Bible in 90 Days
Bildad Says God Rewards the Good
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2
“How long will you say these things?
And will the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3
“Does God pervert justice?
Or does [a]the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4
“If your children have sinned against Him,
Then He has handed them over to the power of their transgression and punished them.
5
“If you would [diligently] seek God
And implore the compassion and favor of the Almighty,
6
Then, if you are pure and upright,
Surely now He will awaken for you
And restore your righteous place.
7
“Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your end will greatly increase.
8
“Inquire, please, of past generations,
And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.
9
“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are [like] a shadow [just a breath or a vapor].
10
“Will they (the fathers) not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their hearts [the deepest part of their nature]?
11
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes or reed grass grow without water?
12
“While it is still green (in flower) and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant [when without water].
13
“So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish,
14
For his confidence is fragile and breaks,
And his trust is [like] a spider’s web.
15
“He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds tightly to it, but it does not endure.
16
“He thrives and prospers [like a green plant] before the sun,
And his branches spread out over his garden.
17
“His [godless] roots are wrapped around a pile of rocks,
And he gazes at a house of stones.
18
“If he is snatched from his place [in the garden],
Then his place will forget him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
19
“Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And from out of the dust others will spring up and grow [to take his place].
20
“Behold, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He strengthen or support evildoers.
21
“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
And your lips with joyful shouting [if you are found blameless].
22
“Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the tents of the wicked will be no longer.”
Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man
9 Then Job answered and said,
2
“Yes, I know it is true.
But how can a mortal man be right before God?
3
“If one should want to contend or dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4
“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?
5
“It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6
Who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7
Who commands the sun, and it does not shine;
Who seals up the stars [from view];
8
Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the [b]waves of the sea;
9
Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the [vast starry] spaces of the south;
10
Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable,
Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.
11
“Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him;
He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.
12
“Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back?
Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13
“God will not turn back His anger;
The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.
14
“How can I answer Him [and plead my case],
Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?
15
For though I were righteous, I could not answer.
I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.
16
“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17
“For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18
“He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills and saturates me with bitterness.
19
“If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty!
And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?
20
“Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty;
Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.
21
“[Though] I am blameless,
I do not care about myself;
I despise my life.
22
“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.’
23
“When [His] scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks at the despair of the innocent.
24
“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?
25
“Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They vanish, they see no good.
26
“They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds,
Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.
27
“If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,’
28
I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come];
I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.
29
“I am accounted wicked and held guilty;
Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?
30
“If I were to wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,
31
You would still plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].
32
“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court and judgment together.
33
“There is no arbitrator between us,
Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].(A)
34
“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.
35
“Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Job Despairs of God’s Dealings
10 “I am disgusted with my life and loathe it!
I will give free expression to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2
“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]!
Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.
3
‘Does it indeed seem right to You to oppress,
To despise and reject the work of Your hands,
And to look with favor on the schemes of the wicked?
4
‘Do You have eyes of flesh?
Do You see as a man sees?
5
‘Are Your days as the days of a mortal,
Are Your years as man’s years,
6
That You seek my guilt
And search for my sin?
7
‘Although You know that I am not guilty or wicked,
Yet there is no one who can rescue me from Your hand.
8
‘Your hands have formed and made me altogether.
Would You [turn around and] destroy me?
9
‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
So will You turn me into dust again?
10
‘Have You not poured me out like milk
And curdled me like cheese?
11
‘[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.
12
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your providence (divine care, supervision) has preserved my spirit.
13
‘Yet these [present evils] You have hidden in Your heart [since my creation]:
I know that this was within You [in Your purpose and thought].
14
‘If I sin, then You would take note and observe me,
And You would not acquit me of my guilt.
15
‘If I am wicked, woe to me [for judgment comes]!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
For I am sated and filled with disgrace and the sight of my misery.
16
‘Should I lift my head up, You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your marvelous power against me.
17
‘You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your indignation and anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me [attacking me time after time].
18
‘Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!
19
‘I should have been as though I had not existed;
[I should have been] carried from the womb to the grave.’
20
“Would He not let my few days alone,
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
21
Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and the deep shadow [of death],
22
The [sunless] land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
[The land] of the shadow of death, without order,
And [where] it shines as [thick] darkness.”
Zophar Rebukes Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2
“Shall a multitude of words not be answered?
And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?
3
“Should your boasts and babble silence men?
And shall you scoff and no one put you to shame?
4
“For you have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’(B)
5
“But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips [to speak] against you,
6
And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [c]has two sides.
Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.
7
“Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you [by searching] discover the limits of the Almighty [ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?
8
“His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven. What can you do?
It is deeper than Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). What can you know?
9
“It is longer in measure [and scope] than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
10
“If God passes by or arrests,
Or calls an assembly [of judgment], who can restrain Him?
[If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?]
11
“For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men,
And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?
12
“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the [d]colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.
13
“If you direct your heart [on the right path]
And stretch out your hands to Him,
14
If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you],
And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;
15
Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect,
And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.
16
“For you would forget your trouble;
You would remember it as waters that have passed by.
17
“And your [e]life would be brighter than the noonday;
Darkness [then] would be like the morning.
18
“Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope;
You would look around you and rest securely.
19
“You would lie down with no one to frighten you,
And many would entreat and seek your favor.
20
“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they will not escape [the justice of God];
And their hope is to breathe their last [and die].”
Job Chides His Accusers
12 Then Job responded,
2
“No doubt you are the [only wise] people [in the world],
And wisdom will die with you!
3
“But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?
4
“I am a joke to my friends;
I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him—
A just and blameless man is a joke [and laughed to scorn].
5
“He who is at ease has contempt for misfortune,
But misfortune is ready [and anxiously waiting] for those whose feet slip.
6
“The tents of the destroyers prosper;
And those who provoke God are [apparently] secure,
Whom God brings into their power.
7
“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;
8
Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.
9
“Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life]
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
11
“Does the ear not put words to the test,
Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?
12
“With the aged [you say] is wisdom,
And with [f]long life is understanding.
Job Speaks of the Power of God
13
“But [only] with Him are [perfect] wisdom and might;
He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding.
14
“Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
15
“Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
Again, He sends the waters out, and they overwhelm and devastate the earth.
16
“With Him are might and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader are His [and in His power].
17
“He makes [great and scheming] counselors walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.
18
“He loosens the bond of kings
And binds their loins with a loincloth.
19
“He makes priests walk barefoot,
And He overturns men firmly seated and secure.
20
“He deprives the trusted ones of speech
And takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.
21
“He pours contempt on princes and nobles
And loosens the belt of the strong [disabling them].
22
“He uncovers mysteries [that are difficult to grasp and understand] out of the darkness
And brings black gloom and the shadow of death into light.
23
“He makes nations great, and He destroys them;
He enlarges nations, and leads them away [captive].
24
“He removes intelligence and understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth
And makes them wander and move blindly in a pathless waste.
25
“They grope in darkness without light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.”
Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes
13 [Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2
“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3
“But I wish to speak to [g]the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
4
“But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully];
You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.
5
“Oh, that you would be completely silent,
And that silence would be your wisdom!
6
“Please hear my argument
And listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7
“Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8
“Will you show partiality for Him [and be unjust to me so that you may gain favor with Him]?
Will you contend and plead for God?
9
“Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10
“He will surely reprimand you
If you secretly show partiality.
11
“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And will not the dread of Him fall upon you?
12
“Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes;
Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.
Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated
13
“Be silent before me so that I may speak;
And let happen to me what may.
14
“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands [incurring the wrath of God]?
15
“Even though He kills me;
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.
16
“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before Him.
17
“Listen diligently to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18
“Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.
19
“Who will argue and contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.
20
“Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me,
And then I will not hide myself from Your face:
21
Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22
“Then [Lord,] call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, and then reply to me.
23
“How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]?
Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin.(C)
24
“Why do You hide Your face [as if offended]
And consider me Your enemy?
25
“Will You cause a windblown leaf to tremble?
Will You pursue the chaff of the dry stubble?
26
“For You write bitter things against me [in Your indictment]
And make me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.
27
“You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment]
And [critically] observe all my paths;
You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],
28
While I waste away like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Job Speaks of the Finality of Death
14 “Man, who is born of a woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2
“Like a flower he comes forth and withers;
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3
“You also open Your eyes upon him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4
“Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean?
No one!(D)
5
“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You [in Your control],
And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].
6
“[O God] turn your gaze from him so that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day [on earth] like a hired man.
7
“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that the shoots of it will not cease nor fail, [but there is no such hope for man].
8
“Though its roots grow old in the earth
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9
Yet at the scent of water [the stump of the tree] will flourish
And bring forth sprigs and shoots like a seedling.
10
“But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie face down;
Man breathes his last, and where is he?
11
“As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river drains and dries up,
12
So man lies down and does not rise [again].
