Day 232 of 730

¹Job again took up his parable, and said,

²"As God lives, who has taken away my right, the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter.

³(For the length of my life is still in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);

⁴surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, neither shall my tongue utter deceit.

⁵Far be it from me that I should justify you. Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

⁶I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

⁷"Let my enemy be as the wicked. Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.

⁸For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

⁹Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?

¹⁰Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?

¹¹I will teach you about the hand of God. That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

¹²Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?

¹³"This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.

¹⁴If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword. His offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

¹⁵Those who remain of him shall be buried in death. His widows shall make no lamentation.

¹⁶Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;

¹⁷he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

¹⁸He builds his house as the moth, as a booth which the watchman makes.

¹⁹He lies down rich, but he shall not do so again. He opens his eyes, and he is not.

²⁰Terrors overtake him like waters. A storm steals him away in the night.

²¹The east wind carries him away, and he departs. It sweeps him out of his place.

²²For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.

²³Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

¹"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.

²Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.

³Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

⁴He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.

⁵As for the earth, out of it comes bread; Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

⁶Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.

⁷That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon's eye seen it.

⁸The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.

⁹He puts forth his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.

¹⁰He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.

¹¹He binds the streams that they do not trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.

¹²"But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?

¹³Man doesn't know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living.

¹⁴The deep says, 'It isn't in me.' The sea says, 'It isn't with me.'

¹⁵It can't be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price.

¹⁶It can't be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

¹⁷Gold and glass can't equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

¹⁸No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

²⁰Whence then comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?

²¹Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.

²²Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'

²³"God understands its way, and he knows its place.

²⁴For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.

²⁵He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.

²⁶When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder;

²⁷then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.

²⁸To man he said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.'"

¹God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods.

²"How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?" Selah.

³"Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

⁴Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked."

⁵They do not know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁶I said, "You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High.

⁷Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers."

⁸Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.

¹A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of fools gush out folly.

³The Lord's eyes are everywhere, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

⁴A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit.

⁵A fool despises his father's correction, but he who heeds reproof shows prudence.

⁶In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but the income of the wicked brings trouble.

⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so with the heart of fools.

⁸The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

⁹The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who follows after righteousness.

¹⁰There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way: whoever hates reproof shall die.

¹¹Sheol and Abaddon are before the Lord- how much more then the hearts of the children of men!

¹²A scoffer doesn't love to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.

¹³A glad heart makes a cheerful face; but an aching heart breaks the spirit.

¹⁴The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are wretched, but one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast.

¹⁶Better is little, with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.

¹⁷Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.

¹⁸A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.

¹⁹The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch, but the path of the upright is a highway.

²⁰A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding keeps his way straight.

²²Where there is no counsel, plans fail; but in a multitude of counselors they are established.

²³Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time!

²⁴The path of life leads upward for the wise, to keep him from going downward to Sheol.

²⁵The Lord will uproot the house of the proud, but he will keep the widow's borders intact.

²⁶The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the thoughts of the pure are pleasing.

²⁷He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous weighs answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.

²⁹The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

³⁰The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Good news gives health to the bones.

³¹The ear that listens to reproof lives, and will be at home among the wise.

³²He who refuses correction despises his own soul, but he who listens to reproof gets understanding.

³³The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility.