profound lament after his devastating losses and hear his friends' first attempts to comfort him. Proverbs 1:8-19 offers practical advice about following parental instruction and avoiding the way of sinners, contrasting true wisdom with the seductions of evil.

Chapter 14

1. And it came to pass at that time, that Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus, and Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations,

2. Made war against Bara king of Sodom, and against Bersa king of Gomorrha, and against Sennaab king of Adama, and against Semeber king of Seboim, and against the king of Bala, which is Segor.

3. All these came together into the woodland vale, which now is the salt sea.

4. For they had served Chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they revolted from him.

5. And in the fourteenth year came Chodorlahomor, and the kings that were with him: and they smote the Raphaim in Astarothcarnaim, and the Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Save of Cariathaim.

6. And the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, even to the plains of Pharan, which is in the wilderness.

7. And they returned, and came to the fountain of Misphat, the same is Cades: and they smote all the country of the Amalecites, and the Amorrhean that dwelt in Asasonthamar.

8. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha, and the king of Adama, and the king of Seboim, and the king of Bala, which is Segor, went out: and they set themselves against them in battle array in the woodland vale:

9. To wit, against Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus: four kings against five.

10. Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs and were overthrown there: and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11. And they took all the substance of the Sodomites, and Gomorrhites, and all their victuals, and went their way:

12. And Lot also, the son of Abram's brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his substance.

13. And behold one that had escaped told Abram the Hebrew, who dwelt in the vale of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol, and the brother of Aner: for these had made league with Abram.

14. Which when Abram had heard, to wit, that his brother Lot was taken, he numbered of the servants born in his house, three hundred and eighteen well appointed: and pursued them to Dan.

15. And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night: and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hoba, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16. And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with his substance, the women also the people.

17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of Chodorlahomor, and of the kings that were with him in the vale of Save, which is the king's vale.

18. But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God,

19. Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth.

20. And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection the enemies are in thy hands. And he gace him the tithes of all.

21. And the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the persons, and the rest take to thyself.

22. And he answered him: I lift up my hand to the Lord God the most high, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23. That from the very woof thread unto the shoe latchet, I will not take of any things that are thine, lest thou say I have enriched Abram:

24. Except such things as the young men have eaten, and the shares of the men that came with me, Aner, Escol, and Mambre: these shall take their shares.

Chapter 15

1. Now when these things were done, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great.

2. And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this Damascus Eliezer.

3. And Abram added: But to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my servant, born in my house, shall be my heir.

4. And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: He shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy bowels, him shalt thou have for thy heir.

5. And he thought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be.

6. Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.

7. And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to gibe thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it.

8. But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it?

9. And the Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old, and a she goat of three years, and a ram of three years, a turtle also, and a pigeon.

10. And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the two pieces of each one against the other; but the birds he divided not.

11. And the fowls came down upon carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12. And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and darksome horror seized upon him.

13. And it was said unto him: Know thou beforehand that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them under bondage, and afflict them four hundred years.

14. But I will judge the nation which they shall serve, and after this they shall come out with great substance.

15. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and be buried in a good old age.

16. But in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet the iniquities of the Amorrhites are not at the full until this present time.

17. And when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.

18. That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates.

19. The Cineans and Cenezites, the Cedmonites,

20. And the Hethites, and the Pherezites, the Raphaim also,

21. And the Amorrhites, and the Chanaanits, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.

Chapter 3

1. After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

2. and he said:

3. Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.

4. Let that day be turned into darkness, let not God regard it from above, and let not the light shine upon it.

5. Let darkness, and the shadow of death cover it, let a mist overspread it, and let it be wrapped up in bitterness.

6. Let a darksome whirlwind seize upon that night, let it not be counted in the days of the year, nor numbered in the months.

7. Let that night be solitary, and not worthy of praise.

8. Let them curse it who curse the day. who are ready to raise up a leviathan:

9. Let the stars be darkened with the mist thereof: let it expect light and not see it, nor the rising of the dawning of the day:

10. Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, nor took away evils from my eyes.

11. Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?

12. Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts ?

13. For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.

14. With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:

15. Or with princes, that possess gold, and All their houses with silver:

16. Or as a hidden untimely birth I should not be, or as they that being conceived have not seen the light.

17. There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.

18. And they sometime bound together without disquiet, have not heard the voice of the oppressor.

19. The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

20. Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?

21. That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:

22. And they rejoice exceedingly when they have found the grave.

23. To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness?

24. Before I eat I sigh: and as overflowing waters, so is my roaring:

25. For the fear which I feared hath come upon me: and that which I was afraid of, hath befallen me.

26. Have I not dissembled ? have I not kept silence ? have I not been quiet? and indignation is come upon me.

Chapter 4

1. Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:

2. If we begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it ill, but who can withhold the words he hath conceived?

3. Behold thou hast taught many, and thou hast strengthened the weary hands:

4. Thy words have confirmed them that were staggering, and thou hast strengthened the trembling knees:

5. But now the scourge is come upon thee, and thou faintest: it hath touched thee, and thou art troubled.

6. Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, and the perfection of thy ways?

7. Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? or when were the just destroyed?

8. On the contrary I have seen those who work iniquity, and sow sorrows, and reap them,

9. Perishing by the blast of God, and consumed by the spirit of his wrath.

10. The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the whelps of lions are broken:

11. The tiger hath perished for want of prey, and the young lions are scattered abroad.

12. Now there was a word spoken to me in private, and my ears by stealth as it were received the veins of its whisper.

13. In the horror of a vision by night, when deep sleep is wont to hold men,

14. Fear seized upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were affrighted:

15. And when a spirit passed before me, the hair of my flesh stood up.

16. There stood one whose countenance I knew not, an image before my eyes, and I heard the voice as it were of a gentle wind:

17. Shall man be justified in comparison of God, or shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18. Behold they that serve him are not steadfast, and in his angels he found wickedness:

19. How much more shall they that dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation, be consumed as with the moth?

20. From morning till evening they shall be cut down: and because no one understandeth, they shall perish for ever.

21. And they that shall be left, shall be taken away from them: they shall die, and not in wisdom.

8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother :

9. That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.

10. My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them.

11. If they shall say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause:

12. Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.

13. We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils.

14. Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse.

15. My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths.

16. For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17. But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings.

18. And they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practise deceits against their own souls.

19. So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors.