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Job and His Family

Many years ago, a man named Job lived in the land of Uz.[a] He was a truly good person, who respected God and refused to do evil.

Job had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 pair of oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large number of servants. He was the richest person in the East.

Job's sons took turns having feasts in their homes, and they always invited their three sisters to join in the eating and drinking. After each feast, Job would send for his children and perform a ceremony, as a way of asking God to forgive them of any wrongs they may have done. He would get up early the next morning and offer a sacrifice for each of them, just in case they had sinned or silently cursed God.

Angels, the Lord, and Satan

(A) One day, when the angels[b] had gathered around the Lord, and Satan[c] was there with them, the Lord asked, “Satan, where have you been?”

Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.”

Then the Lord asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil.”

(B) “Why shouldn't he respect you?” Satan remarked. 10 “You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property. You make him successful in whatever he does, and his flocks and herds are everywhere. 11 Try taking away everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face.”

12 The Lord replied, “All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don't harm Job.”

Then Satan left.

Job Loses Everything

13 Job's sons and daughters were having a feast in the home of his oldest son, 14 when someone rushed up to Job and said, “While your servants were plowing with your oxen, and your donkeys were nearby eating grass, 15 a gang of Sabeans[d] attacked and stole the oxen and donkeys! Your other servants were killed, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

16 That servant was still speaking, when a second one came running and said, “God sent down a fire that killed your sheep and your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

17 Before that servant finished speaking, a third one raced up and said, “Three gangs of Chaldeans[e] attacked and stole your camels! All of your other servants were killed, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

18 That servant was still speaking, when a fourth one dashed up and said, “Your children were having a feast and drinking wine at the home of your oldest son, 19 when suddenly a windstorm from the desert blew the house down, crushing all of your children. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

20 When Job heard this, he tore his clothes and shaved his head because of his great sorrow. He knelt on the ground, then worshiped God 21 (C) and said:

“We bring nothing at birth;
we take nothing
    with us at death.
The Lord alone gives and takes.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

22 In spite of everything, Job did not sin or accuse God of doing wrong.

Job Loses His Health

When the angels[f] gathered around the Lord again, Satan[g] was there with them, and the Lord asked, “Satan, where have you been?”

Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.”

Then the Lord asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil. And he hasn't changed, even though you persuaded me to destroy him for no reason.”

Satan answered, “There's no pain like your own.[h] People will do anything to stay alive. Try striking Job's own body with pain, and he will curse you to your face.”

“All right!” the Lord replied. “Make Job suffer as much as you want, but just don't kill him.” Satan left and caused painful sores to break out all over Job's body—from head to toe.

Then Job sat on the ash-heap to show his sorrow. And while he was scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery, his wife asked, “Why do you still trust God? Why don't you curse him and die?”

10 Job replied, “Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well.” In all that happened, Job never once said anything against God.

Job's Three Friends

11 Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah[i] were three of Job's friends, and they heard about his troubles. So they agreed to visit Job and comfort him. 12 When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly. 13 For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.

Job's First Speech

Blot Out the Day of My Birth

(D) Finally, Job cursed the day
of his birth
    by saying to God:
Blot out the day of my birth
and the night when my parents
    created a son.
Forget about that day,
    cover it with darkness,
and send thick, gloomy shadows
    to fill it with dread.
Erase that night from the calendar
    and conceal it with darkness.
Don't let children be created
or joyful shouts be heard
    ever again in that night.
Let those with magic powers[j]
    place a curse on that day.
Darken its morning stars
    and remove all hope of light,
10 because it let me be born
    into a world of trouble.

Why Didn't I Die at Birth?

11 Why didn't I die at birth?
12 Why was I accepted[k]
    and allowed to nurse
    at my mother's breast?
13 Now I would be at peace
    in the silent world below
14 with kings and their advisors
    whose palaces lie in ruins,
15 and with rulers once rich
    with silver and gold.
16 I wish I had been born dead
and then buried, never to see
    the light of day.
17 In the world of the dead,
the wicked and the weary rest
    without a worry.
* 18 Everyone is there—
19 where captives and slaves
    are free at last.

Why Does God Let Me Live?

20 Why does God let me live
when life is miserable
    and so bitter?
21 (E) I keep longing for death
more than I would seek
    a valuable treasure.
22 Nothing could make me happier
    than to be in the grave.
23 Why do I go on living
when God has me surrounded,
    and I can't see the road?
24 Moaning and groaning
    are my food and drink,
25 and my worst fears
    have all come true.
26 I have no peace or rest—
    only troubles and worries.

Eliphaz's First Speech

Please Be Patient and Listen

Eliphaz from Teman[l] said:
Please be patient and listen
    to what I have to say.
* Remember how your words
have guided and encouraged
    many in need.
But now you feel discouraged
    when struck by trouble.
You respect God and live right,
    so don't lose hope!
No truly innocent person
    has ever died young.
In my experience, only those
who plant seeds of evil
    harvest trouble,
and then they are swept away
    by the angry breath of God.
10 They may roar and growl
    like powerful lions.
But when God breaks their teeth,
11 they starve, and their children
    are scattered.

A Secret Was Told to Me

12 A secret was told to me
    in a faint whisper—
13 (F) I was overcome by sleep,
    but disturbed by dreams;
14 I trembled with fear,
15 and my hair stood on end,
    as a wind blew past my face.
16 It stopped and stood still.
Then a form appeared—
    a shapeless form.
And from the silence,
    I heard a voice say,
17 “No humans are innocent
in the eyes of God
    their Creator.
18 He finds fault with his servants
    and even with his angels.
19 Humans are formed from clay
and are fragile as moths,
    so what chance do you have?
20 Born after daybreak,
you die before nightfall
    and disappear forever.
21 Your tent pegs are pulled up,
and you leave this life,
    having gained no wisdom.”

Eliphaz Continues

Call Out for Help

Job, call out for help
    and see if an angel comes!

Envy and jealousy
    will kill a stupid fool.
I have seen fools take root.
But God sends a curse,
    suddenly uprooting them
and leaving their children
    helpless in court.
Then hungry and greedy people
gobble up their crops
    and grab their wealth.[m]
Our suffering isn't caused
    by the failure of crops;
it's all part of life,
    like sparks shooting skyward.

Job, if I were you,
    I would ask God for help.
(G) His miracles are marvelous,
    more than we can count.
10 God sends showers on earth
    and waters the fields.
11 He protects the sorrowful
and lifts up those
    who have been disgraced.
* 12 God swiftly traps the wicked
13 (H) in their own evil schemes,
    and their wisdom fails.
14 Darkness is their only companion,
    hiding their path at noon.
15 God rescues the needy
from the words of the wicked
    and the fist of the mighty.
16 The poor are filled with hope,
    and injustice is silenced.

Consider Yourself Fortunate

17 (I) Consider yourself fortunate
if God All-Powerful
    chooses to correct you.
18 (J) He may cause injury and pain,
but he will bandage and heal
    your cuts and bruises.
19 God will protect you from harm,
no matter how often
    trouble may strike.

20 In times of war and famine,
    God will keep you safe.
21 You will be sheltered,
without fear of hurtful words
    or any other weapon.
22 You will laugh at the threat
    of destruction and famine.
And you won't be afraid
    of wild animals—
23 they will no longer be fierce,
and your rocky fields
    will become friendly.
24 Your home will be secure,
    and your sheep will be safe.
25 You will have more descendants
than there are blades of grass
    on the face of the earth.
26 You will live a very long life,
and your body will be strong
    until the day you die.
27 Our experience has proven
these things to be true,
    so listen and learn.

Job's Reply to Eliphaz

It's Impossible

Job said:
It's impossible to weigh
    my misery and grief!
They outweigh the sand
    along the beach,
and that's why I have spoken
    without thinking first.
The fearsome arrows
    of God All-Powerful
have filled my soul
    with their poison.
Do oxen and wild donkeys
cry out in distress
    unless they are hungry?
What is food without salt?
What is more tasteless
    than the white of an egg?[n]
That's how my food tastes,
    and my appetite is gone.

* How I wish that God
would answer my prayer
    and do away with me.
10 Then I would be comforted,
knowing that in all of my pain
    I have never disobeyed God.
11 Why should I patiently hope
    when my strength is gone?
12 I am not strong as stone
    or bronze,
13 and I have finally reached
    the end of my rope.

My Friends, I Am Desperate

14 My friends, I am desperate,
    and you should help me,
even if I no longer respect
    God All-Powerful.[o]
* 15 But you are treacherous
16 like streams that swell
    with melting snow,
17 then suddenly disappear
    in the summer heat.
18 I am like a caravan,
lost in the desert
    while searching for water.
19 Caravans from Tema and Sheba[p]
20     thought they would find water.
But they were disappointed,
21     just as I am with you.[q]
Only one look at my suffering,
    and you run away scared.

What Have I Done Wrong?

22 Have I ever asked any of you
    to give me a gift
23 or to purchase my freedom
    from brutal enemies?
24 What have I done wrong?
Show me,
    and I will keep quiet.
25 The truth is always painful,
but your arguments
    prove nothing.
26 Here I am desperate,
and you consider my words
    as worthless as wind.
27 Why, you would sell an orphan
    or your own neighbor!
28 Look me straight in the eye;
    I won't lie to you.
29 Stop accusing me falsely;
    my reputation is at stake.
30 I know right from wrong,
    and I am not telling lies.

Job Continues

Why Is Life So Hard?

Why is life so hard?
    Why do we suffer?
We are slaves in search of shade;
we are laborers longing
    for our wages.
God has made my days drag on
    and my nights miserable.
I pray for night to end,
but it stretches out
    while I toss and turn.
My parched skin is covered
    with worms, dirt, and sores,
and my days are running out
quicker than the thread
    of a fast-moving needle.

Don't Forget!

I beg you, God, don't forget!
My life is just a breath,
    and trouble lies ahead.
I will vanish from sight,
and no one, including you,
    will ever see me again.
(K) I will disappear in the grave
or vanish from sight
    like a passing cloud.
10 Never will I return home;
    soon I will be forgotten.

11 And so, I cry out to you
    in agony and distress.
12 Am I the sea or a sea monster?
    Is that why you imprison me?[r]
13 I go to bed, hoping for rest,
14 but you torture me
    with terrible dreams.
* 15 I'd rather choke to death
    than live in this body.
16 Leave me alone and let me die;
    my life has no meaning.[s]
17 (L) What makes you so concerned
    about us humans?
18 Why do you test us
    from sunrise to sunset?
19 Won't you look away
just long enough
    for me to swallow?
20 Why do you watch us so closely?
    What's it to you, if I sin?
Why am I your target
    and such a heavy burden?
21 Why do you refuse to forgive?
Soon you won't find me,
    because I'll be dead.

Bildad's First Speech

How Long Will You Talk?

Bildad from Shuah[t] said:
How long will you talk
    and keep saying nothing?
Does God All-Powerful
    stand in the way of justice?
He made your children pay
    for their sins.
So why don't you turn to him
    and start living right?
Then he will decide
to rescue and restore you
    to your place of honor.
Your future will be brighter
    by far than your past.

Our Ancestors Were Wise

(M) Our ancestors were wise,
    so learn from them.
Our own time has been short,
like a fading shadow,
    and we know very little.
10 But they will instruct you
    with great understanding.

11 Papyrus reeds grow healthy
    only in a swamp,
12 and if the water dries up,
    they die sooner than grass.
13 Such is the hopeless future
    of all who turn from God
14 and trust in something as frail
    as a spider's web—
15 they take hold and fall
    because it's so flimsy.
16 Sinful people are like plants
with spreading roots and plenty
    of sun and water.
17 They wrap their roots tightly
    around rocks.[u]
18 But once they are pulled up,
    they have no more place;
19 their life slips away,[v]
    and other plants grow there.

20 We know God doesn't reject
an innocent person
    or help a sinner.
21 And so, he will make you happy
and give you something
    to smile about.
22 But your evil enemies
will be put to shame
    and disappear forever.

Job's Reply to Bildad

What You Say Is True

Job said:
(N) What you say is true.
No human is innocent
    in the sight of God.
Not once in a thousand times
could we win our case
    if we took him to court.
God is wise and powerful—
who could possibly
    oppose him and win?
When God becomes angry,
he can move mountains
    before they even know it.
God can shake the earth loose
    from its foundations
(O) or command the sun and stars
    to hold back their light.
God alone stretched out the sky,
    stepped on the sea,[w]
(P) and set the stars in place—
    the Big Dipper and Orion,
the Pleiades and the stars
    in the southern sky.
10 Of all the miracles God works,
    we cannot understand a one.
11 God walks right past me,
    without making a sound.
12 And if he grabs something,
who can stop him
    or raise a question?

13 When God showed his anger,
the servants of the sea monster[x]
    fell at his feet.
14 How, then, could I possibly
    argue my case with God?

Though I Am Innocent

15 Even though I am innocent,
    I can only beg for mercy.
16 And if God came into court
when I called him,
    he would not hear my case.
17 He would strike me with a storm[y]
and increase my injuries
    for no reason at all.
18 Before I could get my breath,
    my miseries would multiply.
19 God is much stronger than I am,
and who would call me into court
    to give me justice?

20 Even if I were innocent,
    God would prove me wrong.[z]
21 I am not guilty,
but I no longer care
    what happens to me.
22 What difference does it make?
God destroys the innocent
    along with the guilty.
23 When a good person dies
a sudden death,
    God sits back and laughs.
24 And who else but God
    blindfolds the judges,
then lets the wicked
    take over the earth?

My Life Is Speeding By

25 My life is speeding by,
    without a hope of happiness.
26 Each day passes swifter
than a sailing ship
    or an eagle swooping down.
27 Sometimes I try to be cheerful
    and to stop complaining,
28 but my sufferings frighten me,
because I know that God
    still considers me guilty.
29 So what's the use of trying
    to prove my innocence?
30 Even if I washed myself
    with the strongest soap,
31 God would throw me into a pit
of stinking slime, leaving me
    disgusting to my clothes.

32 God isn't a mere human like me.
    I can't put him on trial.
33 Who could possibly judge
    between the two of us?
34 Can someone snatch away
the stick God carries
    to frighten me?
35 Then I could speak up
without fear of him,
    but for now, I cannot speak.[aa]

Job Complains to God

I Am Sick of Life!

10 I am sick of life!
And from my deep despair,
    I complain to you, my God.
Don't just condemn me!
    Point out my sin.
Why do you take such delight
in destroying those you created
    and in smiling on sinners?
Do you look at things
    the way we humans do?
Is your life as short as ours?
Is that why you are so quick
    to find fault with me?
(Q) You know I am innocent,
but who can defend me
    against you?
Will you now destroy
    someone you created?
Remember that you molded me
    like a piece of clay.
So don't turn me back
    into dust once again.
10 (R) As cheese is made from milk,
you created my body
    from a tiny drop.
11 Then you tied my bones together
with muscles and covered them
    with flesh and skin.
12 You, the source of my life,
showered me with kindness
    and watched over me.

You Have Not Explained

13 You have not explained
    all of your mysteries,
14 but you catch and punish me
    each time I sin.
15 Guilty or innocent,
I am condemned and ashamed
    because of my troubles.
16 No matter how hard I try,
you keep hunting me down
    like a powerful lion.[ab]
17 You never stop accusing me;
you become furious and attack
    over and over again.

18 Why did you let me be born?
I would rather have died
    before birth
19 and been carried to the grave
    without ever breathing.
20 I have only a few days left.
Why don't you leave me alone?[ac]
    Let me find some relief,
* 21 before I travel to the land
22 of darkness and despair,
    the place of no return.

Zophar's First Speech

So Much Foolish Talk

11 Zophar from Naamah[ad] said:
So much foolish talk
    cannot go unanswered.
Your words have silenced others
    and made them ashamed;
now it is only right for you
    to be put to shame.
You claim to be innocent
and argue that your beliefs
    are acceptable to God.
But I wish God would speak
and let you know that wisdom
    has many different sides.
You would then discover
that God has punished you
    less than you deserve.

Can you understand the mysteries
    surrounding God All-Powerful?
They are higher than the heavens
    and deeper than the grave.
So what can you do
    when you know so little,
and these mysteries outreach
    the earth and the ocean?

10 If God puts you in prison
or drags you to court,
    what can you do?
11 God has the wisdom to know
when someone is worthless
    and sinful,
12 but it's easier to tame
a wild donkey
    than to make a fool wise.[ae]

Surrender Your Heart to God

13 Surrender your heart to God,
    turn to him in prayer,
14 and give up your sins—
    even those you do in secret.
15 Then you won't be ashamed;
you will be confident
    and fearless.
16 Your troubles will go away
    like water beneath a bridge,
17 and your darkest night
    will be brighter than noon.
18 You will rest safe and secure,
filled with hope
    and emptied of worry.
19 You will sleep without fear
    and be greatly respected.
20 But those who are evil
will go blind and lose their way.
    Their only escape is death!

Job's Reply to Zophar

You Think You Are So Great

* 12 Job said to his friends:
You think you are so great,
    with all the answers.
But I know as much as you do,
    and so does everyone else.
I have always lived right,
and God answered my prayers;
    now friends make fun of me.
It's easy to condemn
those who are suffering,
    when you have no troubles.
Robbers and other godless people
live safely at home and say,
    “God is in our hands!”[af]

If You Want To Learn

If you want to learn,
    then go and ask
the wild animals and the birds,
    the flowers and the fish.
Any of them can tell you
    what the Lord has done.[ag]
10 Every living creature
    is in the hands of God.

