The
Book of Job with Commentary
New King James Version
Job 1
Job and His Family in Uz
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and
that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned
evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also,
his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five
hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large
household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the
East.
4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his
appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and
drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their
course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early
in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of
them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned
and cursed[a] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Satan Attacks Job’s Character
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan[b] also came among them. 7 And the LORD said
to Satan, “From where do you come?”
So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro
on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My
servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and
upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for
nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household,
and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of
his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now,
stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely
curse You to Your face!”
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in
your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job Loses His Property and Children
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and
drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a
messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and
the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans[c] raided them and
took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the
edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said,
“The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and
the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell
you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said,
“The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took
them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and
I alone have escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said,
“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in
their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind
came from across[d] the wilderness and struck the four corners of the
house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone
have escaped to tell you!”
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to
the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:
“ Naked I
came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I
return there.
The LORD gave, and
the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name
of the LORD.”
22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Job 2
Satan Attacks Job’s Health
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present
themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present
himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From
where do you come?”
Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on
the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My
servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and
upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast
to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him
without cause.”
4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes,
all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your
hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse
You to Your face!”
6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand,
but spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with
painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And
he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he
sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your
integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women
speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept
adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job’s Three Friends
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity
that had come upon him, each one came from his own
place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar
the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and
mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes
from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and
wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward
heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven
nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was
very great.
Job 3
Job Deplores His Birth
1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his
birth. 2 And Job spoke, and said:
3 “May the day perish on which I was born,
And the night in
which it was said,
‘A male
child is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
May God above not
seek it,
Nor the light shine
upon it.
5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it;
May a cloud settle
on it;
May the blackness of
the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, may darkness seize it;
May it not
rejoice[a] among the days of the year,
May it not come into
the number of the months.
7 Oh, may that night be barren!
May no joyful shout
come into it!
8 May those curse it who curse the day,
Those who are ready
to arouse Leviathan.
9 May the stars of its morning be dark;
May it look for
light, but have none,
And not see the
dawning of the day;
10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my
mother’s womb,
Nor hide sorrow from
my eyes.
11 “Why did I not die at birth?
Why did I not perish
when I came from the womb?
12 Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts,
that I should nurse?
13 For now I would have lain still and been quiet,
I would have been
asleep;
Then I would have
been at rest
14 With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who built ruins for
themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold,
Who filled their
houses with silver;
16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,
Like infants who
never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
And there the weary
are at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together;
They do not hear the
voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there,
And the servant is
free from his master.
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the
bitter of soul,
21 Who long for death, but it does not come,
And search for it
more than hidden treasures;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly,
And are glad when
they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has
hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before I eat,[b]
And my groanings
pour out like water.
25 For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded
has happened to me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for
trouble comes.”
Job 4
Eliphaz: Job Has Sinned
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one attempts a word with you, will you become
weary?
But who can withhold
himself from speaking?
3 Surely you have instructed many,
And you have
strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you have
strengthened the feeble knees;
5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and
you are troubled.
6 Is not your reverence your confidence?
And the integrity of
your ways your hope?
7 “ Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the
upright ever cut off?
8 Even as I have seen,
Those who plow
iniquity
And sow trouble reap
the same.
9 By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of
His anger they are consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the
fierce lion,
And the teeth of the
young lions are broken.
11 The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the
lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received
a whisper of it.
13 In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep
falls on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling,
Which made all my
bones shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body
stood up.
16 It stood still,
But I could not
discern its appearance.
A form was before my
eyes;
There was silence;
Then I heard a voice
saying:
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more
pure than his Maker?
18 If He puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His
angels with error,
19 How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is
in the dust,
Who are crushed
before a moth?
20 They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever,
with no one regarding.
21 Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even
without wisdom.’
Job 5
Eliphaz: Job Is Chastened by God
1 “Call out now;
Is there anyone who
will answer you?
And to which of the
holy ones will you turn?
2 For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a
simple one.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I
cursed his dwelling place.
4 His sons are far from safety,
They are crushed in
the gate,
And there is no
deliverer.
5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
Taking it even from
the thorns,[a]
And a snare snatches
their substance.[b]
6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble
spring from the ground;
7 Yet man is born to trouble,
As the sparks fly
upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would
commit my cause—
9 Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things
without number.
10 He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on
the fields.
11 He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn
are lifted to safety.
12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands
cannot carry out their plans.
13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of
the cunning comes quickly upon them.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at
noontime as in the night.
15 But He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of
the mighty,
And from their hand.
16 So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts
her mouth.
17 “ Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not
despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His
hands make whole.
19 He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven no
evil shall touch you.
20 In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the
power of the sword.
21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be
afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And you shall not be
afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of
the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your
dwelling and find nothing amiss.
25 You shall also know that your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring
like the grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain
ripens in its season.
27 Behold, this we have searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know
for yourself.”
Job 6
Job: My Complaint Is Just
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid
with it on the scales!
3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the
sea—
Therefore my words
have been rash.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in
their poison;
The terrors of God
are arrayed against me.
5 Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low
over its fodder?
6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any
taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as
loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
That God would grant
me the thing that I long for!
9 That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose
His hand and cut me off!
10 Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I
would exult,
He will not spare;
For I have not
concealed the words of the Holy One.
11 “What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end,
that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh
bronze?
13 Is my help not within me?
And is success
driven from me?
14 “To him who is afflicted, kindness should be
shown by his friend,
Even though he
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
Like the streams of
the brooks that pass away,
16 Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the
snow vanishes.
17 When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they
vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and
perish.
19 The caravans of Tema look,
The travelers of
Sheba hope for them.
20 They are disappointed because they were confident;
They come there and
are confused.
21 For now you are nothing,
You see terror and
are afraid.
22 Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to
me’?
Or, ‘Offer
a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s
hand’?
Or,
‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?
24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue;
Cause me to
understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forceful are right words!
But what does your
arguing prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of
a desperate one, which are as wind?
27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you undermine
your friend.
28 Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never
lie to your face.
29 Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my
righteousness still stands!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my taste
discern the unsavory?
Job 7
Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless
1 “Is there not a time of hard service for man on
earth?
Are not his days
also like the days of a hired man?
2 Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man
who eagerly looks for his wages,
3 So I have been allotted months of futility,
And wearisome nights
have been appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be
ended?’
For I have had my
fill of tossing till dawn.
5 My flesh is caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked
and breaks out afresh.
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s
shuttle,
And are spent
without hope.
