Day 245 of 365

¹"Yes, at this my heart trembles, and is moved out of its place.

²Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, the sound that goes out of his mouth.

³He sends it forth under the whole sky, and his lightning to the ends of the earth.

⁴After it a voice roars. He thunders with the voice of his majesty. He doesn't hold back anything when his voice is heard.

⁵God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things, which we can't comprehend.

⁶For he says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth;' likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of his mighty rain.

⁷He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he has made may know it.

⁸Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens.

⁹Out of its chamber comes the storm, and cold out of the north.

¹⁰By the breath of God, ice is given, and the breadth of the waters is frozen.

¹¹Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.

¹²It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands them on the surface of the habitable world,

¹³Whether it is for correction, or for his land, or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.

¹⁴"Listen to this, Job. Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

¹⁵Do you know how God controls them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

¹⁶Do you know the workings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷You whose clothing is warm, when the earth is still by reason of the south wind?

¹⁸Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹Teach us what we shall tell him, for we can't make our case by reason of darkness.

²⁰Shall it be told him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?

²¹Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies, but the wind passes, and clears them.

²²Out of the north comes golden splendor. With God is awesome majesty.

²³We can't reach the Almighty. He is exalted in power. In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress.

²⁴Therefore men revere him. He doesn't regard any who are wise of heart."

¹Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,

²"Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

³Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!

⁴"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

⁵Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?

⁶Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,

⁷when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸"Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb,

⁹when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,

¹⁰marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,

¹¹and said, 'Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?'

¹²"Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;

¹³that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?

¹⁴It is changed as clay under the seal, and stands forth as a garment.

¹⁵From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.

¹⁶"Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

¹⁸Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all.

¹⁹"What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,

²⁰that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?

²¹Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

²²Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,

²³which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

²⁵Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm;

²⁶To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man;

²⁷to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth?

²⁸Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it?

³⁰The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.

³¹"Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?

³²Can you lead forth the constellations in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?

³³Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?

³⁴"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?

³⁵Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, 'Here we are?'

³⁶Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?

³⁷Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky,

³⁸when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?

³⁹"Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?

⁴¹Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?

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."

¹Oh come, let's sing to the Lord. Let's shout aloud to the rock of our salvation!

²Let's come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let's extol him with songs!

³For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.

⁴In his hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the mountains are also his.

⁵The sea is his, and he made it. His hands formed the dry land.

⁶Oh come, let's worship and bow down. Let's kneel before the Lord, our Maker,

⁷for he is our God. We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep in his care. Today, oh that you would hear his voice!

⁸Do not harden your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

⁹when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work.

¹⁰Forty long years I was grieved with that generation, and said, "It is a people that errs in their heart. They have not known my ways."

¹¹Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They won't enter into my rest."

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

³A needy man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake the Law praise the wicked; but those who keep the Law contend with them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice; but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.

⁷Whoever keeps the Law is a wise son; but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.

⁹He who turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

¹³He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

¹⁷A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him.

¹⁸Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.

¹⁹One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn't know that poverty waits for him.

²³One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, "It's not wrong." He is a partner with a destroyer.

²⁵One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous thrive.