11 We hear with our ears,
    taste with our tongues,
12 and gain some wisdom from those
    who have lived a long time.
13 But God is the real source
    of wisdom and strength.
14 No one can rebuild
what he destroys, or release
    those he has imprisoned.
15 God can hold back the rain
    or send a flood,
16 just as he rules over liars
    and those they lie to.

17 God shames counselors,
turns judges into fools,
18     and makes slaves of kings.
19 God removes priests and others
    who have great power—
20 he confuses wise,
    experienced advisors,
21 puts mighty kings to shame,
    and takes away their power.
22 God turns darkness to light;
23 he makes nations strong,
    then shatters their strength.
24 God strikes their rulers senseless,
then leaves them to roam
    through barren deserts,
25 lost in the dark, staggering
    like someone drunk.

Job Continues

I Know and Understand

13 I know and understand
    every bit of this.
None of you are smarter
    than I am;
there's nothing you know
    that I don't.
But I prefer to argue my case
    with God All-Powerful—
you are merely useless doctors,
    who treat me with lies.
The wisest thing you can do
is to keep quiet and listen
    to my argument.
Are you telling lies for God
and not telling the whole truth
    when you argue his case?
If he took you to court,
could you fool him,
    just as you fool others?
10 If you were secretly unfair,
    he would correct you,
11 and his glorious splendor
    would make you terrified.
12 Your wisdom and arguments
    will blow away like dust.

Be Quiet While I Speak

13 Be quiet while I speak,
    and we'll see what happens.
14 I will be responsible
    for what happens to me.
15 God may kill me, but still
I will trust him[ah]
    and offer my defense.
16 This may be what saves me,
because no guilty person
    would come to his court.
17 Listen carefully to my words!
18 I have prepared my case well,
    and I am certain to win.
19 If you can prove me guilty,
    I will give up and die.

Job Prays

I Ask Only Two Things

20 I ask only two things
    of you, my God,
and I will no longer
    hide from you—
21 stop punishing
    and terrifying me!

22 Then speak, and I will reply;
or else let me speak,
    and you reply.
23 Please point out my sins,
    so I will know them.
24 Why have you turned your back
    and count me your enemy?
25 Do you really enjoy
    frightening a fallen leaf?
26 Why do you accuse me
    of horrible crimes
and make me pay for sins
    I did in my youth?
27 (S) You have tied my feet down
    and keep me surrounded;
28 I am rotting away like cloth
    eaten by worms.

Job Continues His Prayer

Life Is Short and Sorrowful

14 (T) Life is short and sorrowful
    for every living soul.
We are flowers that fade
    and shadows that vanish.
And so, I ask you, God,
    why pick on me?
There's no way a human
    can be completely pure.
Our time on earth is brief;
the number of our days
    is already decided by you.
Why don't you leave us alone
and let us find some happiness
    while we toil and labor?

When a Tree Is Chopped Down

When a tree is chopped down,
there is always the hope
    that it will sprout again.
Its roots and stump may rot,
but at the touch of water,
    it sprouts once again.
10 Humans are different—
    we die, and that's the end.
11 We are like streams and lakes
    after the water has gone;
12 we fall into the sleep of death,
never to rise again,
    until the sky disappears.
13 Please hide me, God,
    deep in the ground—
and when you are angry no more,
    remember to rescue me.

Will We Humans Live Again?

14 Will we humans live again?
I would gladly suffer
    and wait for my time.
15 My Creator, you would want me;
you would call out,
    and I would answer.
16 You would take care of me,
    but not count my sins—
17 you would put them in a bag,
tie it tight,
    and toss them away.
18 But in the real world,
mountains tumble,
    and rocks crumble;
19 streams wear away stones
and wash away soil.
    And you destroy our hopes!
20 You change the way we look,
then send us away,
    wiped out forever.
21 We never live to know
if our children are praised
    or disgraced.
22 We feel no pain but our own,
and when we mourn,
    it's only for ourselves.

Eliphaz's Second Speech

If You Had Any Sense

15 Eliphaz from Teman[ai] said:
* Job, if you had any sense,
you would stop spreading
    all of this hot air.
Your words are enough
to make others turn from God
    and lead them to doubt.
And your sinful, scheming mind
    is the source of all you say.
I am not here as your judge;
your own words are witnesses
    against you.