7 Oh, remember that my life is a breath!
My eye will never
again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are
upon me, I shall no longer be.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So he who goes down
to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
Nor shall his place
know him anymore.
11 “ Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the
anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in
the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard
over me?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease
my complaint,’
14 Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with
visions,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather
than my body.[a]
16 I loathe my life;
I would not live
forever.
Let me alone,
For my days are but
a breath.
17 “What is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set
Your heart on him,
18 That You should visit him every morning,
And test him every
moment?
19 How long?
Will You not look
away from me,
And let me alone
till I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to
You, O watcher of men?
Why have You set me
as Your target,
So that I am a
burden to myself?[b]
21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my
iniquity?
For now I will lie
down in the dust,
And You will seek me
diligently,
But I will no longer
be.”
Job 8
Bildad: Job Should Repent
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you speak these things,
And the words of
your mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty
pervert justice?
4 If your sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them
away for their transgression.
5 If you would earnestly seek God
And make your
supplication to the Almighty,
6 If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would
awake for you,
And prosper your
rightful dwelling place.
7 Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end
would increase abundantly.
8 “For inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the
things discovered by their fathers;
9 For we were born yesterday, and know nothing,
Because our days on
earth are a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from
their heart?
11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds
flourish without water?
12 While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before
any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the
hypocrite shall perish,
14 Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is a
spider’s web.
15 He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast,
but it does not endure.
16 He grows green in the sun,
And his branches
spread out in his garden.
17 His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place
in the stones.
18 If he is destroyed from his place,
Then it will deny
him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
19 “ Behold, this is the joy of His way,
And out of the earth
others will grow.
20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold
the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with
rejoicing.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the dwelling
place of the wicked will come to nothing.”[a]
Job 9
Job: There Is No Mediator
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know it is so,
But how can a man be
righteous before God?
3 If one wished to contend with Him,
He could not answer
Him one time out of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened
himself against Him and prospered?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns
them in His anger;
6 He shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars
tremble;
7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the
stars;
8 He alone spreads out the heavens,
And treads on the
waves of the sea;
9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of
the south;
10 He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without
number.
11 If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I
do not perceive Him;
12 If He takes away, who can hinder Him?
Who can say to Him,
‘What are You doing?’
13 God will not withdraw His anger,
The allies of the
proud[a] lie prostrate beneath Him.
14 “How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words
to reason with Him?
15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of
my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I would not believe
that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He crushes me with a tempest,
And multiplies my
wounds without cause.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills me with
bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice,
who will appoint my day in court?
20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
Though I were
blameless, it would prove me perverse.
21 “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;
I despise my life.
22 It is all one thing;
Therefore I say,
‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the
plight of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces
of its judges.
If it is not He, who
else could it be?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they
see no good.
26 They pass by like swift ships,
Like an eagle
swooping on its prey.
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my
sad face and wear a smile,’
28 I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You will
not hold me innocent.
29 If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor
in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands
with soap,
31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes
will abhor me.
32 “For He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer
Him,
And that we should
go to court together.
33 Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand
on us both.
34 Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread
of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so
with me.
Job 10
Job: I Would Plead with God
1 “My soul loathes my life;
I will give free
course to my complaint,
I will speak in the
bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Show me why You
contend with me.
3 Does it seem good to You that You should oppress,
That You should
despise the work of Your hands,
And smile on the
counsel of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You see as man
sees?
5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal man?
Are Your years like
the days of a mighty man,
6 That You should seek for my iniquity
And search out my
sin,
7 Although You know that I am not wicked,
And there is no one
who can deliver from Your hand?
8 ‘Your hands have made me and fashioned me,
An intricate unity;
Yet You would
destroy me.
9 Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay.
And will You turn me
into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like
cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together
with bones and sinews?
12 You have granted me life and favor,
And Your care has
preserved my spirit.
13 ‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart;
I know that this was
with You:
14 If I sin, then You mark me,
And will not acquit
me of my iniquity.
15 If I am wicked, woe to me;
Even if I am
righteous, I cannot lift up my head.
I am full of
disgrace;
See my misery!
16 If my head is exalted,
You hunt me like a
fierce lion,
And again You show
Yourself awesome against me.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me,
And increase Your
indignation toward me;
Changes and war are
ever with me.
18 ‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Oh, that I had
perished and no eye had seen me!
19 I would have been as though I had not been.
I would have been
carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few?
Cease! Leave me
alone, that I may take a little comfort,
21 Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,
To the land of
darkness and the shadow of death,
22 A land as dark as darkness itself,
As the shadow of
death, without any order,
Where even the light
is like darkness.’”
Job 11
Zophar Urges Job to Repent
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “ Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should a man
full of talk be vindicated?
3 Should your empty talk make men hold their peace?
And when you mock,
should no one rebuke you?
4 For you have said,
‘My
doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in
your eyes.’
5 But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips
against you,
6 That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For they would
double your prudence.
Know therefore that
God exacts from you
Less than your
iniquity deserves.
7 “Can you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the
limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher than heaven— what can you do?
Deeper than
Sheol— what can you know?
9 Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the
sea.
10 “If He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to
judgment,
Then who can hinder
Him?
11 For He knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness
also.
Will He not then
consider it?
12 For an empty-headed man will be wise,
When a wild
donkey’s colt is born a man.
13 “If you would prepare your heart,
And stretch out your
hands toward Him;
14 If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And would not let
wickedness dwell in your tents;
15 Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be
steadfast, and not fear;
16 Because you would forget your misery,
And remember it as
waters that have passed away,
17 And your life would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were
dark, you would be like the morning.
18 And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig
around you, and take your rest in safety.
19 You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;
Yes, many would
court your favor.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not
escape,
And their
hope—loss of life!”
Job 12
Job Answers His Critics
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die
with you!
3 But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to
you.
Indeed, who does not
know such things as these?
4 “I am one mocked by his friends,
Who called on God,
and He answered him,
The just and
blameless who is ridiculed.
5 A lamp[a] is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for
those whose feet slip.
6 The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who
provoke God are secure—
In what God provides
by His hand.
7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the
air, and they will tell you;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the
sea will explain to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the
LORD has done this,
10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of
all mankind?
11 Does not the ear test words
And the mouth taste
its food?
12 Wisdom is with aged men,
And with length of
days, understanding.
13 “With Him are wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and
understanding.
14 If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a
man, there can be no release.
15 If He withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He sends them
out, they overwhelm the earth.
16 With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the
deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of
the judges.
18 He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their
waist with a belt.
19 He leads princes[b] away plundered,
And overthrows the
mighty.
