Day 226 of 730

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

²"Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?

³Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?

⁴Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.

⁵For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.

⁶Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.

⁷"Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?

⁸Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

⁹What do you know, that we do not know? What do you understand, which is not in us?

¹⁰With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder than your father.

¹¹Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?

¹²Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,

¹³That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?

¹⁴What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

¹⁵Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;

¹⁶how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!

¹⁷"I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare:

¹⁸(Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;

¹⁹to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):

²⁰the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

²¹A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.

²²He doesn't believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.

²³He wanders abroad for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

²⁴Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

²⁵Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty;

²⁶he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;

²⁷because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.

²⁸He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.

²⁹He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.

³⁰He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God's mouth shall he go away.

³¹Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall be his reward.

³²It shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall not be green.

³³He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.

³⁴For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

³⁵They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit."

¹Then Job answered,

²"I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters!

³Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?

⁴I also could speak as you do. If your soul were in my soul's place, I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you,

⁵but I would strengthen you with my mouth. The solace of my lips would relieve you.

⁶"Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?

⁷But now, God, you have surely worn me out. You have made desolate all my company.

⁸You have shriveled me up. This is a witness against me. My leanness rises up against me. It testifies to my face.

⁹He has torn me in his wrath, and persecuted me. He has gnashed on me with his teeth. My adversary sharpens his eyes on me.

¹⁰They have gaped on me with their mouth. They have struck me on the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me.

¹¹God delivers me to the ungodly, and casts me into the hands of the wicked.

¹²I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yes, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his target.

¹³His archers surround me. He splits my kidneys apart, and does not spare. He pours out my gall on the ground.

¹⁴He breaks me with breach on breach. He runs on me like a giant.

¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, and have thrust my horn in the dust.

¹⁶My face is red with weeping. Deep darkness is on my eyelids.

¹⁷Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

¹⁸"Earth, do not cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.

¹⁹Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven. He who vouches for me is on high.

²⁰My friends scoff at me. My eyes pour out tears to God,

²¹that he would maintain the right of a man with God, of a son of man with his neighbor!

²²For when a few years are come, I shall go the way from whence I shall not return.

¹In Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel.

²His tabernacle is also in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion.

³There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah.

⁴Glorious are you, and excellent, more than mountains of game.

⁵Valiant men lie plundered, they have slept their last sleep. None of the men of war can lift their hands.

⁶At your rebuke, God of Jacob, both chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep.

⁷You, even you, are to be feared. Who can stand in your sight when you are angry?

⁸You pronounced judgment from heaven. The earth feared, and was silent,

⁹when God arose to judgment, to save all the afflicted ones of the earth. Selah.

¹⁰Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained.

¹¹Make vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.

¹²He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.

¹Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

²She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

³She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

⁴"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

⁵"Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!

⁶Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding."

⁷He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

⁸Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

¹³The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

¹⁶"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

¹⁷"Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant."

¹⁸But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.