JOB
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job.*+ He was an upright man of integrity;*+ he feared God and shunned what was bad.+ 2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 His livestock amounted to 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 cattle,* and 500 donkeys,* along with a very large number of servants, so that he became the greatest of all the people of the East.
4 Each of his sons would hold a banquet at his house on his own set day.* They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 After a series of banquet days was complete, Job would send for them in order to sanctify them. Then he would get up early in the morning and offer up burnt sacrifices+ for each of them. For Job said: “Maybe my sons have sinned and have cursed God in their heart.” That is what Job would always do.+
6 Now the day came when the sons of the true God*+ entered to take their station before Jehovah,+ and Satan+ also entered among them.+
7 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Jehovah: “From roving about on the earth and from walking about in it.”+ 8 And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of* my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity,*+ fearing God and shunning what is bad.” 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God?+ 10 Have you not put up a protective hedge around him+ and his house and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands,+ and his livestock has spread out in the land. 11 But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” 12 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand.* Only do not lay your hand on the man himself!” So Satan went out from the presence* of Jehovah.+
13 Now on the day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,+ 14 a messenger came to Job and said: “The cattle were plowing and the donkeys were grazing beside them 15 when the Sa·beʹans attacked and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
16 While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “Fire from God* fell from the heavens and blazed among the sheep and the servants and consumed them! I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
17 While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “The Chal·deʹans+ formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
18 While he was still speaking, yet another one came and said: “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. 19 Suddenly a great wind came from the wilderness, and it struck the four corners of the house, so that it fell on the young people and they were killed. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
20 At that Job got up and ripped apart his garment and cut the hair off his head; then he fell to the ground and bowed down 21 and said:
“Naked I came out of my mother’s womb,
And naked I will return.+
Jehovah has given,+ and Jehovah has taken away.
Let the name of Jehovah continue to be praised.”
22 In all of this, Job did not sin or accuse God of doing anything wrong.*
2 Afterward the day came when the sons of the true God*+ entered to take their station before Jehovah,+ and Satan also entered among them to take his station before Jehovah.+
2 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Jehovah: “From roving about on the earth and from walking about in it.”+ 3 And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of* my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity,*+ fearing God and shunning what is bad. He is still holding firmly to his integrity,+ even though you try to incite me against him+ to destroy* him for no reason.” 4 But Satan answered Jehovah: “Skin for skin. A man will give everything that he has for his life.* 5 But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike his bone and flesh, and he will surely curse you to your very face.”+
6 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! He is in your hand!* Only do not take his life!”* 7 So Satan went out from the presence* of Jehovah and struck Job with painful boils*+ from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, and he was sitting among the ashes.+
9 Finally his wife said to him: “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her: “You are talking like one of the senseless women. Should we accept only what is good from the true God and not accept also what is bad?”+ In all of this, Job did not sin with his lips.+
11 Three companions* of Job heard about all the calamities that had come upon him, and each came from his own place—Elʹi·phaz+ the Teʹman·ite, Bilʹdad+ the Shuʹhite,+ and Zoʹphar+ the Naʹa·ma·thite. So they agreed to meet together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. They began to weep loudly and to rip their garments apart, and they threw dust into the air and onto their heads.+ 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.+
3 It was after this that Job began to speak and to curse the day of his birth.*+ 2 Job said:
3 “Let the day perish on which I was born,+
Also the night when someone said: ‘A man has been conceived!’
4 Let that day be darkness.
Let God above show no concern for it;
Let no light shine upon it.
5 Let the deepest darkness* reclaim it.
Let a rain cloud settle over it.
Let whatever darkens the day terrify it.
6 That night—let the gloom seize it;+
Let it not rejoice among the days of a year,
And let it not enter among the number of the months.
7 Indeed! Let that night become barren;
Let no joyful cry be heard in it.
9 Let the stars of its twilight grow dark;
Let it wait in vain for daylight,
And let it not see the rays of dawn.
11 Why did I not die at birth?
Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?+
12 Why were there knees to receive me
And breasts to nurse me?
13 For now I would be lying down undisturbed;+
I would be sleeping and at rest+
14 With kings of the earth and their advisers,
Who built for themselves places that are now in ruins,*
15 Or with princes who possessed gold,
Whose houses were filled with silver.
16 Or why was I not like a hidden miscarriage,
Like children who have never seen the light?
18 There the prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the one forcing them to work.
21 Why do they long for death, but it does not come?+
They dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 Those who are rejoicing greatly,
Who are happy when they find the grave.
25 For what I have dreaded has come upon me,
And what I have feared has befallen me.
26 I have had no peace, no quiet, no rest,
But trouble keeps coming.”
4 Elʹi·phaz+ the Teʹman·ite then said in reply:
2 “If someone tries to speak to you, will you become impatient?
For who can hold back from speaking?
3 True, you have corrected many,
And you used to strengthen the weak hands.
4 Your words would raise up anyone stumbling,
And you would strengthen those whose knees were buckling.
6 Does your reverence for God not give you confidence?
Does your way of integrity+ not give you hope?
7 Remember, please: What innocent person has ever perished?
When have the upright ever been destroyed?
8 What I have seen is that those who plow* what is harmful
And those who sow trouble will reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish,
And through a blast of his anger they come to an end.
11 A lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of a lion are scattered.
12 Now a word was brought to me in secret,
And a whisper of it reached my ear.
13 In troubling thoughts during visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
14 A terrible trembling came upon me,
Filling all my bones with dread.
15 A spirit passed over my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled.
16 It then stood still,
But I did not recognize its appearance.
A form was in front of my eyes;
There was a calm, and then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can a mortal man be more righteous than God?
Can a man be cleaner than his own Maker?’
19 How much more so with those dwelling in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,+
Who are crushed as easily as a moth!
20 They are completely crushed from morning to evening;
They perish forever, and no one takes notice.
21 Are they not like a tent whose cord is pulled out?
They die without wisdom.
5 “Call, please! Is there anyone answering you?
To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For resentment will kill the foolish one,
And envy will put the simpleminded to death.
3 I have seen the foolish one taking root,
But suddenly his dwelling place is cursed.
5 The hungry one eats what he harvests,
Taking it even from among the thorns,
And their possessions are ensnared.
6 For harmful things do not sprout from the dust,
And trouble does not spring from the ground.
7 For man is born for trouble,
As surely as sparks fly upward.
8 But I would appeal to God,
And to God I would submit my case,
9 To the One doing great and unsearchable things,
Wonderful things without number.
10 He gives rain to the earth
And sends waters upon the fields.
11 He raises the lowly up high,
And he raises up the dejected one to salvation.
12 He frustrates the schemes of the crafty,
So that the work of their hands does not succeed.
14 They meet with darkness during the day,
And they grope about at midday as if it were night.
15 He saves from the sword of their mouth,
Saving the poor from the hand of the strong,
16 So that there is hope for the lowly,
But the mouth of unrighteousness is shut.
17 Look! Happy is the man whom God reproves;
So do not reject the discipline of the Almighty!
18 For he causes pain, but binds up the wound;
He breaks apart, but heals with his own hands.
19 He will save you from six calamities,
Even the seventh will not harm you.
20 During famine he will redeem you from death,
And from the power of a sword during war.
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,+
And you will not fear devastation when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and hunger,
And you will not fear the wild beasts of the earth.
23 For the stones of the field will not harm you,*
And the wild beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure,*
And nothing will be missing when you inspect your pasture.
25 You will enjoy many children,
And your descendants will be as plentiful as the vegetation of the earth.
26 You will still be strong when you go to the grave,
Like sheaves of grain gathered in their season.
27 Look! We have investigated this, and it is so.
Listen and accept it.”
6 Job then said in reply:
3 For now it is heavier than the sands of the seas.
That is why my words have been wild talk.*+
4 For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me,
And my spirit is drinking their venom;+
The terrors from God are lined up against me.
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
Or is there flavor in the juice of a mallow?
7 I have* refused to touch such things.
They are like contamination in my food.
8 O that my request would be realized
And that God would grant my desire!
10 For even that would bring me comfort;
I would leap for joy despite the unrelenting pain,
For I have not denied the sayings of the Holy One.+
11 Do I have the strength to keep waiting?+
And what end awaits me, that I should continue to live?*
12 Is my strength like that of rock?
Or is my flesh made of copper?
13 Is there any way that I can help myself
When all my means of support has been driven from me?
15 My own brothers have been as treacherous+ as a winter stream,
Like the water of winter streams that dry up.
16 They are darkened by ice,
And in them the melting snow is hidden.
17 But in due season they become waterless and come to an end;
When it becomes hot, they dry up.
18 Their course is diverted;
They flow into the desert and vanish.
20 They are ashamed because of their misplaced trust;
They come there only to be disappointed.
21 For this is how you have become to me;+
You have seen the terror of my calamity, and you are afraid.+
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or requested that you make a gift for me from your wealth?
25 Honest words are not painful!+
But what benefit can be found in your reproof?+
28 So now turn and look at me,
For I would not lie to your very faces.
29 Reconsider, please—do not misjudge me—
Yes, reconsider, for my righteousness is yet intact.
30 Is my tongue speaking unjustly?
Does my palate not discern that something is wrong?
7 “Is not the life of mortal man on earth like compulsory labor,
And are not his days like those of a hired worker?+
4 When I lie down I ask, ‘When will I get up?’+
But as the night drags on, I toss restlessly until the dawning of the day.*
11 Therefore, I will not restrain my mouth.
12 Am I the sea or a sea monster,
That you should set a guard over me?
13 When I say, ‘My couch will comfort me;
My bed will help ease my misery,’
14 Then you terrify me with dreams
And frighten me with visions,
16 I loathe my life;+ I do not want to go on living.
Leave me alone, for my days are like a breath.+
20 If I have sinned, how could I harm you, the Observer of mankind?+
Why have you made me your target?
Have I become a burden to you?
21 Why do you not pardon my transgression
And excuse my error?
For soon I will lie down in the dust,+
And you will look for me, but I will be gone.”
8 Bilʹdad+ the Shuʹhite+ then said in reply:
2 “How long will you keep speaking like this?+
The words of your mouth are but a mighty wind!
3 Will God pervert justice,
Or will the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 If your sons sinned against him,
He let them be punished for their revolt;*
5 But if you would just look to God+
And plead with the Almighty for favor,
6 And if you were truly pure and upright,+
He would pay attention to you*
And restore you to your rightful place.
9 For we were born only yesterday, and we know nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
11 Will a papyrus plant grow tall where there is no marsh?
Will a reed grow tall without water?
12 While it is still in the bud, not yet plucked off,
It will dry up before any other plant.
13 This is the outcome* of all who forget God,
For the hope of the godless* will perish,
14 Whose confidence is in vain
And whose trust is as fragile as a spider’s web.*
15 He will lean against his house, but it will not keep standing;
He will try to hold on to it, but it will not last.
18 But when he is uprooted* from his place,
That place will deny him and say, ‘I have never seen you.’+
20 Surely God will not reject those who keep integrity;*
Nor will he support* evil men,
21 For he will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Those hating you will be clothed with shame,
And the tent of wicked ones will be no more.”
9 Job said in reply:
2 “For a fact I know that this is so.
But how can mortal man be in the right in a case with God?+
3 If someone wishes to argue with Him,*+
That one could not answer one of His questions in a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart and mighty in power.+
Who can resist him and come off uninjured?+
7 He commands the sun not to shine
And seals off the light of the stars;+
8 He spreads out the heavens by himself,+
And he treads upon the high waves of the sea.+
9 He made the Ash,* the Keʹsil,* and the Kiʹmah constellations,*+
And the constellations of the southern sky;*
10 He does great and unsearchable things,+
Wonderful things that cannot be counted.+
11 He passes by me, and I cannot see him;
He moves past me, but I do not discern him.
12 When he snatches something, who can resist him?
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’+
14 How much more when I answer him
Must I choose my words carefully to argue with him!
15 Even if I were in the right, I would not answer him.+
I could only plead for mercy from my judge.*
16 If I call out to him, will he answer me?
I do not believe that he will listen to my voice,
17 For he crushes me with a storm
And multiplies my wounds for no reason.+
18 He does not let me catch my breath;
He keeps filling me with bitter things.
19 If it is a matter of power, he is the strong one.+
If it is a matter of justice, he says: ‘Who can call me to account?’*
20 If I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;
23 If a flash flood should cause sudden death,
He would mock at the despair of the innocent.
If it is not he, then, who is it?
26 They glide by like reed boats,
Like eagles that swoop down on their prey.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will change my expression and be cheerful,’
So why should I struggle in vain?+
30 If I wash myself in water from melting snow,
And I cleanse my hands in lye,*+
31 Then you would dip me in a pit,
So that even my own garments would detest me.
34 If he would stop beating me*
And not let his terror frighten me,+
35 Then I would speak to him unafraid,
For it is not in me to speak out of fear.
I will give vent to my complaints.
I will speak out in my bitter distress!*
2 I will say to God: ‘Do not pronounce me guilty.
Tell me why you are contending with me.
3 Does it benefit you to oppress,
To despise the work of your hands+
While you favor the advice of the wicked?
4 Do you have eyes of flesh,
Or do you see as mortal man does?
5 Are your days like the days of mortals,
Or are your years like those of a man,+
6 That you should search out my error
And keep looking for my sin?+
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese?
13 But you secretly intended to do these things.*
I know that these things are from you.
15 If I am guilty, too bad for me!
17 You bring new witnesses against me
And increase your anger against me,
As hardship after hardship comes upon me.
18 So why did you bring me out from the womb?+
I should have died before any eye could see me.
19 It would have been as though I never existed;
I would have been taken straight from the womb to the grave.’
20 Are not my days few?+ Let him leave me alone;
Let him turn his eyes away from me, so that I may find some relief*+
21 Before I go away—and I will not return+—
To the land of deepest darkness,*+
22 To the land of utter gloom,
A land of deep shadow and disorder,
Where even the light is like the gloom.”
11 Zoʹphar+ the Naʹa·ma·thite said in reply:
3 Will your empty talk silence people?
Will no one rebuke you for your mocking words?+
6 Then he would reveal to you the secrets of wisdom,
For practical wisdom has many sides.
Then you would realize that God allows some of your error to be forgotten.
8 It is higher than heaven. What can you accomplish?
It is deeper than the Grave.* What can you know?
9 It is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 If he passes by and detains someone and convenes a court,
Who can resist him?
11 For he knows when men are deceitful.
When he sees what is evil, will he not take notice?
13 If only you would prepare your heart
And stretch out your hands to him.
14 If your hand is doing wrong, put it far away,
And let no unrighteousness dwell in your tents.
15 For then you could lift up your face with no defect;
You could stand firm, free of fear.
16 For then you will forget your trouble;
You will remember it as waters that have flowed past you.
17 Your life will become brighter than midday;
Even its darkness will be like the morning.
18 You will be confident because there is hope,
And you will look around and lie down in security.
19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,
And many people will seek your favor.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail;
And they will find no place to escape,
12 Then Job said in reply:
3 But I too have understanding.*
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know these things?
A righteous and blameless man is a laughingstock.
5 The carefree person has contempt for calamity,
Thinking it is only for those whose feet are unsteady.*
6 The tents of robbers are at peace,+
And those who provoke God are secure,+
Those who have their god in their hands.
7 However, ask, please, the animals, and they will instruct you;
Also the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you.
8 Or give consideration* to the earth, and it will instruct you;
And the fish of the sea will declare it to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of Jehovah has done this?
15 When he withholds the waters, everything dries up;+
When he sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.+
16 With him there are strength and practical wisdom;+
To him belong the one going astray and the one leading astray;
17 He makes counselors go barefoot,*
And he makes fools of judges.+
19 He makes priests walk barefoot,+
And he overthrows those who are firmly established in power;+
20 He deprives trusted advisers of speech
And takes away the sensibleness of old men;*
21 He pours out contempt upon nobles,+
And he makes powerful ones weak;*
22 He reveals deep things from the darkness,+
And he brings deep darkness into the light;
23 He makes nations grow great in order to destroy them;
He enlarges nations, that he may lead them into exile.
24 He takes away the understanding* of the leaders of the people
And makes them wander in trackless wastelands.+
13 “Yes, my eye has seen all of this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
6 Listen, please, to my arguments,
And pay attention to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will you speak unjustly on God’s behalf,
And will you speak deceitfully for him?
9 Would it turn out well if he examined you?+
Will you fool him as you would a mortal man?
11 Will not his very dignity terrify you
And the dread of him fall upon you?
13 Keep silent before me, so that I may speak.
Then let whatever may come upon me come!
17 Listen closely to my word;
Pay attention to my declaration.
18 See, now, I have prepared my legal case;
I know I am in the right.
19 Who will contend with me?
I would die if I were to stay silent!*
22 Either call and I will answer,
Or let me speak, and you answer me.
23 What are my errors and sins?
Reveal to me my transgression and my sin.
25 Will you try to frighten a windblown leaf
Or chase after dry stubble?
26 For you keep recording bitter accusations against me,
And you make me answer for the sins of my youth.
27 You have put my feet in stocks,
You scrutinize all my paths,
And you trace out each of my footprints.
4 Who can produce someone clean from someone unclean?+
No one can!
5 If his days are decided,
The number of his months is with you;
You have set a limit for him that he may not go beyond.+
6 Turn your gaze away from him so that he may rest,
Until, like a hired worker, he finishes out his day.+
7 For there is hope even for a tree.
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
And its twigs will continue to grow.
8 If its root grows old in the ground
And its stump dies in the soil,
9 At the scent of water it will sprout;
And it will produce branches like a new plant.
11 Waters disappear from the sea,
And a river drains away and dries up.
12 Man also lies down and does not get up.+
Until heaven is no more, they will not wake up,
Nor will they be aroused from their sleep.+
13 O that in the Grave* you would conceal me,+
That you would hide me until your anger passes by,
That you would set a time limit for me and remember me!+
14 If a man dies, can he live again?+
I will wait all the days of my compulsory service
Until my relief comes.+
15 You will call, and I will answer you.+
You will long* for the work of your hands.
16 But for now, you keep counting my every step;
You watch only for my sin.
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And you seal up my error with glue.
18 As a mountain falls and crumbles away
And a rock is dislodged from its place,
19 As water wears away stones
And its torrents wash away earth’s soil,
So you have destroyed the hope of mortal man.
21 His sons are honored, but he does not know it;
They become insignificant, but he does not realize it.+
15 Elʹi·phaz+ the Teʹman·ite said in reply:
3 Reproving with mere words is useless,
And talk alone is of no benefit.
4 For you undermine the fear of God,
And you diminish any concern for God.
7 Were you the first man ever born,
Or was your birth before that of the hills?
8 Do you listen to the confidential talk of God,
Or do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we do not know?+
What do you understand that we do not?
11 Are God’s consolations not enough for you,
Or words spoken gently to you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away,
And why do your eyes flash with anger?
13 For you turn your spirit against God himself,
And you allow such words to go out of your own mouth.
14 What is mortal man that he should be pure,
Or anyone born of a woman that he should be righteous?+
16 How much less so when a person is detestable and corrupt,+
A man who drinks in unrighteousness just like water!
17 I will inform you; listen to me!
I will relate what I have seen,
18 What wise men have related from their fathers,+
Things they have not hidden.
19 To them alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them.
20 A wicked person suffers torment all his days,
Throughout all the years reserved for the tyrant.
23 He wanders about in search of food*—where is it?
He well knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Distress and anguish keep terrifying him;
They overpower him like a king ready to launch an attack.
25 For he raises his hand against God himself
And tries to defy* the Almighty;
26 He stubbornly rushes against Him,
With his thick, strong shield;*
27 His face is covered with fat,
And his hips bulge with fat;
28 He resides in cities that will be brought to ruin,
In houses where no one will dwell,
Which will become heaps of stones.
29 He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not accumulate,
Nor will his possessions spread over the land.
31 He should not go astray and trust in what is worthless,
For what he gets in exchange will be worthless;
32 It will happen before his day,
And his branches will never flourish.+
33 He will be like a vine that shakes off its unripe grapes,
And like an olive tree that casts off its blossoms.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to what is wicked,
And their womb produces deceit.”
16 Job said in reply:
2 “I have heard many things like these before.
All of you are troublesome comforters!+
3 Is there an end to empty* words?
What provokes you to answer this way?
4 I could also speak as you do.
5 Instead, though, I would strengthen you with the words of my mouth,
And the consolation of my lips would bring relief.+
8 You also seize me, and it has become a witness,
So that my own skinniness rises up and testifies to my face.
9 His anger has torn me to pieces, and he harbors animosity against me.+
He grinds his teeth against me.
My adversary pierces me with his eyes.+
10 They have opened their mouth wide against me,+
And they have scornfully struck my cheeks;
In large numbers they gather against me.+
12 I was untroubled, but he shattered me;+
He grabbed me by the back of the neck and crushed me;
Then he set me up as his target.
He pierces my kidneys+ and feels no compassion;
He pours out my gall on the earth.
14 He breaks through against me with breach after breach;
He rushes at me like a warrior.
16 My face is red from weeping,+
And on my eyelids is deep shadow,*
17 Although my hands have done no violence
And my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, do not cover my blood!+
And let there be no resting-place for my outcry!
19 Even now, my witness is in the heavens;
The one who can testify for me is in the heights.
3 Please accept my security, and keep it with you.
Who else will shake hands with me and pledge in my behalf?+
5 He may offer to share with his friends,
While the eyes of his children fail.
6 He has made me an object of scorn* among the peoples,+
So that I became one in whose face they spit.+
12 They keep turning night into day,
Saying, ‘Light must be near because it is dark.’
14 I will call out to the pit,*+ ‘You are my father!’
To the maggot, ‘My mother and my sister!’
Who can see hope for me?
18 Bilʹdad+ the Shuʹhite said in reply:
2 “How long before you stop making such speeches?
Show some understanding so that we may then speak.
4 Even if you tear yourself* to pieces in your anger,
Will the earth be abandoned for your sake,
Or will the rock move away from its place?
6 The light in his tent will certainly grow dark,
And the lamp over him will be extinguished.
8 For his feet will lead him into a net,
And he will wander onto its mesh.
10 A rope is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap lies in his path.
16 His roots will dry up beneath him,
And his branches will wither above him.
18 He will be driven from the light into the darkness
And chased away from the productive land.
19 He will have no offspring and no descendants among his people,
And he will be without a survivor in the place where he lives.*
20 When his day comes, the people in the West will be appalled
And the people in the East will be seized with horror.
21 This is what happens to the tents of a wrongdoer
And to the place of the one who has not known God.”
19 Job said in reply:
4 And if indeed I made a mistake,
My error remains with me.
5 If you insist on exalting yourselves over me,
Claiming that the reproach against me is justified,
6 Know, then, that it is God who has misled me,
And he has caught me in his hunting net.
7 Look! I keep crying out, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;+
I keep crying for help, but there is no justice.+
8 My path he has blocked with a stone wall, and I cannot pass by;
He has covered my roadways with darkness.+
9 He has stripped me of my glory
And removed the crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on all sides until I perish;
My hope he uproots like a tree.
12 His troops come together and besiege me,
And they camp around my tent.
16 I call for my servant, but he does not respond;
With my mouth I beg him for compassion.
18 Even young children despise me;
When I rise up, they begin jeering at me.
23 If only my words were written down,
If only they could be inscribed in a book!
24 O that they were carved forever in the rock,
With an iron stylus and lead!
26 After my skin has thus been destroyed,
While yet in my flesh, I will see God,
27 Whom I will see for myself,
Whom my own eyes will see, not someone else’s.+
But deep inside I feel overwhelmed!*
28 For you say, ‘In what way are we persecuting him?’+
Since the root of the problem is with me.
29 Be in fear of the sword yourselves,+
For the sword brings punishment against errors;
You should know that there is a judge.”+
20 Zoʹphar+ the Naʹa·ma·thite said in reply:
2 “This is why my own troubling thoughts urge me to answer
Because of the agitation I feel.
4 Surely you must have always known this,
For it has been so since man* was put on the earth,+
5 That the joyful cry of the wicked is brief
6 Although his greatness ascends to heaven
And his head reaches to the clouds,
7 He will perish forever like his own dung;
Those who used to see him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly off like a dream, and they will not find him;
He will be chased away like a vision of the night.
12 If what is bad tastes sweet in his mouth,
If he hides it under his tongue,
13 If he savors it and does not let it go
But keeps holding it in his mouth,
14 His food will turn sour inside him;
It will become like the poison* of cobras within him.
15 He has swallowed down wealth, but he will vomit it up;
God will empty it out of his belly.
17 He will never see the streams of water,
The torrents of honey and butter.
18 He will give back his goods without consuming them;*
He will not enjoy the wealth from his trade.+
19 For he has crushed and abandoned the poor;
He has seized a house that he did not build.
20 But he will feel no peace within himself;
His wealth will not help him escape.
21 There is nothing left for him to devour;
That is why his prosperity will not last.
22 When his wealth reaches its peak, anxiety will overtake him;
The full force of misfortune will come against him.
23 As he fills his belly,
God* will send his burning anger upon him,
Raining it down upon him into his bowels.