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the
discernment of the elders.
21 He pours contempt on princes,
And disarms the
mighty.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the
shadow of death to light.
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He enlarges nations,
and guides them.
24 He takes away the understanding[c] of the chiefs of the
people of the earth,
And makes them
wander in a pathless wilderness.
25 They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them
stagger like a drunken man.
Job 13
1 “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and
understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to
you.
3 But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to
reason with God.
4 But you forgers of lies,
You are all
worthless physicians.
5 Oh, that you would be silent,
And it would be your
wisdom!
6 Now hear my reasoning,
And heed the
pleadings of my lips.
7 Will you speak wickedly for God,
And talk deceitfully
for Him?
8 Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for
God?
9 Will it be well when He searches you out?
Or can you mock Him
as one mocks a man?
10 He will surely rebuke you
If you secretly show
partiality.
11 Will not His excellence make you afraid,
And the dread of Him
fall upon you?
12 Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are
defenses of clay.
13 “Hold your peace with me, and let me speak,
Then let come on me
what may!
14 Why do I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in
my hands?
15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Even so, I will
defend my own ways before Him.
16 He also shall be my salvation,
For a hypocrite
could not come before Him.
17 Listen carefully to my speech,
And to my
declaration with your ears.
18 See now, I have prepared my case,
I know that I shall
be vindicated.
19 Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my
tongue, I perish.
Job’s Despondent Prayer
20 “Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide
myself from You:
21 Withdraw Your hand far from me,
And let not the
dread of You make me afraid.
22 Then call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak,
then You respond to me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make me know my
transgression and my sin.
24 Why do You hide Your face,
And regard me as
Your enemy?
25 Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro?
And will You pursue
dry stubble?
26 For You write bitter things against me,
And make me inherit
the iniquities of my youth.
27 You put my feet in the stocks,
And watch closely
all my paths.
You set a limit[a]
for the soles of my feet.
28 “Man[b] decays like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that
is moth-eaten.
Job 14
1 “Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and
full of trouble.
2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a
shadow and does not continue.
3 And do You open Your eyes on such a one,
And bring me[a] to
judgment with Yourself?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
The number of his
months is with You;
You have appointed
his limits, so that he cannot pass.
6 Look away from him that he may rest,
Till like a hired
man he finishes his day.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down,
that it will sprout again,
And that its tender
shoots will not cease.
8 Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may
die in the ground,
9 Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth
branches like a plant.
10 But man dies and is laid away;
Indeed he breathes
his last
And where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes
parched and dries up,
12 So man lies down and does not rise.
Till the heavens are
no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from
their sleep.
13 “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave,
That You would
conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would
appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my
hard service I will wait,
Till my change comes.
15 You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the
work of Your hands.
16 For now You number my steps,
But do not watch
over my sin.
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover[b] my
iniquity.
18 “But as a mountain falls and crumbles away,
And as a rock is
moved from its place;
19 As water wears away stones,
And as torrents wash
away the soil of the earth;
So You destroy the
hope of man.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes on;
You change his
countenance and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;
They are brought
low, and he does not perceive it.
22 But his flesh will be in pain over it,
And his soul will
mourn over it.”
Job 15
Eliphaz Accuses Job of Folly
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “ Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge,
And fill himself
with the east wind?
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk,
Or by speeches with
which he can do no good?
4 Yes, you cast off fear,
And restrain prayer
before God.
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
And you choose the
tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips
testify against you.
7 “Are you the first man who was born?
Or were you made
before the hills?
8 Have you heard the counsel of God?
Do you limit wisdom
to yourself?
9 What do you know that we do not know?
What do you
understand that is not in us?
10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Much older than your
father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you,
And the word spoken
gently[a] with you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away,
And what do your
eyes wink at,
13 That you turn your spirit against God,
And let such words
go out of your mouth?
14 “What is man, that he could be pure?
And he who is born
of a woman, that he could be righteous?
15 If God puts no trust in His saints,
And the heavens are
not pure in His sight,
16 How much less man, who is abominable and filthy,
Who drinks iniquity
like water!
17 “I will tell you, hear me;
What I have seen I
will declare,
18 What wise men have told,
Not hiding anything
received from their fathers,
19 To whom alone the land was given,
And no alien passed
among them:
20 The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
And the number of
years is hidden from the oppressor.
21 Dreadful sounds are in his ears;
In prosperity the
destroyer comes upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will return from darkness,
For a sword is
waiting for him.
23 He wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is
it?’
He knows that a day
of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Trouble and anguish make him afraid;
They overpower him,
like a king ready for battle.
25 For he stretches out his hand against God,
And acts defiantly
against the Almighty,
26 Running stubbornly against Him
With his strong,
embossed shield.
27 “ Though he has covered his face with his
fatness,
And made his waist
heavy with fat,
28 He dwells in desolate cities,
In houses which no
one inhabits,
Which are destined
to become ruins.
29 He will not be rich,
Nor will his wealth
continue,
Nor will his
possessions overspread the earth.
30 He will not depart from darkness;
The flame will dry
out his branches,
And by the breath of
His mouth he will go away.
31 Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself,
For futility will be
his reward.
32 It will be accomplished before his time,
And his branch will
not be green.
33 He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine,
And cast off his
blossom like an olive tree.
34 For the company of hypocrites will be barren,
And fire will
consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive trouble and bring forth futility;
Their womb prepares
deceit.”
Job 16
Job Reproaches His Pitiless Friends
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “I have heard many such things;
Miserable comforters
are you all!
3 Shall words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you
that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do,
If your soul were in
my soul’s place.
I could heap up
words against you,
And shake my head at
you;
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of
my lips would relieve your grief.
6 “ Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;
And if I remain
silent, how am I eased?
7 But now He has worn me out;
You have made
desolate all my company.
8 You have shriveled me up,
And it is a witness
against me;
My leanness rises up
against me
And bears witness to
my face.
9 He tears me in His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me
with His teeth;
My adversary
sharpens His gaze on me.
10 They gape at me with their mouth,
They strike me
reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together
against me.
11 God has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over
to the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but He has shattered me;
He also has taken me
by my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has set me up for
His target,
13 His archers surround me.
He pierces my
heart[a] and does not pity;
He pours out my gall
on the ground.
14 He breaks me with wound upon wound;
He runs at me like a
warrior.[b]
15 “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And laid my head[c]
in the dust.
16 My face is flushed from weeping,
And on my eyelids is
the shadow of death;
17 Although no violence is in my hands,
And my prayer is
pure.
18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let my cry have
no resting place!
