1 “Since atimes* are not hidden from the Almighty,
Why do those who know Him see not His bdays?
2 “Some remove alandmarks;
They seize flocks violently and *feed on them;
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
They atake the widow’s ox as a pledge.
4 They push the *needy off the road;
All the apoor of the land are forced to hide.
5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert,
They go out to their work, searching for food.
The wilderness yields food for them and for their children.
6 They gather their fodder in the field
And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
7 They aspend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
And ahuddle around the rock for want of *shelter.
9 “Some snatch the fatherless from the breast,
And take a pledge from the *poor.
10 They cause the poor to go naked, without aclothing;
And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.
11 They press out oil within their walls,
And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
12 The dying groan in the city,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God does not charge them with wrong.
13 “There are those who rebel against the light;
They do not know its ways
Nor abide in its paths.
14 aThe murderer rises with the light;
He kills the poor and needy;
And in the night he is like a thief.
15 aThe eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
bSaying, ‘No eye will see me’;
And he 1disguises his face.
16 In the dark they break into houses
Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;
aThey do not know the light.
17 For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death;
If someone recognizes them,
They are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 “They should be swift on the face of the waters,
Their portion should be cursed in the earth,
So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards.
19 As drought and heat 1consume the snow waters,
So 2the grave consumes those who have sinned.
20 The womb should forget him,
The worm should feed sweetly on him;
aHe should be remembered no more,
And wickedness should be broken like a tree.
21 For he 1preys on the barren who do not bear,
And does no good for the widow.
22 “But God draws the mighty away with His power;
He rises up, but no man is sure of life.
23 He gives them security, and they rely on it;
Yet aHis eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while,
Then they are gone.
They are brought low;
They are 1taken 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?
1 Then aBildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “Dominion and fear belong to Him;
He makes peace in His high places.
3 1Is there any number to His armies?
Upon whom does aHis light not rise?
4 aHow then can *man be righteous before God?
Or how can he be bpure who is born of a woman?
5 If even the moon does not shine,
And the stars are not pure in His asight,
6 How much less man, who is aa maggot,
And a son of man, who is a worm?”
Job: Man’s Frailty and God’s Majesty
1 But Job answered and said:
2 “How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
3 How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many?
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit came from you?
Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
And Destruction has no covering.
7 aHe stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on *nothing.
8 aHe binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds 1are not broken under it.
9 He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 aHe drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are 1astonished at His rebuke.
12 aHe stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up 1the storm.
13 aBy His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced bthe fleeing serpent.
14 Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?”
Job Maintains His Integrity
1 Moreover 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,
3 As long as my breath is in me,
And the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter deceit.
That I should say you are right;
Till I die aI will not put away my integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I ahold fast, and will not let it go;
bMy 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.
8 aFor what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain much,
If God takes away his life?
9 aWill God hear his cry
When trouble comes upon him?
10 aWill he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call on God?
11 “I will teach you 1about the hand of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Surely all of you have seen it;
Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?
13 “Thisa is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
14 aIf his children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
And his offspring shall not be *satisfied with bread.
15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death,
And atheir1 widows shall not weep,
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust,
And piles up clothing like clay—
17 He may pile it up, but athe just will wear it,
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house like a 1moth,
aLike a 2booth which a watchman makes.
19 The rich man will lie down,
1But not be gathered up;
He opens his eyes,
And he is ano more.
20 aTerrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
It sweeps him out of his place.
22 It hurls against him and does not aspare;
He flees desperately from its 1power.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him out of his place.
Job’s Discourse on Wisdom
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the 1earth,
And copper is smelted from ore.
3 Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess
For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.
5 As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6 Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.
Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 The 1proud lions have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
9 He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains 1at the roots.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he brings forth to light.
12 “Buta where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its avalue,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 aThe deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It acannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Neither agold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for 1jewelry of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of 1coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above arubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure agold.
20 “Froma where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the 1air.
22 aDestruction1 and Death say,
‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
And He knows its place.
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And asees under the whole heavens,
25 aTo establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.