Were you the first human?
    Are you older than the hills?
Have you ever been present
when God's council[aj] meets?
    Do you alone have wisdom?
Do you know and understand
    something we don't?
10 We have the benefit of wisdom
    older than your father.
11 And you have been offered
comforting words from God.
    Isn't this enough?

12 Your emotions are out of control,
    making you look fierce;
13 that's why you attack God
    with everything you say.
14 (U) No human is pure and innocent,
15 and neither are angels—
    not in the sight of God.
If God doesn't trust his angels,
16     what chance do humans have?
We are so terribly evil
    that we thirst for sin.

Just Listen to What I Know

17 Just listen to what I know,
    and you will learn
18 wisdom known by others
    since ancient times.
19 Those who gained such insights
    also gained the land,
and they were not influenced
    by foreign teachings.
20 But suffering is in store
    each day for those who sin.
21 Even in times of success,
they constantly hear
    the threat of doom.
22 Darkness, despair, and death
    are their destiny.
23 They scrounge around for food,
all the while dreading
    the approaching darkness.
24 They are overcome with despair,
like frightened soldiers facing
    a fearsome king in battle.
25 This is because they rebelled
    against God All-Powerful
26 and have attacked him
    with their weapons.

27 They may be rich and fat,
28 but they will live in the ruins
    of deserted towns.
29 Their property and wealth
    will shrink and disappear.
30 They won't escape the darkness,
and the blazing breath of God
    will set their future aflame.
* 31 They have put their trust
    in something worthless;
now they will become worthless
32 like a date palm tree
    without a leaf.[ak]
33 Or like vineyards or orchards
whose blossoms and unripe fruit
    drop to the ground.
34 Yes, the godless and the greedy
will have nothing but flames
    feasting on their homes,
35 because they are the parents
    of trouble and vicious lies.

Job's Reply to Eliphaz

I Have Often Heard This

16 Job said:
I have often heard this,
    and it offers no comfort.
So why don't you keep quiet?
    What's bothering you?
If I were in your place,
it would be easy to criticize
    or to give advice.
But I would offer hope
    and comfort instead.

If I speak, or if I don't,
I hurt all the same.
    My torment continues.
God has worn me down
    and destroyed my family;
my shriveled up skin proves
    that I am his prisoner.
God is my hateful enemy,
glaring at me and attacking
    with his sharp teeth.
10 Everyone is against me;
    they sneer and slap my face.
11 And God is the one
who handed me over
    to this merciless mob.

Everything Was Going Well

12 Everything was going well,
until God grabbed my neck
    and shook me to pieces.
God set me up as the target
13     for his arrows,
and without showing mercy,
he slashed my stomach open,
    spilling out my insides.
14 God never stops attacking,
15     and so, in my sorrow
I dress in sackcloth[al]
    and sit in the dust.
16 My face is red with tears,
and dark shadows
    circle my eyes,
17 though I am not violent,
    and my prayers are sincere.

18 If I should die,
I beg the earth not to cover
    my cry for justice.
19 (V) Even now, God in heaven
is both my witness
    and my protector.
20 My friends have rejected me,
    but God is the one I beg[am]
21 to show that I am right,
    just as a friend should.
22 Because in only a few years,
    I will be dead and gone.

Job Complains to God

My Hopes Have Died

17 My hopes have died,
my time is up,
    and the grave is ready.
All I can see are angry crowds,
    making fun of me.
If you, Lord, don't help,
who will pay the price
    for my release?
My friends won't really listen,
    all because of you,
and so you must be the one
    to prove them wrong.
They have condemned me,
just to benefit themselves;
    now blind their children.

You, God, are the reason
    I am insulted and spit on.
I am almost blind with grief;
    my body is a mere shadow.

People who are truly good
    would feel so alarmed,
that they would become angry
    with my worthless friends.
They would do the right thing
and because they did,
    they would grow stronger.[an]
10 But none of my friends
    show any sense.

11 My life is drawing to an end;
    hope has disappeared.
12 But all my friends can do
    is offer empty hopes.[ao]
13 I could tell the world below
    to prepare me a bed.
14 Then I could greet the grave
    as my father
and say to the worms,
    “Hello, mother and sisters!”

15 But what kind of hope is that?
16 Will it keep me company
    in the world of the dead?

Bildad's Second Speech

How Long Will You Talk?

18 Bildad from Shuah[ap] said:
How long will you talk?
    Be sensible! Let us speak.
Or do you think that we
    are dumb animals?
You cut yourself in anger.
Will that shake the earth
    or even move the rocks?

