Day 238 of 730

¹"Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?

²Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?

³They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they end their labor pains.

⁴Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and do not return again.

⁵"Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,

⁶Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?

⁷He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.

⁸The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing.

⁹"Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?

¹⁰Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?

¹¹Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?

¹²Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?

¹³"The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love?

¹⁴For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,

¹⁵and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.

¹⁶She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear,

¹⁷because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.

¹⁸When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.

¹⁹"Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?

²⁰Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.

²¹He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.

²²He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.

²³The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.

²⁴He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.

²⁵As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, 'Aha!' He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

²⁶"Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?

²⁷Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?

²⁸On the cliff he dwells, and makes his home, on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.

²⁹From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.

³⁰His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is."

¹Moreover the Lord answered Job,

²"Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it."

³Then Job answered the Lord,

⁴"Behold, I am of small account. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.

⁵I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

⁶Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,

⁷"Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me.

⁸Will you even annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified?

⁹Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?

¹⁰"Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with honor and majesty.

¹¹Pour out the fury of your anger. Look at everyone who is proud, and bring him low.

¹²Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him. Crush the wicked in their place.

¹³Hide them in the dust together. Bind their faces in the hidden place.

¹⁴Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵"See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox.

¹⁶Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly.

¹⁷He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

¹⁸His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron.

¹⁹He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword.

²⁰Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play.

²¹He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh.

²²The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him.

²³Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn't tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth.

²⁴Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare?

¹Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.

²Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my cry.

³For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol.

⁴I am counted among those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help,

⁵set apart among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more. They are cut off from your hand.

⁶You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

⁷Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.

⁸You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can't escape.

⁹My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, Lord. I have spread out my hands to you.

¹⁰Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Selah.

¹¹Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction?

¹²Are your wonders made known in the dark? Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³But to you, Lord, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.

¹⁴Lord, why do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me?

¹⁵I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.

¹⁶Your fierce wrath has gone over me. Your terrors have cut me off.

¹⁷They came around me like water all day long. They completely engulfed me.

¹⁸You have put lover and friend far from me, and my friends into darkness.

¹The king's heart is in the Lord's hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires.

²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.

³To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴A high look, and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.

⁶Getting treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.

⁷The violence of the wicked will drive them away, because they refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

¹¹When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom. When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹²The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked, and brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.

¹⁴A gift in secret pacifies anger; and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.

¹⁵It is joy to the righteous to do justice; but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.

¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; the treacherous for the upright.

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman.

²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man swallows it up.

²¹He who follows after righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the strength of its confidence.

²³Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

²⁴The proud and haughty man, "scoffer" is his name; he works in the arrogance of pride.

²⁵The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

²⁶There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and do not withhold.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination: how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!

²⁸A false witness will perish, and a man who listens speaks to eternity.

²⁹A wicked man hardens his face; but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.

³⁰There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but victory is with the Lord.