24 When he flees from weapons of iron,
Arrows from a copper bow will pierce him.
26 Total darkness awaits his treasures;
A fire that no one fanned will consume him;
Calamity awaits any survivors in his tent.
27 Heaven will uncover his error;
The earth will rise up against him.
29 This is the wicked man’s share from God,
The inheritance that God has decreed for him.”
21 Job said in reply:
2 “Listen carefully to what I say;
Let this be the consolation you give me.
4 Is my complaint directed toward a man?
If it were, would I* not lose patience?
5 Look at me and stare in amazement;
Put your hand over your mouth.
6 When I think about it, I am disturbed,
And my whole body shudders.
8 Their children are always in their presence,
And they get to see their descendants.
10 Their bulls breed without failure;
Their cows give birth and do not miscarry.
11 Their boys run outside just like a flock,
And their children skip about.
14 But they say to the true God, ‘Leave us alone!
We have no desire to know your ways.+
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?+
What would we gain by being acquainted with him?’+
16 But I know that they do not control their own prosperity.+
The thinking* of the wicked is far from me.+
17 How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished?+
How often does disaster come upon them?
How often does God deal out destruction to them in his anger?
18 Do they ever become like straw before the wind
And like chaff that a storm wind carries away?
19 God will store up a man’s punishment for his own sons.
But may God repay him so that he will know it.+
21 For what does he care about what happens to his house after him
23 One man dies in his full vigor+
When he is completely carefree and at ease,+
24 When his thighs are padded with fat
And his bones are strong.*
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prominent man,
And where is the tent in which the wicked one lived?’+
29 Have you not questioned travelers?
Do you not carefully study their observations,*
30 That an evil person is spared on the day of disaster
And rescued on the day of fury?
31 Who will confront him about his way,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32 When he is carried to the graveyard,
A vigil will be kept over his tomb.
33 The clods of earth of the valley* will be sweet to him,+
And all mankind follows after him*+
Like the countless number before him.
34 So why offer me meaningless comfort?+
There is nothing but deceit in your answers!”
22 Elʹi·phaz+ the Teʹman·ite said in reply:
2 “Can a man be of use to God?
Can anyone with insight be of benefit to him?+
3 Does the Almighty care* that you are righteous,
Or does he gain anything because you follow the course of integrity?+
4 Will he punish you
And enter into judgment with you for your reverence?
6 For you seize a pledge from your brothers for no reason,
And you strip people of their garments, leaving them naked.*+
10 That is why you are surrounded by traps,*+
And sudden terrors frighten you;
11 That is why it is so dark that you cannot see,
And a flood of water covers you.
12 Is not God in the heights of heaven?
And see how high all the stars are.
13 But you have said: ‘What does God really know?
Can he judge through thick gloom?
15 Will you follow the ancient path
That wicked men have walked,
17 They were saying to the true God: ‘Leave us alone!’
And ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 Yet, he is the One who filled their houses with good things.
(Such wicked thinking is far from my own.)
19 The righteous will see this and rejoice,
And the innocent will mock them and say:
20 ‘Our opponents have been destroyed,
And a fire will consume what is left of them.’
21 Get to know Him, and you will be at peace;
Then good things will come your way.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;+
If you remove unrighteousness from your tent,
24 If you would throw your gold* into the dust
And the gold of Oʹphir+ into the rocky ravines,*
25 Then the Almighty will become your gold,*
And he will be your choicest silver.
26 For then your delight will be in the Almighty,
And you will lift up your face to God.
27 You will entreat him, and he will hear you;
And your vows you will pay.
28 Whatever you decide to do will succeed,
And light will shine upon your path.
30 He will rescue those who are innocent;
So if your hands are clean, you will certainly be rescued.”
23 Job said in reply:
3 If only I knew where to find God!+
I would go to his place of dwelling.+
4 I would present my case before him
And fill my mouth with arguments;
5 I would learn how he would answer me
And take note of what he says to me.
6 Would he contend with me using his great power?
No, surely he would give me a hearing.+
7 There the upright one could set matters straight with him,
And I would be acquitted once and for all by my Judge.
8 But if I go east, he is not there;
And I return and I cannot find him.
9 When he is working on the left, I cannot look upon him;
Then he turns to the right, but I still do not see him.
10 But he knows the path I have taken.+
After he has tested me, I will come out as pure gold.+
12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips.
I have treasured up his sayings+ even more than what was required of me.*
13 When he is determined, who can resist him?+
When he* wants to do something, he does it.+
14 For he will carry out completely what has been determined* for me,
And he has many such things in store.
15 That is why I am anxious because of him;
When I think about him, my fear grows.
16 God has made me fainthearted,
And the Almighty has made me afraid.
17 But I have not yet been silenced by the darkness
Nor by the gloom that has covered my face.
24 “Why does the Almighty not set a time?+
Why do those who know him not see his day?*
3 They drive away the donkey of fatherless children
5 The poor forage for food like wild donkeys+ in the wilderness;
They seek food in the desert for their children.
8 They are drenched by the mountain rains;
They cling to the rocks for lack of shelter.
9 The fatherless child is snatched away from the breast;+
And the garments of the poor are taken as security for a loan,+
10 Forcing them to go about naked, without clothing,
And hungry, as they carry the sheaves of grain.
11 They toil among the terrace walls in the heat of the day;*
They tread the winepresses, yet they go thirsty.+
12 The dying keep groaning in the city;
The fatally wounded* cry for help,+
But God does not regard this as improper.*
13 There are those who rebel against light;+
They do not recognize its ways,
And they do not follow its paths.
14 The murderer rises at daybreak;
He slays the helpless and the poor,+
While at night he engages in theft.
And he covers his face.
They are strangers to the light.+
17 For morning is the same as deep darkness for them;
They are familiar with the terrors of deep darkness.
18 But they are swiftly carried away by the waters.*
Their portion of the land will be cursed.+
They will not return to their vineyards.
20 His mother* will forget him; the maggot will feast on him.
He will be remembered no more.+
And unrighteousness will be broken just like a tree.
21 He preys on the barren woman,
And mistreats the widow.
22 God* will use his strength to do away with the powerful;
Though they may rise up, they have no assurance of life.
24 They are exalted for a little while, then they are no more.+
They are brought low+ and gathered like everyone else;
They are cut off like heads of grain.
25 Now who can prove me a liar
Or refute my word?”
25 Bilʹdad+ the Shuʹhite said in reply:
3 Can his troops be numbered?
Upon whom does his light not rise?
5 Even the moon is not bright
And the stars are not pure in his eyes,
6 How much less so mortal man, who is a maggot,
And a son of man, who is a worm!”
26 Job said in reply:
2 “How you have helped the one with no power!
How you have saved the arm that has no strength!+
3 What great advice you have given to the one lacking wisdom!+
How freely* you have revealed your practical wisdom!*
5 Those who are powerless in death tremble;
They are even lower than the waters and their inhabitants.
7 He stretches out the northern sky* over empty space,*+
Suspending the earth upon nothing;
8 He wraps up the waters in his clouds,+
So that the clouds do not burst under their weight;
9 He shuts off the view of his throne,
Spreading out his cloud over it.+
10 He marks out the horizon* on the surface of the waters;+
He makes a boundary between light and darkness.
11 The very pillars of heaven shake;
They are stunned by his rebuke.
12 He stirs up the sea with his power,+
And by his understanding he breaks the sea monster* to pieces.+
So who can understand his mighty thunder?”+
27 Job continued his discourse,* saying:
2 “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice,+
As the Almighty lives, who has made me* bitter,+
3 As long as my breath is within me
And spirit from God is in my nostrils,+
4 My lips will not speak unrighteousness;
Nor will my tongue mutter deceit!
5 It is unthinkable for me to declare you men righteous!
Until I die, I will not renounce* my integrity!+
7 May my enemy become like the wicked,
Those assaulting me like the unrighteous.
10 Or will he find delight in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
12 Look! If you have all seen visions,
Why are your speeches completely empty?
14 If his sons become many, they will fall by the sword,+
And his descendants will not have enough food.
15 Those who survive him will be buried by the plague,
And their widows will not weep for them.
16 Even if he piles up silver like the dust
And stores up fine clothing like the clay,
17 Though he may gather it,
The righteous man will wear it,+
And the innocent will divide up his silver.
19 He will go to bed rich but will gather nothing;
When he opens his eyes, nothing will be there.
28 “There is a place to mine silver
And a place for gold that they refine;+
2 Iron is taken from the ground,
4 He sinks a shaft far from where people reside,
In forgotten places, far from where people walk;
Some men descend and swing suspended.
