August 22

15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, Yea, four things say not, It is enough: 16The grave; and the barren womb; The earth that is not filled with water; And the fire that saith not, It is enough. 17The eye that mocketh at his father, And despiseth to obey his mother, The ravens of the valley shall pick it out, And the young eagles shall eat it. 18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not: 19The way of an eagle in the air; The way of a serpent upon a rock; The way of a ship in the midst of the sea; And the way of a man with a maid. 20Such is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, I have done no wickedness. 21For three things the earth is disquieted, And for four which it cannot bear: 22For a servant when he reigneth; And a fool when he is filled with meat; 23For an odious woman when she is married; And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress. 24There be four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise: 25The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 26The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks; 27The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands; 28The spider taketh hold with her hands, And is in kings’ palaces. 29There be three things which go well, Yea, four are comely in going: 30A lion which is strongest among beasts, And turneth not away for any; 31A greyhound; a he goat also; And a king, against whom there is no rising up. 32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thine hand upon thy mouth. 33Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

1The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. 2What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? And what, the son of my vows? 3Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. 4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; Nor for princes strong drink: 5Lest they drink, and forget the law, And pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. 6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, And wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. 7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more. 8Open thy mouth for the dumb In the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. 9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

10Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. 11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, So that he shall have no need of spoil. 12She will do him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13She seeketh wool, and flax, And worketh willingly with her hands. 14She is like the merchant’s ships; She bringeth her food from afar. 15She riseth also while it is yet night, And giveth meat to her household, And a portion to her maidens. 16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17She girdeth her loins with strength, And strengtheneth her arms. 18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: Her candle goeth not out by night. 19She layeth her hands to the spindle, And her hands hold the distaff. 20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: For all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; Her clothing is silk and purple. 23Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; And delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25Strength and honour are her clothing; And she shall rejoice in time to come. 26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness. 28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her. 29Many daughters have done virtuously, But thou excellest them all. 30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her own works praise her in the gates.

1THERE was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14and there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burnt up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return thither: The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD. 22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. 9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. 11Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 12And when they lift up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

1After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 2And Job spake, and said, 3Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. 4Let that day be darkness; Let not God regard it from above, Neither let the light shine upon it. 5Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let the blackness of the day terrify it. 6As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; Let it not be joined unto the days of the year, Let it not come into the number of the months. 7Lo, let that night be solitary, Let no joyful voice come therein. 8Let them curse it that curse the day, Who are ready to raise up their mourning. 9Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; Let it look for light, but have none; Neither let it see the dawning of the day: 10Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, Nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. 11Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? 12Why did the knees prevent me? Or why the breasts that I should suck? 13For now should I have lien still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

14With kings and counsellers of the earth, Which built desolate places for themselves; 15Or with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver: 16Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; As infants which never saw light. 17There the wicked cease from troubling; And there the weary be at rest. 18There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor. 19The small and great are there; And the servant is free from his master. 20Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul; 21Which long for death, but it cometh not; And dig for it more than for hid treasures; 22Which rejoice exceedingly, And are glad, when they can find the grave? 23Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? 24For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my roarings are poured out like the waters. 25For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, And that which I was afraid of is come unto me. 26I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; Yet trouble came.