Until the heavens are no longer,
The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.
13
“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!
14
“If a man dies, will he live again?
I will wait all the days of my struggle
Until my change and release will come.(E)
15
“[Then] You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.
16
“But now You number [each of] my steps;
You do not observe nor take note of my sin.
17
“My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover my wickedness [from Your view].
18
“But as a mountain, if it falls, crumbles into nothing,
And as the rock is moved from its place,
19
Water wears away the stones,
Its floods and torrents wash away the soil of the earth,
So You [O Lord] destroy the hope of man.
20
“You prevail forever against him and overpower him, and he passes on;
You change his appearance and send him away [from the presence of the living].
21
“His sons achieve honor, and he does not know it;
They become insignificant, and he is not aware of it.
22
“But his body [lamenting its decay] grieves in pain over it,
And his soul mourns over [the loss of] himself.”
Eliphaz Says Job Presumes Much
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,
2
“Should a wise man [such as you] utter such windy and vain knowledge [as we have just heard]
And fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]?
3
“Should he rebuke and argue with useless talk?
Or with words in which there is no benefit?
4
“Indeed, you are doing away with fear,
And you are diminishing meditation before God.
5
“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.
6
“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7
“Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man],
Or were you created before the hills?
8
“Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?
9
“What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?
10
“Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged,
Older than your father.
11
“Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you,
[Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?
12
“Why does your heart carry you away [allowing you to be controlled by emotion]?
And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt],
13
That you should turn your spirit against God
And let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?
14
“What is man, that he should be pure and clean,
Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?
15
“Behold, God puts no trust in His holy ones (angels);
Indeed, the heavens are not pure in His sight—
16
How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt,
Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!
What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life
17
“I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;
18
What wise men have [freely] told,
And have not hidden [anything passed on to them] from their fathers,
19
To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].
20
“The wicked man writhes with pain all his days,
And numbered are the years stored up for him, the ruthless one.
21
“A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;
While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].
22
“He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered],
And he is destined for the sword [of God’s vengeance].
23
“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.
24
“Distress and anxiety terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for battle.
25
“Because he has stretched out his hand against God
And behaves arrogantly against [h]the Almighty,
26
Running and charging headlong against Him
With his ornamented and massive shield;
27
For he has covered his face with his fat,
Adding layers of fat to his thighs [giving himself up to pleasures],
28
And he has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities,
In houses which no one should inhabit,
Which were destined to become heaps [of ruins];
29
He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.
30
“He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster];
The flame [of God’s wrath] will wither his branch,
And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.
31
“Let him not trust in vanity (emptiness, futility) and be led astray;
For emptiness will be his [i]reward [for such living].
32
“It will be fulfilled while he still lives,
And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].
33
“He will fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine,
And will cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.
34
“For the company of the godless is barren,
And fire consumes the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).
35
“They conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness,
And their inmost soul prepares deceit and fraud.”
Job Says Friends Are Sorry Comforters
16 Then Job answered and said,
2
“I have heard many such things;
Wearisome and miserable comforters are you all.
3
“Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind?
Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?
4
“I also could speak like you,
If you were in my place;
I could compose and join words together against you
And shake my head at you.
5
“[But instead] I could strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth,
And the consolation and solace of my lips would soothe your suffering and lessen your anguish.
Job Says God Shattered Him
6
“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved;
And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?
7
“But now God has exhausted me.
You [O Lord] have destroyed all my family and my household.
8
“You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness [against me];
And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,
It testifies to my face [about my guilt].
9
“His wrath has torn me and hunted me down,
He has gnashed at me with his teeth;
My adversary sharpens His gaze and glares [with piercing eyes] at me.
10
“They have gaped at me with their mouths,
With contempt they have struck me on the cheek;
They massed themselves together [and conspired] against me.(F)
11
“God hands me over to [j]criminals
And tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.
12
“I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart,
And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
13
“His arrows surround me.
He pierces my kidneys (vital organs) without mercy;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
14
“He attacks me, making wound after wound;
He runs at me like a warrior.
15
“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning]
And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.
16
“My face is red and swollen with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],
17
Although there is no violence or wrongdoing in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.
18
“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].
19
“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven,
And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.(G)
20
“My friends are scoffers [who ridicule];
My eye pours out tears to God.
21
“Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me]
Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.(H)
22
“For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way of no return.
Job Says He Has Become a Byword
17 “My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished,
The grave is ready for me.
