ESV: The Story of Redemption

ESV: The Story of Redemption

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ESV: The Story of Redemption episodes

  • May 1: Job 11–13
    Job 11–13
    Job 11–13 (Listen)
    Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse

    11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

    2   “Should a multitude of words go unanswered,
        and a man full of talk be judged right?
    3   Should your babble silence men,
        and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
    4   For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure,
        and I am clean in God'sHebrew your">1 eyes.’
    5   But oh, that God would speak
        and open his lips to you,
    6   and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
        For he is manifold in understanding.The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">2
      Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.
    7   “Can you find out the deep things of God?
        Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
    8   It is higher than heavenHebrew The heights of heaven">3—what can you do?
        Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
    9   Its measure is longer than the earth
        and broader than the sea.
    10   If he passes through and imprisons
        and summons the court, who can turn him back?
    11   For he knows worthless men;
        when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
    12   But a stupid man will get understanding
        when a wild donkey's colt is born a man!
    13   “If you prepare your heart,
        you will stretch out your hands toward him.
    14   If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
        and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
    15   Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;
        you will be secure and will not fear.
    16   You will forget your misery;
        you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
    17   And your life will be brighter than the noonday;
        its darkness will be like the morning.
    18   And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
        you will look around and take your rest in security.
    19   You will lie down, and none will make you afraid;
        many will court your favor.
    20   But the eyes of the wicked will fail;
        all way of escape will be lost to them,
        and their hope is to breathe their last.”

    Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This

    12 Then Job answered and said:

    2   “No doubt you are the people,
        and wisdom will die with you.
    3   But I have understanding as well as you;
        I am not inferior to you.
        Who does not know such things as these?
    4   I am a laughingstock to my friends;
        I, who called to God and he answered me,
        a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
    5   In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
        it is ready for those whose feet slip.
    6   The tents of robbers are at peace,
        and those who provoke God are secure,
        who bring their god in their hand.The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">4
    7   “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
        the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
    8   or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;Or or speak to the earth, and it will teach you">5
        and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
    9   Who among all these does not know
        that the hand of the LORD has done this?
    10   In his hand is the life of every living thing
        and the breath of all mankind.
    11   Does not the ear test words
        as the palate tastes food?
    12   Wisdom is with the aged,
        and understanding in length of days.
    13   “With GodHebrew him">6 are wisdom and might;
        he has counsel and understanding.
    14   If he tears down, none can rebuild;
        if he shuts a man in, none can open.
    15   If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
        if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
    16   With him are strength and sound wisdom;
        the deceived and the deceiver are his.
    17   He leads counselors away stripped,
        and judges he makes fools.
    18   He looses the bonds of kings
        and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
    19   He leads priests away stripped
        and overthrows the mighty.
    20   He deprives of speech those who are trusted
        and takes away the discernment of the elders.
    21   He pours contempt on princes
        and loosens the belt of the strong.
    22   He uncovers the deeps out of darkness
        and brings deep darkness to light.
    23   He makes nations great, and he destroys them;
        he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
    24   He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
        and makes them wander in a trackless waste.
    25   They grope in the dark without light,
        and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

    Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God

    13   “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
        my ear has heard and understood it.
    2   What you know, I also know;
        I am not inferior to you.
    3   But I would speak to the Almighty,
        and I desire to argue my case with God.
    4   As for you, you whitewash with lies;
        worthless physicians are you all.
    5   Oh that you would keep silent,
        and it would be your wisdom!
    6   Hear now my argument
        and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
    7   Will you speak falsely for God
        and speak deceitfully for him?
    8   Will you show partiality toward him?
        Will you plead the case for God?
    9   Will it be well with you when he searches you out?
        Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?
    10   He will surely rebuke you
        if in secret you show partiality.
    11   Will not his majesty terrify you,
        and the dread of him fall upon you?
    12   Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
        your defenses are defenses of clay.
    13   “Let me have silence, and I will speak,
        and let come on me what may.
    14   Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
        and put my life in my hand?
    15   Though he slay me, I will hope in him;Or Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope">7
        yet I will argue my ways to his face.
    16   This will be my salvation,
        that the godless shall not come before him.
    17   Keep listening to my words,
        and let my declaration be in your ears.
    18   Behold, I have prepared my case;
        I know that I shall be in the right.
    19   Who is there who will contend with me?
        For then I would be silent and die.
    20   Only grant me two things,
        then I will not hide myself from your face:
    21   withdraw your hand far from me,
        and let not dread of you terrify me.
    22   Then call, and I will answer;
        or let me speak, and you reply to me.
    23   How many are my iniquities and my sins?
        Make me know my transgression and my sin.
    24   Why do you hide your face
        and count me as your enemy?
    25   Will you frighten a driven leaf
        and pursue dry chaff?
    26   For you write bitter things against me
        and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
    27   You put my feet in the stocks
        and watch all my paths;
        you set a limit forOr you marked">8 the soles of my feet.
    28   ManHebrew He">9 wastes away like a rotten thing,
        like a garment that is moth-eaten.

    Footnotes

    [1] 11:4 Hebrew your


    [2] 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

    [3] 11:8 Hebrew The heights of heaven

    [4] 12:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

    [5] 12:8 Or or speak to the earth, and it will teach you

    [6] 12:13 Hebrew him

    [7] 13:15 Or Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope

    [8] 13:27 Or you marked

    [9] 13:28 Hebrew He

    (ESV)

    7 min
  • April 30: Job 8–10
    Job 8–10
    Job 8–10 (Listen)
    Bildad Speaks: Job Should Repent

    8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

    2   “How long will you say these things,
        and the words of your mouth be a great wind?
    3   Does God pervert justice?
        Or does the Almighty pervert the right?
    4   If your children have sinned against him,
        he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression.
    5   If you will seek God
        and plead with the Almighty for mercy,
    6   if you are pure and upright,
        surely then he will rouse himself for you
        and restore your rightful habitation.
    7   And though your beginning was small,
        your latter days will be very great.
    8   “For inquire, please, of bygone ages,
        and consider what the fathers have searched out.
    9   For we are but of yesterday and know nothing,
        for our days on earth are a shadow.
    10   Will they not teach you and tell you
        and utter words out of their understanding?
    11   “Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
        Can reeds flourish where there is no water?
    12   While yet in flower and not cut down,
        they wither before any other plant.
    13   Such are the paths of all who forget God;
        the hope of the godless shall perish.
    14   His confidence is severed,
        and his trust is a spider's web.Hebrew house">1
    15   He leans against his house, but it does not stand;
        he lays hold of it, but it does not endure.
    16   He is a lush plant before the sun,
        and his shoots spread over his garden.
    17   His roots entwine the stone heap;
        he looks upon a house of stones.
    18   If he is destroyed from his place,
        then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
    19   Behold, this is the joy of his way,
        and out of the soil others will spring.
    20   “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,
        nor take the hand of evildoers.
    21   He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
        and your lips with shouting.
    22   Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
        and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”

    Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter

    9 Then Job answered and said:

    2   “Truly I know that it is so:
        But how can a man be in the right before God?
    3   If one wished to contend with him,
        one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
    4   He is wise in heart and mighty in strength
        —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
    5   he who removes mountains, and they know it not,
        when he overturns them in his anger,
    6   who shakes the earth out of its place,
        and its pillars tremble;
    7   who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
        who seals up the stars;
    8   who alone stretched out the heavens
        and trampled the waves of the sea;
    9   who made the Bear and Orion,
        the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
    10   who does great things beyond searching out,
        and marvelous things beyond number.
    11   Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not;
        he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
    12   Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back?
        Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
    13   “God will not turn back his anger;
        beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.
    14   How then can I answer him,
        choosing my words with him?
    15   Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him;
        I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.Or to my judge">2
    16   If I summoned him and he answered me,
        I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
    17   For he crushes me with a tempest
        and multiplies my wounds without cause;
    18   he will not let me get my breath,
        but fills me with bitterness.
    19   If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty!
        If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?Or who can grant me a hearing?">3
    20   Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;
        though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
    21   I am blameless; I regard not myself;
        I loathe my life.
    22   It is all one; therefore I say,
        ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
    23   When disaster brings sudden death,
        he mocks at the calamityThe meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain">4 of the innocent.
    24   The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
        he covers the faces of its judges—
        if it is not he, who then is it?
    25   “My days are swifter than a runner;
        they flee away; they see no good.
    26   They go by like skiffs of reed,
        like an eagle swooping on the prey.
    27   If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
        I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’
    28   I become afraid of all my suffering,
        for I know you will not hold me innocent.
    29   I shall be condemned;
        why then do I labor in vain?
    30   If I wash myself with snow
        and cleanse my hands with lye,
    31   yet you will plunge me into a pit,
        and my own clothes will abhor me.
    32   For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
        that we should come to trial together.
    33   There is noOr Would that there were an">5 arbiter between us,
        who might lay his hand on us both.
    34   Let him take his rod away from me,
        and let not dread of him terrify me.
    35   Then I would speak without fear of him,
        for I am not so in myself.

    Job Continues: A Plea to God

    10   “I loathe my life;
      I will give free utterance to my complaint;
        I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
    2   I will say to God, Do not condemn me;
        let me know why you contend against me.
    3   Does it seem good to you to oppress,
        to despise the work of your hands
        and favor the designs of the wicked?
    4   Have you eyes of flesh?
        Do you see as man sees?
    5   Are your days as the days of man,
        or your years as a man's years,
    6   that you seek out my iniquity
        and search for my sin,
    7   although you know that I am not guilty,
        and there is none to deliver out of your hand?
    8   Your hands fashioned and made me,
        and now you have destroyed me altogether.
    9   Remember that you have made me like clay;
        and will you return me to the dust?
    10   Did you not pour me out like milk
        and curdle me like cheese?
    11   You clothed me with skin and flesh,
        and knit me together with bones and sinews.
    12   You have granted me life and steadfast love,
        and your care has preserved my spirit.
    13   Yet these things you hid in your heart;
        I know that this was your purpose.
    14   If I sin, you watch me
        and do not acquit me of my iniquity.
    15   If I am guilty, woe to me!
        If I am in the right, I cannot lift up my head,
      for I am filled with disgrace
        and look on my affliction.
    16   And were my head lifted up,Hebrew lacks my head">6 you would hunt me like a lion
        and again work wonders against me.
    17   You renew your witnesses against me
        and increase your vexation toward me;
        you bring fresh troops against me.
    18   “Why did you bring me out from the womb?
        Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
    19   and were as though I had not been,
        carried from the womb to the grave.
    20   Are not my days few?
        Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer
    21   before I go—and I shall not return—
        to the land of darkness and deep shadow,
    22   the land of gloom like thick darkness,
        like deep shadow without any order,
        where light is as thick darkness.”

    Footnotes

    [1] 8:14 Hebrew house


    [2] 9:15 Or to my judge

    [3] 9:19 Or who can grant me a hearing?

