The Book of
JOB
Job and His Family in Uz
1There was a man ain the land of Uz, whose name was bJob; and that man was cblameless and upright, and one who dfeared God and 1shunned evil.
2And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
3Also, 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 2people of the East.
4And 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.
5So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and 3sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning eand offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and fcursed4 God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Satan Attacks Job’s Character
6Now gthere was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and 5Satan also came among them.
7And the LORD said to 6Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From hgoing to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you 7considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and 8shuns evil?”
9So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10i“Have You not 9made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? jYou have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11k“But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely lcurse10 You to Your face!”
12And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your 11power; 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
13Now there was a day mwhen his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house;
14and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15“when the 12Sabeans 13raided 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!”
16While 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 14consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17While 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!”
18While he was still speaking, another also came and said, n“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19“and suddenly a great wind came from 15across 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!”
20Then Job arose, otore his robe, and shaved his head; and he pfell to the ground and worshiped.
21And he said:
q“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD rgave, and the LORD has staken away;
t Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
22uIn all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. Biographical Sketch of Job
Satan Attacks Job’s Health
1Again athere 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.
2And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So bSatan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, ca blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he dholds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, eto 1destroy him without cause.”
4So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
5f“But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his gbone and his flesh, and he will surely 2curse You to Your face!”
6hAnd the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
7So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils ifrom the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
8And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself jwhile he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? 3Curse God and die!”
10But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. kShall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” lIn all this Job did not msin with his lips.
Job’s Three Friends
11Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the nTemanite, Bildad the oShuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come pand mourn with him, and to comfort him.
12And 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 qsprinkled dust on his head toward heaven.
13So they sat down with him on the ground rseven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. The Script
Job Deplores His Birth
1After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2And Job 1spoke, and said:
3“Maya the day perish on which I was born,
And the night in which it was said,
‘A male child is conceived.’
4May that day be darkness;
May God above not seek it,
Nor the light shine upon it.
5May darkness and bthe shadow of death claim it;
May a cloud settle on it;
May the blackness of the day terrify it.
6As for that night, may darkness seize it;
May it not 2rejoice among the days of the year,
May it not come into the number of the months.
7Oh, may that night be barren!
May no joyful shout come into it!
8May those curse it who curse the day,
Those cwho are ready to arouse Leviathan.
9May the stars of its morning be dark;
May it look for light, but have none,
And not see the 3dawning of the day;
10Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.
11“Whyd did I not die at birth?
Why did I not 4perish when I came from the womb?
12e Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13For now I would have lain still and been quiet,
I would have been asleep;
Then I would have been at rest
14With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who fbuilt ruins for themselves,
15Or with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver;
16Or why was I not hidden glike a stillborn child,
Like infants who never saw light?
17There the wicked cease from troubling,
And there the 5weary are at hrest.
18There the prisoners 6rest together;
i They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19The small and great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.
20“Whyj is light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the kbitter of soul,
21Who llong7 for death, but it does not come,
And search for it more than mhidden treasures;
22Who rejoice exceedingly,
And are glad when they can find the ngrave?
23Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
o And whom God has hedged in?
24For my sighing comes before 8I eat,
And my groanings pour out like water.
25For the thing I greatly pfeared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.
26I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
Eliphaz: Job Has Sinned
1Then 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?
3Surely you have instructed many,
And you ahave strengthened weak hands.
4Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you bhave strengthened the 1feeble knees;
5But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled.
6Is not cyour reverence dyour confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7“Remember now, ewho ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
8Even as I have seen,
f Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.
9By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.
10The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And gthe teeth of the young lions are broken.
11h 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.
13i In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14Fear came upon me, and jtrembling,
Which made all my bones shake.
15Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood up.
16It 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?
18If He kputs no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error,
19How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth?
20l They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.
21Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.’
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?
2For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one. Job’s Living Death
3a I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.
4His sons are bfar from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And cthere is no deliverer.
5Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
1 Taking it even from the thorns,
2 And a snare snatches their 3substance.
6For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground;
7Yet man is dborn to 4trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.
8“But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
9Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.
10e He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
11f He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12g He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
13He catches the hwise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
14They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.
15But iHe saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
16j So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.
17“Behold,k happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18l For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
19m He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven nno evil shall touch you.
20o In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the 5power of the sword.
21p You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And qyou shall not be afraid of the rbeasts of the earth.
23s For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.
25You shall also know that tyour descendants shall be many,
And your offspring ulike the grass of the earth.
26v You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
27Behold, this we have wsearched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job: My Complaint Is Just
1Then Job answered and said:
2“Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
3For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—
Therefore my words have been rash.
4a For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
b The terrors of God are arrayed cagainst me.
5Does the dwild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low over its fodder?
6Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7My 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!
9That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and ecut me off!
10Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For fI have not concealed the words of gthe Holy One.
11“What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
12Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
13Is my help not within me?
And is success driven from me?
14“Toh him who is 1afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15i My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
j Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
16Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the snow vanishes.
17When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and perish.
The travelers of lSheba hope for them.
20They are mdisappointed2 because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
21For now nyou are nothing,
You see terror and oare afraid.
22Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’?
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23Or, ‘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.
25How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
26Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?
27Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you pundermine your friend.
28Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.
29q Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my rrighteousness 3still stands!
30Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my 4taste discern the unsavory?
Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless
1“Is there not aa time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
2Like a servant who 1earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
3So I have been allotted bmonths of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
4c 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.
5My flesh is dcaked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.
6“Mye days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
7Oh, remember that fmy life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8g The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
9As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So hhe who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10He shall never return to his house,
i Nor shall his place know him anymore.
11“Therefore I will jnot restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will kcomplain in the bitterness of my soul.
12Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
13l When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
15So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than 2my body.
16m I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
n Let me alone,
For omy days are but 3a breath.
17“Whatp is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18That You should 4visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
19How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
20Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, qO watcher of men?
Why rhave You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden 5to myself?
21Why 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.”
Bildad: Job Should Repent
1Then 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?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
4If byour sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them away 1for their transgression.
5c If you would earnestly seek God
And make your supplication to the Almighty,
6If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would 2awake for you,
And prosper your rightful dwelling place.
7Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would dincrease abundantly.
8“Fore inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
9For fwe were born yesterday, and know 3nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
10Will 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?
12g While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
13So are the paths of all who hforget God;
And the hope of the ihypocrite shall perish,
14Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is 4a spider’s web.
15j He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
16He grows green in the sun,
And his branches spread out in his garden.
17His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place in the stones.
18k 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 lout of the earth others will grow.
20Behold, mGod will not 5cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
21He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with 6rejoicing.
22Those who hate you will be nclothed with shame,
And the dwelling place of the wicked 7will come to nothing.”
Job: There Is No Mediator
1Then Job answered and said:
2“Truly I know it is so,
But how can a aman be brighteous before God?
3If one wished to 1contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4c God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
6He dshakes the earth out of its place,
And its epillars tremble;
7He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars;
8f He alone spreads out the heavens,
And 2treads on the 3waves of the sea;
9g He made 4the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
10h He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without number.
11i If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
12j If He takes away, 5who can hinder Him?
Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13God will not withdraw His anger,
k The allies of 6the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.
14“How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him?
15l For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge.
16If I called and He answered me,
I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17For He crushes me with a tempest,
And multiplies my wounds mwithout cause.
18He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills me with bitterness.
19If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
20Though 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.
22It is all one thing;
Therefore I say, n‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
23If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
24The 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 omy days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
26They pass by like 7swift ships,
p Like an eagle swooping on its prey.
27q If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
28r I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You swill not hold me innocent.
29If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor in vain?
30t If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands with 8soap,
31Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes will 9abhor me.
32“For uHe is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
33v Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.
34w Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread of Him terrify me.
35Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so with me.
Job: I Would Plead with God
Job Pleads Further with God
1“My asoul loathes my life;
I will 1give free course to my complaint,
b I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Show me why You contend with me.
3Does 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?
4Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or cdo You see as man sees?
5Are Your days like the days of a mortal man?
Are Your years like the days of a mighty man,
6That You should seek for my iniquity
And search out my sin,
7Although You know that I am not wicked,
And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?
8‘Yourd hands have made me and fashioned me,
An intricate unity;
Yet You would edestroy me.
9Remember, I pray, fthat You have made me like clay.
And will You turn me into dust again?
10g Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
11Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
12You 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:
14If I sin, then hYou mark me,
And will not acquit me of my iniquity.
15If I am wicked, iwoe to me;
j Even if I am righteous, I 2cannot lift up my head.
I am full of disgrace;
k See my misery!
16If my head is exalted,
l You hunt me like a fierce lion,
And again You show Yourself awesome against me.
17You renew Your witnesses against me,
And increase Your indignation toward me;
Changes and war are ever with me.
18‘Whym then have You brought me out of the womb?
Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!
19I would have been as though I had not been.
I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.
Cease! oLeave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,
21Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,
p To the land of darkness qand the shadow of death,
22A land as dark as darkness itself,
As the shadow of death, without any order,
Where even the light is like darkness.’ ”
Zophar Urges Job to Repent
1Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2“Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should 1a man full of talk be vindicated?
3Should your empty talk make men 2hold their peace?
And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?
4For you have said,
a‘My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in your eyes.’
5But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For they would double your prudence.
Know therefore that bGod 3exacts from you
Less than your iniquity deserves.
7“Canc you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
8They are higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than 4Sheol—what can you know?
9Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10“Ifd He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment,
Then who can 5hinder Him?
11For eHe knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness also.
Will He not then consider it?
12For an fempty-headed man will be wise,
When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.
13“If you would gprepare your heart,
And hstretch out your hands toward Him;
14If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And iwould not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15j Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
16Because you would kforget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
17And your life lwould be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
18And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and mtake your rest in safety.
19You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;
Yes, many would court your favor.
20But nthe eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not escape,
Job Answers His Critics
1Then Job answered and said:
2“No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
3But I have 1understanding as well as you;
I am not ainferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?
4“Ib am one mocked by his friends,
Who ccalled on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
5A 2lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for dthose whose feet slip.
6e 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;
8Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
9Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
10f In whose hand is the 3life of every living thing,
And the gbreath of 4all mankind?
11Does not the ear test words
And the 5mouth taste its food?
12Wisdom is with aged men,
And with 6length of days, understanding.
13“With Him are hwisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14If iHe breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15If He jwithholds the waters, they dry up;
If He ksends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
16With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
18He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19He leads 7princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20l He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21m He pours contempt on princes,
And 8disarms the mighty.
22He nuncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23o He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He 9enlarges nations, and guides them.
24He takes away the 10understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And pmakes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25q They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them rstagger like a drunken man.
Job Defends Himself
1“Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2a What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3b But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
4But you forgers of lies,
c You are all worthless physicians.
5Oh, that you would be silent,
And dit would be your wisdom!
6Now hear my reasoning,
And heed the pleadings of my lips.
7e Will you speak 1wickedly for God,
And talk deceitfully for Him?
8Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9Will it be well when He searches you out?
Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?
10He will surely rebuke you
If you secretly show partiality.
11Will not His 2excellence make you afraid,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?
12Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13“Hold3 your peace with me, and let me speak,
Then let come on me what may!
14Why fdo I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
15g Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
h Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
16He also shall be my salvation,
For a ihypocrite could not come before Him.
17Listen carefully to my speech,
And to my declaration with your ears.
18See now, I have prepared my case,
I know that I shall be jvindicated.
19k Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my tongue, I perish.
Job’s Despondent Prayer
20“Onlyl two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide myself from You:
21m Withdraw Your hand far from me,
And let not the dread of You make me afraid.