26 When He amade a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,
27 Then He saw 1wisdom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
‘Behold, athe fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
Job’s Summary Defense
1 Job further continued his discourse, and said:
2 “Oh, that I were as in months apast,
As in the days when God bwatched* over me;
3 aWhen His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When athe friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children were around me;
6 When amy steps were bathed with 1cream,
And bthe rock poured out rivers of oil for me!
7 “When I went out to the gate by the city,
When I took my seat in the open square,
8 The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose and stood;
9 The princes refrained from talking,
And aput their hand on their mouth;
10 The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their atongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, then it *blessed me,
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
12 Because aI delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
13 The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 aI put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 I was aeyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor,
And aI searched out the case that I did not know.
17 I broke athe fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.
18 “Then I said, a‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
19 aMy root is spread out bto the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh within me,
And my abow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “Men listened to me and *waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech *settled on them as dew.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And they opened their mouth wide as for athe spring rain.
24 If I mocked at them, they did not believe it,
And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;
So I dwelt as a king in the army,
As one who comforts mourners.
1 “But now they mock at me, men 1younger than I,
Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.
2 Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me?
Their vigor has perished.
3 They are gaunt from want and famine,
Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste,
4 Who pluck 1mallow by the bushes,
And broom tree roots for their food.
5 They were driven out from among men,
They shouted at them as at a thief.
6 They had to live in the clefts of the 1valleys,
In 2caves of the earth and the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they brayed,
Under the nettles they nestled.
Yes, sons of vile men;
They were scourged from the land.
9 “Anda now I am their taunting song;
Yes, I am their byword.
10 They abhor me, they keep far from me;
They do not hesitate ato spit in my face.
11 Because aHe has loosed 1my bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off restraint before me.
12 At my right hand the rabble arises;
They push away my feet,
And athey raise against me their ways of destruction.
They promote my calamity;
They have no helper.
14 They come as broad breakers;
Under the ruinous storm they *roll along.
15 Terrors are turned upon me;
They pursue my honor as the wind,
And my prosperity has passed like a cloud.
16 “Anda now my *soul is bpoured out because of my plight;
The days of affliction take hold of me.
17 My bones are pierced in me at night,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
18 By great force my garment is disfigured;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
19 He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
20 “I acry out to You, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You regard me.
21 But You have become cruel to me;
With the strength of Your hand You aoppose me.
22 You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it;
You spoil my success.
23 For I know that You will bring me to death,
And to the house aappointed for all living.
24 “Surely He would not stretch out His hand against a heap of ruins,
If they cry out when He destroys it.
25 aHave I not wept for him who was in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
26 aBut when I looked for good, evil came to me;
And when I waited for light, then came darkness.
27 1My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest;
Days of affliction confront me.
28 aI go about mourning, but not in the sun;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
29 aI am a brother of jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.
30 aMy skin grows black and falls from me;
bMy bones burn with fever.
31 My harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the voice of those who weep.
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I 1look upon a ayoung woman?
2 For what is the aallotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of *iniquity?
4 aDoes He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
6 1Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my aintegrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or amy heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
8 Then alet me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be 1rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 Then let my wife grind for aanother,
And let others bow down over her.
11 For that would be wickedness;
Yes, ait would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.
13 “If I have adespised* the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
14 What then shall I do when aGod rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
15 aDid 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 afail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided 1the widow);
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
20 If his 1heart has not ablessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have raised my hand aagainst the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
23 For adestruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.
24 “Ifa I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25 aIf I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
26 aIf I have observed the 1sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.
29 “Ifa I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30 a(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his 1soul);
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32 a(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the 1traveler);
33 If I have covered my transgressions aas1 Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great amultitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
35 aOh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, bthat the Almighty would answer me,
That my 1Prosecutor had written a book!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.
38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If aI have eaten its 1fruit without money,
Or bcaused its owners to lose their lives;
40 Then let athistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends
1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was arighteous in his own eyes.
2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the aBuzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he bjustified himself rather than God.
3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4 Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited 1to speak to Job.
5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.
6 So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:
“I am ayoung in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.
7 I said, 1‘Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
8 But there is a spirit in man,
And athe breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
9 aGreat1 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.’
11 Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
12 I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
13 aLest you say,
‘We have found wisdom’;
God will vanquish him, not man.
14 Now he has not 1directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.
15 “They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
16 And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
17 I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.
The spirit within me compels me.