    [4] 9:23 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

    [5] 9:33 Or Would that there were an

    [6] 10:16 Hebrew lacks my head

    (ESV)

    7 min
  • April 29: Job 4–7
    Job 4–7
    Job 4–7 (Listen)
    Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper

    4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

    2   “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
        Yet who can keep from speaking?
    3   Behold, you have instructed many,
        and you have strengthened the weak hands.
    4   Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
        and you have made firm the feeble knees.
    5   But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
        it touches you, and you are dismayed.
    6   Is not your fear of GodHebrew lacks of God">1 your confidence,
        and the integrity of your ways your hope?
    7   “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished?
        Or where were the upright cut off?
    8   As I have seen, those who plow iniquity
        and sow trouble reap the same.
    9   By the breath of God they perish,
        and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
    10   The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
        the teeth of the young lions are broken.
    11   The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
        and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
    12   “Now a word was brought to me stealthily;
        my ear received the whisper of it.
    13   Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
        when deep sleep falls on men,
    14   dread came upon me, and trembling,
        which made all my bones shake.
    15   A spirit glided past my face;
        the hair of my flesh stood up.
    16   It stood still,
        but I could not discern its appearance.
      A form was before my eyes;
        there was silence, then I heard a voice:
    17   ‘Can mortal man be in the right beforeOr more than; twice in this verse">2 God?
        Can a man be pure before his Maker?
    18   Even in his servants he puts no trust,
        and his angels he charges with error;
    19   how much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
        whose foundation is in the dust,
        who are crushed likeOr before">3 the moth.
    20   Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;
        they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
    21   Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,
        do they not die, and that without wisdom?’
    5   “Call now; is there anyone who will answer you?
        To which of the holy ones will you turn?
    2   Surely vexation kills the fool,
        and jealousy slays the simple.
    3   I have seen the fool taking root,
        but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.
    4   His children are far from safety;
        they are crushed in the gate,
        and there is no one to deliver them.
    5   The hungry eat his harvest,
        and he takes it even out of thorns,The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">4
        and the thirsty pantAquila, Symmachus, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew could be read as and the snare pants">5 after hisHebrew their">6 wealth.
    6   For affliction does not come from the dust,
        nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
    7   but man is born to trouble
        as the sparks fly upward.
    8   “As for me, I would seek God,
        and to God would I commit my cause,
    9   who does great things and unsearchable,
        marvelous things without number:
    10   he gives rain on the earth
        and sends waters on the fields;
    11   he sets on high those who are lowly,
        and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
    12   He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
        so that their hands achieve no success.
    13   He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
        and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
    14   They meet with darkness in the daytime
        and grope at noonday as in the night.
    15   But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth
        and from the hand of the mighty.
    16   So the poor have hope,
        and injustice shuts her mouth.
    17   “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;
        therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.
    18   For he wounds, but he binds up;
        he shatters, but his hands heal.
    19   He will deliver you from six troubles;
        in seven no evilOr disaster">7 shall touch you.
    20   In famine he will redeem you from death,
        and in war from the power of the sword.
    21   You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue,
        and shall not fear destruction when it comes.
    22   At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
        and shall not fear the beasts of the earth.
    23   For you shall be in league with the stones of the field,
        and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
    24   You shall know that your tent is at peace,
        and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.
    25   You shall know also that your offspring shall be many,
        and your descendants as the grass of the earth.
    26   You shall come to your grave in ripe old age,
        like a sheaf gathered up in its season.
    27   Behold, this we have searched out; it is true.
        Hear, and know it for your good.”Hebrew for yourself">8

    Job Replies: My Complaint Is Just

    6 Then Job answered and said:

    2   “Oh that my vexation were weighed,
        and all my calamity laid in the balances!
    3   For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;
        therefore my words have been rash.
    4   For the arrows of the Almighty are in me;
        my spirit drinks their poison;
        the terrors of God are arrayed against me.
    5   Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass,
        or the ox low over his fodder?
    6   Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt,
        or is there any taste in the juice of the mallow?The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain">9
    7   My appetite refuses to touch them;
        they are as food that is loathsome to me.The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">10
    8   “Oh that I might have my request,
        and that God would fulfill my hope,
    9   that it would please God to crush me,
        that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!
    10   This would be my comfort;
        I would even exultThe meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain">11 in pain unsparing,
        for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
    11   What is my strength, that I should wait?
        And what is my end, that I should be patient?
    12   Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze?
    13   Have I any help in me,
        when resource is driven from me?
    14   “He who withholdsSyriac, Vulgate (compare Targum); the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain">12 kindness from a friend
        forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
    15   My brothers are treacherous as a torrent-bed,
        as torrential streams that pass away,
    16   which are dark with ice,
        and where the snow hides itself.
    17   When they melt, they disappear;
        when it is hot, they vanish from their place.
    18   The caravans turn aside from their course;
        they go up into the waste and perish.
    19   The caravans of Tema look,
        the travelers of Sheba hope.
    20   They are ashamed because they were confident;
        they come there and are disappointed.
    21   For you have now become nothing;
        you see my calamity and are afraid.
    22   Have I said, ‘Make me a gift’?
        Or, ‘From your wealth offer a bribe for me’?
    23   Or, ‘Deliver me from the adversary's hand’?
        Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless’?
    24   “Teach me, and I will be silent;
        make me understand how I have gone astray.
    25   How forceful are upright words!
        But what does reproof from you reprove?
    26   Do you think that you can reprove words,
        when the speech of a despairing man is wind?
    27   You would even cast lots over the fatherless,
        and bargain over your friend.
    28   “But now, be pleased to look at me,
        for I will not lie to your face.
    29   Please turn; let no injustice be done.
        Turn now; my vindication is at stake.
    30   Is there any injustice on my tongue?
        Cannot my palate discern the cause of calamity?

    Job Continues: My Life Has No Hope

    7   “Has not man a hard service on earth,
        and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?
    2   Like a slave who longs for the shadow,
        and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,
    3   so I am allotted months of emptiness,
        and nights of misery are apportioned to me.
    4   When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’
        But the night is long,
        and I am full of tossing till the dawn.
    5   My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt;
        my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
    6   My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle
        and come to their end without hope.
    7   “Remember that my life is a breath;
        my eye will never again see good.
    8   The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
        while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone.
    9   As the cloud fades and vanishes,
        so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up;
    10   he returns no more to his house,
        nor does his place know him anymore.
    11   “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
        I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
        I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
    12   Am I the sea, or a sea monster,
        that you set a guard over me?
    13   When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
        my couch will ease my complaint,’
    14   then you scare me with dreams
        and terrify me with visions,
    15   so that I would choose strangling
        and death rather than my bones.
    16   I loathe my life; I would not live forever.
        Leave me alone, for my days are a breath.
    17   What is man, that you make so much of him,
        and that you set your heart on him,
    18   visit him every morning
        and test him every moment?
    19   How long will you not look away from me,
        nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?
    20   If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind?
        Why have you made me your mark?
        Why have I become a burden to you?
    21   Why do you not pardon my transgression
        and take away my iniquity?
      For now I shall lie in the earth;
        you will seek me, but I shall not be.”