19 Surely even now my witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is
on high.
20 My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out
tears to God.
21 Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for
his neighbor!
22 For when a few years are finished,
I shall go the way
of no return.
Job 17
Job Prays for Relief
1 “My spirit is broken,
My days are
extinguished,
The grave is ready
for me.
2 Are not mockers with me?
And does not my eye
dwell on their provocation?
3 “Now put down a pledge for me with Yourself.
Who is he who will
shake hands with me?
4 For You have hidden their heart from understanding;
Therefore You will
not exalt them.
5 He who speaks flattery to his friends,
Even the eyes of his
children will fail.
6 “But He has made me a byword of the people,
And I have become
one in whose face men spit.
7 My eye has also grown dim because of sorrow,
And all my members
are like shadows.
8 Upright men are astonished at this,
And the innocent
stirs himself up against the hypocrite.
9 Yet the righteous will hold to his way,
And he who has clean
hands will be stronger and stronger.
10 “But please, come back again, all of you,[a]
For I shall not find
one wise man among you.
11 My days are past,
My purposes are
broken off,
Even the thoughts of
my heart.
12 They change the night into day;
‘The light
is near,’ they say, in the face of darkness.
13 If I wait for the grave as my house,
If I make my bed in
the darkness,
14 If I say to corruption, ‘You are my
father,’
And to the worm,
‘You are my mother and my sister,’
15 Where then is my hope?
As for my hope, who
can see it?
16 Will they go down to the gates of Sheol?
Shall we have rest
together in the dust?”
Job 18
Bildad: The Wicked Are Punished
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long till you put an end to words?
Gain understanding,
and afterward we will speak.
3 Why are we counted as beasts,
And regarded as
stupid in your sight?
4 You who tear yourself in anger,
Shall the earth be
forsaken for you?
Or shall the rock be
removed from its place?
5 “The light of the wicked indeed goes out,
And the flame of his
fire does not shine.
6 The light is dark in his tent,
And his lamp beside
him is put out.
7 The steps of his strength are shortened,
And his own counsel
casts him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
And he walks into a
snare.
9 The net takes him by the heel,
And a snare lays
hold of him.
10 A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him
in the road.
11 Terrors frighten him on every side,
And drive him to his
feet.
12 His strength is starved,
And destruction is
ready at his side.
13 It devours patches of his skin;
The firstborn of
death devours his limbs.
14 He is uprooted from the shelter of his tent,
And they parade him
before the king of terrors.
15 They dwell in his tent who are none of his;
Brimstone is
scattered on his dwelling.
16 His roots are dried out below,
And his branch
withers above.
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name
among the renowned.[a]
18 He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of
the world.
19 He has neither son nor posterity among his people,
Nor any remaining in
his dwellings.
20 Those in the west are astonished at his day,
As those in the east
are frightened.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the
place of him who does not know God.”
Job 19
Job Trusts in His Redeemer
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in
pieces with words?
3 These ten times you have reproached me;
You are not ashamed
that you have wronged me.[a]
4 And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains
with me.
5 If indeed you exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my
disgrace against me,
6 Know then that God has wronged me,
And has surrounded
me with His net.
7 “If I cry out concerning wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud,
there is no justice.
8 He has fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set
darkness in my paths.
9 He has stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown
from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side,
And I am gone;
My hope He has
uprooted like a tree.
11 He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And He counts me as
one of His enemies.
12 His troops come together
And build up their
road against me;
They encamp all
around my tent.
13 “He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances
are completely estranged from me.
14 My relatives have failed,
And my close friends
have forgotten me.
15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
Count me as a
stranger;
I am an alien in
their sight.
16 I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
I beg him with my
mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am repulsive
to the children of my own body.
18 Even young children despise me;
I arise, and they
speak against me.
19 All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I
love have turned against me.
20 My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped
by the skin of my teeth.
21 “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my
friends,
For the hand of God
has struck me!
22 Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not
satisfied with my flesh?
23 “Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were
inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and
lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand
at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I
shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall
behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns
within me!
28 If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute
him?’—
Since the root of
the matter is found in me,
29 Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the
punishment of the sword,
That you may know
there is a judgment.”
Job 20
Zophar’s Sermon on the Wicked Man
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “ Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,
Because of the
turmoil within me.
3 I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me,
And the spirit of my
understanding causes me to answer.
4 “Do you not know this of old,
Since man was placed
on earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the
hypocrite is but for a moment?
6 Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,
And his head reaches
to the clouds,
7 Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse;
Those who have seen
him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 He will fly away like a dream, and not be found;
Yes, he will be
chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw him will see him no more,
Nor will his place
behold him anymore.
10 His children will seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands will
restore his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youthful vigor,
But it will lie down
with him in the dust.
12 “ Though evil is sweet in his mouth,
And he hides it
under his tongue,
13 Though he spares it and does not forsake it,
But still keeps it
in his mouth,
14 Yet his food in his stomach turns sour;
It becomes cobra
venom within him.
15 He swallows down riches
And vomits them up
again;
God casts them out
of his belly.
16 He will suck the poison of cobras;
The
viper’s tongue will slay him.
17 He will not see the streams,
The rivers flowing
with honey and cream.
18 He will restore that for which he labored,
And will not swallow
it down;
From the proceeds of
business
He will get no
enjoyment.
19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor,
He has violently
seized a house which he did not build.
20 “ Because he knows no quietness in his heart,[a]
He will not save
anything he desires.
21 Nothing is left for him to eat;
Therefore his
well-being will not last.
22 In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress;
Every hand of misery
will come against him.
23 When he is about to fill his stomach,
God will cast on him
the fury of His wrath,
And will rain it on
him while he is eating.
24 He will flee from the iron weapon;
A bronze bow will
pierce him through.
25 It is drawn, and comes out of the body;
Yes, the glittering
point comes out of his gall.
Terrors come upon
him;
26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
An unfanned fire
will consume him;
It shall go ill with
him who is left in his tent.
27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will
rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house will depart,
And his goods will
flow away in the day of His wrath.
29 This is the portion from God for a wicked man,
The heritage
appointed to him by God.”
Job 21
Job’s Discourse on the Wicked
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your
consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak,
And after I have
spoken, keep mocking.
4 “As for me, is my complaint against man?
And if it were, why
should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be astonished;
Put your hand over
your mouth.
6 Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes
hold of my flesh.
7 Why do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty
in power?
8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring
before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is the rod
of God upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves
without miscarriage.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children
dance.
12 They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the
sound of the flute.