19 Indeed my 1belly is like wine that has no 2vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
20 I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me aaway.
Elihu Contradicts Job
1 “But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words.
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
3 My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
4 aThe *Spirit of God has made me,
And the *breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
6 aTruly I am 1as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
7 aSurely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
8 “Surely you have spoken 1in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
9 ‘Ia am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet He finds occasions against me,
aHe counts me as His enemy;
11 aHe puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’
12 “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
13 Why do you acontend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
14 aFor God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
15 aIn a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
16 aThen He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from 1perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his abed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
20 aSo that his life abhors bbread,
And his soul 1succulent food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.
23 “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found 1a ransom’;
25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
27 Then he looks at men and asays,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it bdid not profit me.’
28 He will aredeem 1his soul from going down to the Pit,
And 2his life shall see the light.
29 “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30 aTo bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, alisten to me;
1Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
1 Elihu further answered and said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
3 aFor the ear tests words
As the palate *tastes food.
4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 “For Job has said, a‘I am righteous,
But bGod has taken away my justice;
6 aShould I lie concerning my right?
My 1wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
aWho drinks 1scorn like water,
8 Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9 For ahe has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’
10 “Therefore listen to me, you 1men of understanding:
aFar be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11 aFor He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
12 Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty apervert justice.
13 Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
14 If He should set His heart on it,
If He should agather to Himself His Spirit and His *breath,
15 aAll flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
17 aShould one who hates justice govern?
Will you bcondemn Him who is most just?
18 aIs it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
19 Yet He ais not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For bthey are all the work of His hands.
20 In a moment they die, ain the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.
21 “Fora His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
22 aThere is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 aHe breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
25 Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
27 Because they aturned back from Him,
And bwould not consider any of His ways,
28 So that they acaused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He bhears the cry of the afflicted.
29 When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
30 That the hypocrite should not *reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
33 Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.
34 “Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
35 ‘Joba speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
36 Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
37 For he adds arebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”
Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2 “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For ayou say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’
And ayour companions with you.
5 aLook to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
6 If you sin, what do you accomplish aagainst Him?
Or, if your *transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7 aIf you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.
9 “Becausea of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But no one says, a‘Where is God my Maker,
bWho gives songs in the night,
11 Who ateaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
12 aThere they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
13 aSurely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14 aAlthough you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and byou must wait for Him.
15 And now, because He has not apunished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
16 aTherefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”
Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness
1 Elihu also proceeded and said:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
aHe is mighty in strength 1of understanding.
6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the aoppressed.
7 aHe does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But bthey are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
8 And aif they are bound in 1fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
9 Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted 1defiantly.
10 aHe also opens their ear to 1instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him,
They shall aspend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die 1without aknowledge.
13 “But the hypocrites in heart astore up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
And their life ends among the 2perverted persons.
15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.
16 “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
aInto a broad place where there is no restraint;
And bwhat is set on your table would be full of crichness.
17 But you are filled with the judgment due the awicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For aa large ransom would not help you avoid it.
19 aWill your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
When people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, ado not turn to iniquity,
For byou have chosen this rather than affliction.
22 “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
23 aWho has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done bwrong’?
Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
24 “Remember to amagnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
Man looks on it from afar.
26 “Behold, God is great, and we ado not know Him;
bNor can the number of His years be discovered.
27 For He adraws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28 aWhich the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
30 Look, He ascatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
31 For aby these He *judges the peoples;
He bgives food in abundance.
32 aHe covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to 1strike.
33 aHis thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning 1the rising storm.
1 “At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place.
2 Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3 He *sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His 1lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 After it aa voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice;
aHe does great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 For aHe says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the 1gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7 He seals the hand of every man,
aThat ball men may know His work.
8 The beasts ago into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
10 aBy the *breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His 1bright clouds.
12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may ado whatever He commands them
On the face of 1the whole earth.
13 aHe causes it to come,
Whether for 1correction,
Or bfor His land,
Or cfor mercy.
Stand still and aconsider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know when God 1dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
16 aDo you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of bHim who is perfect in knowledge?
