Eliphaz Accuses Job of Wickedness
1Then aEliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2“Canb a man be profitable to God,
Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?
3Is 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?
5Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquity without end?
6For you have ctaken pledges from your brother for no reason,
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
7You have not given the weary water to drink,
And you dhave withheld bread from the hungry.
8But the 1mighty man possessed the land,
And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9You have sent widows away empty,
And the 2strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10Therefore snares are all around you,
And sudden fear troubles you,
11Or darkness so that you cannot see;
And an abundance of ewater covers you.
12“Is not God in the height of heaven?
And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13And you say, f‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the deep darkness?
14g Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks above the circle of heaven.’
15Will you keep to the old way
Which wicked men have trod,
16Who hwere cut down before their time,
Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17i They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the Almighty do to 3them?’
18Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19“Thej righteous see it and are glad,
And the innocent laugh at them:
20‘Surely our 4adversaries are cut down,
And the fire consumes their remnant.’
21“Now acquaint yourself with Him, and kbe at peace;
Thereby good will come to you.
22Receive, please, linstruction from His mouth,
And mlay up His words in your heart.
23If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;
You will remove iniquity far from your tents.
24Then you will nlay your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25Yes, the Almighty will be your 5gold
And your precious silver;
26For then you will have your odelight in the Almighty,
And lift up your face to God.
27p You will make your prayer to Him,
He will hear you,
And you will pay your vows.
28You will also declare a thing,
And it will be established for you;
So light will shine on your ways.
29When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’
Then qHe will save the humble person.
30He will even deliver one who is not innocent;
Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”
Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments
1Then Job answered and said:
2“Even today my acomplaint is bitter;
1 My hand is listless because of my groaning.
3b Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
4I would present my case before Him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5I would know the words which He would answer me,
And understand what He would say to me.
6c Would He contend with me in His great power?
No! But He would take note of me.
7There the upright could reason with Him,
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
8“Look,d I go forward, but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
9When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;
When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
10But eHe knows the way that I take;
When fHe has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
11g My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12I have not departed from the hcommandment of His lips;
i I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my 2necessary food.
13“But He is unique, and who can make Him change?
And whatever jHis soul desires, that He does.
14For He performs what is kappointed for me,
And many such things are with Him.
15Therefore I am terrified at His presence;
When I consider this, I am afraid of Him.
16For God lmade my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me;
17Because I was not mcut off 3from the presence of darkness,
And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.
Job Complains of Violence on the Earth
Job Complains of the Violence on the Earth
1“Since atimes are not hidden from the Almighty,
Why do those who know Him see not His bdays?
They seize flocks violently and feed on them;
3They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
They dtake the widow’s ox as a pledge.
4They push the needy off the road;
All the epoor of the land are forced to hide.
5Indeed, 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.
6They gather their fodder in the field
And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
7They fspend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering in the cold.
8They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
And ghuddle around the rock for want of shelter.
9“ Some snatch the fatherless from the breast,
And take a pledge from the poor.
10They cause the poor to go naked, without hclothing;
And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.
11They press out oil within their walls,
And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
12The 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.
14i The murderer rises with the light;
He kills the poor and needy;
And in the night he is like a thief.
15j The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
k Saying, ‘No eye will see me’;
And he 1disguises his face.
16In the dark they break into houses
Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;
l They do not know the light.
17For 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.
19As drought and heat 2consume the snow waters,
So 3the grave consumes those who have sinned.
20The womb should forget him,
The worm should feed sweetly on him;
m He should be remembered no more,
And wickedness should be broken like a tree.
21For he 4preys 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.
23He gives them security, and they rely on it;
Yet nHis eyes are on their ways.
24They are exalted for a little while,
Then they are gone.
They are brought low;
They are 5taken 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?”
Bildad: How Can Man Be Righteous?
1Then aBildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2“Dominion and fear belong to Him;
He makes peace in His high places.
31 Is there any number to His armies?
Upon whom does bHis light not rise?
4c How then can man be righteous before God?
Or how can he be dpure who is born of a woman?
5If even the moon does not shine,
And the stars are not pure in His esight,
6How much less man, who is fa maggot,
And a son of man, who is a worm?”
Job: Man’s Frailty and God’s Majesty
1But Job answered and said:
2“How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
3How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many?
4To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit came from you?
5“The dead tremble,
Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
6a Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.
7b He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
8c He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds 1are not broken under it.
9He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
10d He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of light and darkness.
11The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are 2astonished at His rebuke.
12e He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up 3the storm.
13f By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced gthe fleeing serpent.
14Indeed 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 Maintains His Integrity
1Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
2“ As God lives, awho has taken away my justice,
And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3As long as my breath is in me,
And the breath of God in my nostrils,
4My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter deceit.
5Far be it from me
That I should say you are right;
Till I die bI will not put away my integrity from me.
6My righteousness I chold fast, and will not let it go;
d My heart shall not 1reproach me as long as I live.
7“May my enemy be like the wicked,
And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.
8e For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain much,
If God takes away his life?
9f Will God hear his cry
When trouble comes upon him?
10g Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call on God?
11“I will teach you 2about the hand of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12Surely all of you have seen it;
Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?
13“Thish is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
14i If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15Those who survive him shall be buried in death,
And jtheir3 widows shall not weep,
16Though he heaps up silver like dust,
And piles up clothing like clay—
17He may pile it up, but kthe just will wear it,
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18He builds his house like a 4moth,
l Like a 5booth which a watchman makes.
19The rich man will lie down,
6 But not be gathered up;
He opens his eyes,
And he is mno more.
20n Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away in the night.
21The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
It sweeps him out of his place.
22It hurls against him and does not ospare;
He flees desperately from its 7power.
23Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him out of his place.
Job’s Discourse on Wisdom
Wisdom Is God’s Gift
1“Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place where gold is refined.
2Iron is taken from the 1earth,
And copper is smelted from ore.
3Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess
For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
4He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.
5As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.
7That path no bird knows,
Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8The 2proud lions have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
9He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains 3at the roots.
10He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.
11He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he brings forth to light.
12“Buta where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13Man does not know its bvalue,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14c The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15It dcannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
16It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.
17Neither egold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for 4jewelry of fine gold.
18No mention shall be made of 5coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above frubies.
19The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure ggold.
20“Fromh where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
21It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the 6air.
22i Destruction7 and Death say,
‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
23God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
24For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And jsees under the whole heavens,
25k To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.
26When He lmade a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,
27Then He saw 8wisdom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
28And to man He said,
‘Behold, mthe fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
Job’s Summary Defense
1Job further continued his discourse, and said:
2“Oh, that I were as in months apast,
As in the days when God bwatched over me;
3c When His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His light I walked through darkness;
4Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When dthe friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
5When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children were around me;
6When emy steps were bathed with 1cream,
And fthe 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,
8The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose and stood;
9The princes refrained from talking,
And gput their hand on their mouth;
10The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their htongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11When the ear heard, then it blessed me,
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
12Because iI delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
13The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14j I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
And I was feet to the lame.
16I was a father to the poor,
And lI searched out the case that I did not know.
17I broke mthe fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.
18“Then I said, n‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
19o My root is spread out pto the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
20My glory is fresh within me,
And my qbow is renewed in my hand.’
21“ Men listened to me and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
22After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech settled on them as dew.
23They waited for me as for the rain,
And they opened their mouth wide as for rthe spring rain.
24If I mocked at them, they did not believe it,
And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
25I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;
So I dwelt as a king in the army,
As one who comforts mourners.
Job’s Wealth Now Poverty
1“But now they mock at me, men 1younger than I,
Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.
2Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me?
Their vigor has perished.
3They are gaunt from want and famine,
Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste,
4Who pluck 2mallow by the bushes,
And broom tree roots for their food.
5They were driven out from among men,
They shouted at them as at a thief.
6They had to live in the clefts of the 3valleys,
In 4caves of the earth and the rocks.
7Among the bushes they brayed,
Under the nettles they nestled.
8They were sons of fools,
Yes, sons of vile men;
They were scourged from the land.
9“Anda now I am their taunting song;
Yes, I am their byword.
10They abhor me, they keep far from me;
They do not hesitate bto spit in my face.
11Because cHe has loosed 5my bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off restraint before me.
12At my right hand the rabble arises;
They push away my feet,
And dthey raise against me their ways of destruction.
13They break up my path,
They promote my calamity;
They have no helper.
14They come as broad breakers;
Under the ruinous storm they roll along.
15Terrors are turned upon me;
They pursue my honor as the wind,
And my prosperity has passed like a cloud.
16“Ande now my soul is fpoured out because of my plight;
The days of affliction take hold of me.
