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Job 4-7
New International Version
Job 4-7
New International Version
Eliphaz
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:
2 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?(B)
3 Think how you have instructed many,(C)
how you have strengthened feeble hands.(D)
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;(E)
you have strengthened faltering knees.(F)
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;(G)
it strikes(H) you, and you are dismayed.(I)
6 Should not your piety be your confidence(J)
and your blameless(K) ways your hope?
7 “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?(L)
Where were the upright ever destroyed?(M)
8 As I have observed,(N) those who plow evil(O)
and those who sow trouble reap it.(P)
9 At the breath of God(Q) they perish;
at the blast of his anger they are no more.(R)
10 The lions may roar(S) and growl,
yet the teeth of the great lions(T) are broken.(U)
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,(V)
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.(W)
12 “A word(X) was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper(Y) of it.(Z)
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,(AA)
14 fear and trembling(AB) seized me
and made all my bones shake.(AC)
15 A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my body stood on end.(AD)
16 It stopped,
but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
and I heard a hushed voice:(AE)
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?(AF)
Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?(AG)
18 If God places no trust in his servants,(AH)
if he charges his angels with error,(AI)
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,(AJ)
whose foundations(AK) are in the dust,(AL)
who are crushed(AM) more readily than a moth!(AN)
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
unnoticed, they perish forever.(AO)
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,(AP)
so that they die(AQ) without wisdom?’(AR)
5 “Call if you will, but who will answer you?(AS)
To which of the holy ones(AT) will you turn?
2 Resentment(AU) kills a fool,
and envy slays the simple.(AV)
3 I myself have seen(AW) a fool taking root,(AX)
but suddenly(AY) his house was cursed.(AZ)
4 His children(BA) are far from safety,(BB)
crushed in court(BC) without a defender.(BD)
5 The hungry consume his harvest,(BE)
taking it even from among thorns,
and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6 For hardship does not spring from the soil,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(BF)
7 Yet man is born to trouble(BG)
as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
I would lay my cause before him.(BH)
9 He performs wonders(BI) that cannot be fathomed,(BJ)
miracles that cannot be counted.(BK)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(BL)
he sends water on the countryside.(BM)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(BN)
and those who mourn(BO) are lifted(BP) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(BQ) of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.(BR)
13 He catches the wise(BS) in their craftiness,(BT)
and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(BU)
14 Darkness(BV) comes upon them in the daytime;
at noon they grope as in the night.(BW)
15 He saves the needy(BX) from the sword in their mouth;
he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(BY)
16 So the poor(BZ) have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.(CA)
17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(CB)
so do not despise the discipline(CC) of the Almighty.[a](CD)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(CE)
he injures, but his hands also heal.(CF)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(CG) you;
in seven no harm will touch you.(CH)
20 In famine(CI) he will deliver you from death,
and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(CJ)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(CK)
and need not fear(CL) when destruction comes.(CM)
22 You will laugh(CN) at destruction and famine,(CO)
and need not fear the wild animals.(CP)
23 For you will have a covenant(CQ) with the stones(CR) of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(CS)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(CT)
you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(CU)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(CV)
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(CW)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(CX)
like sheaves gathered in season.(CY)
Job
6 Then Job replied:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!(DB)
3 It would surely outweigh the sand(DC) of the seas—
no wonder my words have been impetuous.(DD)
4 The arrows(DE) of the Almighty(DF) are in me,(DG)
my spirit drinks(DH) in their poison;(DI)
God’s terrors(DJ) are marshaled against me.(DK)
5 Does a wild donkey(DL) bray(DM) when it has grass,
or an ox bellow when it has fodder?(DN)
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow[b]?(DO)
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me ill.(DP)
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,(DQ)
9 that God would be willing to crush(DR) me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!(DS)
10 Then I would still have this consolation(DT)—
my joy in unrelenting pain(DU)—
that I had not denied the words(DV) of the Holy One.(DW)
11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?(DX)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?(DY)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,(DZ)
now that success has been driven from me?
