Day 360 of 730

¹Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.

²The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.

³Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

⁴The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

⁵Do not trust in a neighbor. Do not put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!

⁶For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

⁷But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

⁸Do not rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.

⁹I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light. I will see his righteousness.

¹⁰Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, where is the Lord your God? Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

¹¹A day to build your walls- In that day, he will extend your boundary.

¹²In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.

¹³Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

¹⁴Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the midst of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

¹⁵"As in the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things."

¹⁶The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.

¹⁷They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to the Lord our God, and will be afraid because of you.

¹⁸Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.

¹⁹He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

²⁰You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

¹An oracle about Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

²The Lord is a jealous God and avenges. The Lord avenges and is full of wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he maintains wrath against his enemies.

³The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

⁴He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan languishes, and Carmel; and the flower of Lebanon languishes.

⁵The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it.

⁶Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the fierceness of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken apart by him.

⁷The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who take refuge in him.

⁸But with an overflowing flood, he will make a full end of her place, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

⁹What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a full end. Affliction won't rise up the second time.

¹⁰For entangled like thorns, and drunken as with their drink, they are consumed utterly like dry stubble.

¹¹There is one gone forth out of you, who devises evil against the Lord, who counsels wickedness.

¹²Thus says the Lord: "Though they be in full strength, and likewise many, even so they will be cut down, and he shall pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.

¹³Now will I break his yoke from off you, and will burst your bonds apart."

¹⁴The Lord has commanded concerning you: "No more descendants will bear your name. Out of the house of your gods, will I cut off the engraved image and the molten image. I will make your grave, for you are vile."

¹⁵Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, Judah! Perform your vows, for the wicked one will no more pass through you. He is utterly cut off.

¹God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again.

²You have made the land tremble. You have torn it. Mend its fractures, for it quakes.

³You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger.

⁴You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

⁵So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

⁶God has spoken from his sanctuary: "I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the defense of my head. Judah is my scepter.

⁸Moab is my wash basin. I will throw my shoe on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia."

⁹Who will bring me into the strong city? Who has led me to Edom?

¹⁰Haven't you, God, rejected us? You do not go out with our armies, God.

¹¹Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain.

¹²Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.

¹Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

²It isn't good to have zeal without knowledge; nor being hasty with one's feet and missing the way.

³The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against the Lord.

⁴Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.

⁵A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.

⁶Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

⁷All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.

⁸He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.

⁹A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.

¹⁰Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

¹¹The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.

¹²The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife's quarrels are a continual dripping.

¹⁴House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

¹⁵Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger.

¹⁶He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

¹⁷He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; he will reward him.

¹⁸Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

¹⁹A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again.

²⁰Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end.

²¹There are many plans in a man's heart, but the Lord's counsel will prevail.

²²That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.

²⁴The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶He who robs his father and drives away his mother, is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

²⁷If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity.

²⁹Penalties are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools.