Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹“Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?

²Do you know how many months they carry their young? Are you aware of the time of their delivery?

³They crouch down to give birth to their young and deliver their offspring.

⁴Their young grow up in the open fields, then leave home and never return.

⁵“Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes?

⁶I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland.

⁷It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it.

⁸The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass.

⁹“Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall?

¹⁰Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you?

¹¹Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?

¹²Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor?

¹³“The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.

¹⁴She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust.

¹⁵She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them.

¹⁶She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn’t care if they die.

¹⁷For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding.

¹⁸But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.

¹⁹“Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?

²⁰Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is terrifying!

²¹It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle.

²²It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword.

²³The arrows rattle against it, and the spear and javelin flash.

²⁴It paws the ground fiercely and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.

²⁵It snorts at the sound of the horn. It senses the battle in the distance. It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.

²⁶“Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?

²⁷Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest?

²⁸It lives on the cliffs, making its home on a distant, rocky crag.

²⁹From there it hunts its prey, keeping watch with piercing eyes.

³⁰Its young gulp down blood. Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”

¹Then the LORD said to Job,

²“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”

³Then Job replied to the LORD,

⁴“I am nothing — how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand.

⁵I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”

⁶Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:

⁷“Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.

⁸“Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right?

⁹Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his?

¹⁰All right, put on your glory and splendor, your honor and majesty.

¹¹Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud.

¹²Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand.

¹³Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead.

¹⁴Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you.

¹⁵“Take a look at Behemoth, which I made, just as I made you. It eats grass like an ox.

¹⁶See its powerful loins and the muscles of its belly.

¹⁷Its tail is as strong as a cedar. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together.

¹⁸Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron.

¹⁹It is a prime example of God’s handiwork, and only its Creator can threaten it.

²⁰The mountains offer it their best food, where all the wild animals play.

²¹It lies under the lotus plants, hidden by the reeds in the marsh.

²²The lotus plants give it shade among the willows beside the stream.

²³It is not disturbed by the raging river, not concerned when the swelling Jordan rushes around it.

²⁴No one can catch it off guard or put a ring in its nose and lead it away.

¹“Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw?

²Can you tie it with a rope through the nose or pierce its jaw with a spike?

³Will it beg you for mercy or implore you for pity?

⁴Will it agree to work for you, to be your slave for life?

⁵Can you make it a pet like a bird, or give it to your little girls to play with?

⁶Will merchants try to buy it to sell it in their shops?

⁷Will its hide be hurt by spears or its head by a harpoon?

⁸If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won’t try that again!

⁹No, it is useless to try to capture it. The hunter who attempts it will be knocked down.

¹⁰And since no one dares to disturb it, who then can stand up to me?

¹¹Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine.

¹²“I want to emphasize Leviathan’s limbs and its enormous strength and graceful form.

¹³Who can strip off its hide, and who can penetrate its double layer of armor?

¹⁴Who could pry open its jaws? For its teeth are terrible!

¹⁵The scales on its back are like rows of shields tightly sealed together.

¹⁶They are so close together that no air can get between them.

¹⁷Each scale sticks tight to the next. They interlock and cannot be penetrated.

¹⁸“When it sneezes, it flashes light! Its eyes are like the red of dawn.

¹⁹Lightning leaps from its mouth; flames of fire flash out.

²⁰Smoke streams from its nostrils like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes.

²¹Its breath would kindle coals, for flames shoot from its mouth.

²²“The tremendous strength in Leviathan’s neck strikes terror wherever it goes.

²³Its flesh is hard and firm and cannot be penetrated.

²⁴Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a millstone.

²⁵When it rises, the mighty are afraid, gripped by terror.

²⁶No sword can stop it, no spear, dart, or javelin.

²⁷Iron is nothing but straw to that creature, and bronze is like rotten wood.

²⁸Arrows cannot make it flee. Stones shot from a sling are like bits of grass.

²⁹Clubs are like a blade of grass, and it laughs at the swish of javelins.

³⁰Its belly is covered with scales as sharp as glass. It plows up the ground as it drags through the mud.

³¹“Leviathan makes the water boil with its commotion. It stirs the depths like a pot of ointment.

³²The water glistens in its wake, making the sea look white.

³³Nothing on earth is its equal, no other creature so fearless.

³⁴Of all the creatures, it is the proudest. It is the king of beasts.”

¹Then Job replied to the LORD:

²“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.

³You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I — and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.

⁴You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’

⁵I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

⁶I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

⁷After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.

⁸So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.”

⁹So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the LORD commanded them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.

¹⁰When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!

¹¹Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the LORD had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.

¹²So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

¹³He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters.

¹⁴He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.

¹⁵In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.

¹⁶Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren.

¹⁷Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.

¹Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

²But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.

³They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

⁴But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

⁵They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.

⁶For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

¹Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?

²The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.

³“Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

⁴But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.

⁵Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.

⁶For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.”

⁷The king proclaims the LORD’s decree: “The LORD said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father.

⁸Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.

⁹You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’”

¹⁰Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth!

¹¹Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.

¹²Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities — for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

¹O LORD, I have so many enemies; so many are against me.

²So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” Interlude

³But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

⁴I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude

⁵I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me.

⁶I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.

⁷Arise, O LORD! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!

⁸Victory comes from you, O LORD. May you bless your people. Interlude

¹Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

²How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies? Interlude

³You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him.

⁴Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude

⁵Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the LORD.

⁶Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, LORD.

⁷You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.

⁸In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

¹O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.

²Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.

³Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

⁴O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.

⁵Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil.

⁶You will destroy those who tell lies. The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.

⁷Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.

⁸Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.

⁹My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery.

¹⁰O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.

¹²For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love.

¹O LORD, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage.

²Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.

³I am sick at heart. How long, O LORD, until you restore me?

⁴Return, O LORD, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love.

⁵For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave?

⁶I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears.

⁷My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.

⁸Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

⁹The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer.

¹⁰May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame.

¹I come to you for protection, O LORD my God. Save me from my persecutors — rescue me!

²If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

³O LORD my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice,

⁴if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause,

⁵then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. Interlude

⁶Arise, O LORD, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice!

⁷Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high.

⁸The LORD judges the nations. Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most High!

⁹End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God.

¹⁰God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.

¹¹God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.

¹²If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.

¹³He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.

¹⁴The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies.

¹⁵They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves.

¹⁶The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.

¹⁷I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

¹O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.

²You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.

³When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers — the moon and the stars you set in place —

⁴what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?

⁵Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

⁶You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority —

⁷the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals,

⁸the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.

⁹O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

¹I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

²I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

³My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared.

⁴For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness.

⁵You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have erased their names forever.

⁶The enemy is finished, in endless ruins; the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.

⁷But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne.

⁸He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.

⁹The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

¹⁰Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

¹¹Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.

¹²For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

¹³LORD, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death.

¹⁴Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

¹⁵The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.

¹⁶The LORD is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. Quiet Interlude

¹⁷The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.

¹⁸But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

¹⁹Arise, O LORD! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Judge the nations!

²⁰Make them tremble in fear, O LORD. Let the nations know they are merely human. Interlude