Day 246 of 365

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?

¹"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with a cord?

²Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

³Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?

⁴Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?

⁵Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?

⁶Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?

⁷Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?

⁸Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.

⁹Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won't one be cast down even at the sight of him?

¹⁰None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?

¹¹Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.

¹²"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.

¹³Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?

¹⁴Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.

¹⁵Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.

¹⁶One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

¹⁷They are joined one to another. They stick together, so that they can't be pulled apart.

¹⁸His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

¹⁹Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap forth.

²⁰Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

²¹His breath kindles coals. A flame goes forth from his mouth.

²²There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.

²³The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can't be moved.

²⁴His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.

²⁵When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.

²⁶If one attacks him with the sword, it can't prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.

²⁷He counts iron as straw; and brass as rotten wood.

²⁸The arrow can't make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.

²⁹Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.

³⁰His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

³¹He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

³²He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.

³³On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.

³⁴He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride."

¹Then Job answered the Lord,

²"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be restrained.

³You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

⁴You said, 'Listen, now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you will answer me.'

⁵I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.

⁶Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

⁷It was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.

⁸Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has."

⁹So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did what the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job.

¹⁰The Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

¹¹Then came there to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that the Lord had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money, and everyone a ring of gold.

¹²So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys.

¹³He had also seven sons and three daughters.

¹⁴He called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch.

¹⁵In all the land were no women found so beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

¹⁶After this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, to four generations.

¹⁷So Job died, being old and full of days.

¹Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

²Sing to the Lord! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day!

³Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

⁴For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods.

⁵For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

⁶Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the Lord, you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

⁸Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts.

⁹Worship the Lord in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth.

¹⁰Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns." The world is also established. It can't be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness!

¹²Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy

¹³before the Lord; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.

¹He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴The king by justice makes the land stable, but he who takes bribes tears it down.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

⁶An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren't concerned about knowledge.

⁸Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

⁹If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, the fool rages or scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity; and they seek the life of the upright.

¹¹A fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man brings himself under control.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked.

¹³The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴The king who fairly judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever.

¹⁵The rod of correction gives wisdom, but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked increase, sin increases; but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Correct your son, and he will give you peace; yes, he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but one who keeps the Law is blessed.

¹⁹A servant can't be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.

²⁰Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹He who pampers his servant from youth will have him become a son in the end.

²²An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.

²³A man's pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify.

²⁵The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's justice comes from the Lord.

²⁷A dishonest man detests the righteous, and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.