    Footnotes

    [1] 4:6 Hebrew lacks of God


    [2] 4:17 Or more than; twice in this verse

    [3] 4:19 Or before

    [4] 5:5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

    [5] 5:5 Aquila, Symmachus, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew could be read as and the snare pants

    [6] 5:5 Hebrew their

    [7] 5:19 Or disaster

    [8] 5:27 Hebrew for yourself

    [9] 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

    [10] 6:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

    [11] 6:10 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

    [12] 6:14 Syriac, Vulgate (compare Targum); the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

    (ESV)

    10 min
  • April 28: Job 1–3
    Job 1–3
    Job 1–3 (Listen)
    Job's Character and Wealth

    1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursedThe Hebrew word bless is used euphemistically for curse in 1:5, 11; 2:5, 9">1 God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

    Satan Allowed to Test Job

    6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and SatanHebrew the Accuser or the Adversary; so throughout chapters 1–2">2 also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

    Satan Takes Job's Property and Children

    13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servantsHebrew the young men; also verses 16, 17">3 with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

    20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

    22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

    Satan Attacks Job's Health

    2 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

    7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

    9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”Or disaster; also verse 11">4 In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

    Job's Three Friends

    11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

    Job Laments His Birth

    3 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job said:

    3   “Let the day perish on which I was born,
        and the night that said,
        ‘A man is conceived.’
    4   Let that day be darkness!
        May God above not seek it,
        nor light shine upon it.
    5   Let gloom and deep darkness claim it.
        Let clouds dwell upon it;
        let the blackness of the day terrify it.
    6   That night—let thick darkness seize it!
        Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
        let it not come into the number of the months.
    7   Behold, let that night be barren;
        let no joyful cry enter it.
    8   Let those curse it who curse the day,
        who are ready to rouse up Leviathan.
    9   Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
        let it hope for light, but have none,
        nor see the eyelids of the morning,
    10   because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb,
        nor hide trouble from my eyes.
    11   “Why did I not die at birth,
        come out from the womb and expire?
    12   Why did the knees receive me?
        Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
    13   For then I would have lain down and been quiet;
        I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,
    14   with kings and counselors of the earth
        who rebuilt ruins for themselves,
    15   or with princes who had gold,
        who filled their houses with silver.
    16   Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child,
        as infants who never see the light?
    17   There the wicked cease from troubling,
        and there the weary are at rest.
    18   There the prisoners are at ease together;
        they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
    19   The small and the great are there,
        and the slave is free from his master.
    20   “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
        and life to the bitter in soul,
    21   who long for death, but it comes not,
        and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
    22   who rejoice exceedingly
        and are glad when they find the grave?
    23   Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
        whom God has hedged in?
    24   For my sighing comes instead ofOr like; Hebrew before">5 my bread,
        and my groanings are poured out like water.
    25   For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
        and what I dread befalls me.
    26   I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
        I have no rest, but trouble comes.”

    Footnotes

    [1] 1:5 The Hebrew word bless is used euphemistically for curse in 1:5, 11; 2:5, 9


    [2] 1:6 Hebrew the Accuser or the Adversary; so throughout chapters 1–2

    [3] 1:15 Hebrew the young men; also verses 16, 17

    [4] 2:10 Or disaster; also verse 11

    [5] 3:24 Or like; Hebrew before

    (ESV)

    8 min
  • April 27: Ecclesiastes 9–12
    Ecclesiastes 9–12
    Ecclesiastes 9–12 (Listen)
    Death Comes to All

    9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. 2 It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil">1 to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

    Enjoy Life with the One You Love

    7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

    8 Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

    9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vainThe Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)">2 life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,Or finds to do with your might, do it">3 for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

    Wisdom Better Than Folly

    11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

    13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

    17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

    10   Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
        so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
    2   A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
        but a fool's heart to the left.
    3   Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
        and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
    4   If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place,
        for calmnessHebrew healing">4 will lay great offenses to rest.

    5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

    8   He who digs a pit will fall into it,
        and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
    9   He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
        and he who splits logs is endangered by them.
    10   If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
        he must use more strength,
        but wisdom helps one to succeed.Or wisdom is an advantage for success">5
    11   If the serpent bites before it is charmed,
        there is no advantage to the charmer.
    12   The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor,Or are gracious">6
        but the lips of a fool consume him.
    13   The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
        and the end of his talk is evil madness.
    14   A fool multiplies words,
        though no man knows what is to be,
        and who can tell him what will be after him?
    15   The toil of a fool wearies him,
        for he does not know the way to the city.
    16   Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
        and your princes feast in the morning!
    17   Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
        and your princes feast at the proper time,
        for strength, and not for drunkenness!
    18   Through sloth the roof sinks in,
        and through indolence the house leaks.
    19   Bread is made for laughter,
        and wine gladdens life,
        and money answers everything.
    20   Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king,
        nor in your bedroom curse the rich,
      for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
        or some winged creature tell the matter.

    Cast Your Bread upon the Waters

    11   Cast your bread upon the waters,
        for you will find it after many days.
    2   Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
        for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
    3   If the clouds are full of rain,
        they empty themselves on the earth,
      and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
        in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
    4   He who observes the wind will not sow,
        and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

    5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the wombSome Hebrew manuscripts, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb">7 of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

    6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

    7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

    8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)">8

    9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

    10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away painOr evil">9 from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

    Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

    12 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low—5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,Or is a burden">10 and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets—6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 VanityThe Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2">11 of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

    Fear God and Keep His Commandments

    9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

    11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

    13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.Or the duty of all mankind">12 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, withOr into the judgment on">13 every secret thing, whether good or evil.

