Day 243 of 365

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.

¹"However, Job, Please hear my speech, and listen to all my words.

²See now, I have opened my mouth. My tongue has spoken in my mouth.

³My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart. That which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.

⁴The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

⁵If you can, answer me. Set your words in order before me, and stand forth.

⁶Behold, I am toward God even as you are. I am also formed out of the clay.

⁷Behold, my terror shall not make you afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy on you.

⁸"Surely you have spoken in my hearing, I have heard the voice of your words, saying,

⁹'I am clean, without disobedience. I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me.

¹⁰Behold, he finds occasions against me. He counts me for his enemy.

¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks. He marks all my paths.'

¹²"Behold, I will answer you. In this you are not just, for God is greater than man.

¹³Why do you strive against him, because he doesn't give account of any of his matters?

¹⁴For God speaks once, yes twice, though man pays no attention.

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, in slumbering on the bed;

¹⁶Then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction,

¹⁷That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹He is chastened also with pain on his bed, with continual strife in his bones;

²⁰So that his life abhors bread, and his soul dainty food.

²¹His flesh is so consumed away, that it can't be seen. His bones that were not seen stick out.

²²Yes, his soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers.

²³"If there is beside him an angel, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him;

²⁴then God is gracious to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.'

²⁵His flesh shall be fresher than a child's. He returns to the days of his youth.

²⁶He prays to God, and he is favorable to him, so that he sees his face with joy. He restores to man his righteousness.

²⁷He sings before men, and says, 'I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it did not profit me.

²⁸He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit. My life shall see the light.'

²⁹"Behold, God works all these things, twice, yes three times, with a man,

³⁰to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

³¹Mark well, Job, and listen to me. Hold your peace, and I will speak.

³²If you have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I desire to justify you.

³³If not, listen to me. Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom."

¹The Lord reigns! He is clothed with majesty! The Lord is armed with strength. The world also is established. It can't be moved.

²Your throne is established from long ago. You are from everlasting.

³The floods have lifted up, Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves.

⁴Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, The Lord on high is mighty.

⁵Your statutes stand firm. Holiness adorns your house, Lord, forevermore.

¹Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest.

³A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

⁷Like the legs of the lame that hang loose: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thornbush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.

¹¹As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.

¹⁵The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog's ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "Am I not joking?"

²⁰For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

²¹As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.

²²The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.

²³Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

²⁴A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.

²⁵When his speech is charming, do not believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.