14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend(EA)
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.(EB)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,(EC)
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,(ED)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat(EE) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema(EF) look for water,
the traveling merchants of Sheba(EG) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
they arrive there, only to be disappointed.(EH)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
you see something dreadful and are afraid.(EI)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
pay a ransom(EJ) for me from your wealth,(EK)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?(EL)
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;(EM)
show me where I have been wrong.(EN)
25 How painful are honest words!(EO)
But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
and treat my desperate words as wind?(EP)
27 You would even cast lots(EQ) for the fatherless(ER)
and barter away your friend.
28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.
Would I lie to your face?(ES)
29 Relent, do not be unjust;(ET)
reconsider, for my integrity(EU) is at stake.[c](EV)
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips?(EW)
Can my mouth not discern(EX) malice?
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(EY) on earth?(EZ)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(FA)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(FB)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(FC)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(FD)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(FE)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(FF)
5 My body is clothed with worms(FG) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(FH)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(FI)
and they come to an end without hope.(FJ)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(FK)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(FL)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(FM)
9 As a cloud vanishes(FN) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(FO) does not return.(FP)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(FQ) will know him no more.(FR)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(FS)
I will speak out in the anguish(FT) of my spirit,
I will complain(FU) in the bitterness of my soul.(FV)
12 Am I the sea,(FW) or the monster of the deep,(FX)
that you put me under guard?(FY)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(FZ)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(GA) me with visions,(GB)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(GC)
rather than this body of mine.(GD)
16 I despise my life;(GE) I would not live forever.(GF)
Let me alone;(GG) my days have no meaning.(GH)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(GI)
18 that you examine them every morning(GJ)
and test them(GK) every moment?(GL)
19 Will you never look away from me,(GM)
or let me alone even for an instant?(GN)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(GO)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(GP)
Have I become a burden to you?[d](GQ)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(GR)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(GS)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(GT)
Footnotes
- Job 5:17 Hebrew Shaddai; here and throughout Job
- Job 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Job 6:29 Or my righteousness still stands
- Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.
Job 4-7
New King James Version
Job 4-7
New King James Version
Eliphaz: Job Has Sinned
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?
But who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Surely you have instructed many,
And you (A)have strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you (B)have strengthened the [a]feeble knees;
5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled.
6 Is not (C)your reverence (D)your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, (E)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
8 Even as I have seen,
(F)Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And (G)the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 (H)The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
13 (I)In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and (J)trembling,
Which made all my bones shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood up.
16 It stood still,
But I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence;
Then I heard a voice saying:
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 If He (K)puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error,
19 How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth?
20 (L)They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.
21 Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.’
Eliphaz: Job Is Chastened by God
5 “Call out now;
Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one.
3 (M)I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.
4 His sons are (N)far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And (O)there is no deliverer.
5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
[b]Taking it even from the thorns,
[c]And a snare snatches their [d]substance.
6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground;
7 Yet man is (P)born to [e]trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
9 Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.
10 (Q)He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
11 (R)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 (S)He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
13 He catches the (T)wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.
15 But (U)He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
16 (V)So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold,(W) happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 (X)For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
19 (Y)He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven (Z)no evil shall touch you.
20 (AA)In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the [f]power of the sword.
21 (AB)You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And (AC)you shall not be afraid of the (AD)beasts of the earth.
23 (AE)For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.
25 You shall also know that (AF)your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring (AG)like the grass of the earth.
26 (AH)You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
27 Behold, this we have (AI)searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job: My Complaint Is Just
6 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 (AJ)For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
(AK)The terrors of God are arrayed (AL)against me.
5 Does the (AM)wild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low over its fodder?
6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
That God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and (AN)cut me off!
10 Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For (AO)I have not concealed the words of (AP)the Holy One.
11 “What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is my help not within me?
And is success driven from me?
14 “To(AQ) him who is [g]afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 (AR)My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
(AS)Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
16 Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the snow vanishes.
17 When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and perish.
19 The caravans of (AT)Tema look,
The travelers of (AU)Sheba hope for them.
20 They are (AV)disappointed[h] because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
21 For now (AW)you are nothing,
You see terror and (AX)are afraid.
22 Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’?
