Job 10-13 (New International Version - UK)

Job 10

 ¹ I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.

    ² I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me.

    ³ Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?

    ⁴ Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees?

    ⁵ Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a man,

    ⁶ that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin—

    ⁷ though you know that I am not guilty and that no-one can rescue me from your hand?

   

 ⁸Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me?

    ⁹ Remember that you moulded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?

    ¹⁰ Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese,

    ¹¹ clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews?

    ¹² You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.

   

 ¹³But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind:

    ¹⁴ If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offence go unpunished.

    ¹⁵ If I am guilty— woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction.

    ¹⁶ If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me.

    ¹⁷ You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger towards me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.

   

 ¹⁸Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me.

    ¹⁹ If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!

    ²⁰ Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so that I can have a moment's joy

    ²¹ before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow,

    ²² to the land of deepest night, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.

   

Job 11

Zophar

 ¹ Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

   

 ²Are all these words to go unanswered? Is this talker to be vindicated?

    ³ Will your idle talk reduce men to silence? Will no-one rebuke you when you mock?

    ⁴ You say to God, 'My beliefs are flawless and I am pure in your sight.'

    ⁵ Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you

    ⁶ and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.

   

 ⁷Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

    ⁸ They are higher than the heavens— what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave— what can you know?

    ⁹ Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

   

 ¹⁰If he comes along and confines you in prison and convenes a court, who can oppose him?

    ¹¹ Surely he recognises deceitful men; and when he sees evil, does he not take note?

    ¹² But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey's colt can be born a man.

   

 ¹³Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him,

    ¹⁴ if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,

    ¹⁵ then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.

    ¹⁶ You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.

    ¹⁷ Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning.

    ¹⁸ You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

    ¹⁹ You will lie down, with no-one to make you afraid, and many will court your favour.

    ²⁰ But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp.

Job 12

Job

 ¹ Then Job replied:

   

 ²Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!

    ³ But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?

   

 ⁴I have become a laughing-stock to my friends, though I called upon God and he answered— a mere laughing-stock, though righteous and blameless!

    ⁵ Men at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

    ⁶ The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.

   

 ⁷But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

    ⁸ or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.

    ⁹ Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

    ¹⁰ In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

    ¹¹ Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food?

    ¹² Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

   

 ¹³To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.

    ¹⁴ What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man he imprisons cannot be released.

    ¹⁵ If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.

    ¹⁶ To him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are his.

    ¹⁷ He leads counsellors away stripped and makes fools of judges.

    ¹⁸ He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth round their waist.

    ¹⁹ He leads priests away stripped and overthrows men long established.

    ²⁰ He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders.

    ²¹ He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.

    ²² He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.

    ²³ He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

    ²⁴ He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste.

    ²⁵ They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.

   

   

Job 13

 ¹ My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it.

    ² What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

    ³ But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.

    ⁴ You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!

    ⁵ If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

    ⁶ Hear now my argument; listen to the plea of my lips.

    ⁷ Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him?

    ⁸ Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God?

    ⁹ Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men?

    ¹⁰ He would surely rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.

    ¹¹ Would not his splendour terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you?

    ¹² Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defences are defences of clay.

   

 ¹³Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may.

    ¹⁴ Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands?

    ¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

    ¹⁶ Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him!

    ¹⁷ Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say.

    ¹⁸ Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated.

    ¹⁹ Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die.

   

 ²⁰Only grant me these two things, O God, and then I will not hide from you:

    ²¹ Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors.

    ²² Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply.

    ²³ How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offence and my sin.

    ²⁴ Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy?

    ²⁵ Will you torment a wind-blown leaf? Will you chase after dry chaff?

    ²⁶ For you write down bitter things against me and make me inherit the sins of my youth.

    ²⁷ You fasten my feet in shackles; you keep close watch on all my paths by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

   

 ²⁸So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.