6 There in the stones is sapphire,
And the dust contains gold.
7 No bird of prey knows the path to it;
The eye of a black kite has not seen it.
8 No majestic beasts have trodden on it;
The young lion has not prowled there.
9 Man strikes the flinty rock with his hand;
He overturns the mountains at their foundation.
11 He dams up the sources of rivers
And brings what was hidden to the light.
14 The deep waters say, ‘It is not in me!’
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me!’+
18 Coral and crystal are not worthy of mention,+
For a bagful of wisdom is worth more than one full of pearls.
21 It has been hidden from the eyes of every living thing+
And concealed from the birds of the heavens.
22 Destruction and death say,
‘Our ears have heard only a report of it.’
23 God understands the way to find it;
He alone knows where it resides,+
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth,
And he sees everything under the heavens.+
25 When he set the force* of the wind+
And measured out the waters,+
26 When he made a regulation for the rain+
And a path for the thunderous storm cloud,+
27 Then he saw wisdom and explained it;
He established and tested it.
28 And he said to man:
29 Job continued his discourse,* saying:
2 “If only I were in the months gone by,
In the days when God was watching over me,
3 When he caused his lamp to shine upon my head,
When I walked through darkness by his light,+
When God’s friendship was felt in my tent,+
5 When the Almighty was still with me,
When my children* were all around me,
6 When my steps were awash in butter,
And the rocks poured out streams of oil for me.+
7 When I used to go out to the city gate+
And take my seat in the public square,+
8 The young men would see me and step aside,*
And even the old men would rise and remain standing.+
9 Princes refrained from speaking;
They would put their hand over their mouth.
10 The voices of the prominent men were silenced;
Their tongue was stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 Whoever heard me would speak well of me,
And those who saw me would testify for me.
12 For I would rescue the poor who cried for help,+
Along with the fatherless child and anyone who had no helper.+
15 I became eyes to the blind
And feet to the lame.
18 I used to say, ‘I will die in my own home,*+
And my days will be as numerous as the grains of sand.
19 My roots will spread out into the waters,
And dew will stay all night on my branches.
20 My glory is constantly renewed,
And the bow in my hand will keep shooting.’
25 I gave them direction as their head,
And I lived like a king among his troops,+
Like one who comforts the mourners.+
—Men younger than I am,
Whose fathers I would have refused
To put with the dogs that guarded my flock.
2 Of what use was the power of their hands to me?
Their vigor has perished.
3 They are worn out from want and hunger;
They gnaw at the parched ground
That was already ruined and desolated.
4 They gather the salt herb from the bushes;
Their food is the root of broom trees.
7 From the bushes they cry out
And huddle together among the nettles.
12 On my right they rise up like a mob;
They put me to flight
And put up barriers of destruction in my path.
14 They come as if through a wide breach in the wall;
They roll in amid the devastation.
15 Terror overwhelms me;
My dignity is driven away like the wind,
And my salvation vanishes like a cloud.
19 God has thrown me down into the mud;
I am reduced to dust and ashes.
23 For I know that you will bring me down to death,
To the house where everyone living will meet.
25 Have I not wept for those who have fallen on hard times?*
Have I* not grieved for the poor?+
26 Although I hoped for good, bad came;
I expected the light, but darkness came.
27 The churning inside me did not stop;
Days of affliction confronted me.
28 I walk about gloomy;+ there is no sunlight.
In the assembly, I rise and cry for help.
31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes.+
So how could I show improper attention to a virgin?+
2 What, then, would be my share from God above,
What inheritance from the Almighty on high?
5 Have I ever walked in untruth?*
Has my foot hurried to deceive?+
7 If my footsteps deviate from the way+
Or my heart has followed after my eyes+
Or my hands have been defiled,
8 Then let me sow seed and someone else eat,+
And let what I plant be uprooted.*
9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman+
And I have lain in wait+ at my neighbor’s door,
10 Then let my wife grind grain for another man,
What can I answer him when he calls for an accounting?+
15 Did not the One who made me in the womb also make them?+
Was it not the same One who formed us before our birth?*+
16 If I refused to give the poor what they desired+
Or saddened the eyes of the widow;*+
17 If I ate my portion of food alone
Without sharing it with the orphans;+
18 (For from my youth the orphan* grew up with me as though I were his father,
19 If I saw anyone perishing for lack of clothing
Or a poor man with nothing to cover himself;+
As he warmed himself with the wool of my sheep;
21 If I shook my fist against the orphan+
When he needed my assistance in the city gate;*+
22 Then let my arm* fall from my shoulder,
And let my arm be broken at the elbow.*
23 For I dreaded disaster from God,
And I could not stand before his dignity.
25 If I found my joy in my great wealth+
Because of the many possessions I acquired;+
Or the moon moving in its splendor;+
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my mouth kissed my hand in worship of them;+
28 Then that would be an error deserving punishment by the judges,
For I would have denied the true God above.
31 Have the men of my tent not said,
‘Who can find anyone who has not been satisfied with his food?’*+
33 Have I ever tried to cover over my transgressions, like other men,+
By hiding my error in the pocket of my garment?
34 Have I been in fear of the reaction of the multitude,
Or have I been terrified by the contempt of other families,
Making me silent and afraid to go outside?
35 If only someone would listen to me!+
I would sign my name to what I have said.*
Let the Almighty answer me!+
If only my accuser had written out the charges in a document!
36 I would carry it on my shoulder,
And I would bind it around my head like a crown.
37 I would give him an accounting for every step I took;
I would approach him confidently, like a prince.
38 If my own ground would cry out against me
And its furrows would weep together;
39 If I have eaten its fruitage without payment,+
Or if I have caused its owners* to despair;+
40 Then let thorns sprout for me instead of wheat
And foul-smelling weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job end here.
32 So these three men stopped trying to answer Job, because he was convinced of his own righteousness.*+ 2 But E·liʹhu the son of Barʹa·chel the Buzʹite+ of the family of Ram had become very angry. His anger blazed against Job for trying to prove himself* right rather than God.+ 3 He was also very angry with Job’s three companions because they could not find an answer but had declared God wicked.+ 4 E·liʹhu had been waiting to respond to Job, because they were older than he was.+ 5 When E·liʹhu saw that the three men had nothing to say in answer, his anger flared up. 6 So E·liʹhu the son of Barʹa·chel the Buzʹite began to speak, saying:
So I respectfully held back,+
And I dared not tell you what I know.
10 So I say, ‘Listen to me,
And I will also tell you what I know.’
11 Look! I have waited for your words;
I kept listening to your reasoning+
As you searched for things to say.+
13 So do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
It is God who refutes him, not a man.’
14 He did not direct his words against me,
So I will not reply to him with your arguments.
15 They are dismayed, they have no more answers;
They have nothing left to say.
16 I have waited, but they do not continue speaking;
They just stand there, with no further answer.
17 So I too will give an answer;
I too will tell what I know,
18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
20 Let me speak so that I can find relief!
I will open my lips and give an answer.
21 I will not show partiality to anyone;+
Nor will I flatter* any human,
22 For I do not know how to flatter;
If I did, my Maker would quickly do away with me.
33 “But now, Job, please hear my words;
Listen to everything I say.
5 Reply to me if you are able;
Present your arguments before me; take your position.
7 So no fear of me should terrify you,
And no pressure from me should overwhelm you.
8 But you said in my hearing,
Yes, I kept hearing these words,
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression;+
I am clean, without error.+
12 But you are not right in saying this, so I will answer you:
God is far greater than mortal man.+
13 Why do you complain against Him?+
Is it because he did not answer all your words?+
14 For God speaks once and a second time,
But no one pays attention,
15 In a dream, a vision of the night,+
When deep sleep falls upon people
While they sleep in their beds.
16 Then he uncovers their ears+
And impresses* his instruction upon them,
17 To turn a person away from wrongdoing+
And to protect a man from pride.+
19 A person is also reproved by pain on his bed
And by the constant distress of his bones,
23 If there is a messenger* for him,
One advocate out of a thousand,
To tell to man what is upright,
24 Then God shows him favor and says,
I have found a ransom!+
26 He will entreat God,+ who will accept him,
And he will see His face with shouts of joy,
And He will restore His righteousness to mortal man.
27 That person will declare* to men,
‘I have sinned+ and distorted what is right,
But I did not receive what I deserved.*
29 Indeed, God does all these things
Twice, three times, for a man,
30 To bring him* back from the pit,*
So that he may be enlightened with the light of life.+
31 Pay attention, Job! Listen to me!
Keep silent, and I will continue speaking.