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
18 With Him, have you aspread out the bskies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?
19 “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20 Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21 Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
23 As for the Almighty, awe cannot find Him;
bHe is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
24 Therefore men afear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are bwise of heart.”
The LORD Reveals His Omnipotence to Job
1 Then the LORD answered Job aout of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Whoa is this who darkens counsel
By bwords without knowledge?
3 aNow 1prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 “Wherea were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the 1line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all athe sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Ora who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When aI fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves amust stop!’
12 “Have you acommanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And athe wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their alight is withheld,
And bthe 1upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you aentered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have athe gates of death been 1revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
22 “Have you entered athe treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 aWhich I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is light 1diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25 “Who ahas divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 aTo satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the afrost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is afrozen.1
31 “Can you bind the cluster of the aPleiades,1
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out 1Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide 2the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know athe ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 aWho has put wisdom in 1the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
39 “Cana you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41 aWho provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?
1 “Do you know the time when the wild amountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when bthe deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their 1offspring.
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.
5 “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the 1onager,
6 aWhose home I have made the wilderness,
And the 1barren land his dwelling?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after aevery green thing.
9 “Will the awild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your 1grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16 She atreats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without 1concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not aendow her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with 1thunder?
20 Can you 1frighten him like a locust?
His *majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
aHe gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and *shouting.
26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the aeagle mount up at your command,
And bmake its nest on high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And awhere the slain are, there it is.”
1 Moreover the LORD aanswered Job, and said:
2 “Shall athe one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who brebukes God, let him answer it.”
Job’s Response to God
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
What shall I answer You?
bI lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
God’s Challenge to Job
6 aThen the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7 “Nowa 1prepare yourself like a man;
bI will question you, and you shall answer Me:
8 “Woulda you indeed 1annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
Or can you thunder with aa voice like His?
10 aThen adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with *glory and beauty.
11 Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and *humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is aproud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14 Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
15 “Look now at the 1behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the aways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains ayield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
1 “Can you draw out aLeviathan1 with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
2 Can you aput a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a 1hook?
3 Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6 Will your companions 1make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10 No one is so fierce that he would dare *stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11 aWho has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
bEverything under heaven is Mine.
12 “I will not 1conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13 Who can 1remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
15 His rows of 1scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
That no air can come between them;
17 They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Strength dwells in his neck,
And 1sorrow dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they 1are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
And bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29 Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
33 On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
34 He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”
Job’s Repentance and Restoration
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You acan do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, a‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
bThings too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, a‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have aheard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
And repent in dust and ashes.”
7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.
8 “Now therefore, take for yourselves aseven bulls and seven rams, bgo to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall cpray for you. For I will accept 1him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had 1accepted Job.
10 aAnd the LORD 1restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job btwice as much as he had before.
11 Then aall his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.
12 Now the LORD blessed athe latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had bfourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.
13 aHe also had seven sons and three daughters.
14 And he called the name of the first 1Jemimah, the name of the second 2Keziah, and the name of the third 3Keren-Happuch.
15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their *brothers.
16 After this Job alived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four *generations.
17 So Job died, old and afull of days.
1:1 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
1:1 The location of Uz is not certain. Likely it was a large territory east of the Jordan River, bordered to the south by Edom and to the north by the Aramean Desert. This is the account of a real man; however, blameless and upright does not mean that he was totally without sin. The pattern of his daily life was toward righteousness and away from evil.
1:6—2:7 Satan’s interviews with God tell us that 1) Satan is neither omnipresent nor omniscient; 2) he can do nothing without divine permission (1:10); 3) when God gives permission to Satan, He sets definite limits on his power.
1:6–12 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
1:6 Sons of God is the same phrase that occurs in Gen. 6:2. Here, however, its meaning is clearly that of celestial beings or angels God created as His servants. Satan is among them. He appears as “the Adversary” to disturb God’s kingdom by causing trouble. See note on 1 Chr. 21:1 for further information on Satan in the OT.
1:8 Job is declared by God Himself to be blameless and upright, and yet he is tried—not because of his unrighteousness but in spite of his righteousness. His trial was to establish his righteousness, as well as to give him deeper insight into his relationship with God and a greater understanding of his own nature. While Satan’s goal was to prove Job to be a sinner, God’s goal was to establish forever the sincerity of Job’s faith. God does not allow trials to see if we will fail; He allows trials to strengthen our faith. The trial is, in fact, a statement of God’s faith in our faithfulness and integrity.