17My bones are pierced in me at night,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
18By great force my garment is disfigured;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
19He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
20“I gcry out to You, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You regard me.
21But You have become cruel to me;
With the strength of Your hand You hoppose me.
22You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it;
You spoil my success.
23For I know that You will bring me to death,
And to the house iappointed 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.
25j Have I not wept for him who was in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
26k But when I looked for good, evil came to me;
And when I waited for light, then came darkness.
276 My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest;
Days of affliction confront me.
28l I go about mourning, but not in the sun;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
29m I am a brother of jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.
30n My skin grows black and falls from me;
o My bones burn with fever.
31My harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the voice of those who weep.
Job Defends His Righteousness
1“I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I 1look upon a ayoung woman?
2For what is the ballotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4c 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,
62 Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my dintegrity.
7If my step has turned from the way,
Or emy heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
8Then flet me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be 3rooted out.
9“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10Then let my wife grind for ganother,
And let others bow down over her.
11For that would be wickedness;
Yes, hit would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
12For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.
13“If I have idespised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
14What then shall I do when jGod rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
15k 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 lfail,
17Or 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 4the widow);
19If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
20If his 5heart has not mblessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21If I have raised my hand nagainst the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
22Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
23For odestruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.
24“Ifp I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25q If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
26r If I have observed the 6sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
28This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.
29“Ifs I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30t (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his 7soul);
31If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32u (But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the 8traveler);
33If I have covered my transgressions vas9 Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34Because I feared the great wmultitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
35x Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, ythat the Almighty would answer me,
That my 10Prosecutor had written a book!
36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37I 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;
39If zI have eaten its 11fruit without money,
Or acaused its owners to lose their lives;
40Then let bthistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends
1So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was arighteous in his own eyes.
2Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the bBuzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he cjustified himself rather than God.
3Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited 1to speak to Job.
5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.
6So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:
“I am dyoung in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.
7I said, 2‘Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
8But there is a spirit in man,
And ethe breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
9f Great3 men are not always wise,
Nor do the aged always understand justice.
10“Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.’
11Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
12I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
13g Lest you say,
‘We have found wisdom’;
God will vanquish him, not man.
14Now he has not 4directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.
15“They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
16And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
17I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.
18For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
19Indeed my 5belly is like wine that has no 6vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
20I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
21Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
22For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me haway.
Elihu Contradicts Job
Elihu Contradicts Job
1“But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
3My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
4a The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
6b Truly I am 1as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
7c Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
8“Surely you have spoken 2in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
9‘Id am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10Yet He finds occasions against me,
e He counts me as His enemy;
11f 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.
13Why do you gcontend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
14h For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
15i In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
16j Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
17In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
18He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from 3perishing by the sword.
19“ Man is also chastened with pain on his kbed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
20l So that his life abhors mbread,
And his soul 4succulent food.
21His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22Yes, 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,
24Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found 5a ransom’;
25His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
27Then he looks at men and nsays,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it odid not profit me.’
28He will predeem 6his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.
29“Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30q 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.
32If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33If not, rlisten to me;
7 Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
1Elihu further answered and said:
2“Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
3a For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5“For Job has said, b‘I am righteous,
But cGod has taken away my justice;
6d Should I lie concerning my right?
My 1wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7What man is like Job,
e Who drinks 2scorn like water,
8Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9For fhe has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’
10“Therefore listen to me, you 3men of understanding:
g Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11h For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
12Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty ipervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
14If He should set His heart on it,
If He should jgather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15k 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:
17l Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you mcondemn Him who is most just?
18n Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
19Yet He ois not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For pthey are all the work of His hands.
20In a moment they die, qin the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.
21“Forr His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
22s There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24t He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
25Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
27Because they uturned back from Him,
And vwould not consider any of His ways,
28So that they wcaused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He xhears the cry of the afflicted.
29When 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?—
30That 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;
32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
33Should 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‘Joby speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
36Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
37For he adds zrebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”
Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness
1Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2“Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3For ayou 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 byour companions with you.
5c Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
6If you sin, what do you accomplish dagainst Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7e If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.
9“Becausef of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10But no one says, g‘Where is God my Maker,
h Who gives songs in the night,
11Who iteaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
12j There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
13k Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14l Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and myou must wait for Him.
15And now, because He has not npunished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
16o Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”
Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness
1Elihu 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.
3I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
a He is mighty in strength 1of understanding.
6He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the boppressed.