32 If you have something to say, reply to me.
Speak, for I want to prove you right.
33 If you have nothing to say, you should listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
34 So E·liʹhu continued to say in reply:
2 “Listen to my words, you who are wise;
Hear me, you who know so much.
4 Let us evaluate for ourselves what is right;
Let us decide among ourselves what is good.
6 Would I lie about what my own judgment should be?
My wound is incurable, though there is no transgression.’+
7 What other man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water?
10 So listen to me, you men of understanding:*
11 For he will reward a man according to what he does+
And bring upon him the consequences of his ways.
14 If he fixes his attention* on them,
If he gathers their spirit and breath to himself,+
15 All humans* would perish together,
And mankind would return to the dust.+
16 So if you have understanding, pay attention to this;
Listen carefully to what I say.
17 Should someone who hates justice be in control,
Or would you condemn a powerful one who is righteous?
18 Would you say to a king, ‘You are good for nothing,’
Or to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?+
19 There is One who does not show partiality to princes
And who does not favor the rich over the poor,*+
For they are all the work of his hands.+
20 They may die suddenly,+ in the middle of the night;+
They shake violently and pass away;
Even the powerful are removed, but not by human hands.+
23 For God has not set an appointed time for any man
To appear before him in judgment.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness,
In a place where all can see,+
27 Because they have turned away from following him+
And have no regard for any of his ways;+
28 They cause the poor to cry out to him,
So that he hears the outcry of the helpless.+
29 When God remains silent, who can condemn him?
When he hides his face, who can see him?
Whether toward a nation or a man, the result is the same,
30 So that a godless person* may not rule+
Or lay snares for the people.
31 For will anyone say to God,
‘I have been punished, although I have committed no offense;+
32 Teach me what I have failed to see;
If I have done anything wrong, I will not do it again’?
33 Should he reward you on your terms when you reject his judgment?
You must decide, not I.
So tell me what you know so well.
34 Men of understanding* will say to me
—Any wise man who hears me—
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,+
And his words lack insight.’
37 He adds rebellion to his sin;+
He scornfully claps his hands before us
And multiplies his words against the true God!”+
35 E·liʹhu continued his response:
3 For you say, ‘What does it matter to you?*
Am I better off than if I had sinned?’+
6 If you sin, how do you hurt him?+
If your transgressions multiply, what do you do to him?+
8 Your wickedness affects only a human like yourself,
And your righteousness, a son of man.
9 People cry out when under great oppression;
11 He teaches us+ more than the beasts of the earth,+
And he makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens.
14 How much less, then, when you complain that you do not see him!+
Your legal case is before him, so you should wait anxiously for him.+
36 E·liʹhu continued:
2 “Be patient with me a little longer while I explain,
For I still have words to speak on God’s behalf.
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;+
He enthrones them with kings,*+ and they are exalted forever.
8 But if they are bound in shackles
And caught in ropes of affliction,
9 He reveals to them what they have done,
Their transgressions caused by their pride.
11 If they obey and serve him,
They will live out their days in prosperity,
And their years will be pleasant.+
13 The godless* at heart will harbor resentment.
They do not cry for help even when he binds them.
15 But God* rescues the afflicted during their affliction;
He opens their ear when they are oppressed.
16 He draws you away from the brink of distress+
To a broad space, free of restriction,+
With rich food on your table as consolation.+
17 Then you will be satisfied with the judgment on the wicked,+
When judgment is rendered and justice is upheld.
18 But take care that rage does not lead you into spitefulness,*+
And do not let a large bribe lead you astray.
20 Do not long for the night,
When people vanish from their place.
22 Look! God is exalted in his power;
What instructor is like him?
25 All mankind has seen it,
Mortal man looks on from a distance.
27 He draws up the drops of water;+
They condense into rain from his mist;
28 Then the clouds pour it down;+
They shower down upon mankind.
37 “At this my heart pounds
And leaps from its place.
2 Listen carefully to the rumbling of his voice
And the thunder that comes from his mouth.
4 After that is a roaring sound;
He thunders with a majestic voice,+
And he does not hold it back when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders with his voice+ in a wonderful way;
He does great things that are beyond our understanding.+
6 For he says to the snow, ‘Fall to the earth,’+
And to the downpour of rain, ‘Pour down mightily.’+
8 The wild animals go into their dens
And remain in their lairs.
11 Yes, he weighs down the clouds with moisture;
He scatters his lightning+ in the clouds;
12 They swirl around where he directs them;
They carry out whatever he commands+ on the surface of the inhabited earth.*
13 Whether it is for punishment*+ or for the sake of the land
Or for loyal love, he causes it to happen.+
16 Do you know how the clouds float?+
These are the wonderful works of the One perfect in knowledge.+
19 Tell us what we should say to him;
We cannot answer because we are in the dark.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Or has anyone said something that should be communicated to him?+
21 They cannot even see the light,*
Though it is bright in the sky,
Until a wind passes by and clears away the clouds.
23 Understanding the Almighty is beyond our reach;+
He is great in power,+
And he never violates his justice+ and abundant righteousness.+
24 Therefore, people should fear him.+
For he does not favor any who think that they are wise.”*+
38 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the windstorm:+
3 Brace yourself, please, like a man;
I will question you, and you inform me.
4 Where were you when I founded the earth?+
Tell me, if you think you understand.
5 Who set its measurements, in case you know,
Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 Into what were its pedestals sunk,
Or who laid its cornerstone,+
8 And who barricaded the sea behind doors+
When it burst out from the womb,
9 When I clothed it with clouds
And wrapped* it in thick gloom,
10 When I established my limit for it
And put its bars and doors in place,+
11 And I said, ‘You may come this far, and no farther;
Here is where your proud waves will stop’?+
12 Have you ever* commanded the morning
Or made the dawn know its place,+
13 To take hold of the ends of the earth
And to shake the wicked out of it?+
14 It is transformed like clay under a seal,
And its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 But the light of the wicked is held back from them,
And their uplifted arm is broken.
18 Have you understood the vast expanse of the earth?+
Tell me, if you know all of this.
19 In which direction does the light reside?+
And where is the place of darkness,
20 That you should take it to its territory
And understand the paths to its home?
22 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,+
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,+
23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress,
For the day of battle and war?+
25 Who has cut a channel for the flood
And made a path for the thunderous storm cloud,+
26 To make it rain where no man lives,
On the wilderness where there are no humans,+
27 To satisfy devastated wastelands
And cause the grass to sprout?+
29 From whose womb did the ice emerge,
And who gave birth to the frost of heaven+
30 When the waters are covered as if with stone,
And the surface of the deep waters is frozen solid?+
32 Can you lead out a constellation* in its season
Or guide the Ash constellation* along with its sons?
35 Can you send out lightning bolts?
Will they come and say to you, ‘Here we are!’
37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds,
Or who can tip over the water jars of heaven+
38 When the dust pours into a mass
And the clods of earth stick together?
39 Can you hunt prey for a lion
Or satisfy the appetites of young lions+
40 When they crouch in their lairs
Or lie in ambush in their dens?
41 Who prepares food for the raven+
When its young cry to God for help
And wander about because there is nothing to eat?
39 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth?+
Have you watched the deer give birth to their young?+
2 Do you count the months that they must complete?
Do you know the time when they give birth?
3 They crouch down when they give birth to their young,
And their labor pains end.
4 Their young become strong and grow up in the open field;
They go out and do not return to them.
6 I have made the desert plain its home
And the salt land its dwelling.
7 It scorns the tumult of the city;
It does not hear the shouts of the driver.
8 It roams the hills, seeking pasture,
Looking for every green plant.
9 Is the wild bull willing to serve you?+
Will it spend the night in your stable?*
11 Will you trust in its great strength
And let it do your heavy work?
13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
But can her pinions and plumage compare with the stork’s?+
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And she keeps them warm in the dust.
15 She forgets that some foot may crush them
Or that a wild animal may trample them.
16 She treats her sons harshly, as if they were not hers;+
She has no fear that her labor may be in vain.
18 But when she rises up and flaps her wings,
She laughs at the horse and at its rider.
19 Are you the one who gives the horse its strength?+
Do you clothe its neck with a rustling mane?
20 Can you cause it to leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrifying.+
22 It laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing.+
It does not turn back because of the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against it,
The spear and the javelin flash.
25 When the horn blows, it says, ‘Aha!’
It smells the battle from afar
And hears the shouting of commanders and the battle cry.+
26 Is it by your understanding that the falcon soars,
Spreading its wings to the south?