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’?
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?
24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue;
Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?
27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you (AY)undermine your friend.
28 Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.
29 (AZ)Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my (BA)righteousness [i]still stands!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my [j]taste discern the unsavory?
Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless
7 “Is there not (BB)a time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
2 Like a servant who [k]earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
3 So I have been allotted (BC)months of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
4 (BD)When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.
5 My flesh is (BE)caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.
6 “My(BF) days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
7 Oh, remember that (BG)my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8 (BH)The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So (BI)he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
(BJ)Nor shall his place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore I will (BK)not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will (BL)complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
13 (BM)When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than [l]my body.
16 (BN)I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
(BO)Let me alone,
For (BP)my days are but [m]a breath.
17 “What(BQ) is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18 That You should [n]visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
19 How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, (BR)O watcher of men?
Why (BS)have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden [o]to myself?
21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
And You will seek me diligently,
But I will no longer be.”
Footnotes
- Job 4:4 Lit. bending
- Job 5:5 LXX They shall not be taken from evil men; Vg. And the armed man shall take him by violence
- Job 5:5 LXX The might shall draw them off; Vg. And the thirsty shall drink up their riches
- Job 5:5 wealth
- Job 5:7 labor
- Job 5:20 Lit. hand
- Job 6:14 Or despairing
- Job 6:20 Lit. ashamed
- Job 6:29 Lit. is in it
- Job 6:30 palate
- Job 7:2 Lit. pants for
- Job 7:15 Lit. my bones
- Job 7:16 Without substance, futile
- Job 7:18 attend to
- Job 7:20 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Jewish tradition to You
Job 4-7
New American Standard Bible
Job 4-7
New American Standard Bible
Eliphaz Says the Innocent Do Not Suffer
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But (A)who can refrain [a]from speaking?
3 Behold, (B)you have taught many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,
And you have strengthened [b]feeble knees.
5 But now it comes to you, and you (C)are impatient;
It (D)touches you, and you are horrified.
6 Is your [c](E)fear of God not (F)your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, (G)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
8 According to what I have seen, (H)those who [d]plow wrongdoing
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9 By (I)the breath of God they perish,
And (J)by the [e]blast of His anger they come to an end.
10 The (K)roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken out.
11 The (L)lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the (M)cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word (N)was brought to me secretly,
And my ear received a (O)whisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting (P)thoughts from visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on people,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made [f]all my bones shake.
15 Then a [g]spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh stood up.
16 Something was standing still, but I could not recognize its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can (Q)mankind be righteous [h]before God?
Can a man be pure [i]before his (R)Maker?
18 (S)He puts no trust even in His servants;
And He accuses His angels of error.
19 How much more those who live in (T)houses of clay,
Whose (U)foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 (V)Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unregarded, they (W)perish forever.
21 Is their (X)tent-cord not pulled out within them?
They die, yet (Y)without wisdom.’
God Is Just
5 “Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the (Z)holy ones will you turn?
2 For (AA)irritation kills the fool,
And jealousy brings death to the simple.
3 I have seen the (AB)fool taking root,
And I (AC)cursed his home immediately.
4 His (AD)sons are far from safety,
They are also [j]oppressed at the gate,
And there is no one to save them.
5 [k]The hungry devour his harvest
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the [l](AE)schemer is eager for their wealth.
6 For (AF)disaster does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For (AG)man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would (AH)seek God,
And I would make my plea before God,
9 Who (AI)does great and unsearchable things,
[m]Wonders without number.
10 He (AJ)gives rain on the earth,
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that (AK)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He (AL)frustrates the schemes of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 He (AM)captures the wise by their own cleverness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 By day they (AN)meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 But He saves from (AO)the sword of their mouth,
And (AP)the poor from the hand of the strong.
16 So the helpless has hope,
And (AQ)injustice has shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, (AR)happy is the person whom God disciplines,
So do not reject the (AS)discipline of [n]the Almighty.
18 For (AT)He inflicts pain, and [o]gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 In six troubles (AU)He will save you;
Even in seven, (AV)evil will not touch you.