13 They spend their days in wealth,
And in a moment go
down to the grave.[a]
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire
the knowledge of Your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And what profit do
we have if we pray to Him?’
16 Indeed their prosperity is not in their hand;
The counsel of the
wicked is far from me.
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?
How often does their
destruction come upon them,
The sorrows God
distributes in His anger?
18 They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that
a storm carries away.
19 They say, ‘God lays up one’s[b]
iniquity for his children’;
Let Him recompense
him, that he may know it.
20 Let his eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of
the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about his household after him,
When the number of
his months is cut in half?
22 “Can anyone teach God knowledge,
Since He judges
those on high?
23 One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease
and secure;
24 His pails[c] are full of milk,
And the marrow of
his bones is moist.
25 Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,
Never having eaten
with pleasure.
26 They lie down alike in the dust,
And worms cover them.
27 “Look, I know your thoughts,
And the schemes with
which you would wrong me.
28 For you say,
‘ Where is the house of the prince?
And where is the
tent,[d]
The dwelling place
of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked those who travel the road?
And do you not know
their signs?
30 For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
They shall be
brought out on the day of wrath.
31 Who condemns his way to his face?
And who repays him
for what he has done?
32 Yet he shall be brought to the grave,
And a vigil kept
over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;
Everyone shall
follow him,
As countless have
gone before him.
34 How then can you comfort me with empty words,
Since falsehood
remains in your answers?”
Job 22
Eliphaz Accuses Job of Wickedness
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “Can a man be profitable to God,
Though he who is
wise may be profitable to himself?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it gain to Him
that you make your ways blameless?
4 “Is it because of your fear of Him that He
corrects you,
And enters into
judgment with you?
5 Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquity
without end?
6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason,
And stripped the
naked of their clothing.
7 You have not given the weary water to drink,
And you have
withheld bread from the hungry.
8 But the mighty man possessed the land,
And the honorable
man dwelt in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty,
And the strength of
the fatherless was crushed.
10 Therefore snares are all around you,
And sudden fear
troubles you,
11 Or darkness so that you cannot see;
And an abundance of
water covers you.
12 “Is not God in the height of heaven?
And see the highest
stars, how lofty they are!
13 And you say, ‘What does God know?
Can He judge through
the deep darkness?
14 Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks above
the circle of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the old way
Which wicked men
have trod,
16 Who were cut down before their time,
Whose foundations
were swept away by a flood?
17 They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the
Almighty do to them?’[a]
18 Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of
the wicked is far from me.
19 “The righteous see it and are glad,
And the innocent
laugh at them:
20 ‘Surely our adversaries[b] are cut down,
And the fire
consumes their remnant.’
21 “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace;
Thereby good will
come to you.
22 Receive, please, instruction from His mouth,
And lay up His words
in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;
You will remove
iniquity far from your tents.
24 Then you will lay your gold in the dust,
And the gold of
Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 Yes, the Almighty will be your gold[c]
And your precious
silver;
26 For then you will have your delight in the Almighty,
And lift up your
face to God.
27 You will make your prayer to Him,
He will hear you,
And you will pay
your vows.
28 You will also declare a thing,
And it will be
established for you;
So light will shine
on your ways.
29 When they cast you down, and you say,
‘Exaltation will come!’
Then He will save
the humble person.
30 He will even deliver one who is not innocent;
Yes, he will be
delivered by the purity of your hands.”
Job 23
Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Even today my complaint is bitter;
My[a] hand is
listless because of my groaning.
3 Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to
His seat!
4 I would present my case before Him,
And fill my mouth
with arguments.
5 I would know the words which He would answer me,
And understand what
He would say to me.
6 Would He contend with me in His great power?
No! But He would
take note of me.
7 There the upright could reason with Him,
And I would be
delivered forever from my Judge.
8 “Look, I go forward, but He is not there,
And backward, but I
cannot perceive Him;
9 When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;
When He turns to the
right hand, I cannot see Him.
10 But He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested
me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way
and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have treasured the
words of His mouth
More than my
necessary food.
13 “But He is unique, and who can make Him change?
And whatever His
soul desires, that He does.
14 For He performs what is appointed for me,
And many such things
are with Him.
15 Therefore I am terrified at His presence;
When I consider
this, I am afraid of Him.
16 For God made my heart weak,
And the Almighty
terrifies me;
17 Because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness,
And He did not hide
deep darkness from my face.
Job 24
Job Complains of Violence on the Earth
1 “Since times are not hidden from the Almighty,
Why do those who
know Him see not His days?
2 “Some remove landmarks;
They seize flocks
violently and feed on them;
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
They take the
widow’s ox as a pledge.
4 They push the needy off the road;
All the poor of the
land are forced to hide.
5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert,
They go out to their
work, searching for food.
The wilderness
yields food for them and for their children.
6 They gather their fodder in the field
And glean in the
vineyard of the wicked.
7 They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering
in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
And huddle around
the rock for want of shelter.
9 “Some snatch the fatherless from the breast,
And take a pledge
from the poor.
10 They cause the poor to go naked, without clothing;
And they take away
the sheaves from the hungry.
11 They press out oil within their walls,
And tread
winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
12 The dying groan in the city,
And the souls of the
wounded cry out;
Yet God does not
charge them with wrong.
13 “There are those who rebel against the light;
They do not know its
ways
Nor abide in its
paths.
14 The murderer rises with the light;
He kills the poor
and needy;
And in the night he
is like a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
Saying,
‘No eye will see me’;
And he disguises his
face.
16 In the dark they break into houses
Which they marked
for themselves in the daytime;
They do not know the
light.
17 For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death;
If someone
recognizes them,
They are in the
terrors of the shadow of death.
18 “They should be swift on the face of the waters,
Their portion should
be cursed in the earth,
So that no one would
turn into the way of their vineyards.
19 As drought and heat consume the snow waters,
So the
grave[a]consumes those who have sinned.
20 The womb should forget him,
The worm should feed
sweetly on him;
He should be
remembered no more,
And wickedness
should be broken like a tree.
21 For he preys on the barren who do not bear,
And does no good for
the widow.
22 “But God draws the mighty away with His power;
He rises up, but no
man is sure of life.
23 He gives them security, and they rely on it;
Yet His eyes are on
their ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while,
Then they are gone.
They are brought
low;
They are taken out
of the way like all others;
They dry out like
the heads of grain.
25 “Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar,
And make my speech
worth nothing?”
Job 25
Bildad: How Can Man Be Righteous?
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “ Dominion and fear belong to Him;
He makes peace in
His high places.
3 Is there any number to His armies?
Upon whom does His
light not rise?
