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Job 23, 24, 40, 41, 42:1-6

23Then Job answered: 2“Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. 3Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! 4I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. 6Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. 7There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.

8“If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; 9on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. 10But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold. 11My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. 12I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured in my bosom the words of his mouth.

13But he stands alone and who can dissuade him? What he desires, that he does. 14For he will complete what he appoints for me; and many such things are in his mind. 15Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. 16God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; 17If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!

24“Why are times not kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days? 2The wicked remove landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them. 3They drive away the donkey of the orphan; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. 4They thrust the needy off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves. 5Like wild asses in the desert they go out to their toil, scavenging in the wasteland food for their young. 6They reap in a field not their own and they glean in the vineyard of the wicked. 7They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. 8They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and cling to the rock for want of shelter. 9“There are those who snatch the orphan child from the breast, and take as a pledge the infant of the poor. 10They go about naked, without clothing; though hungry, they carry the sheaves; 11between their terraces they press out oil; they tread the wine presses, but suffer thirst. 12From the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries for help; yet God pays no attention to their prayer.

13“There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. 14The murderer rises at dusk to kill the poor and needy, and in the night is like a thief. 15The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me’; and he disguises his face. 16In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light. 17For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.

18“Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion in the land is cursed; no treader turns toward their vineyards. 19Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned. 20The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered; so wickedness is broken like a tree. 21“They harm the childless woman, and do no good to the widow. 22Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life. 23He gives them security, and they are supported; his eyes are upon their ways. 24They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they wither and fade like the mallow; they are cut off like the heads of grain. 25If it is not so, who will prove me a liar, and show that there is nothing in what I say?”

40And the Lord said to Job: 2“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond.” 3Then Job answered the Lord: 4“See, 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; twice, but will proceed no further.”

6Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 7“Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you declare to me. 8Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? 9Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? 10“Deck yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. 11Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on all who are proud, and abase them. 12Look on all who are proud, and bring them low; tread down the wicked where they stand. 13Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. 14Then I will also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can give you victory.

15“Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you; it eats grass like an ox. 16Its strength is in its loins, and its power in the muscles of its belly. 17It makes its tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are knit together. 18Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like bars of iron. 19“It is the first of the great acts of God— only its Maker can approach it with the sword. 20For the mountains yield food for it where all the wild animals play. 21Under the lotus plants it lies, in the covert of the reeds and in the marsh. 22The lotus trees cover it for shade; the willows of the wadi surround it. 23Even if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened; it is confident though Jordan rushes against its mouth. 24Can one take it with hooks or pierce its nose with a snare?

41“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down its tongue with a cord? 2Can you put a rope in its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook? 3Will it make many supplications to you? Will it speak soft words to you? 4Will it make a covenant with you to be taken as your servant forever? 5Will you play with it as with a bird, or will you put it on leash for your girls? 6Will traders bargain over it? Will they divide it up among the merchants? 7Can you fill its skin with harpoons, or its head with fishing spears? 8Lay hands on it; think of the battle; you will not do it again! 9Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it? 10No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up. Who can stand before it?

11Who can confront it and be safe? —under the whole heaven, who? 12“I will not keep silence concerning its limbs, or its mighty strength, or its splendid frame. 13Who can strip off its outer garment? Who can penetrate its double coat of mail? 14Who can open the doors of its face? There is terror all around its teeth. 15Its back is made of shields in rows, shut up closely as with a seal. 16One is so near to another that no air can come between them. 17They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. 18Its sneezes flash forth light, and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. 19From its mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap out. 20Out of its nostrils comes smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 21Its breath kindles coals, and a flame comes out of its mouth. 22In its neck abides strength, and terror dances before it. 23The folds of its flesh cling together; it is firmly cast and immovable. 24Its heart is as hard as stone, as hard as the lower millstone. 25When it raises itself up the gods are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves. 26Though the sword reaches it, it does not avail, nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin. 27It counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. 28The arrow cannot make it flee; slingstones, for it, are turned to chaff. 29Clubs are counted as chaff; it laughs at the rattle of javelins. 30Its underparts are like sharp potsherds; it spreads itself like a threshing sledge on the mire. 31It makes the deep boil like a pot; it makes the sea like a pot of ointment. 32It leaves a shining wake behind it; one would think the deep to be white-haired. 33On earth it has no equal, a creature without fear. 34It surveys everything that is lofty; it is king over all that are proud.”

42Then Job answered the Lord: 2“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.’ 5I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

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30 June 2021

From the oremus Bible Browser https://bible.oremus.org v2.9.2 30 June 2021.