20 In (AW)famine He will redeem you from death,
And (AX)in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be (AY)hidden [p]from the scourge of the tongue,
(AZ)And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 You will (BA)laugh at violence and hunger,
(BB)And you will not be afraid of [q]wild animals.
23 For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And (BC)the animals of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your (BD)tent is secure,
For you will visit your home and [r]have nothing missing.
25 You will also know that your [s](BE)descendants will be many,
And (BF)your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You will (BG)come to the grave at a ripe age,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job’s Friends Are No Help
6 Then Job responded,
2 “(BH)Oh if only my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my disaster!
3 For then it would be (BI)heavier than the sand of the seas;
For that reason my words have been rash.
4 For the (BJ)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[t]My spirit drinks their (BK)poison;
The (BL)terrors of God line up against me.
5 Does the (BM)wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his feed?
6 Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the [u]juice of an alkanet plant?
7 My soul (BN)refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh, that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my hope!
9 Oh, that God would (BO)decide to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off!
10 But it is still my comfort,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I (BP)have not [v]denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [w](BQ)endure?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is it that my (BR)help is not within me,
And that a (BS)good outcome is driven away from me?
14 “For the (BT)despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not (BU)abandon the [x]fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have acted (BV)deceitfully like a [y]wadi,
Like the torrents of [z]wadis which drain away,
16 Which are darkened because of ice,
And into which the snow [aa]melts.
17 When (BW)they dry up, they vanish;
When it is hot, they disappear from their place.
18 The [ab]paths of their course wind along,
They go up into wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of (BX)Tema looked,
The travelers of (BY)Sheba hoped for them.
20 They (BZ)were put to shame, for they had trusted,
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such,
(CA)You see terrors and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Save me from the hand of the enemy,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
24 “Teach me, and (CB)I will be silent;
And show me how I have done wrong.
25 How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
When the (CC)words of one in despair belong to the wind?
27 You would even (CD)cast lots for (CE)the orphans,
And (CF)barter over your friend.
28 Now please look at me,
And see if I am (CG)lying to your face.
29 Please turn away, let there be no injustice;
Turn away, (CH)my righteousness is still in it.
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Does (CI)my palate not discern disasters?
Job’s Life Seems Futile
7 “[ac]Is a person not (CJ)forced to labor on earth,
And are his days not like the days of (CK)a hired worker?
2 As a slave pants for the shade,
And as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So I am allotted worthless months,
And (CL)nights of trouble are apportioned to me.
4 When I (CM)lie down, I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.
5 My (CN)flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and [ad]oozes.
6 My days are (CO)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And they come to an end (CP)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (CQ)is a mere breath;
My eye will (CR)not see goodness again.
8 The (CS)eye of him who sees me will no longer look at me;
Your eyes will be on me, but (CT)I will not exist.
9 When a (CU)cloud vanishes, it is gone;
In the same way (CV)one who goes down to [ae](CW)Sheol does not come up.
10 He will not return to his house again,
Nor will (CX)his place know about him anymore.
11 “Therefore (CY)I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or (CZ)the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘(DA)My couch will comfort me,
My bed will [af]ease my complaint,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams,
And terrify me by visions,
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [ag]pains.
16 I [ah](DB)waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (DC)for my days are only a breath.
17 (DD)What is man that You exalt him,
And that You [ai]are concerned about him,
18 That (DE)You examine him every morning
And put him to the test every moment?
19 [aj](DF)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor leave me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 (DG)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
(DH)Watcher of mankind?
Why have You made me Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then (DI)do You not forgive my wrongdoing
And take away my [ak]guilt?
For now I will (DJ)lie down in the dust;
And You will search for me, (DK)but I will no longer exist.”