    Footnotes

    [1] 9:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil


    [2] 9:9 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)

    [3] 9:10 Or finds to do with your might, do it

    [4] 10:4 Hebrew healing

    [5] 10:10 Or wisdom is an advantage for success

    [6] 10:12 Or are gracious

    [7] 11:5 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb

    [8] 11:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)

    [9] 11:10 Or evil

    [10] 12:5 Or is a burden

    [11] 12:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2

    [12] 12:13 Or the duty of all mankind

    [13] 12:14 Or into the judgment on

    (ESV)

    9 min
  • April 26: Ecclesiastes 5–8
    Ecclesiastes 5–8
    Ecclesiastes 5–8 (Listen)
    Fear God

    5 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew">1 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.

    4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead youHebrew your flesh">2 into sin, and do not say before the messengerOr angel">3 that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)">4 butOr For when dreams and vanities increase, words also grow many; but">5 God is the one you must fear.

    The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

    8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain">6

    10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

    13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

    18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoymentOr and see good">7 in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

    6 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 4, 9, 11 (see note on 1:2)">8 it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoyOr see">9 no good—do not all go to the one place?

    7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.Hebrew filled">10 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

    10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vainThe Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)">11 life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

    The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly

    7   A good name is better than precious ointment,
        and the day of death than the day of birth.
    2   It is better to go to the house of mourning
        than to go to the house of feasting,
      for this is the end of all mankind,
        and the living will lay it to heart.
    3   Sorrow is better than laughter,
        for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
    4   The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
        but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
    5   It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
        than to hear the song of fools.
    6   For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,
        so is the laughter of the fools;
        this also is vanity.The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)">12
    7   Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,
        and a bribe corrupts the heart.
    8   Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
        and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
    9   Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
        for anger lodges in the heartHebrew in the bosom">13 of fools.
    10   Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
        For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
    11   Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
        an advantage to those who see the sun.
    12   For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
        and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
    13   Consider the work of God:
        who can make straight what he has made crooked?

    14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

    15 In my vainThe Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)">14 life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

    19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

    20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

    21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

    23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

    25 I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

    Keep the King's Command

    8   Who is like the wise?
        And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
      A man's wisdom makes his face shine,
        and the hardness of his face is changed.

    2 I say:Hebrew lacks say">15 Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him.Or because of your oath to God">16 3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.Or and judgment">17 6 For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's troubleOr evil">18 lies heavy on him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.

    Those Who Fear God Will Do Well

    10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praisedSome Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten">19 in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)">20 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

    Man Cannot Know God's Ways

    14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

    16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.

    Footnotes

    [1] 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew


    [2] 5:6 Hebrew your flesh

    [3] 5:6 Or angel

    [4] 5:7 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)

    [5] 5:7 Or For when dreams and vanities increase, words also grow many; but

    [6] 5:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain

    [7] 5:18 Or and see good

    [8] 6:2 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 4, 9, 11 (see note on 1:2)

    [9] 6:6 Or see

    [10] 6:7 Hebrew filled

    [11] 6:12 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)

    [12] 7:6 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)

    [13] 7:9 Hebrew in the bosom

    [14] 7:15 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)

    [15] 8:2 Hebrew lacks say

    [16] 8:2 Or because of your oath to God

    [17] 8:5 Or and judgment

    [18] 8:6 Or evil

    [19] 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten

    [20] 8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)

    (ESV)

    11 min
  • April 25: Ecclesiastes 1–4
    Ecclesiastes 1–4
    Ecclesiastes 1–4 (Listen)
    All Is Vanity

    1 The words of the Preacher,Or Convener, or Collector; Hebrew Qoheleth (so throughout Ecclesiastes)">1 the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

    2   VanityThe Hebrew term hebel, translated vanity or vain, refers concretely to a “mist,” “vapor,” or “mere breath,” and metaphorically to something that is fleeting or elusive (with different nuances depending on the context). It appears five times in this verse and in 29 other verses in Ecclesiastes">2 of vanities, says the Preacher,
        vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
    3   What does man gain by all the toil
        at which he toils under the sun?
    4   A generation goes, and a generation comes,
        but the earth remains forever.
    5   The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
        and hastensOr and returns panting">3 to the place where it rises.
    6   The wind blows to the south
        and goes around to the north;
      around and around goes the wind,
        and on its circuits the wind returns.
    7   All streams run to the sea,
        but the sea is not full;
      to the place where the streams flow,
        there they flow again.
    8   All things are full of weariness;
        a man cannot utter it;
      the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
        nor the ear filled with hearing.
    9   What has been is what will be,
        and what has been done is what will be done,
        and there is nothing new under the sun.
    10   Is there a thing of which it is said,
        “See, this is new”?
      It has been already
        in the ages before us.
    11   There is no remembrance of former things,Or former people">4
        nor will there be any remembrance
      of later thingsOr later people">5 yet to be
        among those who come after.

    The Vanity of Wisdom

    12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heartThe Hebrew term denotes the center of one's inner life, including mind, will, and emotions">6 to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanityThe Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)">7 and a striving after wind.Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (also in Ecclesiastes 1:17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9)">8

    15   What is crooked cannot be made straight,
        and what is lacking cannot be counted.

    16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

    18   For in much wisdom is much vexation,
        and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

    The Vanity of Self-Indulgence

    2 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26 (see note on 1:2)">9 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines,The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain">10 the delight of the sons of man.