27 Or is it at your order that an eagle flies upward+
And builds its nest high up,+
28 Spending the night on a cliff,
Dwelling in its stronghold on a rocky crag?*
40 Jehovah continued to answer Job:
2 “Should a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?+
Let the one who wants to reprove God answer.”+
3 Job said in answer to Jehovah:
What can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.+
5 I spoke once, but I will not answer again;
Twice, but I will say no more.”
6 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the windstorm:+
8 Will you call into question* my justice?
Will you condemn me so that you may be right?+
10 Adorn yourself, please, with glory and majesty;
Clothe yourself with dignity and splendor.
11 Release the fury of your anger;
Look at everyone who is haughty, and bring him low.
12 Look at everyone who is haughty, and humble him,
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them all in the dust;
Bind them* in the hidden place,
14 Then even I would acknowledge to you*
That your right hand can save you.
15 Here, now, is Be·heʹmoth,* which I made as I made you.
It eats grass like a bull.
16 Look at the strength in its hips
And the power in the muscles of its belly!
17 It stiffens its tail like a cedar;
The sinews of its thighs are woven together.
18 Its bones are tubes of copper;
Its limbs are like wrought-iron rods.
20 For the mountains produce food for it,
Where all the wild animals play.
21 It lies down under the lotus trees,
In the shelter of the reeds of the marsh.
23 If the river is turbulent, it does not panic.
It is confident, although the Jordan+ rushes against its mouth.
3 Will it make many pleas to you,
Or will it speak gently to you?
4 Will it make a covenant with you,
So that you may make it your slave for life?
5 Will you play with it as with a bird
Or tie it on a leash for your little girls?
6 Will traders barter for it?
Will they divide it up among merchants?
8 Lay your hand on it;
You will remember the battle and never do it again!
9 Any hope of subduing it is futile.
The mere sight of it would overwhelm you.*
10 No one dares to stir it up.
So who is it who can stand up to me?+
11 Who has given me anything first that I should repay him?+
Whatever is under the heavens is mine.+
12 I will not be silent about its limbs,
About its mightiness and its well-formed body.
13 Who has removed its outer covering?
Who will enter its open jaws?
14 Who can pry open the doors of its mouth?*
Its teeth all around are fearsome.
16 Each one fits so closely to the other
That no air can come between them.
17 They are stuck to one another;
They cling together and cannot be separated.
18 Its snorting flashes out light,
And its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Flashes of lightning go out of its mouth;
Fiery sparks escape.
20 Smoke pours out of its nostrils,
Like a furnace fueled with rushes.
21 Its breath sets coals ablaze,
And a flame shoots from its mouth.
22 There is great strength in its neck,
And dismay runs before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined together;
They are firm, as though cast upon it and immovable.
24 Its heart is hard as stone,
Yes, hard as a lower millstone.
25 When it rises up, even the mighty are frightened;
Its thrashing causes bewilderment.
27 It regards iron as straw,
Copper as rotten wood.
28 An arrow does not make it flee;
Slingstones turn into stubble against it.
29 It regards a club as stubble,
And it laughs at the rattling of a javelin.
30 Underneath, it is like sharp fragments of pottery;
It spreads itself in the mud like a threshing sledge.+
31 It makes the deep boil just like a pot;
It stirs up the sea like an ointment pot.
32 It leaves a glistening wake in its path.
One would think that the deep had white hair.
33 There is nothing like it on the earth,
A creature made to have no fear.
34 It glares at everything that is haughty.
It is king over all the majestic wild beasts.”
42 Then Job said in reply to Jehovah:
2 “Now I know that you are able to do all things
And that nothing you have in mind to do is impossible for you.+
3 You said, ‘Who is this who is obscuring my counsel without knowledge?’+
Therefore I spoke, but without understanding
About things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.+
4 You said, ‘Please listen, and I will speak.
I will question you, and you inform me.’+
5 My ears have heard about you,
But now I do see you with my eyes.
7 After Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, Jehovah said to Elʹi·phaz the Teʹman·ite:
“My anger burns against you and your two companions,+ for you have not spoken the truth about me+ as my servant Job has. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job, and offer up a burnt sacrifice for yourselves. And my servant Job will pray for you.+ I will surely accept his request* not to deal with you according to your foolishness, for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has.”
9 So Elʹi·phaz the Teʹman·ite, Bilʹdad the Shuʹhite, and Zoʹphar the Naʹa·ma·thite went and did what Jehovah had told them to do. And Jehovah accepted Job’s prayer.
10 After Job had prayed for his companions,+ Jehovah removed Job’s tribulation+ and restored his prosperity.* Jehovah gave him double what he had before.+ 11 All his brothers and sisters and all his former friends+ came to him and ate a meal with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him over all the calamity that Jehovah had allowed to come upon him. Each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring.
12 So Jehovah blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the beginning,+ and Job came to have 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 pairs of cattle, and 1,000 female donkeys.+ 13 He also came to have seven more sons and three more daughters.+ 14 He named the first daughter Je·miʹmah, the second Ke·ziʹah, and the third Kerʹen-hapʹpuch. 15 No women in all the land were as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this Job lived for 140 years, and he saw his children and his grandchildren—four generations. 17 Finally Job died, after a long and satisfying life.*
Possibly meaning “Object of Hostility.”
Or “a blameless and upright man.”
Lit., “500 pairs of cattle.”
Lit., “female donkeys.”
Or “at the house of each one in his turn.”
A Hebrew idiom that refers to angelic sons of God.
Lit., “set your heart upon.”
Or “a blameless and upright man.”
Or “under your control.”
Lit., “face.”
Or possibly, “Lightning.”
Or “ascribe anything improper to God.”
A Hebrew idiom that refers to angelic sons of God.
Lit., “set your heart upon.”
Or “a blameless and upright man.”
Lit., “swallow.”
Or “soul.”
Or “under your control.”
Or “soul.”
Lit., “face.”
Or “with severe ulcers.”
Or “acquaintances.”
Lit., “curse his day.”
Or “darkness and death’s shadow.”
Understood to refer to the crocodile or some other large, powerful aquatic animal.
Or possibly, “who built desolate places for themselves.”
Or “those bitter of soul.”
Lit., “you become weary.”
Or “devise.”
Or “maned young lions.”
Or “messengers.”
Or “will have a covenant (an agreement) with you.”
Lit., “peace.”
Or “rash, reckless speech.”
Or “My soul has.”
Or “that I should prolong my life (soul).”
Or “The traveling company of the Sabeans.”
Lit., “redeemed.”
Or “barter over.”
Or “until morning twilight.”
Lit., “see good.”
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Or “with bitterness of my soul!”
Or “my soul.”
Lit., “than my bones.”
Lit., “set your heart.”
Lit., “He sent them into the hand of their revolt.”
Or “rouse himself for you.”
Lit., “And bring forth words from their hearts?”
Lit., “So are the paths.”
Or “the apostate.”
Lit., “house.”
Or “He looks at a house of stones.”
Or “swallowed up.”
Or “that is the dissolving of his way.”
Or “the blameless.”
Lit., “take hold of the hand of.”
Or “to take Him to court.”
Or “removes.”
Possibly the Great Bear constellation (Ursa Major).
Possibly the Orion constellation.
Possibly the Pleiades stars in the Taurus constellation.
Lit., “the interior rooms of the south.”
Possibly a great sea monster.
Or possibly, “my opponent at law.”
Lit., “summon me?”
Or “Even if I am innocent.”
Lit., “crooked.”
Or “Even if I am innocent.”
Or “I do not know my soul.”
Or “despise; refuse.”
Or “those keeping integrity.”
Lit., “faces.”
Lit., “wicked.”
Or “potash.”
Or “no mediator.”
Lit., “put his hand upon us both.”
Lit., “remove his rod from upon me.”
Or “My soul loathes.”
Or “with bitterness of my soul!”
Or “breath; life.”
Lit., “And these things you have hidden in your heart.”
Or “cheer up a little.”
Or “of darkness and death’s shadow.”
Or “will a boaster be right?”
Or “find out the limit of.”
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Or “when a wild donkey is born a man.”
Or “the expiring of the soul.”
Lit., “you are the people.”
Lit., “a heart.”
Or “slipping.”
Or possibly, “speak.”
Or “the soul of everyone alive.”
Or “breath.”
Lit., “of all flesh of man.”
Lit., “palate.”
Or “stripped of everything.”
Or “of elders.”
Lit., “loosens the belt of powerful ones.”
Lit., “heart.”