Footnotes
- Job 4:2 Lit in words
- Job 4:4 Lit knees giving way
- Job 4:6 Or reverence for
- Job 4:8 I.e., devise
- Job 4:9 Lit wind
- Job 4:14 Lit the multitude of
- Job 4:15 Or wind passed over
- Job 4:17 Lit from
- Job 4:17 Lit from
- Job 5:4 Lit crushed
- Job 5:5 Lit Whose harvest the hungry devour
- Job 5:5 Ancient versions thirsty
- Job 5:9 Or Miracles
- Job 5:17 Heb Shaddai, and so throughout ch 6
- Job 5:18 Lit binds
- Job 5:21 Lit at
- Job 5:22 Lit animals of the earth
- Job 5:24 Lit not miss
- Job 5:25 Lit seed
- Job 6:4 Lit Whose poison my spirit drinks
- Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth, meaning uncertain
- Job 6:10 Lit hidden
- Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul
- Job 6:14 Or reverence for
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:16 Lit hides itself
- Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course, they go up into the waste and perish
- Job 7:1 Lit Has not man compulsory labor
- Job 7:5 Lit melts
- Job 7:9 I.e., the netherworld
- Job 7:13 Lit bear
- Job 7:15 Lit bones
- Job 7:16 Or loathe
- Job 7:17 Lit set Your heart on
- Job 7:19 Lit How long will You not
- Job 7:21 Or unjust deed
Job 4-7
New Living Translation
Job 4-7
New Living Translation
Eliphaz’s First Response to Job
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job:
2 “Will you be patient and let me say a word?
For who could keep from speaking out?
3 “In the past you have encouraged many people;
you have strengthened those who were weak.
4 Your words have supported those who were falling;
you encouraged those with shaky knees.
5 But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart.
You are terrified when it touches you.
6 Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence?
Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?
7 “Stop and think! Do the innocent die?
When have the upright been destroyed?
8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble
and cultivate evil will harvest the same.
9 A breath from God destroys them.
They vanish in a blast of his anger.
10 The lion roars and the wildcat snarls,
but the teeth of strong lions will be broken.
11 The fierce lion will starve for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered.
12 “This truth was given to me in secret,
as though whispered in my ear.
13 It came to me in a disturbing vision at night,
when people are in a deep sleep.
14 Fear gripped me,
and my bones trembled.
15 A spirit[a] swept past my face,
and my hair stood on end.[b]
16 The spirit stopped, but I couldn’t see its shape.
There was a form before my eyes.
In the silence I heard a voice say,
17 ‘Can a mortal be innocent before God?
Can anyone be pure before the Creator?’
18 “If God does not trust his own angels
and has charged his messengers with foolishness,
19 how much less will he trust people made of clay!
They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth.
20 They are alive in the morning but dead by evening,
gone forever without a trace.
21 Their tent-cords are pulled and the tent collapses,
and they die in ignorance.
Eliphaz’s Response Continues
5 “Cry for help, but will anyone answer you?
Which of the angels[c] will help you?
2 Surely resentment destroys the fool,
and jealousy kills the simple.
3 I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment,
but then comes sudden disaster.
4 Their children are abandoned far from help;
they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
5 The hungry devour their harvest,
even when it is guarded by brambles.[d]
The thirsty pant after their wealth.[e]
6 But evil does not spring from the soil,
and trouble does not sprout from the earth.
7 People are born for trouble
as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.
8 “If I were you, I would go to God
and present my case to him.
9 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
10 He gives rain for the earth
and water for the fields.
11 He gives prosperity to the poor
and protects those who suffer.
12 He frustrates the plans of schemers
so the work of their hands will not succeed.
13 He traps the wise in their own cleverness
so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
14 They find it is dark in the daytime,
and they grope at noon as if it were night.
15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong,
and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 And so at last the poor have hope,
and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut.
17 “But consider the joy of those corrected by God!
Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.
18 For though he wounds, he also bandages.
He strikes, but his hands also heal.
19 From six disasters he will rescue you;
even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil.
20 He will save you from death in time of famine,
from the power of the sword in time of war.
21 You will be safe from slander
and have no fear when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine;
wild animals will not terrify you.
23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field,
and its wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your home is safe.
When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing.
25 You will have many children;
your descendants will be as plentiful as grass!
26 You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,
like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!
27 “We have studied life and found all this to be true.
Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.”
Job’s Second Speech: A Response to Eliphaz
6 Then Job spoke again:
2 “If my misery could be weighed
and my troubles be put on the scales,
3 they would outweigh all the sands of the sea.