22Then call, and I will nanswer;
Or let me speak, then You respond to me.
23How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
24o Why do You hide Your face,
And pregard me as Your enemy?
25q Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro?
And will You pursue dry stubble?
26For You write bitter things against me,
And rmake me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27s You put my feet in the stocks,
And watch closely all my paths.
You 4set a limit for the 5soles of my feet.
28“ Man6 decays like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Job Speaks of Life’s Woes
1“Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and afull of 1trouble.
2b He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
3And cdo You open Your eyes on such a one,
And dbring 2me to judgment with Yourself?
4Who ecan bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!
5f Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
6g Look away from him that he may 3rest,
Till hlike 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.
8Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
9Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant.
10But man dies and 4is laid away;
Indeed he 5breathes his last
And where is ihe?
11As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dries up,
12So man lies down and does not rise.
j 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!
14If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service kI will wait,
Till my change comes.
15l You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.
16For now mYou number my steps,
But do not watch over my sin.
17n My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You 6cover my iniquity.
18“But as a mountain falls and crumbles away,
And as a rock is moved from its place;
19As water wears away stones,
And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
So You destroy the hope of man.
20You prevail forever against him, and he passes on;
You change his countenance and send him away.
21His sons come to honor, and ohe does not know it;
They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
22But his flesh will be in pain over it,
And his soul will mourn over it.”
Eliphaz Accuses Job of Folly
1Then aEliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2“Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge,
And fill 1himself with the east wind?
3Should he reason with unprofitable talk,
Or by speeches with which he can do no good?
4Yes, you cast off fear,
And restrain 2prayer before God.
5For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
And you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6b Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7“ Are you the first man who was born?
c Or were you made before the hills?
8d Have you heard the counsel of God?
Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9e What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not in us?
10f Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Much older than your father.
11Are the consolations of God too small for you,
And the word spoken 3gently with you?
12Why does your heart carry you away,
And 4what do your eyes wink at,
13That you turn your spirit against God,
And let such words go out of your mouth?
14“Whatg is man, that he could be pure?
And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
15h If God puts no trust in His saints,
And the heavens are not pure in His sight,
16i How much less man, who is abominable and filthy,
j Who drinks iniquity like water!
17“I will tell you, hear me;
What I have seen I will declare,
18What wise men have told,
Not hiding anything received kfrom their fathers,
19To whom alone the 5land was given,
And lno alien passed among them:
20The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
m And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.
216 Dreadful sounds are in his ears;
n In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.
22He does not believe that he will oreturn from darkness,
For a sword is waiting for him.
23He pwanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows qthat a day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24Trouble and anguish make him afraid;
They overpower him, like a king ready for 7battle.
25For he stretches out his hand against God,
And acts defiantly against the Almighty,
26Running stubbornly against Him
With his strong, embossed shield.
27“Thoughr he has covered his face with his fatness,
And made his waist heavy with fat,
28He dwells in desolate cities,
In houses which no one inhabits,
Which are destined to become ruins.
29He will not be rich,
Nor will his wealth scontinue,
Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.
30He will not depart from darkness;
The flame will dry out his branches,
And tby the breath of His mouth he will go away.
31Let him not utrust in futile things, deceiving himself,
For futility will be his reward.
32It will be accomplished vbefore his time,
And his branch will not be green.
33He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine,
And cast off his blossom like an olive tree.
34For the company of hypocrites will be barren,
And fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35w They conceive trouble and bring forth futility;
Their womb prepares deceit.”
Job Reproaches His Pitiless Friends
1Then Job answered and said:
2“I have heard many such things;
a Miserable1 comforters are you all!
3Shall 2words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
4I also could speak as you do,
If your soul were in my soul’s place.
I could heap up words against you,
And bshake my head at you;
5But 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?
7But now He has cworn me out;
You dhave made desolate all my company.