    9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

    The Vanity of Living Wisely

    12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

    The Vanity of Toil

    18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

    24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoymentOr and make his soul see good">11 in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from himSome Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts apart from me">12 who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

    A Time for Everything

    3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

    2   a time to be born, and a time to die;
      a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
    3   a time to kill, and a time to heal;
      a time to break down, and a time to build up;
    4   a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
      a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
    5   a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
      a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
    6   a time to seek, and a time to lose;
      a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
    7   a time to tear, and a time to sew;
      a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
    8   a time to love, and a time to hate;
      a time for war, and a time for peace.

    The God-Given Task

    9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

    14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.Hebrew what has been pursued">13

    From Dust to Dust

    16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)">14 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?

    Evil Under the Sun

    4 Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

    4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanityThe Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 7, 8, 16 (see note on 1:2)">15 and a striving after wind.

    5 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.

    6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

    7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

    9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

    13 Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. 14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with thatHebrew the second">16 youth who was to stand in the king'sHebrew his">17 place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

    Footnotes

    [1] 1:1 Or Convener, or Collector; Hebrew Qoheleth (so throughout Ecclesiastes)


    [2] 1:2 The Hebrew term hebel, translated vanity or vain, refers concretely to a “mist,” “vapor,” or “mere breath,” and metaphorically to something that is fleeting or elusive (with different nuances depending on the context). It appears five times in this verse and in 29 other verses in Ecclesiastes

    [3] 1:5 Or and returns panting

    [4] 1:11 Or former people

    [5] 1:11 Or later people

    [6] 1:13 The Hebrew term denotes the center of one's inner life, including mind, will, and emotions

    [7] 1:14 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)

    [8] 1:14 Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (also in Ecclesiastes 1:17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9)

    [9] 2:1 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26 (see note on 1:2)

    [10] 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

    [11] 2:24 Or and make his soul see good

    [12] 2:25 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts apart from me

    [13] 3:15 Hebrew what has been pursued

    [14] 3:19 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)

    [15] 4:4 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 7, 8, 16 (see note on 1:2)

    [16] 4:15 Hebrew the second

    [17] 4:15 Hebrew his

    (ESV)

    12 min
  • April 24: Proverbs 30–31
    Proverbs 30–31
    Proverbs 30–31 (Listen)
    The Words of Agur

    30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.Or Jakeh, the man of Massa">1

      The man declares, I am weary, O God;
        I am weary, O God, and worn out.Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal">2
    2   Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
        I have not the understanding of a man.
    3   I have not learned wisdom,
        nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
    4   Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
        Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
      Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
        Who has established all the ends of the earth?
      What is his name, and what is his son's name?
        Surely you know!
    5   Every word of God proves true;
        he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
    6   Do not add to his words,
        lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
    7   Two things I ask of you;
        deny them not to me before I die:
    8   Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
        give me neither poverty nor riches;
        feed me with the food that is needful for me,
    9   lest I be full and deny you
        and say, “Who is the LORD?”
      or lest I be poor and steal
        and profane the name of my God.
    10   Do not slander a servant to his master,
        lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
    11   There are thoseHebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14">3 who curse their fathers
        and do not bless their mothers.
    12   There are those who are clean in their own eyes
        but are not washed of their filth.
    13   There are those—how lofty are their eyes,
        how high their eyelids lift!
    14   There are those whose teeth are swords,
        whose fangs are knives,
      to devour the poor from off the earth,
        the needy from among mankind.
    15   The leech has two daughters:
        Give and Give.Or “Give, give,” they cry">4
      Three things are never satisfied;
        four never say, “Enough”:
    16   Sheol, the barren womb,
        the land never satisfied with water,
        and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
    17   The eye that mocks a father
        and scorns to obey a mother
      will be picked out by the ravens of the valley
        and eaten by the vultures.
    18   Three things are too wonderful for me;
        four I do not understand:
    19   the way of an eagle in the sky,
        the way of a serpent on a rock,
      the way of a ship on the high seas,
        and the way of a man with a virgin.
    20   This is the way of an adulteress:
        she eats and wipes her mouth
        and says, “I have done no wrong.”
    21   Under three things the earth trembles;
        under four it cannot bear up:
    22   a slave when he becomes king,
        and a fool when he is filled with food;
    23   an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
        and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
    24   Four things on earth are small,
        but they are exceedingly wise:
    25   the ants are a people not strong,
        yet they provide their food in the summer;
    26   the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
        yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
    27   the locusts have no king,
        yet all of them march in rank;
    28   the lizard you can take in your hands,
        yet it is in kings' palaces.
    29   Three things are stately in their tread;
        four are stately in their stride:
    30   the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
        and does not turn back before any;
    31   the strutting rooster,Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins">5 the he-goat,
        and a king whose army is with him.Or against whom there is no rising up">6
    32   If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
        or if you have been devising evil,
        put your hand on your mouth.
    33   For pressing milk produces curds,
        pressing the nose produces blood,
        and pressing anger produces strife.

    The Words of King Lemuel

    31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

    2   What are you doing, my son?Hebrew What, my son?">7 What are you doing, son of my womb?
        What are you doing, son of my vows?
    3   Do not give your strength to women,
        your ways to those who destroy kings.
    4   It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
        it is not for kings to drink wine,
        or for rulers to take strong drink,
    5   lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
        and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
    6   Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
        and wine to those in bitter distress;Hebrew those bitter in soul">8
    7   let them drink and forget their poverty
        and remember their misery no more.
    8   Open your mouth for the mute,
        for the rights of all who are destitute.Hebrew are sons of passing away">9
    9   Open your mouth, judge righteously,
        defend the rights of the poor and needy.

    The Woman Who Fears the Lord

    10   Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet">10 An excellent wife who can find?
        She is far more precious than jewels.
    11   The heart of her husband trusts in her,
        and he will have no lack of gain.
    12   She does him good, and not harm,
        all the days of her life.
    13   She seeks wool and flax,
        and works with willing hands.
    14   She is like the ships of the merchant;
        she brings her food from afar.
    15   She rises while it is yet night
        and provides food for her household
        and portions for her maidens.
    16   She considers a field and buys it;
        with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
    17   She dresses herselfHebrew She girds her loins">11 with strength
        and makes her arms strong.
    18   She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
        Her lamp does not go out at night.
    19   She puts her hands to the distaff,
        and her hands hold the spindle.
    20   She opens her hand to the poor
        and reaches out her hands to the needy.
    21   She is not afraid of snow for her household,
        for all her household are clothed in scarlet.Or in double thickness">12
    22   She makes bed coverings for herself;
        her clothing is fine linen and purple.
    23   Her husband is known in the gates
        when he sits among the elders of the land.
    24   She makes linen garments and sells them;
        she delivers sashes to the merchant.
    25   Strength and dignity are her clothing,
        and she laughs at the time to come.
    26   She opens her mouth with wisdom,
        and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
    27   She looks well to the ways of her household
        and does not eat the bread of idleness.
    28   Her children rise up and call her blessed;
        her husband also, and he praises her:
    29   “Many women have done excellently,
        but you surpass them all.”
    30   Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
        but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
    31   Give her of the fruit of her hands,
        and let her works praise her in the gates.

    Footnotes

    [1] 30:1 Or Jakeh, the man of Massa


    [2] 30:1 Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal

    [3] 30:11 Hebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14

    [4] 30:15 Or “Give, give,” they cry

    [5] 30:31 Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins

    [6] 30:31 Or against whom there is no rising up

    [7] 31:2 Hebrew What, my son?

    [8] 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul

    [9] 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away

    [10] 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

    [11] 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins

    [12] 31:21 Or in double thickness

    (ESV)

    7 min
  • April 23: Proverbs 27–29
    Proverbs 27–29
    Proverbs 27–29 (Listen)

    27   Do not boast about tomorrow,
        for you do not know what a day may bring.
    2   Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
        a stranger, and not your own lips.
    3   A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
        but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
    4   Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
        but who can stand before jealousy?
    5   Better is open rebuke
        than hidden love.
    6   Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
        profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
    7   One who is full loathes honey,
        but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
    8   Like a bird that strays from its nest
        is a man who strays from his home.
    9   Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
        and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel">1
    10   Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend,
        and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
      Better is a neighbor who is near
        than a brother who is far away.
    11   Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
        that I may answer him who reproaches me.
    12   The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
        but the simple go on and suffer for it.
    13   Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
        and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners">2
    14   Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
        rising early in the morning,
        will be counted as cursing.
    15   A continual dripping on a rainy day
        and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
    16   to restrain her is to restrain the wind
        or to graspHebrew to meet with">3 oil in one's right hand.
    17   Iron sharpens iron,
        and one man sharpens another.Hebrew sharpens the face of another">4
    18   Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
        and he who guards his master will be honored.
    19   As in water face reflects face,
        so the heart of man reflects the man.
    20   Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
        and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
    21   The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
        and a man is tested by his praise.
    22   Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
        along with crushed grain,
        yet his folly will not depart from him.
    23   Know well the condition of your flocks,
        and give attention to your herds,
    24   for riches do not last forever;
        and does a crown endure to all generations?
    25   When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
        and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
    26   the lambs will provide your clothing,
        and the goats the price of a field.
    27   There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
        for the food of your household
        and maintenance for your girls.
    28   The wicked flee when no one pursues,
        but the righteous are bold as a lion.
    2   When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
        but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
        its stability will long continue.
    3   A poor man who oppresses the poor
        is a beating rain that leaves no food.
    4   Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
        but those who keep the law strive against them.
    5   Evil men do not understand justice,
        but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.
    6   Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
        than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
    7   The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
        but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
    8   Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profitThat is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor">5
        gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
    9   If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
        even his prayer is an abomination.
    10   Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
        will fall into his own pit,
        but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
    11   A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
        but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
    12   When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
        but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
    13   Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
        but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
    14   Blessed is the one who fears the LORDHebrew lacks the Lord">6 always,
        but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
    15   Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
        is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
    16   A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
        but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
    17   If one is burdened with the blood of another,
        he will be a fugitive until death;Hebrew until the pit">7
        let no one help him.
    18   Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,
        but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
    19   Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
        but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
    20   A faithful man will abound with blessings,
        but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
    21   To show partiality is not good,
        but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
    22   A stingy manHebrew A man whose eye is evil">8 hastens after wealth
        and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
    23   Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
        than he who flatters with his tongue.
    24   Whoever robs his father or his mother
        and says, “That is no transgression,”
        is a companion to a man who destroys.
    25   A greedy man stirs up strife,
        but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.
    26   Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
        but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
    27   Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
        but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
    28   When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
        but when they perish, the righteous increase.
    29   He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
        will suddenly be broken beyond healing.
    2   When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
        but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
    3   He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
        but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
    4   By justice a king builds up the land,
        but he who exacts giftsOr who taxes heavily">9 tears it down.
    5   A man who flatters his neighbor
        spreads a net for his feet.
    6   An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,
        but a righteous man sings and rejoices.
    7   A righteous man knows the rights of the poor;
        a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.
    8   Scoffers set a city aflame,
        but the wise turn away wrath.
    9   If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
        the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.
    10   Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless
        and seek the life of the upright.Or but the upright seek his soul">10
    11   A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
        but a wise man quietly holds it back.
    12   If a ruler listens to falsehood,
        all his officials will be wicked.
    13   The poor man and the oppressor meet together;
        the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
    14   If a king faithfully judges the poor,
        his throne will be established forever.
    15   The rod and reproof give wisdom,
        but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
    16   When the wicked increase, transgression increases,
        but the righteous will look upon their downfall.
    17   Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
        he will give delight to your heart.
    18   Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,Or the people are discouraged">11
        but blessed is he who keeps the law.
    19   By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
        for though he understands, he will not respond.
    20   Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
        There is more hope for a fool than for him.
    21   Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
        will in the end find him his heir.The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered his heir is uncertain">12
    22   A man of wrath stirs up strife,
        and one given to anger causes much transgression.
    23   One's pride will bring him low,
        but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
    24   The partner of a thief hates his own life;
        he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
    25   The fear of man lays a snare,
        but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
    26   Many seek the face of a ruler,
        but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.
    27   An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
        but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

    Footnotes

    [1] 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel


    [2] 27:13 Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners

    [3] 27:16 Hebrew to meet with

    [4] 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another

    [5] 28:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor

    [6] 28:14 Hebrew lacks the Lord

    [7] 28:17 Hebrew until the pit

    [8] 28:22 Hebrew A man whose eye is evil

    [9] 29:4 Or who taxes heavily

    [10] 29:10 Or but the upright seek his soul

    [11] 29:18 Or the people are discouraged

    [12] 29:21 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered his heir is uncertain

    (ESV)

    10 min
  • April 22: Proverbs 24–26
    Proverbs 24–26
    Proverbs 24–26 (Listen)

    24   Be not envious of evil men,
        nor desire to be with them,
    2   for their hearts devise violence,
        and their lips talk of trouble.
    3   By wisdom a house is built,
        and by understanding it is established;
    4   by knowledge the rooms are filled
        with all precious and pleasant riches.
    5   A wise man is full of strength,
        and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
    6   for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
        and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
    7   Wisdom is too high for a fool;
        in the gate he does not open his mouth.
    8   Whoever plans to do evil
        will be called a schemer.
    9   The devisingOr scheming">1 of folly is sin,
        and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
    10   If you faint in the day of adversity,
        your strength is small.
    11   Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
        hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
    12   If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
        does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
      Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
        and will he not repay man according to his work?
    13   My son, eat honey, for it is good,
        and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
    14   Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
        if you find it, there will be a future,
        and your hope will not be cut off.
    15   Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
        do no violence to his home;
    16   for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
        but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
    17   Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
        and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
    18   lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
        and turn away his anger from him.
    19   Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
        and be not envious of the wicked,
    20   for the evil man has no future;
        the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
    21   My son, fear the LORD and the king,
        and do not join with those who do otherwise,
    22   for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
        and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

    More Sayings of the Wise

    23 These also are sayings of the wise.

      Partiality in judging is not good.
    24   Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,”
        will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,
    25   but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
        and a good blessing will come upon them.
    26   Whoever gives an honest answer
        kisses the lips.
    27   Prepare your work outside;
        get everything ready for yourself in the field,
        and after that build your house.
    28   Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause,
        and do not deceive with your lips.
    29   Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
        I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
    30   I passed by the field of a sluggard,
        by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
    31   and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
        the ground was covered with nettles,
        and its stone wall was broken down.
    32   Then I saw and considered it;
        I looked and received instruction.
    33   A little sleep, a little slumber,
        a little folding of the hands to rest,
    34   and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
        and want like an armed man.

    More Proverbs of Solomon

    25 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

    2   It is the glory of God to conceal things,
        but the glory of kings is to search things out.
    3   As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
        so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
    4   Take away the dross from the silver,
        and the smith has material for a vessel;
    5   take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
        and his throne will be established in righteousness.
    6   Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
        or stand in the place of the great,
    7   for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
        than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
      What your eyes have seen
    8     do not hastily bring into court,Or presence of a noble, as your eyes have seen. 8Do not go hastily out to court">2
      forHebrew or else">3 what will you do in the end,
        when your neighbor puts you to shame?
    9   Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
        and do not reveal another's secret,
    10   lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
        and your ill repute have no end.
    11   A word fitly spoken
        is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
    12   Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
        is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
    13   Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
        is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
        he refreshes the soul of his masters.
    14   Like clouds and wind without rain
        is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.
    15   With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
        and a soft tongue will break a bone.
    16   If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
        lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
    17   Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,
        lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
    18   A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
        is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.
    19   Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
        is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
    20   Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart
        is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
        and like vinegar on soda.
    21   If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
        and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
    22   for you will heap burning coals on his head,
        and the LORD will reward you.
    23   The north wind brings forth rain,
        and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
    24   It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
        than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
    25   Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
        so is good news from a far country.
    26   Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
        is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
    27   It is not good to eat much honey,
        nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain">4
    28   A man without self-control
        is like a city broken into and left without walls.
    26   Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
        so honor is not fitting for a fool.
    2   Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
        a curse that is causeless does not alight.
    3   A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
        and a rod for the back of fools.
    4   Answer not a fool according to his folly,
        lest you be like him yourself.
    5   Answer a fool according to his folly,
        lest he be wise in his own eyes.
    6   Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
        cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
    7   Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
        is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
    8   Like one who binds the stone in the sling
        is one who gives honor to a fool.
    9   Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
        is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
    10   Like an archer who wounds everyone
        is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.Or hires a fool or passersby">5
    11   Like a dog that returns to his vomit
        is a fool who repeats his folly.
    12   Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
        There is more hope for a fool than for him.
    13   The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
        There is a lion in the streets!”
    14   As a door turns on its hinges,
        so does a sluggard on his bed.
    15   The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
        it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
    16   The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
        than seven men who can answer sensibly.
    17   Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
        is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
    18   Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
    19   is the man who deceives his neighbor
        and says, “I am only joking!”
    20   For lack of wood the fire goes out,
        and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
    21   As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
        so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
    22   The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
        they go down into the inner parts of the body.
    23   Like the glazeBy revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross">6 covering an earthen vessel
        are fervent lips with an evil heart.
    24   Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
        and harbors deceit in his heart;
    25   when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
        for there are seven abominations in his heart;
    26   though his hatred be covered with deception,
        his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
    27   Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
        and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
    28   A lying tongue hates its victims,
        and a flattering mouth works ruin.

    Footnotes

    [1] 24:9 Or scheming


    [2] 25:8 Or presence of a noble, as your eyes have seen. 8Do not go hastily out to court

    [3] 25:8 Hebrew or else

    [4] 25:27 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain

    [5] 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby

    [6] 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross

    (ESV)

    10 min

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