That is why I spoke impulsively.
4 For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows.
Their poison infects my spirit.
God’s terrors are lined up against me.
5 Don’t I have a right to complain?
Don’t wild donkeys bray when they find no grass,
and oxen bellow when they have no food?
6 Don’t people complain about unsalted food?
Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg?[f]
7 My appetite disappears when I look at it;
I gag at the thought of eating it!
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant my desire.
9 I wish he would crush me.
I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me.
10 At least I can take comfort in this:
Despite the pain,
I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 But I don’t have the strength to endure.
I have nothing to live for.
12 Do I have the strength of a stone?
Is my body made of bronze?
13 No, I am utterly helpless,
without any chance of success.
14 “One should be kind to a fainting friend,
but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.[g]
15 My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook
that overflows its banks in the spring
16 when it is swollen with ice and melting snow.
17 But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears.
The brook vanishes in the heat.
18 The caravans turn aside to be refreshed,
but there is nothing to drink, so they die.
19 The caravans from Tema search for this water;
the travelers from Sheba hope to find it.
20 They count on it but are disappointed.
When they arrive, their hopes are dashed.
21 You, too, have given no help.
You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid.
22 But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift?
Have I begged for anything of yours for myself?
23 Have I asked you to rescue me from my enemies,
or to save me from ruthless people?
24 Teach me, and I will keep quiet.
Show me what I have done wrong.
25 Honest words can be painful,
but what do your criticisms amount to?
26 Do you think your words are convincing
when you disregard my cry of desperation?
27 You would even send an orphan into slavery[h]
or sell a friend.
28 Look at me!
Would I lie to your face?
29 Stop assuming my guilt,
for I have done no wrong.
30 Do you think I am lying?
Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong?
7 “Is not all human life a struggle?
Our lives are like that of a hired hand,
2 like a worker who longs for the shade,
like a servant waiting to be paid.
3 I, too, have been assigned months of futility,
long and weary nights of misery.
4 Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’
But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn.
5 My body is covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin breaks open, oozing with pus.
Job Cries Out to God
6 “My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle.
They end without hope.
7 O God, remember that my life is but a breath,
and I will never again feel happiness.
8 You see me now, but not for long.
You will look for me, but I will be gone.
9 Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes,
those who die[i] will not come back.
10 They are gone forever from their home—
never to be seen again.
11 “I cannot keep from speaking.
I must express my anguish.
My bitter soul must complain.
12 Am I a sea monster or a dragon
that you must place me under guard?
13 I think, ‘My bed will comfort me,
and sleep will ease my misery,’
14 but then you shatter me with dreams
and terrify me with visions.
15 I would rather be strangled—
rather die than suffer like this.
16 I hate my life and don’t want to go on living.
Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days.
17 “What are people, that you should make so much of us,
that you should think of us so often?
18 For you examine us every morning
and test us every moment.
19 Why won’t you leave me alone,
at least long enough for me to swallow!
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
O watcher of all humanity?
Why make me your target?
Am I a burden to you?[j]
21 Why not just forgive my sin
and take away my guilt?
For soon I will lie down in the dust and die.
When you look for me, I will be gone.”
Footnotes
- 4:15a Or wind; also in 4:16.
- 4:15b Or its wind sent shivers up my spine.
- 5:1 Hebrew the holy ones.
- 5:5a The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- 5:5b As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads A snare snatches their wealth.
- 6:6 Or the tasteless juice of the mallow plant?
- 6:14 Or friend, / or he might lose his fear of the Almighty.
- 6:27 Hebrew even gamble over an orphan.
- 7:9 Hebrew who go down to Sheol.
- 7:20 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads target, so that I am a burden to myself?
Job 4-7
The Message
Job 4-7
The Message
Eliphaz Speaks Out
Now You’re the One in Trouble
4 1-6 Then Eliphaz from Teman spoke up:
“Would you mind if I said something to you?
Under the circumstances it’s hard to keep quiet.
You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words
that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit.
