Chronological
Job Speaks of the Finality of Death
14 “(A)Man, who is born of woman,
Is [a]short-lived and (B)full of turmoil.
2 (C)Like a flower he comes out and withers.
He also flees like (D)a shadow and does not remain.
3 You also (E)open Your eyes on him
And (F)bring [b]him into judgment with Yourself.
4 (G)Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
The (H)number of his months is with You;
And You have [c]set his limits so that he cannot pass.
6 (I)Look away from him so that he may [d]rest,
Until he [e]fulfills his day like a hired worker.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not [f]fail.
8 Though its roots grow old in the ground,
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9 At the scent of water it will flourish
And produce sprigs like a plant.
10 But (J)a man dies and lies prostrate.
A person (K)passes away, and where is he?
11 As (L)water [g]evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So (M)a man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens no longer exist,
[h]He will not awake nor be woken from [i]his sleep.
13 “Oh that You would hide me in [j]Sheol,
That You would conceal me (N)until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my relief comes.
15 You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for (O)the work of Your hands.
16 For now You (P)number my steps,
You do not (Q)observe my sin.
17 My wrongdoing is (R)sealed up in a bag,
And You cover over my [k]guilt.
18 “But the falling mountain [l]crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
19 Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You (S)destroy a man’s hope.
20 You forever overpower him and he (T)departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons achieve honor, but (U)he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, and he does not perceive it.
22 However, his [m]body pains him,
And his soul mourns for himself.”
Eliphaz Says Job Presumes Much
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
2 “Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge,
(V)And fill [n]himself with the east wind?
3 Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which do not benefit?
4 Indeed, you do away with [o]reverence,
And hinder meditation before God.
5 For (W)your wrongdoing teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of (X)the cunning.
6 Your (Y)own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.
7 “Were you the first person to be born,
Or (Z)were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Do you hear the (AA)secret discussion of God,
And limit wisdom to yourself?
9 (AB)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that [p]we do not?
10 Both the (AC)gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Older than your father.
11 Are (AD)the consolations of God too little for you,
Or the (AE)word spoken gently to you?
12 Why does your (AF)heart take you away?
And why do your eyes wink,
13 That you can turn your spirit against God
And produce such words from your mouth?
14 What is man, that (AG)he would be pure,
Or (AH)he who is born of a woman, that he would be righteous?
15 Behold, He has no trust in His (AI)holy ones,
And the (AJ)heavens are not pure in His sight;
16 How much less one who is (AK)detestable and corrupt:
A person who (AL)drinks [q]malice 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 people have told,
And have not concealed from (AM)their fathers,
19 To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them.
20 The wicked person writhes (AN)in pain all his days,
And the [r]years (AO)reserved for the ruthless are numbered.
21 [s]Sounds of (AP)terror are in his ears;
(AQ)While he is at peace the destroyer comes upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will (AR)return from darkness,
And he is destined for (AS)the sword.
23 He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of (AT)darkness is [t]at hand.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
25 Because he has reached out with his hand against God,
And is (AU)arrogant toward [u]the Almighty.
26 He rushes [v]headlong at Him
With his [w]massive shield.
27 For he has (AV)covered his face with his fat,
And [x]put fat on his waist.
28 He has (AW)lived in desolate cities,
In houses no one would inhabit,
Which are destined to become [y]ruins.
29 He (AX)will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his property will not stretch out on the earth.
30 He will (AY)not [z]escape from darkness;
The (AZ)flame will dry up his shoot,
And he will go away by (BA)the breath of His mouth.
31 Let him not (BB)trust in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For his [aa]reward will be emptiness.
32 It will be accomplished (BC)before his time,
And his palm (BD)branch will not be green.
33 He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine,
And will (BE)cast off his flower like the olive tree.
34 For the company of (BF)the godless is barren,
And fire consumes (BG)the tents of [ab]the corrupt.
35 They (BH)conceive [ac]harm and give birth to wrongdoing,
And their [ad]mind prepares deception.”
Job Says Friends Are Miserable Comforters
16 Then Job responded,
2 “I have heard many things like these;
[ae](BI)Miserable comforters are you all!
3 Is there no end to (BJ)windy words?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I too could speak like you,
If only [af]I were in your place.
I could compose words against you
And (BK)shake my head at you.
5 Or I could strengthen you with my mouth,
And the condolence of my lips could lessen your pain.
Job Says God Shattered Him
6 “If I speak, (BL)my pain is not lessened,
And if I refrain, what pain leaves me?
7 But now He has (BM)exhausted me;
You have laid (BN)waste all my group of loved ones.
8 And you have shriveled me up,
[ag](BO)It has become a witness;
And my (BP)infirmity rises up against me,
It testifies to my face.
9 His anger has (BQ)torn me and [ah]hunted me down,
He has (BR)gnashed at me with His teeth;
My (BS)enemy [ai]glares at me.
10 They have (BT)gaped at me with their mouths,
They have [aj](BU)slapped me on the cheek with contempt;
They have (BV)massed themselves against me.
11 God hands me over to criminals,
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but (BW)He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by my neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His (BX)target.
13 His (BY)arrows surround me.
He splits my kidneys open without mercy;
He pours out (BZ)my bile on the ground.
14 He (CA)breaks through me with breach after breach;
He (CB)runs at me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed (CC)sackcloth over my skin,
And (CD)thrust my horn in the dust.
16 My face is flushed from (CE)weeping,
(CF)And deep darkness is on my eyelids,
17 Although there is no (CG)violence in my hands,
And (CH)my prayer is pure.
18 “Earth, do not cover my blood,
And may there be no resting place for my cry.
19 Even now, behold, (CI)my witness is in heaven,
And my [ak]advocate is (CJ)on high.
20 My friends are my scoffers;
(CK)My eye weeps to God,
21 That one might plead for a man with God
As a son of man with his neighbor!
22 For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way (CL)of no return.
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