1:9, 10 For nothing means “without reason.” He is implying that Job’s good deeds spring from selfish motives of being blessed and protected by God.
1:20 After listening to the account of the loss of his property (vv. 13–17) and, worse yet, the loss of his ten children (vv. 18, 19), the response of righteous Job is to turn immediately to God with his expression of sorrow.
1:22 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
2:4 Skin for skin was probably an expression from the world of bartering animal skins. Satan was suggesting that Job remained righteous only because it had not yet cost him his own “skin.”
2:7 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
2:7 Painful boils: The same Hebrew word shachiyn is used in the Ex. 9:8–12 account of the Egyptian plague of boils, as well as in Lev. 13:18–23; Deut. 28:27, 35; 2 Kin. 20:7; Is. 38:21. Its exact nature is not known, but the disorder seems to refer to severe inflammation and ulceration of the flesh. The Hebrew word literally means “a burning sore.” In Deut. 28:27 the KJV translates the word “botch of Egypt,” and the description given is similar to a form of leprosy.
2:8 There is no indication that isolation was imposed on Job; however, he had removed himself already to the midst of the ashes in mourning for his children.
2:9, 10 At this point, Job’s wife displays her lack of spiritual insight and sympathy for her husband’s condition. Astonished at Job’s continued integrity and steadfast faith, she taunts him. Tormented though he is, Job expresses a genuine faith in God.
2:10 Job’s submission to God’s sovereignty made it possible for him to be tested without sinning.
3:2–26 With a curse (vv. 3–13) and lament (vv. 14–26), Job pours out a torrent of pain and bitterness, seeing himself as the object of God’s anger. He longs for inner rest. He does not curse God, as Satan had wanted him to do; he does, however, curse his conception and birth.
3:8 The Leviathan in 41:1 may be a crocodile. Here, the reference may be more figurative, alluding to any great sea creature imagined and/or feared in popular thinking.
3:25 It is unnecessary to construe that Job’s fears were responsible for producing his dilemma. The preceding narrative makes clear that Satan’s initiative brought the tragedy about, not Job’s uncertainties or fears (1:6–12; 2:1–7). Job does, however, acknowledge his human fears, a common disposition of our humanity. His fears do not reflect on his understanding of God’s nature, but on his knowledge of life’s unpredictability.
4:1—5:27 Eliphaz’s position (see Introduction to Job: Content) is based on the assumption that everyone commits error. He firmly propagates the principle of retribution (4:7–21), noting that God always is compassionate to deliver His sons from sorrow (5:9–26). Therefore, Job is being reproved, reaping his own just punishment (4:7). However, his counsel is wrong.
4:1 This begins a three-cycle dialogue between Job and his friends with the first cycle filling chs. 4—14, the second chs. 15—21, and the third chs. 22—26. Each friend gives a speech to which Job responds. Within this first cycle, Eliphaz’s speech is the most extensive, essentially echoed by the other two. Though each friend expresses some truth, basic premises and conclusions are faulty. One can only wonder if the emotional wounds inflicted by these friends’ accusations and corrections do not rival the anguish of Job’s physical sores.
4:13 Eliphaz speaks in proverbs, parables, hymns, and exhortations; here he speaks from information gained in dreams and visions.
5:13 Paul quotes this verse in 1 Cor. 3:19 to show that God’s wisdom is far superior to human wisdom.
6:1—7:21 Job’s first response is a lengthy defense in which he justifies his laments by directing attention to the depth of his suffering. He expresses his disappointment at receiving this bitter, unwarranted attack by his friend (ch. 6), and his viewpoint that God is his persecutor (ch. 7). Job’s criticisms of God that appear in chs. 6 and 7, as well as in his other responses to his friends, can best be understood as a man’s feeble attempts to make sense of a scenario for which he is missing an essential piece of information; namely, that there is something happening between God and Satan—that there are spiritual purposes overriding earthly circumstances. Because he is unaware of this dimension of the spiritual realm, his understanding is severely impaired.
8:1–22 Bildad’s premise (Introduction to Job: Content) is that all God’s ways are just (v. 3). A champion of tradition, he will allow for no variation of his orthodox doctrine of retribution: the righteous are blessed and the wicked punished. He does, however, desire Job’s restoration (vv. 21, 22).
9:1—10:22 Job’s response is one of a quest (ch. 9) to which he adds another lament (ch. 10). Frustrated, he jumps from topic to topic. Job again affirms his innocence, describing his suffering, which continues even though God, who is omniscient, surely knows he is innocent. He also speaks of his helplessness in doing battle with God, with no hope of victory. He closes this section by lamenting his birth and praying that he be granted a brief respite from his torment before dying and suffering further torment. His despairing picture of God at this point is that of One who has absolute power, who destroys the innocent and the guilty, a God against whom man is powerless to defend himself.
9:9 This verse reflects ancient astronomy. The Bear is likely Ursa Major. The Pleiades refers to a cluster of seven stars, also mentioned in Amos 5:8.
9:32, 33 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
9:33 Job’s desire for any mediator reflects his desire for any help possible to restore his relationship with God.
11:1–20 Zophar addresses Job even more violently (vv. 1–4), calling on God in His wisdom to convince Job of his guilt and need of repentance (vv. 5–12). He adds that Job’s suffering is justified. One is either a repentant worshiper or an arrogant sinner. Job is the latter, and he needs to drop his claim to innocence. Zophar declares that his words are pure, that is, based on reasoned theology. He concludes that repentance is the only way for Job to escape his present suffering and eternal damnation as well (vv. 13–20).
12:1—14:22 Job turns on his friends with energy that matches their attacks, maintaining his innocence and wisdom while including himself among a morally corrupt society (12:1—13:17). Telling them that he knows as much as they know, and that their teachings are false, Job reaffirms his faith in God and makes two requests (13:21); 1) that God not withdraw from him; 2) that the dread of God not cause him to be overcome by fear. He searches for a cause—perhaps a sin of his youth—that may have brought about his suffering. In his melancholic discourse, Job still represents God as tyrannical and capricious in His dealings with mankind, petitioning God to try his case before the heavenly tribunal (13:18—14:22).
13:15 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
15:1–35 Eliphaz rejects Job’s claim to being innocent and wise (vv. 2–16) and reminds him of the woes of the wicked (vv. 17–35). He is severely reprimanding, warning Job of the dire consequences of such stubbornness. He offers no consolation.
15:1 This begins the second cycle of speeches in which Job’s friends become increasingly impatient in their attempt to establish his serious sin. They beg him to repent; he refuses, convinced of his innocence.
16:1—17:16 Despairing of ever receiving any comfort from his friends and sure that they are not open to receiving his statements (16:1–6), Job’s fourth response appeals to God to verify his innocence (16:18—17:16). Not only has God allowed this suffering to come to him, but now He has also caused him to be ridiculed by his friends. As his friends exaggerated his guilt, so Job, who is not totally free of self-righteousness, exaggerates his innocence. Even as his pain wears on him, Job sees in God his hope for future justification (17:10–16).
16:1–4 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
18:1–21 In his second address to Job, Bildad again sharply rebukes Job, referring to his words as ravings (vv. 2–4), and predicts that Job, as a hardened sinner, will surely see destruction if he does not repent (vv. 5–21). His picture is bleak and hopeless, painted with vivid metaphors.
19:1–29 Job’s fifth response makes an appeal for pity from the friends who have become his tormentors (vv. 1–6). Although hope of recovery seems to be dying, and he has great complaints against God’s brutal treatment of him (vv. 7–20), Job states his enduring hope that in the end he will be vindicated by God his Redeemer (vv. 25–27). He concludes with a warning to his friends (vv. 28, 29).
19:25, 26 This is one of the OT’s greatest prophetic affirmations of an anticipated Redeemer/Savior who will bring hope of a literal, physical resurrection to redeemed mankind (see 1 Cor. 15:35–49). So, even though Job was not totally aware of the spiritual realm in which God was testing him and Satan was tempting him, he was very aware that the hopes of the spiritual realm would eventually triumph over the struggles of the material realm.
19:25 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
20:1–29 Zophar speaks a second time, this time about the devastating end of the wicked person and the hypocrite, including Job in those categories (vv. 4–29). Zophar is narrow-minded and legalistic, with no mercy for Job. He does not know how to answer Job’s questions and is indignant at Job’s accusations toward his friends (vv. 1–3).
