Today's Reading

¹"Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?

²Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?

³They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they end their labor pains.

⁴Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and do not return again.

⁵"Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,

⁶Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?

⁷He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.

⁸The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing.

⁹"Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?

¹⁰Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?

¹¹Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?

¹²Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?

¹³"The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love?

¹⁴For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,

¹⁵and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.

¹⁶She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear,

¹⁷because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.

¹⁸When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.

¹⁹"Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?

²⁰Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.

²¹He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.

²²He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.

²³The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.

²⁴He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.

²⁵As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, 'Aha!' He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

²⁶"Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?

²⁷Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?

²⁸On the cliff he dwells, and makes his home, on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.

²⁹From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.

³⁰His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is."

¹Moreover the Lord answered Job,

²"Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it."

³Then Job answered the Lord,

⁴"Behold, 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; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

⁶Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,

⁷"Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me.

⁸Will you even annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified?

⁹Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?

¹⁰"Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with honor and majesty.

¹¹Pour out the fury of your anger. Look at everyone who is proud, and bring him low.

¹²Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him. Crush the wicked in their place.

¹³Hide them in the dust together. Bind their faces in the hidden place.

¹⁴Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵"See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox.

¹⁶Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly.

¹⁷He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

¹⁸His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron.

¹⁹He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword.

²⁰Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play.

²¹He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh.

²²The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him.

²³Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn't tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth.

²⁴Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare?

¹"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with a cord?

²Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

³Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?

⁴Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?

⁵Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?

⁶Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?

⁷Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?

⁸Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.

⁹Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won't one be cast down even at the sight of him?

¹⁰None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?

¹¹Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.

¹²"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.

¹³Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?

¹⁴Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.

¹⁵Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.

¹⁶One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

¹⁷They are joined one to another. They stick together, so that they can't be pulled apart.

¹⁸His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

¹⁹Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap forth.

²⁰Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

²¹His breath kindles coals. A flame goes forth from his mouth.

²²There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.

²³The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can't be moved.

²⁴His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.

²⁵When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.

²⁶If one attacks him with the sword, it can't prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.

²⁷He counts iron as straw; and brass as rotten wood.

²⁸The arrow can't make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.

²⁹Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.

³⁰His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

³¹He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

³²He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.

³³On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.

³⁴He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride."

¹Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you.

²Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

⁴for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

⁵throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

⁶and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

⁷Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also we are Christ's.

⁸For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,

⁹that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

¹⁰For, "His letters," they say, "are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised."

¹¹Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

¹²For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

¹³But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

¹⁴For we do not stretch ourselves too much, as though we did not reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,

¹⁵not boasting beyond proper limits in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

¹⁶so as to proclaim the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

¹⁷But "he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

¹⁸For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.