4 How then can man be righteous before God?
Or how can he be
pure who is born of a woman?
5 If even the moon does not shine,
And the stars are
not pure in His sight,
6 How much less man, who is a maggot,
And a son of man,
who is a worm?”
Job 26
Job: Man’s Frailty and God’s Majesty
1 But Job answered and said:
2 “How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved
the arm that has no strength?
3 How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you
declared sound advice to many?
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit
came from you?
5 “The dead tremble,
Those under the
waters and those inhabiting them.
6 Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has
no covering.
7 He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth
on nothing.
8 He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds are
not broken under it.
9 He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His
cloud over it.
10 He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of
light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are astonished
at His rebuke.
12 He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His
understanding He breaks up the storm.
13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced the
fleeing serpent.
14 Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a
whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of
His power who can understand?”
Job 27
Job Maintains His Integrity
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my justice,
And the Almighty,
who has made my soul bitter,
3 As long as my breath is in me,
And the breath of
God in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter
deceit.
5 Far be it from me
That I should say
you are right;
Till I die I will
not put away my integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go;
My heart shall not
reproach me as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,
And he who rises up
against me like the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain
much,
If God takes away
his life?
9 Will God hear his cry
When trouble comes
upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call
on God?
11 “I will teach you about the hand of God;
What is with the
Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Surely all of you have seen it;
Why then do you
behave with complete nonsense?
13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of
oppressors, received from the Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
And his offspring
shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death,
And their[a] widows
shall not weep,
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust,
And piles up
clothing like clay—
17 He may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
And the innocent
will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house like a moth,[b]
Like a booth which a
watchman makes.
19 The rich man will lie down,
But not be gathered
up;[c]
He opens his eyes,
And he is no more.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him
away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
It sweeps him out of
his place.
22 It hurls against him and does not spare;
He flees desperately
from its power.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him
out of his place.
Job 28
Job’s Discourse on Wisdom
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place where
gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
And copper is
smelted from ore.
3 Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every
recess
For ore in the
darkness and the shadow of death.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten
by feet
They hang far away
from men;
They swing to and
fro.
5 As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is
turned up as by fire;
6 Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold
dust.
7 That path no bird knows,
Nor has the
falcon’s eye seen it.
8 The proud lions[a] have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce
lion passed over it.
9 He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the
mountains at the roots.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees
every precious thing.
11 He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he
brings forth to light.
12 “But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the
place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in
the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says,
‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be
weighed for its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or
sapphire.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be
exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of
wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued
in pure gold.
20 “From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the
place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from
the birds of the air.
22 Destruction and Death say,
‘We have
heard a report about it with our ears.’
23 God understands its way,
And He knows its
place.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And sees under the
whole heavens,
25 To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the
waters by measure.
26 When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the
thunderbolt,
27 Then He saw wisdom[b] and declared it;
He prepared it,
indeed, He searched it out.
28 And to man He said,
‘ Behold,
the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from
evil is understanding.’”
Job 29
Job’s Summary Defense
1 Job further continued his discourse, and said:
2 “Oh, that I were as in months past,
As in the days when
God watched over me;
3 When His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His
light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When the friendly
counsel of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children
were around me;
6 When my steps were bathed with cream,[a]
And the rock poured
out rivers of oil for me!
7 “When I went out to the gate by the city,
When I took my seat
in the open square,
8 The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose
and stood;
9 The princes refrained from talking,
And put their hand
on their mouth;
10 The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their tongue
stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, then it blessed me,
And when the eye
saw, then it approved me;
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and
the one who had no helper.
13 The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the
widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like
a robe and a turban.
15 I was eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to
the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor,
And I searched out
the case that I did not know.
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the
victim from his teeth.
18 “Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days
as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters,
And the dew lies all
night on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh within me,
And my bow is
renewed in my hand.’
21 “Men listened to me and waited,
And kept silence for
my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech
settled on them as dew.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And they opened
their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
24 If I mocked at them, they did not believe it,
And the light of my
countenance they did not cast down.
25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;
So I dwelt as a king
in the army,
As one who comforts
mourners.
Job 30
1 “But now they mock at me, men younger than I,
Whose fathers I
disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.
2 Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me?
Their vigor has
perished.
3 They are gaunt from want and famine,
Fleeing late to the
wilderness, desolate and waste,
4 Who pluck mallow by the bushes,
And broom tree roots
for their food.
5 They were driven out from among men,
They shouted at them
as at a thief.
6 They had to live in the clefts of the valleys,
In caves of the
earth and the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they brayed,
Under the nettles
they nestled.
8 They were sons of fools,
Yes, sons of vile
men;
They were scourged
from the land.
9 “And now I am their taunting song;
Yes, I am their
byword.
10 They abhor me, they keep far from me;
They do not hesitate
to spit in my face.
11 Because He has loosed my[a] bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off
restraint before me.
12 At my right hand the rabble arises;
They push away my
feet,
And they raise
against me their ways of destruction.
13 They break up my path,
They promote my
calamity;
They have no helper.
14 They come as broad breakers;
Under the ruinous
storm they roll along.
15 Terrors are turned upon me;
They pursue my honor
as the wind,
And my prosperity
has passed like a cloud.
16 “And now my soul is poured out because of my
plight;
The days of
affliction take hold of me.
17 My bones are pierced in me at night,
And my gnawing pains
take no rest.
18 By great force my garment is disfigured;
It binds me about as
the collar of my coat.
19 He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become
like dust and ashes.
20 “I cry out to You, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You
regard me.
21 But You have become cruel to me;
With the strength of
Your hand You oppose me.
22 You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it;
You spoil my success.
23 For I know that You will bring me to death,
And to the house
appointed for all living.
24 “Surely He would not stretch out His hand
against a heap of ruins,
If they cry out when
He destroys it.
25 Have I not wept for him who was in trouble?
Has not my soul
grieved for the poor?
26 But when I looked for good, evil came to me;
And when I waited
for light, then came darkness.
27 My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest;
Days of affliction
confront me.
28 I go about mourning, but not in the sun;
I stand up in the
assembly and cry out for help.
29 I am a brother of jackals,
And a companion of
ostriches.
30 My skin grows black and falls from me;
My bones burn with
fever.
31 My harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the
voice of those who weep.
Job 31
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I
look upon a young woman?
2 For what is the allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance
of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the
workers of iniquity?
4 Does He not see my ways,
And count all my
steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has
hastened to deceit,
6 Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my
integrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart walked
after my eyes,
Or if any spot
adheres to my hands,
8 Then let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest
be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked
at my neighbor’s door,
10 Then let my wife grind for another,
And let others bow
down over her.