2
“Surely there are mockers and mockery with me,
And my eye gazes on their obstinacy and provocation.
3
“Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death];
Who is there that will [k]be my guarantor and give security for me?
4
“But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].
5
“He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil,
The eyes of his children will also languish and fail.
6
“But He has made me a byword and mockery among the people,
And I have become one in whose face people spit.
7
“My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief,
And all my [body’s] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.
8
“The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this,
And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted.
9
“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.(I)
10
“But as for all of you, come back again,
Even though I do not find a wise man among you.
11
“My days are past, my purposes and plans are frustrated and torn apart;
The wishes of my heart [are broken].
12
“These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day;
‘The light is near,’ they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].
13
“But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home,
If I make my bed in the darkness,
14
If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’
15
Where now is my hope?
And who regards or considers or is even concerned about my hope?
16
“Will my hope go down with me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)?
Shall we go down together in the dust?”
Bildad Speaks of the Wicked
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2
“How long will you hunt for words and continue these speeches?
Do some clear thinking and show understanding and then we can talk.
3
“Why are we regarded as beasts,
As if [we are] stupid (senseless) in your eyes?
4
“You who tear yourself apart in anger,
Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake,
Or the rock to be moved out of its place?
5
“Indeed, the light of the wicked will be put out,
And the flame of his fire will not shine.(J)
6
“The light will be dark in his tent,
And his lamp beside him will be put out.(K)
7
“The vigorous stride will be shortened,
And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.
8
“For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness),
And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].
9
“A snare catches him by the heel,
And a trap snaps shut on him.
10
“A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
11
“Terrors frighten him on every side
And chase at his heels.
12
“The strength [of the wicked] is famished and weakened,
And disaster is ready at his side [if he stops].
13
“His skin is devoured by disease;
The firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] consumes his limbs.
14
“He is torn from his tent which he trusted [for safety],
And he is marched and brought to the king of terrors (death).
15
“Nothing of his dwells in his tent;
Brimstone (burning sulfur) is scattered over his dwelling [to purify it].
16
“The roots [of the wicked] are dried up below,
And above, his branch is cut off and withers.
17
“Memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name on the street.
18
“He is driven and propelled from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.
19
“He has no offspring or prosperity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
20
“Those in the west are astonished and appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
21
“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and the ungodly,
And such is the place of him who does not know or recognize or honor God.”
Job Feels Insulted
19 Then Job answered and said,
2
“How long will you torment and exasperate me
And crush me with words?
3
“These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].
4
“And if it were true that I have erred,
My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].
5
“If indeed you [braggarts] vaunt and magnify yourselves over me
And prove my disgrace (humiliation) to me,
6
Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me
And has closed His net around me.
Everything Is Against Him
7
“Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not heard;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
8
“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has set darkness upon my paths.
9
“He has stripped me of my honor
And removed the crown from my head.
10
“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
He has uprooted my hope like a tree.
11
“He has also kindled His wrath [like a fire] against me
And He considers and counts me as one of His adversaries.
12
“His troops come together
And build up their way and siege works against me
And camp around my tent.
13
“He has put my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14
“My relatives have failed [me],
And my intimate friends have forgotten me.
15
“Those who live [temporarily] in my house and my maids consider me a stranger;
I am a foreigner in their sight.
16
“I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with words.
17
“My breath is repulsive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18
“Even young children despise me;
When I get up, they speak against me.
19
“All the men of my council hate me;
Those I love have turned against me.
20
“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.
21
“Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has touched me.
22
“Why do you persecute me as God does?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?
Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives”
23
“Oh, that the words I now speak were written!
Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!
24
“That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
25
“For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives,
And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.(L)
26
“Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death],
Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,
27
Whom I, even I, will see for myself,
And my eyes will see Him and not another!
My heart faints within me.
28
“If you say, ‘How shall we [continue to] persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?’
29
“Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves,
For wrathful are the punishments of that sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”
Zophar Says, “The Triumph of the Wicked Is Short”
20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2
“Therefore my disquieting thoughts make me answer,
Because of the uneasiness that is within me.
3
“I have heard the reproof which insults me,
But the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.
4
“Do you not know this from the old days,
Since the time that man was placed on the earth,
5
That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless is only for a moment?(M)
6
“Though his pride reaches the heavens
And his head touches the clouds,
7
Yet he perishes forever like his own refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8
“He flies away like a dream and cannot be found;
Yes, he is chased away like a vision of the night.
9
“The eye which saw him sees him no longer,
Neither does his [accustomed] place behold him any longer.
