Day 234 of 730

¹"I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

²For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

³Is it not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity?

⁴Doesn't he see my ways, and number all my steps?

⁵"If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit

⁶(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);

⁷if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

⁸then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

⁹"If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,

¹⁰then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.

¹¹For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

¹²For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

¹³"If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me;

¹⁴What then shall I do when God rises up? When he visits, what shall I answer him?

¹⁵Did not he who made me in the womb make him? Did not the same one fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶"If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

¹⁷or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

¹⁸(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, her have I guided from my mother's womb);

¹⁹if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

²⁰if his heart hasn't blessed me, if he hasn't been warmed with my sheep's fleece;

²¹if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

²²then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

²³For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because his majesty, I can do nothing.

²⁴"If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, 'You are my confidence;'

²⁵If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

²⁶if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,

²⁷and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

²⁸this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have denied the God who is above.

²⁹"If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;

³⁰(yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

³¹if the men of my tent have not said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?'

³²(the foreigner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

³³if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

³⁴because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and did not go out of the door-

³⁵oh that I had one to hear me! (behold, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me); let the accuser write my indictment!

³⁶Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; and I would bind it to me as a crown.

³⁷I would declare to him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near to him.

³⁸If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;

³⁹if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

⁴⁰let briars grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

¹So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

²Then the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled against Job. His wrath was kindled because he justified himself rather than God.

³Also his wrath was kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were elder than he.

⁵When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

⁶Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered, "I am young, and you are very old; Therefore I held back, and did not dare show you my opinion.

⁷I said, 'Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.'

⁸But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

⁹It is not the great who are wise, nor the aged who understand justice.

¹⁰Therefore I said, 'Listen to me; I also will show my opinion.'

¹¹"Behold, I waited for your words, and I listened for your reasoning, while you searched out what to say.

¹²Yes, I gave you my full attention, but there was no one who convinced Job, or who answered his words, among you.

¹³Beware lest you say, 'We have found wisdom, God may refute him, not man;'

¹⁴for he has not directed his words against me; neither will I answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵"They are amazed. They answer no more. They do not have a word to say.

¹⁶Shall I wait, because they do not speak, because they stand still, and answer no more?

¹⁷I also will answer my part, and I also will show my opinion.

¹⁸For I am full of words. The spirit within me constrains me.

¹⁹Behold, my breast is as wine which has no vent; like new wineskins it is ready to burst.

²⁰I will speak, that I may be refreshed. I will open my lips and answer.

²¹Please do not let me respect any man's person, neither will I give flattering titles to any man.

²²For I do not know how to give flattering titles; or else my Maker would soon take me away.

¹How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of hosts!

²My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

³Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, near your altars, Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.

⁴Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah.

⁵Blessed are those whose strength is in you; who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage.

⁶Passing through the valley of Weeping, they make it a place of springs. Yes, the autumn rain covers it with blessings.

⁷They go from strength to strength. Everyone of them appears before God in Zion.

⁸Lord, God of Hosts, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob. Selah.

⁹Behold, God our shield, look at the face of your anointed.

¹⁰For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and a shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.

¹²Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

¹Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.

³The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.

⁴An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

⁶Children's children are the crown of old men; the glory of children are their parents.

⁷Arrogant speech isn't fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince.

⁸A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

¹⁰A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

¹²Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

¹⁵He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he has no understanding?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves disobedience loves strife. One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.

²⁰One who has a perverse heart doesn't find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.

²¹He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.

²²A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to flog officials for their integrity.

²⁷He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.

²⁸Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.