21:1–34 Job appeals for a hearing (vv. 1–6) to challenge their oversimplified doctrine of retribution (vv. 7–33). He again confirms his own innocence; calamity falls on the just and unjust, a truth that history confirms. Sometimes the ungodly prosper throughout life while the godly know little except want. Here the subject moves from a focus on Job specifically to the larger question of the suffering of the godly. Thus Job challenges the major theological view of the day.
22:1–30 Only Eliphaz and Bildad participate in this third and final cycle. Disregarding Job’s previous argument, Eliphaz charges Job with specific sins (vv. 1–11) and appeals to him to repent (vv. 21–30). Then he will be forgiven and have his prosperity restored. What may seem to be a beautiful call to repentance is, in fact, another accusation against Job. Eliphaz appears to be intent on theological arguments; his comfort has turned to condemnation, accusing Job of practical atheism.
23:1–17 Job’s seventh response ignores his friends, focusing his case toward God. He repeats his longing for God and affirms God’s righteousness. He confidently believes that, if he could find God, He would take note of him (v. 6).
24:1–25 Continuing his soliloquy, Job complains against the violence God permits to occur in the Earth, such as the oppression of the innocent and the persecution of the defenseless by evildoers. He calls attention to the murderer and adulterer who perform their deeds in secret and seem to escape speedy judgment; in fact, it appears that God grants them security. It appears his own suffering has made him more sensitive to evil and general human suffering. Essentially, Job debates the age-old questions: How can a righteous God allow the ungodly to prosper? And, why is there such a long delay in their punishment?
25:1–6 This brief, third speech from Bildad is a final attempt to reprimand Job. He asks, How can insignificant, unrighteous man be anything other than submissive and fearful before God? Though his words contain truth, his intentions in Job’s direction cause them to be misplaced and unhelpful (26:1, 2).
26:1–14 Job turns to reflect on God’s great power. He is exasperated with his counselors.
26:6 Destruction can also be translated “Abaddon,” a metaphoric name for the grave (Ps. 88:11).
27:1—28:28 This two-chapter section and the following three-chapter section (chs. 29—31) both begin with Job continued his discourse. Together they form somewhat of a summary of Job’s responses to his friends’ comments.
27:1–23 Job states his innocence and his belief that the ungodly eventually will be punished, for God is just and merciful.
28:1–28 In this discourse on wisdom, Job affirms that only true wisdom brings well-being. This wisdom lies in God who alone can resolve the unanswerable questions of life. Man’s solution is to find peace through submission to divine authority. This hymn is a bridge to the next speeches and reiterates to Job’s friends the fact that he does understand the ways of God and His wisdom.
28:16 The location of Ophir is unknown.
29:1—31:40 As he closes his defense, Job again states his argument that his suffering is not due to his sin but has some deeper reason, which only God knows. Job reviews his former prosperity (29:1–10); he states that this prosperity was a direct result of his lifestyle of piety and benevolence (29:11–17); he speaks of his former expectation that this prosperity would continue until his death (29:18–25). Job directs attention to the disdain he now suffers from men in contrast to the high honor he received formerly (30:1–15). He recognizes his present miserable state and considers all his hopes for the future to be lost.
Continuing his vow of innocence, Job states that he has not given himself over to lust (31:1–4) and that he has been upright in all his doings, acting in justice and kindness toward all men (31:5–23). Job closes his discourse by again saying that he is guilty of no hypocrisy, either outwardly or secretly in his heart (31:24–40). This is his firmest vow of innocence. Now with disciplined thinking, he is seeking God for answers.
31:1 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
32:1–22 Elihu, who up to this point has remained silent (possibly because he is younger than the three friends), addresses Job. He is from Buz, which makes him either an Aramean or an Edomite. Elihu is angry at the three men because they have not discovered the reason for Job’s suffering, yet have condemned Job; and he is angry at Job because of his self-righteousness (he justified himself rather than God). He begins his first speech with an explanation of his preceding hesitation and deference to others (vv. 6–22).
33:1–33 Following additional introductory comments (vv. 1–7), Elihu argues that God has a higher purpose in Job’s suffering (vv. 8–30). God’s purpose is not to exact retribution from Job, but to discipline him to keep Job from wrongdoing, either real or potential. He invites Job to respond (vv. 31–33). In vv. 12, 13, Elihu makes the point that God is greater than we are, and no one has the right to require an explanation from Him for what occurs. Some things done by God remain incomprehensible to man. Yet, Elihu says, we can hear God speaking if only we will listen (vv. 14–16).
34:1–37 Elihu continues. He is not a friend seeking to comfort, but he is a young, developing sage attempting to offer new insight while the others are waiting to hear from God. Here he defends God’s righteous dealings and begs Job not to harden his heart to God’s educational discipline.
35:1–16 Here Elihu openly condemns Job for his folly in maintaining innocence and charging God. He views Job as quite arrogant.
36:1—37:24 In his concluding speech, Elihu emphasizes God’s awesome power in order to establish that no one is ever justified in disputing Him. He appeals to nature as proof of God’s power and wisdom. His summons to Job is, Fear Him (37:24). His main contribution lies in turning the focus toward educational, rather than retributive, suffering.
38:1—42:6 The arguments of the four men are all silenced by the voice of God answering out of the whirlwind. Without addressing the justice or injustice of Job’s circumstances, God answers him by comparing His omnipotence with Job’s impotence. He does this by describing the greatness of the Earth (38:1–18), the complexity of the heavens (38:19–38), and His awesome design of the creatures of the Earth (38:39—39:30). God then directly challenges Job to question Him (40:1, 2).
38:1—40:2 God is convincing Job that He created the Earth and rules it justly and compassionately. Though Lord of all, He cares for Job more than for animals.
38:1—40:14 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
38:28, 29 Though God is neither male nor female due to transcending such creation qualities as gender, both male and female imagery is used throughout Scripture to describe the full spectrum of God’s character and activities.
40:3–5 The same man who had claimed he could approach God “like a prince” (31:37) now sounds like Isaiah who, when confronted with the holiness of God, sees himself as totally sinful and unable to stand before God (Is. 6). When he comes face-to-face with God, Job also comes face-to-face with his own self-righteousness. Stripped of all he had and confronted by God’s holiness, he sees himself as proud and expresses his shame.
40:4, 5 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
40:6—41:34 God begins this second statement with a rebuke of Job’s presumption of His injustice. God then compares Job’s weakness with certain creatures of the Earth, including the behemoth (perhaps “hippopotamus,” 40:15–24), and the Leviathan (perhaps “crocodile,” 41:1–34), whom He masters. As Master over these creatures, He is certainly Master over forces behind Job’s problems. Job must relinquish his complaint of God’s injustice and submit to His lordship.
42:1–6 Job responds in humility. He compares his former knowledge of God, which has come from others—the hearing of the ear—with his present knowledge, which is superior because it has come directly—now my eye sees. He sees God differently because of personal revelation.
42:5 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
42:7–9 God then vindicates Job before his three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—by rebuking them and instructing them to bring offerings to Job who, acting as their priest, will sacrifice to God for them. Then God declares His affirmation of Job (I will accept him), because Job had spoken what was right. God is more tolerant of Job’s faith searching for answers than He is of the three friends who assumed they knew all of the answers. God clearly states that what the three friends had said about Him was wrong, but He is silent in regard to Elihu. God neither affirms, acknowledges, rebukes, nor responds to him. This underscores the theme of the Book of Job: God is sovereign, and His ways are past finding out.
42:7, 8 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
42:7 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
42:8–10 The challenge posed by God’s directive for Job to pray for his friends should not be overlooked. His humanity and his hurt have been evident across the preceding chapters, yet he is to bless the very individuals who criticized his humanity and caused his hurt. God’s blessings follow Job’s obedience.
42:10–17 Job is fully reconciled with God. He has shown that he serves God from a pure heart, solely because he loves Yahweh. Satan was wrong. His restored prosperity proves that a love relationship with God secures abundant life (John 10:10).
42:10 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Job.
42:15 Ancient culture dictated that daughters were exempt from the family inheritance; but Job, an OT model of righteousness, did otherwise, suggesting an equality of sons and daughters.