Or “show partiality toward him.”
Or “memorable.”
Lit., “shield bosses.”
Lit., “Why do I carry my flesh in my teeth?”
Or “soul.”
Or “defend my ways.”
Or “no apostate.”
Or possibly, “If someone can, I will stay silent and die.”
Lit., “Only two things, do not do to me.”
Lit., “he,” possibly referring to Job.
Or “glutted with agitation.”
Or possibly, “and is cut off.”
Lit., “me.”
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Or “yearn.”
Or “His soul.”
Or “with blustery knowledge.”
Or “your error trains your mouth.”
Lit., “bread.”
Or “tries to prevail against.”
Lit., “his thick shield bosses.”
That is, any hope of recovery.
Lit., “his.”
Or “of apostates.”
Or “blustery.”
Or “If your soul were in place of my soul.”
Or “those assembling with me.”
Or “strength.” Lit., “horn.”
Or “death’s shadow.”
Or possibly, “looks sleeplessly.”
Or “dwell on.”
Lit., “a proverb; a byword.”
Or “the apostate.”
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Or “grave.”
That is, my hope.
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Or possibly, “unclean.”
Or “your soul.”
Or “limp.”
Lit., “The firstborn of death.”
Or “a terrible death.”
Lit., “Something not his.”
Lit., “he will have no name.”
Or “the place of his temporary residence.”
Or “irritating me.” See Glossary.
Or “insulted.”
Or “My relatives.”
Lit., “the sons of my womb,” that is, the womb that bore me (my mother’s womb).
Lit., “And not be satisfied with my flesh?”
Or “repurchaser.”
Lit., “over (upon) the dust.”
Or “My kidneys have failed within me.”
Lit., “a spirit from my understanding.”
Or “mankind; Adam.”
Or “the apostate.”
That is, his vigor.
Or “gall.”
Lit., “tongue.”
Lit., “and he will not swallow.”
Lit., “He.”
Lit., “his.”
Lit., “my spirit.”
Or “powerful.”
Or “pipe.”
Or “in a moment,” that is, a quick and painless death.
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Or “advice; scheming.”
Or “cut in two.”
Or “teach God anything.”
Lit., “the marrow of his bones is moist.”
Or “with a bitter soul.”
Or possibly, “to act violently against me.”
Lit., “signs.”
Or “wadi.”
Lit., “And he will drag all mankind after him.”
Or “Does it delight the Almighty.”
Lit., “strip off garments of the naked.”
Or “of orphans.”
Lit., “bird traps.”
Or “circle.”
Or “whose lives were cut short.”
Lit., “river.”
Or “gold nuggets.”
Or “wadis.”
Or “gold nuggets.”
Or “the one with downcast eyes.”
Or “my complaint is rebellious.”
Or “prescribed for me.”
Or “his soul.”
Or “prescribed.”
That is, his day of judgment.
Or “as a pledge.”
Or possibly, “harvest fodder in the field.”
Or possibly, “They press out oil among the terrace walls.”
Or “souls of the wounded.”
Or possibly, “God charges no one with wrong.”
Lit., “dig into.”
Lit., “He is swift on the surface of the waters.”
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Lit., “The womb.”
Lit., “He.”
Lit., “He.”
Lit., “on their ways.”
Lit., “in his heights.”
Or “pure.”
Or “abundantly.”
Or “common sense.”
Lit., “And whose breath (spirit) has come out from you?”
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Lit., “him.”
Or “And Abaddon.”
Lit., “the north.”
Lit., “emptiness.”
Lit., “a circle.”
Lit., “Rahab.”
Or “wind.”
Or “gliding.”
Lit., “proverb.”
Or “my soul.”
Or “I will not take away from myself; I will maintain.”
Or “taunt.”
Or “for any of my days.”
Or “the apostate.”
Or “soul.”
Or possibly, “by the hand.”
Or possibly, “They clap their hands at him and whistle at him from their place.”
Lit., “poured.”
Lit., “stone.”
Apparently a reference to mining operations.
Or “refined.”
Lit., “weight.”
Lit., “proverb.”
Lit., “in the days of.”
Or “attendants.”
Lit., “hide themselves.”
Or “sleeveless coat.”
Lit., “in my nest.”
Lit., “would drip.”
Or possibly, “They did not darken the light of my face.”
Or “wadis.”
Lit., “scourged.”
Lit., “a proverb; a byword.”
Lit., “loosened my bowstring.”
Or “They cast off the bridle.”
Or possibly, “Without anyone helping them.”
Or “soul.”
Lit., “My bones are bored through.”
Or possibly, “The severity of my affliction disfigures me.”
Or possibly, “dissolve me with a crash.”
Lit., “a heap of ruins.”
Or “who are having a hard day?”
Or “Has my soul.”
Or possibly, “fever.”
Or “pipe.”
Or possibly, “with men of untruth?”
Or “let my descendants be rooted out.”
Lit., “let other men kneel down over her.”
Lit., “eat (devour) to destruction.”
Or “Uprooting.”
Or “legal case.”
Lit., “rises up?”
Lit., “in the womb.”
Lit., “caused the eyes of the widow to fail.”
Lit., “he.”
Lit., “her.”
Lit., “from my mother’s womb.”
Lit., “his loins.”
Or possibly, “When I saw that I had support in the city gate.”
Or “shoulder blade.”
Or “from its socket; from its upper bone.”
Lit., “light.”
Or “soul.”
Lit., “meat.”
Or “foreign resident.”
Or “Here is my signature.”
Or “the soul of its owners.”
Or “because he was righteous in his own eyes.”
Or “his soul.”
Lit., “small in days.”
Lit., “days.”
Or “Many days alone do not.”
Or “reprove Job.”
Or “confer an honorary title to.”
Lit., “My tongue with my palate.”
Lit., “puts a seal on.”
Or “life.”
Or “grave.”
Or “by a weapon (missile).”
Lit., “his life.”
Or “his soul.”
Or “are laid bare.”
Or “life.”
Or “grave.”
Or “an angel.”
Or “grave.”
Or “healthier.”
Lit., “sing.”
Or possibly, “And it did not profit me.”
Or “life.”
Or “grave.”
Or “his soul.”
Or “grave.”
Lit., “palate.”
Lit., “heart.”
Or “the inhabited earth.”
Lit., “his heart.”
Lit., “flesh.”
Or “the noble over the lowly.”
Or “an apostate.”
Lit., “heart.”
Or possibly, “My father, let Job be tested.”
Likely referring to God.
Lit., “arm.”
Or “a lie.”
Lit., “heart.”
Or possibly, “He enthrones kings.”
Or “by a weapon (missile).”
Or “apostate.”
Or “Their soul dies.”
Or possibly, “Ending.”
Lit., “He.”
Or “spiteful handclapping.”
Or possibly, “criticized; called him to account for.”
Or “is unsearchable.”
Lit., “booth.”
Lit., “light.”
Lit., “roots.”
Or possibly, “pleads the cause of.”
Or possibly, “what.”
Lit., “puts a seal on the hand of every human.”
Or “of the productive land of the earth.”
Lit., “a rod.”
Or “commands.”
Or “beat out.”
That is, of the sun.
Lit., “who are wise of heart.”
A Hebrew idiom that refers to angelic sons of God.
Or “swaddled.”
Lit., “in your days.”
Or “death’s shadow.”
Lit., “days.”
Or possibly, “lightning.”
Possibly the Pleiades stars in the Taurus constellation.
Possibly the Orion constellation.
Lit., “Mazzaroth.” At 2Ki 23:5, the related term in plural form refers to the constellations of the zodiac.
Possibly the Great Bear constellation (Ursa Major).
Or possibly, “His.”
Or possibly, “within man.”
Or possibly, “to the mind.”
Or “onager.”
Or “manger.”
Or “harrow.”
Lit., “seed.”
Lit., “made her forget.”
Lit., “It goes out to meet armor.”
Lit., “swallows the ground (earth).”
Or possibly, “It does not believe.”
Lit., “on the tooth of a crag.”
Or “invalidate.”
Lit., “their faces.”
Or “commend you.”
Possibly the hippopotamus.
Lit., “It is the beginning.”
Or “wadi.”
Lit., “snare.”
Possibly the crocodile.
Lit., “a rush.”
Lit., “thorn.”
Or “hurl you down.”
Lit., “face.”
Or possibly, “Its pride is its rows of scales.”
Or “make a retraction.”
Lit., “Surely I will lift up his face.”
Lit., “Jehovah turned back the captivity of Job.”
Lit., “old and full of days.”