11 For that would be wickedness;
Yes, it would be
iniquity deserving of judgment.
12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out
all my increase.
13 “If I have despised the cause of my male or
female servant
When they complained
against me,
14 What then shall I do when God rises up?
When He punishes,
how shall I answer Him?
15 Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One
fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes
of the widow to fail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the
fatherless could not eat of it
18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my
mother’s womb I guided the widow[a]);
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man
without covering;
20 If his heart[b] has not blessed me,
And if he was not
warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
When I saw I had
help in the gate;
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn
from the socket.
23 For destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His
magnificence I cannot endure.
24 “If I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine
gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand
had gained much;
26 If I have observed the sun[c] when it shines,
Or the moon moving
in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has
kissed my hand;
28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have
denied God who is above.
29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him
who hated me,
Or lifted myself up
when evil found him
30 (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a
curse on his soul);
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is
there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32 (But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my
doors to the traveler[d]);
33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam,
By hiding my
iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great multitude,
And dreaded the
contempt of families,
So that I kept
silence
And did not go out
of the door—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the
Almighty would answer me,
That my Prosecutor
had written a book!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me
like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I
would approach Him.
38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep
together;
39 If I have eaten its fruit[e] without money,
Or caused its owners
to lose their lives;
40 Then let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of
barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Job 32
Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends
1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was
righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of
Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his
wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. 3 Also
against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found
no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4 Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak
to Job.[a] 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of
these three men, his wrath was aroused.
6 So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:
“I am
young in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was
afraid,
And dared not
declare my opinion to you.
7 I said, ‘Age[b] should speak,
And multitude of
years should teach wisdom.’
8 But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of
the Almighty gives him understanding.
9 Great men[c] are not always wise,
Nor do the aged
always understand justice.
10 “ Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare
my opinion.’
11 Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your
reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
12 I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one
of you convinced Job,
Or answered his
words—
13 Lest you say,
‘We have
found wisdom’;
God will vanquish
him, not man.
14 Now he has not directed his words against me;
So I will not answer
him with your words.
15 “They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
16 And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood
still and answered no more.
17 I also will answer my part,
I too will declare
my opinion.
18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within me
compels me.
19 Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent;
It is ready to burst
like new wineskins.
20 I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips
and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter
any man.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would
soon take me away.
Job 33
Elihu Contradicts Job
1 “But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my
words.
2 Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in
my mouth.
3 My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure
knowledge.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of
the Almighty gives me life.
5 If you can answer me,
Set your words in
order before me;
Take your stand.
6 Truly I am as your spokesman[a] before God;
I also have been
formed out of clay.
7 Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be
heavy on you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the
sound of your words, saying,
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and
there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet He finds occasions against me,
He counts me as His
enemy;
11 He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my
paths.’
12 “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater
than man.
13 Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give
an accounting of any of His words.
14 For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not
perceive it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep
falls upon men,
While slumbering on
their beds,
16 Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their
instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride
from man,
18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from
perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his bed,
And with strong pain
in many of his bones,
20 So that his life abhors bread,
And his soul
succulent food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick
out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the
executioners.
23 “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one
among a thousand,
To show man His
uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘ Deliver
him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a
ransom’;
25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to
the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His
face with joy,
For He restores to
man His righteousness.
27 Then he looks at men and says,
‘I have
sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it did not
profit me.’
28 He will redeem his[b] soul from going down to the Pit,
And his[c] life
shall see the light.
29 “ Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact,
three times with a man,
30 To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be
enlightened with the light of life.
31 “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and
I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire
to justify you.
33 If not, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and
I will teach you wisdom.”
Job 34
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
1 Elihu further answered and said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you
who have knowledge.
3 For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes
food.
4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among
ourselves what is good.
5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken
away my justice;
6 Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is
incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
Who drinks scorn
like water,
8 Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with
wicked men?
9 For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should
delight in God.’
10 “ Therefore listen to me, you men of
understanding:
Far be it from God
to do wickedness,
And from the
Almighty to commit iniquity.
11 For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to
find a reward according to his way.
12 Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the
Almighty pervert justice.
13 Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him
over the whole world?
14 If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather
to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15 All flesh would perish together,
And man would return
to dust.
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound
of my words:
17 Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn Him
who is most just?
18 Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are
worthless,’
And to nobles,
‘You are wicked’?
19 Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard
the rich more than the poor;
For they are all the
work of His hands.
20 In a moment they die, in the middle of the night;
The people are
shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken
away without a hand.
21 “For His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his
steps.
22 There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of
iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go
before God in judgment.
24 He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in
their place.
25 Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them
in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of
others,
27 Because they turned back from Him,
And would not
consider any of His ways,
28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He hears the cry
of the afflicted.
29 When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides
His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is
against a nation or a man alone?—
30 That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be
ensnared.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have
borne chastening;
I will offend no
more;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done
iniquity, I will do no more’?
33 Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you
disavow it?
You must choose, and
not I;
Therefore speak what
you know.
34 “Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen
to me:
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
His words are
without wisdom.’
36 Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers
are like those of wicked men!
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands
among us,
And multiplies his
words against God.”
Job 35
Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2 “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My
righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For you say,
‘What
advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I
have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 “I will answer you,
And your companions
with you.
5 Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the
clouds—
They are higher than
you.
6 If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?
Or, if your
transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He
receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your
righteousness a son of man.
9 “ Because of the multitude of oppressions they
cry out;
They cry out for
help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs in
the night,
11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser
than the birds of heaven?’
12 There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride
of evil men.
13 Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the
Almighty regard it.
14 Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is
before Him, and you must wait for Him.
15 And now, because He has not punished in His anger,
Nor taken much
notice of folly,
16 Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words
without knowledge.”
Job 36
Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness
1 Elihu also proceeded and said:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet
words to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe
righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect
in knowledge is with you.
5 “ Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
He is mighty in
strength of understanding.
6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to
the oppressed.
7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But they are on the
throne with kings,
For He has seated
them forever,
And they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the cords of
affliction,
9 Then He tells them their work and their
transgressions—
That they have acted
defiantly.
10 He also opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that
they turn from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him,
They shall spend
their days in prosperity,
And their years in
pleasures.
12 But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by
the sword,
And they shall die
without knowledge.[a]
13 “But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath;
They do not cry for
help when He binds them.
14 They die in youth,
And their life ends
among the perverted persons.[b]
15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears
in oppression.