7c He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But dthey are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
8And eif they are bound in 2fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
9Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted 3defiantly.
10f He also opens their ear to 4instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
11If they obey and serve Him,
They shall gspend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
12But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die 5without hknowledge.
13“But the hypocrites in heart istore up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
And their life ends among the 7perverted persons.
15He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.
16“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
k Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And lwhat is set on your table would be full of mrichness.
17But you are filled with the judgment due the nwicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For oa large ransom would not help you avoid it.
19p Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
20Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
21Take heed, qdo not turn to iniquity,
For ryou have chosen this rather than affliction.
22“Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
23s Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done twrong’?
Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
24“Remember to umagnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
25Everyone has seen it;
Man looks on it from afar.
26“Behold, God is great, and we vdo not know Him;
w Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
27For He xdraws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28y Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
29Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
30Look, He zscatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
31For aby these He judges the peoples;
He bgives food in abundance.
32c He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to 8strike.
33d His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning 9the rising storm.
God’s Works and Wisdom
1“At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His 1lightning to the ends of the earth.
4After it aa voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
5God thunders marvelously with His voice;
b He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
6For cHe says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the 2gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7He seals the hand of every man,
d That eall men may know His work.
8The beasts fgo into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
9From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
10g By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
11Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His 3bright clouds.
12And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may hdo whatever He commands them
On the face of 4the whole earth.
13i He causes it to come,
Whether for 5correction,
Or jfor His land,
Or kfor mercy.
14“Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and lconsider the wondrous works of God.
15Do you know when God 6dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
16m Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of nHim who is perfect in knowledge?
17Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
18With Him, have you ospread out the pskies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?
19“Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
22He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
23As for the Almighty, qwe cannot find Him;
r He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
He shows no partiality to any who are twise of heart.”
The LORD Reveals His Omnipotence to Job
1Then the LORD answered Job aout of the whirlwind, and said:
2“Whob is this who darkens counsel
By cwords without knowledge?
3d Now 1prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4“Wheree were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the 2line upon it?
6To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7When the morning stars sang together,
And all fthe sons of God shouted for joy?
8“Org who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10When hI fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves imust stop!’
12“Have you jcommanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And kthe wicked be shaken out of it?
14It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15From the wicked their llight is withheld,
And mthe 3upraised arm is broken.
16“Have you nentered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17Have othe gates of death been 4revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18Have 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,
20That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
22“Have you entered pthe treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23q Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24By what way is light 5diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25“Who rhas divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27s To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28t Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29From whose womb comes the ice?
And the ufrost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is vfrozen.6
31“Can you bind the cluster of the wPleiades,7
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32Can you bring out 8Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide 9the Great Bear with its cubs?
33Do you know xthe 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?
35Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36y Who has put wisdom in 10the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
39“Canz you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41a Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?
God Continues to Challenge Job
1“Do you know the time when the wild amountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when bthe deer gives birth?
2Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their 1offspring.
4Their 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 2onager,
6c Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the 3barren land his dwelling?
7He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after devery green thing.
9“Will the ewild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12Will you trust him to bring home your 4grain,
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?
14For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16She ftreats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without 5concern,
17Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not gendow her with understanding.
18When 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 6thunder?
20Can you 7frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
h He gallops into the clash of arms.
22He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25At 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?
27Does the ieagle mount up at your command,
And jmake its nest on high?
28On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30Its young ones suck up blood;
And kwhere the slain are, there it is.”
God’s Power and Wisdom
1Moreover the LORD aanswered Job, and said:
2“Shall bthe one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who crebukes God, let him answer it.”
Job’s Response to God
3Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4“Behold,d I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
e I lay my hand over my mouth.
5Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
God’s Challenge to Job
6fThen the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7“Nowg 1prepare yourself like a man;
h I will question you, and you shall answer Me:
8“Wouldi you indeed 2annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with ja voice like His?
10k Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
11Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12Look on everyone who is lproud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
15“Look now at the 3behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19He is the first of the mways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20Surely the mountains nyield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
God’s Power in the Leviathan
1“Can you draw out aLeviathan1 with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
2Can you bput a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a 2hook?
3Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
4Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
5Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6Will your companions 3make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
9Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11c Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
d Everything under heaven is Mine.
12“I will not 4conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13Who can 5remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
15His rows of 6scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
17They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
18His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22Strength dwells in his neck,
And 7sorrow dances before him.
23The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they 8are beside themselves.
26Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
27He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
28The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
33On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
34He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”