JOB 39

« Job 38 | Job 39 | Job 40 »

39:1

“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?

Do you observe the calving of the does? 2

Can you number the months that they fulfill,

and do you know the time when they give birth, 3

when they crouch, bring forth their offspring,

and are delivered of their young? 4

Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;

they go out and do not return to them.
5

“Who has let the wild donkey go free?

Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, 6

to whom I have given the arid plain for his home

and the salt land for his dwelling place? 7

He scorns the tumult of the city;

he hears not the shouts of the driver. 8

He ranges the mountains as his pasture,

and he searches after every green thing.
9

“Is the wild ox willing to serve you?

Will he spend the night at your manger? 10

Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes,

or will he harrow the valleys after you? 11

Will you depend on him because his strength is great,

and will you leave to him your labor? 12

Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain

and gather it to your threshing floor?
13

“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,

but are they the pinions and plumage of love? 14

For she leaves her eggs to the earth

and lets them be warmed on the ground, 15

forgetting that a foot may crush them

and that the wild beast may trample them. 16

She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;

though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear, 17

because God has made her forget wisdom

and given her no share in understanding. 18

When she rouses herself to flee,

she laughs at the horse and his rider.
19

“Do you give the horse his might?

Do you clothe his neck with a mane? 20

Do you make him leap like the locust?

His majestic snorting is terrifying. 21

He paws in the valley and exults in his strength;

he goes out to meet the weapons. 22

He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;

he does not turn back from the sword. 23

Upon him rattle the quiver,

the flashing spear, and the javelin. 24

With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;

he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. 25

When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’

He smells the battle from afar,

the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26

“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars

and spreads his wings toward the south? 27

Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up

and makes his nest on high? 28

On the rock he dwells and makes his home,

on the rocky crag and stronghold. 29

From there he spies out the prey;

his eyes behold it from far away. 30

His young ones suck up blood,

and where the slain are, there is he.”

JOB 40

« Job 39 | Job 40 | Job 41 »

  40:1 And the Lord said to Job:
2

“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

He who argues with God, let him answer it.” Job Promises Silence3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4

“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?

I lay my hand on my mouth. 5

I have spoken once, and I will not answer;

twice, but I will proceed no further.” The Lord Challenges Job6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7

“Dress for action like a man;

I will question you, and you make it known to me. 8

Will you even put me in the wrong?

Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? 9

Have you an arm like God,

and can you thunder with a voice like his?
10

“Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;

clothe yourself with glory and splendor. 11

Pour out the overflowings of your anger,

and look on everyone who is proud and abase him. 12

Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low

and tread down the wicked where they stand. 13

Hide them all in the dust together;

bind their faces in the world below. 14

Then will I also acknowledge to you

that your own right hand can save you.
15

“Behold, Behemoth,

which I made as I made you;

he eats grass like an ox. 16

Behold, his strength in his loins,

and his power in the muscles of his belly. 17

He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;

the sinews of his thighs are knit together. 18

His bones are tubes of bronze,

his limbs like bars of iron.
19

“He is the first of the works of God;

let him who made him bring near his sword! 20

For the mountains yield food for him

where all the wild beasts play. 21

Under the lotus plants he lies,

in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh. 22

For his shade the lotus trees cover him;

the willows of the brook surround him. 23

Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;

he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth. 24

Can one take him by his eyes,

or pierce his nose with a snare?

PROVERBS 22

« Proverbs 21 | Proverbs 22 | Proverbs 23 »

22:1

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold. 2

The rich and the poor meet together;

the Lord is the Maker of them all. 3

The prudent sees danger and hides himself,

but the simple go on and suffer for it. 4

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord

is riches and honor and life. 5

Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;

whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. 6

Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it. 7

The rich rules over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 8

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of his fury will fail. 9

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,

for he shares his bread with the poor. 10

Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,

and quarreling and abuse will cease. 11

He who loves purity of heart,

and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. 12

The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he overthrows the words of the traitor. 13

The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!

I shall be killed in the streets!” 14

The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit;

he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it. 15

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. 16

Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. Words of the Wise17

Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,

and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18

for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,

if all of them are ready on your lips. 19

That your trust may be in the Lord,

I have made them known to you today, even to you. 20

Have I not written for you thirty sayings

of counsel and knowledge, 21

to make you know what is right and true,

that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
22

Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate, 23

for the Lord will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them. 24

Make no friendship with a man given to anger,

nor go with a wrathful man, 25

lest you learn his ways

and entangle yourself in a snare. 26

Be not one of those who give pledges,

who put up security for debts. 27

If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should your bed be taken from under you? 28

Do not move the ancient landmark

that your fathers have set. 29

Do you see a man skillful in his work?

He will stand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.

PSALM 97

« Psalm 96 | Psalm 97 | Psalm 98 »

The Lord Reigns97:1

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;

let the many coastlands be glad! 2

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3

Fire goes before him

and burns up his adversaries all around. 4

His lightnings light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles. 5

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.
6

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

and all the peoples see his glory. 7

All worshipers of images are put to shame,

who make their boast in worthless idols;

worship him, all you gods!
8

Zion hears and is glad,

and the daughters of Judah rejoice,

because of your judgments, O Lord. 9

For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.
10

O you who love the Lord, hate evil!

He preserves the lives of his saints;

he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11

Light is sown for the righteous,

and joy for the upright in heart. 12

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,

and give thanks to his holy name!