16 “ Indeed He would have brought you out of dire
distress,
Into a broad place
where there is no restraint;
And what is set on
your table would be full of richness.
17 But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked;
Judgment and justice
take hold of you.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with
one blow;
For a large ransom
would not help you avoid it.
19 Will your riches,
Or all the mighty
forces,
Keep you from
distress?
20 Do not desire the night,
When people are cut
off in their place.
21 Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you have chosen
this rather than affliction.
22 “ Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
23 Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said,
‘You have done wrong’?
Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
24 “ Remember to magnify His work,
Of which men have
sung.
25 Everyone has seen it;
Man looks on it from
afar.
26 “ Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the number
of His years be discovered.
27 For He draws up drops of water,
Which distill as
rain from the mist,
28 Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly
on man.
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His
canopy?
30 Look, He scatters His light upon it,
And covers the
depths of the sea.
31 For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives food in
abundance.
32 He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to
strike.
33 His thunder declares it,
The cattle also,
concerning the rising storm.
Job 37
1 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its
place.
2 Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling
that comes from His mouth.
3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His lightning to the
ends of the earth.
4 After it a voice roars;
He thunders with His
majestic voice,
And He does not
restrain them when His voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things
which we cannot comprehend.
6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the
earth’;
Likewise to the
gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7 He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may
know His work.
8 The beasts go into dens,
And remain in their
lairs.
9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the
scattering winds of the north.
10 By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters
are frozen.
11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His
bright clouds.
12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may do
whatever He commands them
On the face of the
whole earth.[a]
13 He causes it to come,
Whether for
correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy.
14 “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and
consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know when God dispatches them,
And causes the light
of His cloud to shine?
16 Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works
of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
17 Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the
earth by the south wind?
18 With Him, have you spread out the skies,
Strong as a cast
metal mirror?
19 “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare
nothing because of the darkness.
20 Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to
speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21 Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in
the skies,
When the wind has
passed and cleared them.
22 He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome
majesty.
23 As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him;
He is excellent in
power,
In judgment and
abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
24 Therefore men fear Him;
He shows no
partiality to any who are wise of heart.”
Job 38
The LORD Reveals His Omnipotence to Job
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without
knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer Me.
4 “ Where were you when I laid the foundations of
the earth?
Tell Me, if you have
understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the
line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its
cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of
God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth
and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness
its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and
doors;
11 When I said,
‘This far
you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud
waves must stop!’
12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days
began,
And caused the dawn
to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be
shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like
a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm
is broken.
16 “Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked
in search of the depths?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the
doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know
all this.
19 “ Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where
is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know
the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the
number of your days is great?
22 “Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the
treasury of hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of
battle and war?
24 By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind
scattered over the earth?
25 “Who has divided a channel for the overflowing
water,
Or a path for the
thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in
which there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring
forth the growth of tender grass?
28 Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten
the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of
heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of
the deep is frozen.
31 “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of
Orion?
32 Can you bring out Mazzaroth[a] in its season?
Or can you guide the
Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their
dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of
water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you,
‘Here we are!’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the mind?[b]
Or who has given
understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out
the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling
together?
39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the
appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their
lairs to lie in wait?
41 Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones
cry to God,
And wander about for
lack of food?
Job 39
1 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain
goats bear young?
Or can you mark when
the deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the
time when they bear young?
3 They bow down,
They bring forth
their young,
They deliver their
offspring.[a]
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong
with grain;
They depart and do
not return to them.
5 “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds
of the onager,
6 Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the barren land
his dwelling?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the
shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches
after every green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your
manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the
valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave
your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your grain,
And gather it to
your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings
and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in
the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast
may break them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in
vain, without concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not endow
her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse
and its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his
neck with thunder?[b]
20 Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic
snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the
clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn
back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear
and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to
a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says,
‘Aha!’
He smells the battle
from afar,
The thunder of
captains and shouting.
26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings
toward the south?
27 Does the eagle mount up at your command,
And make its nest on
high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the
rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe
from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain
are, there it is.”
Job 40
1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said:
2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty
correct Him?
He who rebukes God,
let him answer it.”
Job’s Response to God
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4 “ Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer
You?
I lay my hand over
my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I
will proceed no further.”
God’s Challenge to Job
6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7 “Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer Me:
8 “ Would you indeed annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me
that you may be justified?
9 Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder
with a voice like His?
10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself
with glory and beauty.
11 Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who
is proud, and humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the
wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in
hidden darkness.
14 Then I will also confess to you
That your own right
hand can save you.
15 “Look now at the behemoth,[a] which I made along
with you;
He eats grass like
an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in
his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his
thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars
of iron.
19 He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him
can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts
of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds
and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the
brook surround him.
23 Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not
disturbed;
He is confident,
though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his
nose with a snare.
Job 41
1 “Can you draw out Leviathan[a] with a hook,
Or snare his tongue
with a line which you lower?
2 Can you put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw
with a hook?
3 Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly
to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as
a servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash
him for your maidens?
6 Will your companions make a banquet[b] of him?
Will they apportion
him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with
fishing spears?
8 Lay your hand on him;
Remember the
battle—
Never do it again!
9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be
overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10 No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to
stand against Me?
11 Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under
heaven is Mine.
12 “I will not conceal[c] his limbs,
His mighty power, or
his graceful proportions.
13 Who can remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him
with a double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible
teeth all around?
15 His rows of scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as
with a seal;
16 One is so near another
That no air can come
between them;
17 They are joined one to another,
They stick together
and cannot be parted.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are
like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot
out.
20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling
pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out
of his mouth.
22 Strength dwells in his neck,
And sorrow dances
before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him
and cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the
lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his
crashings they are beside[d] themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear,
dart, or javelin.
27 He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten
wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become
like stubble to him.
29 Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the
threat of javelins.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed
marks in the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea
like a pot of ointment.
32 He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the
deep had white hair.
33 On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made
without fear.
34 He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all
the children of pride.”
Job 42
Job’s Repentance and Restoration
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose
of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without
knowledge?’
Therefore I have
uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful
for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said,
‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees
You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust
and ashes.”
7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the
LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused
against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is
right, as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves
seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for
yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For
I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly;
because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job
has.”
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the
Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had
accepted Job. 10 And the LORD restored Job’s losses[a] when
he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he
had before. 11 Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those
who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with
him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the
adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece
of silver and each a ring of gold.
12 Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning;
for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand
yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven
sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first
Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third
Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as
the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among
their brothers.
16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his
children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old
and full of days.
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