8You have shriveled me up,
And it is a ewitness against me;
My leanness rises up against me
And bears witness to my face.
9f He tears me in His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me with His teeth;
g My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.
10They hgape at me with their mouth,
They istrike me reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together against me.
11God jhas delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.
12I was at ease, but He has kshattered me;
He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has lset me up for His target,
13His archers surround me.
He pierces my 3heart and does not pity;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
14He breaks me with wound upon wound;
He runs at me like a 4warrior.
15“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And mlaid my 5head in the dust.
16My face is 6flushed from weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17Although no violence is in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.
18“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And nlet my cry have no resting place!
19Surely even now omy witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is on high.
20My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out tears to God.
21p Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for his 7neighbor!
22For when a few years are finished,
I shall qgo the way of no return.
Job Prays for Relief
Job Prays for Relief
1“My spirit is broken,
My days are extinguished,
a The grave is ready for me.
2Are not mockers with me?
And does not my eye 1dwell on their bprovocation?
3“Now put down a pledge for me with Yourself.
Who is he who cwill shake hands with me?
4For You have hidden their heart from dunderstanding;
Therefore You will not exalt them.
5He who speaks flattery to his friends,
Even the eyes of his children will efail.
6“But He has made me fa byword of the people,
And I have become one in whose face men spit.
7g My eye has also grown dim because of sorrow,
And all my members are like shadows.
8Upright men are astonished at this,
And the innocent stirs himself up against the hypocrite.
9Yet the righteous will hold to his hway,
And he who has iclean hands will be stronger and stronger.
10“But please, jcome back again, 2all of you,
For I shall not find one wise man among you.
11k My days are past,
My purposes are broken off,
Even the 3thoughts of my heart.
12They change the night into day;
‘The light is near,’ they say, in the face of darkness.
13If I wait for the grave as my house,
If I make my bed in the darkness,
14If I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’
And to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister,’
As for my hope, who can see it?
16Will they go down mto the gates of 4Sheol?
Shall we have nrest together in the dust?”
Bildad: The Wicked Are Punished
1Then aBildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2“How long till you put an end to words?
Gain understanding, and afterward we will speak.
3Why are we counted bas beasts,
And regarded as stupid in your sight?
4c You1 who tear yourself in anger,
Shall the earth be forsaken for you?
Or shall the rock be removed from its place?
5“Thed light of the wicked indeed goes out,
And the flame of his fire does not shine.
6The light is dark in his tent,
e And his lamp beside him is put out.
7The steps of his strength are shortened,
And fhis own counsel casts him down.
8For ghe is cast into a net by his own feet,
And he walks into a snare.
9The net takes him by the heel,
And ha snare lays hold of him.
10A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him in the road.
11i Terrors frighten him on every side,
And drive him to his feet.
12His strength is starved,
And jdestruction is ready at his side.
13It devours patches of his skin;
The firstborn of death devours his 2limbs.
14He is uprooted from kthe shelter of his tent,
And they parade him before the king of terrors.
15They dwell in his tent who are none of his;
Brimstone is scattered on his dwelling.
16l His roots are dried out below,
And his branch withers above.
17m The memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name 3among the renowned.
184 He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.
19n He has neither son nor posterity among his people,
Nor any remaining in his dwellings.
20Those 5in the west are astonished oat his day,
As those 6in the east are frightened.
21Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who pdoes not know God.”
Job Trusts in His Redeemer
1Then Job answered and said:
2“How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
3These ten times you have 1reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you 2have wronged me.
4And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
5If indeed you aexalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
6Know then that bGod has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.
7“If I cry out concerning 3wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
8c He has 4fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.
9d He has stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.
10He breaks me down on every side,
And I am gone;
My ehope He has uprooted like a tree.
11He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And fHe counts me as one of His enemies.
12His troops come together
And build up their road against me;
They encamp all around my tent.
13“Heg has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14My relatives have failed,
And my close friends have forgotten me.
15Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
Count me as a stranger;
I am an alien in their sight.
16I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
I beg him with my mouth.
17My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am 5repulsive to the children of my own body.
18Even hyoung children despise me;
I arise, and they speak against me.
19i All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I love have turned against me.
20j 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!
22Why do you kpersecute 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!
24That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26And after my skin is 6destroyed, this I know,
That lin my flesh I shall see God,
27Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my 7heart yearns within me!
28If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—
Since the root of the matter is found in me,
29Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
That you may know there is a judgment.”
Zophar’s Sermon on the Wicked Man
1Then aZophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2“Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,
Because of the turmoil within me.
3I have heard the rebuke 1that reproaches me,
And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.
4“Do you not know this of bold,
Since man was placed on earth,
5c That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a dmoment?
6e Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,
And his head reaches to the clouds,
7Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8He will fly away flike a dream, and not be found;
Yes, he gwill be chased away like a vision of the night.
9The eye that saw him will see him no more,
Nor will his place behold him anymore.
10His children will seek the favor of the poor,
And his hands will restore his wealth.
11His bones are full of hhis youthful vigor,
i 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,
13Though he spares it and does not forsake it,
But still keeps it in his 2mouth,
14Yet his food in his stomach turns sour;
It becomes cobra venom within him.
15He swallows down riches
And vomits them up again;
God casts them out of his belly.
16He will suck the poison of cobras;
The viper’s tongue will slay him.
17He will not see jthe streams,
The rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18He will restore that for which he labored,
And will not swallow it down;
From the proceeds of business
He will get no enjoyment.
19For he has 3oppressed and forsaken the poor,
He has violently seized a house which he did not build.
20“Becausek he knows no quietness in his 4heart,
He will not save anything he desires.
21Nothing is left for him to eat;
Therefore his well-being will not last.
22In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress;
Every hand of 5misery will come against him.
23When 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.
24l He will flee from the iron weapon;
A bronze bow will pierce him through.
25It is drawn, and comes out of the body;
Yes, mthe glittering point comes out of his 6gall.
n Terrors come upon him;
26Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
o An unfanned fire will consume him;
It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.
27The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28The increase of his house will depart,
And his goods will flow away in the day of His pwrath.
29q This is the portion from God for a wicked man,
The heritage appointed to him by God.”
Job’s Discourse on the Wicked
1Then Job answered and said:
2“Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your 1consolation.
3Bear with me that I may speak,
And after I have spoken, keep amocking.
4“As for me, is my complaint against man?
And if it were, why should I not be impatient?
5Look at me and be astonished;
b Put your hand over your mouth.
6Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes hold of my flesh.
7c Why do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty in power?
8Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9Their houses are safe from fear,
d Neither is 2the rod of God upon them.
10Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves ewithout miscarriage.
11They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
12They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
13They fspend their days in wealth,
And 3in a moment go down to the 4grave.
14g Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15h Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And iwhat profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
16Indeed 5their prosperity is not in their hand;
j 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 kdistributes in His anger?
18l They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm 6carries away.
19They say, ‘God 7lays up 8one’s iniquity mfor his children’;
Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.
20Let his eyes see his destruction,
And nlet him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21For what does he care about his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut in half?
22“Cano anyone teach God knowledge,
Since He judges those on high?
23One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and secure;
24His 9pails are full of milk,
And the marrow of his bones is moist.
25Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,
Never having eaten with pleasure.
26They plie down alike in the dust,
And worms cover them.
27“Look, I know your thoughts,
And the schemes with which you would wrong me.
28For you say,
‘Where is the house of the prince?
And where is 10the tent,
The dwelling place of the wicked?’
29Have you not asked those who travel the road?
And do you not know their signs?
30q For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.
31Who condemns his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?
32Yet he shall be brought to the grave,
And a vigil kept over the tomb.
33The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;
r Everyone shall follow him,
As countless have gone before him.
34How then can you comfort me with empty words,
Since 11falsehood remains in your answers?”