Job Continues: A Plea to God

10 “I (A)loathe my life;
I will give free utterance to my (B)complaint;
    I will speak in (C)the bitterness of my soul.
I will say to God, Do not (D)condemn me;
    let me know why you (E)contend against me.
(F)Does it seem good to you to oppress,
    to despise (G)the work of your hands
    (H)and favor the designs of the wicked?
Have you (I)eyes of flesh?
    (J)Do you see as man sees?
Are your days as the days of man,
    or your (K)years as a man's years,
that you (L)seek out my iniquity
    and search for my sin,
although you (M)know that I am not guilty,
    and there is (N)none to deliver out of your hand?
(O)Your hands fashioned and made me,
    and now you have destroyed me altogether.
Remember that you have made me like (P)clay;
    and will you return me to the (Q)dust?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
    and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and steadfast love,
    and your care has preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things you hid in your heart;
    I know that (R)this was your purpose.
14 If I sin, you (S)watch me
    and do not (T)acquit me of my iniquity.
15 (U)If I am guilty, woe to me!
    If I am (V)in the right, I cannot lift up my head,
for I am filled with disgrace
    and (W)look on my affliction.
16 And were my head lifted up,[a] you would hunt me like (X)a lion
    and again work (Y)wonders against me.
17 You renew your (Z)witnesses against me
    and increase your vexation toward me;
    you (AA)bring fresh troops against me.

18 (AB)“Why did you bring me out from the womb?
    Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
19 (AC)and were as though I had not been,
    carried from the womb to the grave.
20 (AD)Are not my days few?
    (AE)Then cease, and leave me alone, (AF)that I may find a little cheer
21 before I go—and (AG)I shall not return—
    to the land of (AH)darkness and (AI)deep shadow,
22 the land of gloom like thick darkness,
    like deep shadow without any order,
    where light is as thick darkness.”

Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse

11 Then (AJ)Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

“Should (AK)a multitude of words go unanswered,
    and a man full of talk be judged right?
Should your babble silence men,
    and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
For (AL)you say, ‘My (AM)doctrine is pure,
    and I am clean in God's[b] eyes.’
But oh, that God would speak
    and open his lips to you,
and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
    For he is manifold in (AN)understanding.[c]
Know then that God (AO)exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

(AP)“Can you find out the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is (AQ)higher than heaven[d]—what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
10 If he (AR)passes through and (AS)imprisons
    and summons the court, who can (AT)turn him back?
11 For he knows (AU)worthless men;
    when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
12 But a stupid man will get understanding
    when (AV)a wild donkey's colt is (AW)born a man!

13 “If you (AX)prepare your heart,
    you will (AY)stretch out your hands toward him.
14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
    and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
15 Surely then you will (AZ)lift up your face without (BA)blemish;
    you will be secure and will not fear.
16 You will (BB)forget your misery;
    you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17 And your life will be (BC)brighter than the noonday;
    its darkness will be like the morning.
18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
    you will look around and (BD)take your rest in security.
19 You will (BE)lie down, and none will make you afraid;
    many will (BF)court your favor.
20 But (BG)the eyes of the wicked will fail;
    all way of escape will be lost to them,
    and their hope is (BH)to breathe their last.”

Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This

12 Then Job answered and said:

“No doubt you are the people,
    and wisdom will die with you.
But I have (BI)understanding as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know (BJ)such things as these?
I am (BK)a laughingstock to my friends;
    I, who (BL)called to God and he answered me,
    a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
In the thought of one who is (BM)at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
    it is ready for those whose feet slip.
(BN)The tents of robbers are at peace,
    and those who provoke God are secure,
    who bring their god in their hand.[e]

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;[f]
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
    that (BO)the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In (BP)his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not (BQ)the ear test words
    as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is with (BR)the aged,
    and understanding in length of days.