* (W) The lamps of sinful people
soon are snuffed out,
    leaving their tents dark.
Their powerful legs become weak,
and they stumble on schemes
    of their own doing.
* Before they know it,
they are trapped in a net,
10     hidden along the path.
11 Terror strikes and pursues
    from every side.
12 Starving, they run,
    only to meet disaster,
13 then afterwards to be eaten alive
    by death itself.

14 Those sinners are dragged
from the safety of their tents
    to die a gruesome death.
15 Then their tents and possessions
    are burned to ashes,
16 and they are left like trees,
    dried up from the roots.
17 They are gone and forgotten,
18 thrown far from the light
    into a world of darkness,
19 without any children
    to carry on their name.
20 Everyone, from east to west,
    is overwhelmed with horror.
21 Such is the fate of sinners
and their families
    who don't know God.

Job's Reply to Bildad

How Long Will You Torture Me?

19 Job said:
How long will you torture me
    with your words?
Isn't ten times enough
for you to accuse me?
    Aren't you ashamed?
Even if I have sinned,
    you haven't been harmed.
You boast of your goodness,
claiming I am suffering
    because I am guilty.
But God is the one at fault
    for finding fault with me.

Though I pray to be rescued
    from this torment,
no whisper of justice
    answers me.
God has me trapped
with a wall of darkness
    and stripped of respect.
10 God rips me apart,
    uproots my hopes,
11 and attacks with fierce anger,
    as though I were his enemy.
12 His entire army advances,
    then surrounds my tent.

I Am Forgotten

* 13 God has turned relatives
and friends against me,
14     and I am forgotten.
15 My guests and my servants
    consider me a stranger,
16 and when I call my servants,
    they pay no attention.
17 My breath disgusts my wife;
everyone in my family
    turns away.
18 Young children can't stand me,
and when I come near,
    they make fun.
19 (X) My best friends and loved ones
    have turned from me.
20 I am skin and bones—
    just barely alive.
21 My friends, I beg you for pity!
    God has made me his target.
22 Hasn't he already done enough?
    Why do you join the attack?

23 I wish that my words
could be written down
24     or chiseled into rock.
25 I know that my Protector[aq] lives,
and at the end
    he will stand on this earth.
26 My flesh may be destroyed,
yet from this body
    I will see God.[ar]
27 Yes, I will see him for myself,
    and I long for that moment.

28 My friends, you think up ways
to blame and torment me, saying
    I brought it on myself.
29 But watch out for the judgment,
    when God will punish you!

Zophar's Second Speech

Your Words Are Disturbing

20 Zophar from Naamah[as] said:
Your words are disturbing;
    now I must speak.
You have accused
    and insulted me,
    and reason requires a reply.
Since the time of creation,
    everyone has known
that sinful people are happy
    for only a while.
Though their pride and power
    may reach to the sky,
they will disappear like dust,
and those who knew them
    will wonder what happened.
(Y) They will be forgotten
    like a dream
and vanish from the sight
    of family and friends.
10 Their children will have to repay
what the parents took
    from the poor.
11 Indeed, the wicked will die
and go to their graves
    in the prime of life.

Sinners Love the Taste of Sin

12 Sinners love the taste of sin;
they relish every bite
13     and swallow it slowly.
14 But their food will turn sour
    and poison their stomachs.
15 Then God will make them lose
    the wealth they gobbled up.
16 They will die from the fangs
    of poisonous snakes
17 and never enjoy rivers flowing
    with milk and honey.
18 Their hard work will result
    in nothing gained,
19 because they cheated the poor
    and took their homes.

20 Greedy people want everything
    and are never satisfied.[at]
21 But when nothing remains
for them to grab,
    they will be nothing.
22 Once they have everything,
distress and despair
    will strike them down,
23 and God will make them swallow
    his blazing anger.[au]

24 (Z) While running from iron spears,
they will be killed
    by arrows of bronze,
25 whose shining tips go straight
    through their bodies.
They will be trapped by terror,
26 and what they treasure most
    will be lost in the dark.
God will send flames
to destroy them in their tents
    with all their property.
27 The heavens and the earth
    will testify against them,
28 and all their possessions
will be dragged off
    when God becomes angry.
29 This is what God has decided
    for those who are evil.

Job's Reply to Zophar

If You Want To Offer Comfort

21 Job said:
If you want to offer comfort,
    then listen to me.
And when I have finished,
you can start your insults
    all over again.
My complaint is against God;
    that's why I am impatient.
Just looking at me is enough
    to make you sick,
and the very thought of myself
    fills me with disgust.

Why do evil people live so long
    and gain such power?
Why are they allowed to see
    their children grow up?[av]
They have no worries at home,
    and God never punishes them.
10 Their cattle have lots of calves
    without ever losing one;
11 their children play and dance
    safely by themselves.
12 These people sing and celebrate
to the sound of tambourines,
    small harps, and flutes,
13 and they are successful,
without a worry,
    until the day they die.

Leave Us Alone!

14 Those who are evil say
    to God All-Powerful,
“Leave us alone! Don't bother us
    with your teachings.

Footnotes

  1. 1.1 Uz: The exact location of this place is unknown, though it was possibly somewhere in northwest Arabia.
  2. 1.6 angels: See the note at 15.8.
  3. 1.6 Satan: Hebrew “the accuser.”
  4. 1.15 Sabeans: Perhaps the people of Sheba in what is now southwest Arabia (see Isaiah 60.6).
  5. 1.17 Chaldeans: People from the region of Babylonia, northeast of Palestine.
  6. 2.1 angels: See the note at 15.8.
  7. 2.1 Satan: See the note at 1.6.
  8. 2.4 There's no pain like your own: The Hebrew text has “Skin for skin,” which was probably a popular saying.
  9. 2.11 Teman … Shuah … Naamah: Teman was a place in northern Edom; Shuah may have been a town on the Euphrates River or else further south, near the towns of Dedan and Sheba; Naamah may have been located on the road between Beirut and Damascus, though its exact location is unknown.
  10. 3.8 those with magic powers: The Hebrew text has “those who can place a curse on the day and rouse up Leviathan,” which was some kind of sea monster. God's victory over this monster sometimes stood for God's power over all creation and sometimes for his defeat of his enemies (see Isaiah 27.1). In Job 41.1, Leviathan is either a sea monster or a crocodile with almost supernatural powers.
  11. 3.12 Why was I accepted: The Hebrew text has “Why were there knees to receive me,” which may refer either to Job's mother or to his father, who would have placed Job on his knees to show that he had accepted him as his child.
  12. 4.1 Teman: See the note at 2.11.
  13. 5.5 wealth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
  14. 6.6 What is more tasteless … egg: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  15. 6.14 and you should help me … God All-Powerful: Or “and if you don't help me, you no longer respect God All-Powerful.”
  16. 6.19 Tema and Sheba: Tema was a region in northwest Arabia, and Sheba was probably a region in southwest Arabia.
  17. 6.21 just … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  18. 7.12 sea monster … imprison me: “Sea monster” translates the Hebrew word “Tannin,” which was possibly a sea monster similar to Leviathan (3.8), Rahab (9.13), and Behemoth (40.15). According to 38.8-11, God makes the sea his prisoner by setting its boundaries.
  19. 7.16 my life … meaning: Or “my life will soon be over.”
  20. 8.1 Shuah: See the note at 2.11.
  21. 8.17 rocks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.
  22. 8.19 their … away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  23. 9.8 sea: Or “sea monster” (see verse 13 and the note there).
  24. 9.13 the sea monster: The Hebrew text has “Rahab,” which was some kind of sea monster with supernatural powers (see the notes at 3.8 and 26.12).
  25. 9.17 strike … storm: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  26. 9.20 God … wrong: Or “my own words would prove me wrong.”
  27. 9.35 but … speak: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  28. 10.16 lion: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 16.
  29. 10.20 I have only … alone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  30. 11.1 Naamah: See the note at 2.11.
  31. 11.12 it's … wise: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  32. 12.6 God is in our hands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  33. 12.9 Any … done: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  34. 13.15 God … trust him: Or “God will surely kill me; I have lost all hope.”
  35. 15.1 Teman: See the note at 2.11.
  36. 15.8 God's council: The angels and others who gather to discuss matters with God (see 1.6; 2.1).
  37. 15.32 leaf: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 32.
  38. 16.15 sackcloth: A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.
  39. 16.20 My friends … beg: Or “God is my friend, and he is the one I beg.”
  40. 17.9 stronger: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 8,9.
  41. 17.12 hopes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 12.
  42. 18.1 Shuah: See the note at 2.11.
  43. 19.25 Protector: Or “Defender” or “Savior.”
  44. 19.26 God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 25,26.
  45. 20.1 Naamah: See the note at 2.11.
  46. 20.20 are never satisfied: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  47. 20.23 anger: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 23.
  48. 21.8 up: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.

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