10
“His sons favor the poor [and pay his obligations],
And his hands give back his [ill-gotten] wealth.
11
“His bones are full of youthful strength
But it lies down with him in the dust.
12
“Though evil and wickedness are sweet in his mouth
And he hides it under his tongue,
13
Though he desires it and will not let it go
But holds it in his mouth,
14
Yet his food turns [to poison] in his stomach;
It is the venom of vipers within him.
15
“He swallows [his ill-gotten] riches,
But will vomit them up;
God will drive them out of his belly.
16
“He sucks the poison of vipers [which ill-gotten wealth contains];
The viper’s tongue slays him.
17
“He does not look at the rivers,
The flowing streams of honey and butter [to enjoy his wealth].
18
“He gives back what he has labored for and attained
And cannot swallow it [down to enjoy it];
As to the riches of his labor,
He cannot even enjoy them.
19
“For he has oppressed and neglected the poor;
He has violently taken away houses which he did not build.
20
“Because he knew no quietness or calm within him [because of his greed],
He does not retain anything he desires.
21
“There is nothing left of what he devoured;
Therefore his prosperity does not endure.
22
“In the fullness of his excess (great abundance) he will be in trouble;
The hand of everyone who suffers will come against him [he is miserable on every side].
23
“When he fills his belly,
God will send His fierce anger on him
And will rain it upon him while he is eating.(N)
24
“He may flee from the iron weapon,
But the bow of bronze will pierce him through.
25
“The arrow is drawn forth and it comes out of his back [after passing through his body];
Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall.
Terrors march in upon him;
26
Complete darkness (misfortune) is held in reserve for his treasures.
An unfanned fire will devour him;
It will consume the survivor in his tent.
27
“The heavens will reveal his wickedness and guilt,
And the earth will rise up against him.
28
“The produce and increase of his house will depart [with the victors];
His possessions will be dragged away in the day of God’s wrath.
29
“This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
And the heritage decreed and appointed to him by God.”
Job’s Dialogue Regarding the Wicked
21 Then Job answered and said,
2
“Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be the consolation.
3
“Bear with me, and I also will speak;
And after I have spoken, you may [continue to] mock [me].
4
“As for me, is my complaint to man or about him?
And why should I not be impatient and my spirit troubled?
5
“Look at me and be astonished and appalled;
And put your hand over your mouth.
6
“Even when I remember, I am troubled and afraid;
Horror and trembling take hold of my flesh.
7
“Why do the wicked still live,
Become old, and become mighty in power?
8
“Their children and descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9
“Their houses are safe from fear;
And the rod of God is not on them.
10
“His bull breeds and does not fail;
His cow calves and does not miscarry.
11
“They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children skip about.
12
“They lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
13
“They fully enjoy their days in prosperity,
And so go down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) in a [peaceful] moment.
14
“Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15
‘Who [and what] is [l]the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And what would we gain if we plead with Him?’(O)
16
“But notice, the prosperity of the wicked is not in their hand (in their power);
The counsel of the wicked [and the mystery of God’s dealings with the ungodly] is far from my comprehension.
17
“How often [then] is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out,
And that their disaster falls on them?
Does God distribute pain and destruction and sorrow [to them] in His anger?(P)
18
“Are they like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that the storm steals and carries away?
19
“You say, ‘God stores away [the punishment of] man’s wickedness for his children.’
Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it.
20
“Let his own eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21
“For what pleasure does he have in his house and family after he is dead,
When the number of his months [of life] is cut off?
22
“Can anyone teach God knowledge,
Seeing that He judges those on high?(Q)
23
“One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and quiet and satisfied;
24
His pails are full of milk [his sides are filled out with fat],
And the marrow of his bones is moist,
25
Whereas another dies with a bitter soul,
Never even tasting pleasure or good fortune.
26
“Together they lie down in the dust,
And the worms cover them.
27
“Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the plots by which you would wrong me.
28
“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the noble man?
And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?’
29
“Have you not asked those who travel this way,
And do you not recognize their witness?
30
“That evil men are [now] reserved for the day of disaster and destruction,
They will be led away on the day of [God’s] wrath?
31
“But who will confront him with his actions and rebuke him face to face,
And who will repay him for what he has done?
32
“When he is carried to his grave,
A guard will keep watch over his tomb.
33
“The [dirt] clods of the valley are sweet to him [and gently cover him],
Moreover, all men will follow after him [to a grave],
While countless ones go before him.