13 (BS)“With God[g] are wisdom and might;
    he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
    if he (BT)shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If he (BU)withholds the waters, they dry up;
    if he (BV)sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and (BW)sound wisdom;
    the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads (BX)counselors away stripped,
    and (BY)judges he makes fools.
18 He (BZ)looses the bonds of kings
    and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
19 He leads priests away stripped
    and overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
    (CA)and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He (CB)pours contempt on princes
    and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He (CC)uncovers the deeps out of darkness
    and brings (CD)deep darkness to light.
23 He (CE)makes nations great, and he destroys them;
    he enlarges nations, and (CF)leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
    and (CG)makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They (CH)grope in the dark without light,
    and he makes them (CI)stagger like a drunken man.

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:16 Hebrew lacks my head
  2. Job 11:4 Hebrew your
  3. Job 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  4. Job 11:8 Hebrew The heights of heaven
  5. Job 12:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  6. Job 12:8 Or or speak to the earth, and it will teach you
  7. Job 12:13 Hebrew him

10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(K)
though you know that I am not guilty(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)

“Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
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(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
    and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
    Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)

Zophar

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite(AT) replied:

“Are all these words to go unanswered?(AU)
    Is this talker to be vindicated?(AV)
Will your idle talk(AW) reduce others to silence?
    Will no one rebuke you when you mock?(AX)
You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless(AY)
    and I am pure(AZ) in your sight.’
Oh, how I wish that God would speak,(BA)
    that he would open his lips against you
and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,(BB)
    for true wisdom has two sides.
    Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.(BC)

“Can you fathom(BD) the mysteries of God?
    Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
They are higher(BE) than the heavens(BF) above—what can you do?
    They are deeper than the depths below(BG)—what can you know?(BH)
Their measure(BI) is longer than the earth
    and wider than the sea.(BJ)

10 “If he comes along and confines you in prison
    and convenes a court, who can oppose him?(BK)
11 Surely he recognizes deceivers;
    and when he sees evil, does he not take note?(BL)
12 But the witless can no more become wise
    than a wild donkey’s colt(BM) can be born human.[b](BN)

13 “Yet if you devote your heart(BO) to him
    and stretch out your hands(BP) to him,(BQ)
14 if you put away(BR) the sin that is in your hand
    and allow no evil(BS) to dwell in your tent,(BT)
15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;(BU)
    you will stand firm(BV) and without fear.(BW)
16 You will surely forget your trouble,(BX)
    recalling it only as waters gone by.(BY)
17 Life will be brighter than noonday,(BZ)
    and darkness will become like morning.(CA)
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
    you will look about you and take your rest(CB) in safety.(CC)
19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,(CD)
    and many will court your favor.(CE)
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,(CF)
    and escape will elude them;(CG)
    their hope will become a dying gasp.”(CH)

Job

12 Then Job replied:

“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
    and wisdom will die with you!(CI)
But I have a mind as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know all these things?(CJ)

“I have become a laughingstock(CK) to my friends,(CL)
    though I called on God and he answered(CM)
    a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!(CN)
Those who are at ease have contempt(CO) for misfortune
    as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(CP)
The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(CQ)
    and those who provoke God are secure(CR)
    those God has in his hand.[c]

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(CS)
    or the birds in the sky,(CT) and they will tell you;(CU)
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know(CV)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?(CW)
10 In his hand is the life(CX) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.(CY)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?(CZ)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(DA)
    Does not long life bring understanding?(DB)

13 “To God belong wisdom(DC) and power;(DD)
    counsel and understanding are his.(DE)
14 What he tears down(DF) cannot be rebuilt;(DG)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.(DH)
15 If he holds back the waters,(DI) there is drought;(DJ)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(DK)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(DL)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.(DM)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(DN)
    and makes fools of judges.(DO)
18 He takes off the shackles(DP) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth[d] around their waist.(DQ)
19 He leads priests away stripped(DR)
    and overthrows officials long established.(DS)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.(DT)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(DU)
    and disarms the mighty.(DV)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(DW)
    and brings utter darkness(DX) into the light.(DY)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(DZ)
    he enlarges nations,(EA) and disperses them.(EB)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(EC)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(ED)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(EE)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.(EF)

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:15 Or and aware of
  2. Job 11:12 Or wild donkey can be born tame
  3. Job 12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
  4. Job 12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt