JOB 11

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Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse  11:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2

“Should a multitude of words go unanswered,

and a man full of talk be judged right? 3

Should your babble silence men,

and when you mock, shall no one shame you? 4

For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure,

and I am clean in God’s eyes.’ 5

But oh, that God would speak

and open his lips to you, 6

and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!

For he is manifold in understanding.

Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.
7

“Can you find out the deep things of God?

Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? 8

It is higher than heaven—what can you do?

Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? 9

Its measure is longer than the earth

and broader than the sea. 10

If he passes through and imprisons

and summons the court, who can turn him back? 11

For he knows worthless men;

when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it? 12

But a stupid man will get understanding

when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man!
13

“If you prepare your heart,

you will stretch out your hands toward him. 14

If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,

and let not injustice dwell in your tents. 15

Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;

you will be secure and will not fear. 16

You will forget your misery;

you will remember it as waters that have passed away. 17

And your life will be brighter than the noonday;

its darkness will be like the morning. 18

And you will feel secure, because there is hope;

you will look around and take your rest in security. 19

You will lie down, and none will make you afraid;

many will court your favor. 20

But the eyes of the wicked will fail;

all way of escape will be lost to them,

and their hope is to breathe their last.”

JOB 12

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Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This  12:1 Then Job answered and said:
2

“No doubt you are the people,

and wisdom will die with you. 3

But I have understanding as well as you;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know such things as these? 4

I am a laughingstock to my friends;

I, who called to God and he answered me,

a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock. 5

In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;

it is ready for those whose feet slip. 6

The tents of robbers are at peace,

and those who provoke God are secure,

who bring their god in their hand.
7

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; 8

or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;

and the fish of the sea will declare to you. 9

Who among all these does not know

that the hand of the Lord has done this? 10

In his hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind. 11

Does not the ear test words

as the palate tastes food? 12

Wisdom is with the aged,

and understanding in length of days.
13

“With God are wisdom and might;

he has counsel and understanding. 14

If he tears down, none can rebuild;

if he shuts a man in, none can open. 15

If he withholds the waters, they dry up;

if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. 16

With him are strength and sound wisdom;

the deceived and the deceiver are his. 17

He leads counselors away stripped,

and judges he makes fools. 18

He looses the bonds of kings

and binds a waistcloth on their hips. 19

He leads priests away stripped

and overthrows the mighty. 20

He deprives of speech those who are trusted

and takes away the discernment of the elders. 21

He pours contempt on princes

and loosens the belt of the strong. 22

He uncovers the deeps out of darkness

and brings deep darkness to light. 23

He makes nations great, and he destroys them;

he enlarges nations, and leads them away. 24

He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth

and makes them wander in a trackless waste. 25

They grope in the dark without light,

and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

PROVERBS 8

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The Blessings of Wisdom8:1

Does not wisdom call?

Does not understanding raise her voice? 2

On the heights beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3

beside the gates in front of the town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4

“To you, O men, I call,

and my cry is to the children of man. 5

O simple ones, learn prudence;

O fools, learn sense. 6

Hear, for I will speak noble things,

and from my lips will come what is right, 7

for my mouth will utter truth;

wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8

All the words of my mouth are righteous;

there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9

They are all straight to him who understands,

and right to those who find knowledge. 10

Take my instruction instead of silver,

and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11

for wisdom is better than jewels,

and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

and I find knowledge and discretion. 13

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

and perverted speech I hate. 14

I have counsel and sound wisdom;

I have insight; I have strength. 15

By me kings reign,

and rulers decree what is just; 16

by me princes rule,

and nobles, all who govern justly. 17

I love those who love me,

and those who seek me diligently find me. 18

Riches and honor are with me,

enduring wealth and righteousness. 19

My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,

and my yield than choice silver. 20

I walk in the way of righteousness,

in the paths of justice, 21

granting an inheritance to those who love me,

and filling their treasuries.
22

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,

the first of his acts of old. 23

Ages ago I was set up,

at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24

When there were no depths I was brought forth,

when there were no springs abounding with water. 25

Before the mountains had been shaped,

before the hills, I was brought forth, 26

before he had made the earth with its fields,

or the first of the dust of the world. 27

When he established the heavens, I was there;

when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28

when he made firm the skies above,

when he established the fountains of the deep, 29

when he assigned to the sea its limit,

so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30

then I was beside him, like a master workman,

and I was daily his delight,

rejoicing before him always, 31

rejoicing in his inhabited world

and delighting in the children of man.
32

“And now, O sons, listen to me:

blessed are those who keep my ways. 33

Hear instruction and be wise,

and do not neglect it. 34

Blessed is the one who listens to me,

watching daily at my gates,

waiting beside my doors. 35

For whoever finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the Lord, 36

but he who fails to find me injures himself;

all who hate me love death.”

PSALM 91

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My Refuge and My Fortress91:1

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”
3

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence. 4

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day, 6

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you. 8

You will only look with your eyes

and see the recompense of the wicked.
9

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge— 10

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.
11

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways. 12

On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13

You will tread on the lion and the adder;

the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him. 16

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”