Day 221 of 730

¹"Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

²For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple.

³I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

⁴His children are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,

⁵whose harvest the hungry eats up, and take it even out of the thorns. The snare gapes for their substance.

⁶For affliction doesn't come forth from the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground;

⁷but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

⁸"But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God,

⁹who does great things that can't be fathomed, marvelous things without number;

¹⁰who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields;

¹¹so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.

¹²He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can't perform their enterprise.

¹³He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

¹⁴They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night.

¹⁵But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

¹⁶So the poor has hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.

¹⁷"Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

¹⁸For he wounds, and binds up. He injures, and his hands make whole.

¹⁹He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven there shall no evil touch you.

²⁰In famine he will redeem you from death; in war, from the power of the sword.

²¹You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes.

²²At destruction and famine you shall laugh, neither shall you be afraid of the animals of the earth.

²³For you shall be in league with the stones of the field. The animals of the field shall be at peace with you.

²⁴You shall know that your tent is in peace. You shall visit your fold, and shall miss nothing.

²⁵You shall know also that your seed shall be great, Your offspring as the grass of the earth.

²⁶You shall come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.

²⁷Look this, we have searched it, so it is. Hear it, and know it for your good."

¹Then Job answered,

²"Oh that my anguish were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!

³For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas, therefore have my words been rash.

⁴For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks up their poison. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.

⁵Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?

⁶Can that which has no flavor be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

⁷My soul refuses to touch them. They are as loathsome food to me.

⁸"Oh that I might have my request, that God would grant the thing that I long for,

⁹even that it would please God to crush me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

¹⁰Be it still my consolation, yes, let me exult in pain that doesn't spare, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

¹¹What is my strength, that I should wait? What is my end, that I should be patient?

¹²Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass?

¹³Isn't it that I have no help in me, That wisdom is driven quite from me?

¹⁴"To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away;

¹⁶Which are black by reason of the ice, in which the snow hides itself.

¹⁷In the dry season, they vanish. When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.

¹⁸The caravans that travel beside them turn aside. They go up into the waste, and perish.

¹⁹The caravans of Tema looked. The companies of Sheba waited for them.

²⁰They were distressed because they were confident. They came there, and were confounded.

²¹For now you are nothing. You see a terror, and are afraid.

²²Did I say, 'Give to me?' or, 'Offer a present for me from your substance?'

²³or, 'Deliver me from the adversary's hand?' or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?'

²⁴"Teach me, and I will hold my peace. Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

²⁵How forcible are words of uprightness! But your reproof, what does it reprove?

²⁶Do you intend to reprove words, seeing that the speeches of one who is desperate are as wind?

²⁷Yes, you would even cast lots for the fatherless, and make merchandise of your friend.

²⁸Now therefore be pleased to look at me, for surely I shall not lie to your face.

²⁹Please return. Let there be no injustice. Yes, return again. My cause is righteous.

³⁰Is there injustice on my tongue? Can't my taste discern mischievous things?

¹In you, Lord, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.

²Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me.

³Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

⁵For you are my hope, Lord God; my confidence from my youth.

⁶I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother's womb. I will always praise you.

⁷I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.

⁸My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all the day.

⁹Do not reject me in my old age. Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

¹⁰For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,

¹¹saying, "God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him."

¹²God, do not be far from me. My God, hurry to help me.

¹³Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.

¹⁴But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.

¹⁵My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I do not know its full measure.

¹⁶I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord God. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.

¹⁷God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.

¹⁸Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, do not forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.

¹⁹Your righteousness also, God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things. God, who is like you?

²⁰You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

²¹Increase my honor, and comfort me again.

²²I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!

²⁴My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.