34
“How then can you vainly comfort me with empty words,
Since your answers remain untrue?”
Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2
“Can a vigorous man be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?(R)
3
“Is it any pleasure or joy to [m]the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?(S)
4
“Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
5
“Is not your wickedness great,
And your sins without end?
6
“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.
7
“You have not given water to the weary to drink,
And you have withheld bread from the hungry.(T)
8
“But the land is possessed by the man with power,
And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.
9
“You have sent widows away empty-handed,
And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.
10
“Therefore snares surround you,
And sudden dread terrifies and overwhelms you;
11
Or darkness, so that you cannot see,
And a flood of water covers you.
12
“Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the distant stars, how high they are!
13
“You say, ‘What does God know [about me]?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
14
‘Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.’
15
“Will you keep to the ancient path
That wicked men walked [in the time of Noah],(U)
16
Men who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were poured out like a river?
17
“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the Almighty do for us or to us?’
18
“Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.
19
“The righteous see it and are glad;
And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,
20
‘Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed,
And fire has consumed their abundance.’
21
“Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace;
In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.
22
“Please receive the law and instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart and keep them.(V)
23
“If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored];
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,
24
And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],
25
And make the Almighty your gold
And your precious silver,
26
Then you will have delight in the Almighty,
And you will lift up your face to God.
27
“You will pray to Him, and He will hear you,
And you will pay your vows.
28
“You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways.
29
“When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence,
And the humble person He will lift up and save.
30
“He will even rescue the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent;
And he will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands.”(W)
Job Says He Longs for God
23 Then Job answered and said,
2
“Even today my complaint is contentious;
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
3
“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might [even] come to His seat!
4
“I would present my cause before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5
“I would learn the words which He would answer,
And understand what He would say to me.
6
“Would He contend against me with His great power?
No, surely He would give attention to me.(X)
7
“There the righteous and upright could reason with Him;
So I would be acquitted forever by my Judge.
8
“Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there;
I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him;
9
To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him;
He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him.
10
“But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it].
When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].(Y)
11
“My feet have carefully followed His steps;
I have kept His ways and not turned aside.
12
“I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
13
“But He is unique and unchangeable, and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.
14
“For He performs what is planned (appointed) for me,
And He is mindful of many such things.
15
“Therefore I would be terrified at His presence;
When I consider [all of this], I tremble in dread of Him.
16
“For God has made my heart faint,
And the Almighty has terrified me,
17
But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me],
Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face.
Job Says God Seems to Ignore Wrongs
24 “Why does the Almighty not set seasons for judgment?
Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]?(Z)
2
“Some remove the landmarks;
They [violently] seize and pasture flocks [appropriating land and flocks openly].
3
“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4
“They crowd the needy off the road;
The poor of the land all hide themselves.
5
“Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert,
The poor go to their work, diligently seeking food;
As bread for their children in the desert.
6
“They harvest their fodder in a field [that is not their own],
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7
“They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
8
“They are wet from the rain of the mountains
And cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
9
“Others snatch the fatherless [infants] from the breast [to sell or make them slaves],
And against the poor they take a pledge [of clothing].
10
“They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,
And they take away the sheaves [of grain] from the hungry.
11
“Within the walls [of the wicked] the poor make [olive] oil;
They tread [the grapes in] the wine presses, but thirst.
12
“From the [populous and crowded] city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out for help;
Yet God [seemingly] does not pay attention to the wrong [done to them].
13
“Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor stay in its paths.
14
“The murderer rises at dawn;
He kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he becomes a thief.
15
“The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me,’
And he covers his face.
16
“In the dark they dig into [the penetrable walls of] houses;
They shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light [of day].
17
“For the morning is the same to him as the thick darkness [of midnight];
For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.
18
“They are insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their portion is cursed on the earth;
They do not turn toward the vineyards.
19
“Drought and heat consume the snow waters;
So does Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) [consume] those who have sinned.
20
“A mother will forget him;
The worm feeds on him until he is no longer remembered.
And wickedness will be broken like a tree [which cannot be restored].(AA)
21
“He preys on the barren (childless) woman
And does no good for the widow.
22
“Yet God draws away the mighty by His power;
He rises, but no one has assurance of life.
23
“God gives them security, and they are supported;
And His eyes are on their ways.
24
“They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone;
Moreover, they are brought low and like everything [they are] gathered up and taken out of the way;
Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25
“And if this is not so, who can prove me a liar
And make my speech worthless?”
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.