Daily Bread

² “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,^(B)
    the Almighty,^(C) who has made my life bitter,^(D)
3 as long as I have life within me,
    the breath of God^(E) in my nostrils,
⁴ my lips will not say anything wicked,
    and my tongue will not utter lies.^(F)
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
    till I die, I will not deny my integrity.^(G)
6 I will maintain my innocence^(H) and never let go of it;
    my conscience^(I) will not reproach me as long as I live.^(J)

⁷ “May my enemy be like the wicked,^(K)
    my adversary^(L) like the unjust!
⁸ For what hope have the godless^(M) when they are cut off,
    when God takes away their life?^(N)
9 Does God listen to their cry
    when distress comes upon them?^(O)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?^(P)
    Will they call on God at all times?

¹¹ “I will teach you about the power of God;
    the ways^(Q) of the Almighty I will not conceal.^(R)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
    Why then this meaningless talk?

¹³ “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
    the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:^(S)
14 However many his children,^(T) their fate is the sword;^(U)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.^(V)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.^(W)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust^(X)
    and clothes like piles of clay,^(Y)
17 what he lays up^(Z) the righteous will wear,^(AA)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.^(AB)
18 The house^(AC) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,^(AD)
    like a hut^(AE) made by a watchman.
¹⁹ He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;^(AF)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.^(AG)
20 Terrors^(AH) overtake him like a flood;^(AI)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.^(AJ)
21 The east wind^(AK) carries him off, and he is gone;^(AL)
    it sweeps him out of his place.^(AM)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy^(AN)
    as he flees headlong^(AO) from its power.^(AP)
23 It claps its hands^(AQ) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”^(AR)

¹² But where can wisdom be found?^(BJ)
    Where does understanding dwell?^(BK)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;^(BL)
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.^(BM)
14 The deep^(BN) says, “It is not in me”;
    the sea^(BO) says, “It is not with me.”
¹⁵ It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.^(BP)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,^(BQ)
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.^(BR)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,^(BS)
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.^(BT)
18 Coral^(BU) and jasper^(BV) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.^(BW)
19 The topaz^(BX) of Cush^(BY) cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold.^(BZ)

²⁰ Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?^(CA)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.^(CB)
22 Destruction^[b](CC) and Death^(CD) say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
²³ God understands the way to it
    and he alone^(CE) knows where it dwells,^(CF)
24 for he views the ends of the earth^(CG)
    and sees everything under the heavens.^(CH)
25 When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,^(CI)
26 when he made a decree for the rain^(CJ)
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(CK)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.^(CL)
28 And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil^(CM) is understanding.”^(CN)