Your words have put stumbling people on their feet,
put fresh hope in people about to collapse.
But now you’re the one in trouble—you’re hurting!
You’ve been hit hard and you’re reeling from the blow.
But shouldn’t your devout life give you confidence now?
Shouldn’t your exemplary life give you hope?
7-11 “Think! Has a truly innocent person ever ended up on the scrap heap?
Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end?
It’s my observation that those who plow evil
and sow trouble reap evil and trouble.
One breath from God and they fall apart,
one blast of his anger and there’s nothing left of them.
The mighty lion, king of the beasts, roars mightily,
but when he’s toothless he’s useless—
No teeth, no prey—and the cubs
wander off to fend for themselves.
12-16 “A word came to me in secret—
a mere whisper of a word, but I heard it clearly.
It came in a scary dream one night,
after I had fallen into a deep, deep sleep.
Dread stared me in the face, and Terror.
I was scared to death—I shook from head to foot.
A spirit glided right in front of me—
the hair on my head stood on end.
I couldn’t tell what it was that appeared there—
a blur . . . and then I heard a muffled voice:
17-21 “‘How can mere mortals be more righteous than God?
How can humans be purer than their Creator?
Why, God doesn’t even trust his own servants,
doesn’t even cheer his angels,
So how much less these bodies composed of mud,
fragile as moths?
These bodies of ours are here today and gone tomorrow,
and no one even notices—gone without a trace.
When the tent stakes are ripped up, the tent collapses—
we die and are never the wiser for having lived.’”
Don’t Blame Fate When Things Go Wrong
5 1-7 “Call for help, Job, if you think anyone will answer!
To which of the holy angels will you turn?
The hot temper of a fool eventually kills him,
the jealous anger of an idiot does her in.
I’ve seen it myself—seen fools putting down roots,
and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed.
Their children out in the cold, abused and exploited,
with no one to stick up for them.
Hungry people off the street plunder their harvests,
cleaning them out completely, taking thorns and all,
insatiable for everything they have.
Don’t blame fate when things go wrong—
trouble doesn’t come from nowhere.
It’s human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble,
as certainly as sparks fly upward.
What a Blessing When God Corrects You!
8-16 “If I were in your shoes, I’d go straight to God,
I’d throw myself on the mercy of God.
After all, he’s famous for great and unexpected acts;
there’s no end to his surprises.
He gives rain, for instance, across the wide earth,
sends water to irrigate the fields.
He raises up the down-and-out,
gives firm footing to those sinking in grief.
He aborts the schemes of conniving crooks,
so that none of their plots come to term.
He catches the know-it-alls in their conspiracies—
all that intricate intrigue swept out with the trash!
Suddenly they’re disoriented, plunged into darkness;
they can’t see to put one foot in front of the other.
But the downtrodden are saved by God,
saved from the murderous plots, saved from the iron fist.
And so the poor continue to hope,
while injustice is bound and gagged.
17-19 “So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you!
Mind you, don’t despise the discipline of Almighty God!
True, he wounds, but he also dresses the wound;
the same hand that hurts you, heals you.
From one disaster after another he delivers you;
no matter what the calamity, the evil can’t touch you—
20-26 “In famine, he’ll keep you from starving,
in war, from being gutted by the sword.
You’ll be protected from vicious gossip
and live fearless through any catastrophe.
You’ll shrug off disaster and famine,
and stroll fearlessly among wild animals.
You’ll be on good terms with rocks and mountains;
wild animals will become your good friends.
You’ll know that your place on earth is safe,
you’ll look over your goods and find nothing amiss.
You’ll see your children grow up,
your family lovely and graceful as orchard grass.
You’ll arrive at your grave ripe with many good years,
like sheaves of golden grain at harvest.
27 “Yes, this is the way things are—my word of honor!
Take it to heart and you won’t go wrong.”
Job Replies to Eliphaz
God Has Dumped the Works on Me
6 1-7 Job answered:
“If my misery could be weighed,
if you could pile the whole bitter load on the scales,
It would be heavier than all the sand of the sea!
Is it any wonder that I’m howling like a caged cat?
