JOB 25

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Bildad Speaks: Man Cannot Be Righteous  25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2

“Dominion and fear are with God;

he makes peace in his high heaven. 3

Is there any number to his armies?

Upon whom does his light not arise? 4

How then can man be in the right before God?

How can he who is born of woman be pure? 5

Behold, even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure in his eyes; 6

how much less man, who is a maggot,

and the son of man, who is a worm!”

JOB 26

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Job Replies: God’s Majesty Is Unsearchable  26:1 Then Job answered and said:
2

“How you have helped him who has no power!

How you have saved the arm that has no strength! 3

How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,

and plentifully declared sound knowledge! 4

With whose help have you uttered words,

and whose breath has come out from you? 5

The dead tremble

under the waters and their inhabitants. 6

Sheol is naked before God,

and Abaddon has no covering. 7

He stretches out the north over the void

and hangs the earth on nothing. 8

He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,

and the cloud is not split open under them. 9

He covers the face of the full moon

and spreads over it his cloud. 10

He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters

at the boundary between light and darkness. 11

The pillars of heaven tremble

and are astounded at his rebuke. 12

By his power he stilled the sea;

by his understanding he shattered Rahab. 13

By his wind the heavens were made fair;

his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. 14

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,

and how small a whisper do we hear of him!

But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

PROVERBS 15

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15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4

A gentle tongue is a tree of life,

but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5

A fool despises his father’s instruction,

but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. 6

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7

The lips of the wise spread knowledge;

not so the hearts of fools. 8

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. 9

The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

but he loves him who pursues righteousness. 10

There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;

whoever hates reproof will die. 11

Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;

how much more the hearts of the children of man! 12

A scoffer does not like to be reproved;

he will not go to the wise. 13

A glad heart makes a cheerful face,

but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. 14

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,

but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15

All the days of the afflicted are evil,

but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. 16

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord

than great treasure and trouble with it. 17

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is

than a fattened ox and hatred with it. 18

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,

but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. 19

The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,

but the path of the upright is a level highway. 20

A wise son makes a glad father,

but a foolish man despises his mother. 21

Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,

but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. 22

Without counsel plans fail,

but with many advisers they succeed. 23

To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,

and a word in season, how good it is! 24

The path of life leads upward for the prudent,

that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. 25

The Lord tears down the house of the proud

but maintains the widow’s boundaries. 26

The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,

but gracious words are pure. 27

Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,

but he who hates bribes will live. 28

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29

The Lord is far from the wicked,

but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

and good news refreshes the bones. 31

The ear that listens to life-giving reproof

will dwell among the wise. 32

Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,

but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 33

The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,

and humility comes before honor.

PSALM 94

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The Lord Will Not Forsake His People94:1

O Lord, God of vengeance,

O God of vengeance, shine forth! 2

Rise up, O judge of the earth;

repay to the proud what they deserve! 3

O Lord, how long shall the wicked,

how long shall the wicked exult? 4

They pour out their arrogant words;

all the evildoers boast. 5

They crush your people, O Lord,

and afflict your heritage. 6

They kill the widow and the sojourner,

and murder the fatherless; 7

and they say, “The Lord does not see;

the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8

Understand, O dullest of the people!

Fools, when will you be wise? 9

He who planted the ear, does he not hear?

He who formed the eye, does he not see? 10

He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?

He who teaches man knowledge— 11

the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,

that they are but a breath.
12

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,

and whom you teach out of your law, 13

to give him rest from days of trouble,

until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14

For the Lord will not forsake his people;

he will not abandon his heritage; 15

for justice will return to the righteous,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16

Who rises up for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me against evildoers? 17

If the Lord had not been my help,

my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18

When I thought, “My foot slips,”

your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 19

When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul. 20

Can wicked rulers be allied with you,

those who frame injustice by statute? 21

They band together against the life of the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death. 22

But the Lord has become my stronghold,

and my God the rock of my refuge. 23

He will bring back on them their iniquity

and wipe them out for their wickedness;

the Lord our God will wipe them out.