The arrows of God Almighty are in me,
poison arrows—and I’m poisoned all through!
God has dumped the whole works on me.
Donkeys bray and cows moo when they run out of pasture—
so don’t expect me to keep quiet in this.
Do you see what God has dished out for me?
It’s enough to turn anyone’s stomach!
Everything in me is repulsed by it—
it makes me sick.
Pressed Past the Limits
8-13 “All I want is an answer to one prayer,
a last request to be honored:
Let God step on me—squash me like a bug,
and be done with me for good.
I’d at least have the satisfaction
of not having blasphemed the Holy God,
before being pressed past the limits.
Where’s the strength to keep my hopes up?
What future do I have to keep me going?
Do you think I have nerves of steel?
Do you think I’m made of iron?
Do you think I can pull myself up by my bootstraps?
Why, I don’t even have any boots!
My So-Called Friends
14-23 “When desperate people give up on God Almighty,
their friends, at least, should stick with them.
But my brothers are fickle as a gulch in the desert—
one day they’re gushing with water
From melting ice and snow
cascading out of the mountains,
But by midsummer they’re dry,
gullies baked dry in the sun.
Travelers who spot them and go out of their way for a drink
end up in a waterless gulch and die of thirst.
Merchant caravans from Tema see them and expect water,
tourists from Sheba hope for a cool drink.
They arrive so confident—but what a disappointment!
They get there, and their faces fall!
And you, my so-called friends, are no better—
there’s nothing to you!
One look at a hard scene and you shrink in fear.
It’s not as though I asked you for anything—
I didn’t ask you for one red cent—
Nor did I beg you to go out on a limb for me.
So why all this dodging and shuffling?
24-27 “Confront me with the truth and I’ll shut up,
show me where I’ve gone off the track.
Honest words never hurt anyone,
but what’s the point of all this pious bluster?
You pretend to tell me what’s wrong with my life,
but treat my words of anguish as so much hot air.
Are people mere things to you?
Are friends just items of profit and loss?
28-30 “Look me in the eyes!
Do you think I’d lie to your face?
Think it over—no double-talk!
Think carefully—my integrity is on the line!
Can you detect anything false in what I say?
Don’t you trust me to discern good from evil?”
There’s Nothing to My Life
7 1-6 “Human life is a struggle, isn’t it?
It’s a life sentence to hard labor.
Like field hands longing for quitting time
and working stiffs with nothing to hope for but payday,
I’m given a life that meanders and goes nowhere—
months of aimlessness, nights of misery!
I go to bed and think, ‘How long till I can get up?’
I toss and turn as the night drags on—and I’m fed up!
I’m covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin gets scaly and hard, then oozes with pus.
My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles,
and then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life!
7-10 “God, don’t forget that I’m only a wisp of air!
These eyes have had their last look at goodness.
And your eyes have seen the last of me;
even while you’re looking, there’ll be nothing left to look at.
When a cloud evaporates, it’s gone for good;
those who go to the grave never come back.
They don’t return to visit their families;
never again will friends drop in for coffee.
11-16 “And so I’m not keeping one bit of this quiet,
I’m laying it all out on the table;
my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest.
Are you going to put a muzzle on me,
the way you quiet the sea and still the storm?
If I say, ‘I’m going to bed, then I’ll feel better.
A little nap will lift my spirits,’
You come and so scare me with nightmares
and frighten me with ghosts
That I’d rather strangle in the sheets
than face this kind of life any longer.
I hate this life! Who needs any more of this?
Let me alone! There’s nothing to my life—it’s nothing
but smoke.
17-21 “What are mortals anyway, that you bother with them,
that you even give them the time of day?
That you check up on them every morning,
looking in on them to see how they’re doing?
Let up on me, will you?
Can’t you even let me spit in peace?
Even suppose I’d sinned—how would that hurt you?
You’re responsible for every human being.
Don’t you have better things to do than pick on me?
Why make a federal case out of me?
Why don’t you just forgive my sins
and start me off with a clean slate?
The way things are going, I’ll soon be dead.
You’ll look high and low, but I won’t be around.”
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson