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Bildad Speaks: How Can a Mortal Be Righteous Before God?

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:

“Dominion and fear are with God;[a]
    he makes peace in his high heaven.
Is there any number to his armies?
    Upon whom does his light not arise?
How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?
If even the moon is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his sight,
how much less a mortal, who is a maggot,
    and a human being, who is a worm!”

Job Replies: God’s Majesty Is Unsearchable

26 Then Job answered:

“How you have helped one who has no power!
    How you have assisted the arm that has no strength!
How you have counseled one who has no wisdom,
    and given much good advice!
With whose help have you uttered words,
    and whose spirit has come forth from you?
The shades below tremble,
    the waters and their inhabitants.
Sheol is naked before God,
    and Abaddon has no covering.
He stretches out Zaphon[b] over the void,
    and hangs the earth upon nothing.
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not torn open by them.
He covers the face of the full moon,
    and spreads over it his cloud.
10 He has described a circle on the face of the waters,
    at the boundary between light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
    and are astounded at his rebuke.
12 By his power he stilled the Sea;
    by his understanding he struck down Rahab.
13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
    his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
14 These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways;
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Job Maintains His Integrity

27 Job again took up his discourse and said:

“As God lives, who has taken away my right,
    and the Almighty,[c] who has made my soul bitter,
as long as my breath is in me
    and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
my lips will not speak falsehood,
    and my tongue will not utter deceit.
Far be it from me to say that you are right;
    until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go;
    my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

“May my enemy be like the wicked,
    and may my opponent be like the unrighteous.
For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off,
    when God takes away their lives?
Will God hear their cry
    when trouble comes upon them?
10 Will they take delight in the Almighty?[d]
    Will they call upon God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
    that which is with the Almighty[e] I will not conceal.
12 All of you have seen it yourselves;
    why then have you become altogether vain?

13 “This is the portion of the wicked with God,
    and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:[f]
14 If their children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
    and their offspring have not enough to eat.
15 Those who survive them the pestilence buries,
    and their widows make no lamentation.
16 Though they heap up silver like dust,
    and pile up clothing like clay—
17 they may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
    and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 They build their houses like nests,
    like booths made by sentinels of the vineyard.
19 They go to bed with wealth, but will do so no more;
    they open their eyes, and it is gone.
20 Terrors overtake them like a flood;
    in the night a whirlwind carries them off.
21 The east wind lifts them up and they are gone;
    it sweeps them out of their place.
22 It[g] hurls at them without pity;
    they flee from its[h] power in headlong flight.
23 It[i] claps its[j] hands at them,
    and hisses at them from its[k] place.

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
    and a place for gold to be refined.
Iron is taken out of the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.
Miners put[l] an end to darkness,
    and search out to the farthest bound
    the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
They open shafts in a valley away from human habitation;
    they are forgotten by travelers,
    they sway suspended, remote from people.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread;
    but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
Its stones are the place of sapphires,[m]
    and its dust contains gold.

“That path no bird of prey knows,
    and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.
The proud wild animals have not trodden it;
    the lion has not passed over it.

“They put their hand to the flinty rock,
    and overturn mountains by the roots.
10 They cut out channels in the rocks,
    and their eyes see every precious thing.
11 The sources of the rivers they probe;[n]
    hidden things they bring to light.

12 “But where shall wisdom be found?
    And where is the place of understanding?
13 Mortals do not know the way to it,[o]
    and it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be gotten for gold,
    and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
    in precious onyx or sapphire.[p]
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
    nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
    the price of wisdom is above pearls.
19 The chrysolite of Ethiopia[q] cannot compare with it,
    nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 “Where then does wisdom come from?
    And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
    and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say,
    ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

23 “God understands the way to it,
    and he knows its place.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth,
    and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he gave to the wind its weight,
    and apportioned out the waters by measure;
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
    and a way for the thunderbolt;
27 then he saw it and declared it;
    he established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said to humankind,
‘Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
    and to depart from evil is understanding.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 25:2 Heb him
  2. Job 26:7 Or the North
  3. Job 27:2 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  4. Job 27:10 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  5. Job 27:11 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  6. Job 27:13 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  7. Job 27:22 Or He (that is God)
  8. Job 27:22 Or his
  9. Job 27:23 Or He (that is God)
  10. Job 27:23 Or his
  11. Job 27:23 Or his
  12. Job 28:3 Heb He puts
  13. Job 28:6 Or lapis lazuli
  14. Job 28:11 Gk Vg: Heb bind
  15. Job 28:13 Gk: Heb its price
  16. Job 28:16 Or lapis lazuli
  17. Job 28:19 Or Nubia; Heb Cush

Bildad

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite(A) replied:

“Dominion and awe belong to God;(B)
    he establishes order in the heights of heaven.(C)
Can his forces be numbered?
    On whom does his light not rise?(D)
How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?(E)
If even the moon(F) is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes,(G)
how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
    a human being,(H) who is only a worm!”(I)

Job

26 Then Job replied:

“How you have helped the powerless!(J)
    How you have saved the arm that is feeble!(K)
What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
    And what great insight(L) you have displayed!
Who has helped you utter these words?
    And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?(M)

“The dead are in deep anguish,(N)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
The realm of the dead(O) is naked before God;
    Destruction[a](P) lies uncovered.(Q)
He spreads out the northern skies(R) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.(S)
He wraps up the waters(T) in his clouds,(U)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds(V) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(W)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.(X)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(Y)
    aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(Z)
    by his wisdom(AA) he cut Rahab(AB) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(AC) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(AD)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper(AE) we hear of him!(AF)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(AG)

Job’s Final Word to His Friends

27 And Job continued his discourse:(AH)

“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(AI)
    the Almighty,(AJ) who has made my life bitter,(AK)
as long as I have life within me,
    the breath of God(AL) in my nostrils,
my lips will not say anything wicked,
    and my tongue will not utter lies.(AM)
I will never admit you are in the right;
    till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(AN)
I will maintain my innocence(AO) and never let go of it;
    my conscience(AP) will not reproach me as long as I live.(AQ)

“May my enemy be like the wicked,(AR)
    my adversary(AS) like the unjust!
For what hope have the godless(AT) when they are cut off,
    when God takes away their life?(AU)
Does God listen to their cry
    when distress comes upon them?(AV)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(AW)
    Will they call on God at all times?

11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
    the ways(AX) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(AY)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
    Why then this meaningless talk?

13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
    the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(AZ)
14 However many his children,(BA) their fate is the sword;(BB)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.(BC)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.(BD)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(BE)
    and clothes like piles of clay,(BF)
17 what he lays up(BG) the righteous will wear,(BH)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.(BI)
18 The house(BJ) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(BK)
    like a hut(BL) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(BM)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(BN)
20 Terrors(BO) overtake him like a flood;(BP)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.(BQ)
21 The east wind(BR) carries him off, and he is gone;(BS)
    it sweeps him out of his place.(BT)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(BU)
    as he flees headlong(BV) from its power.(BW)
23 It claps its hands(BX) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”(BY)

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 There is a mine for silver
    and a place where gold is refined.(BZ)
Iron is taken from the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.(CA)
Mortals put an end to the darkness;(CB)
    they search out the farthest recesses
    for ore in the blackest darkness.(CC)
Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(CD)
    in places untouched by human feet;
    far from other people they dangle and sway.
The earth, from which food comes,(CE)
    is transformed below as by fire;
lapis lazuli(CF) comes from its rocks,
    and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(CG)
No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
    no falcon’s eye has seen it.(CH)
Proud beasts(CI) do not set foot on it,
    and no lion prowls there.(CJ)
People assault the flinty rock(CK) with their hands
    and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(CL)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(CM)
    their eyes see all its treasures.(CN)
11 They search[b] the sources of the rivers(CO)
    and bring hidden things(CP) to light.

12 But where can wisdom be found?(CQ)
    Where does understanding dwell?(CR)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(CS)
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.(CT)
14 The deep(CU) says, “It is not in me”;
    the sea(CV) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(CW)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(CX)
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(CY)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(CZ)
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(DA)
18 Coral(DB) and jasper(DC) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(DD)
19 The topaz(DE) of Cush(DF) cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold.(DG)

20 Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?(DH)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.(DI)
22 Destruction[c](DJ) and Death(DK) say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
    and he alone(DL) knows where it dwells,(DM)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(DN)
    and sees everything under the heavens.(DO)
25 When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,(DP)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(DQ)
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(DR)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.(DS)
28 And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil(DT) is understanding.”(DU)

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon
  2. Job 28:11 Septuagint, Aquila and Vulgate; Hebrew They dam up
  3. Job 28:22 Hebrew Abaddon

The Work of Wisdom from Adam to Moses

10 Wisdom[a] protected the first-formed father of the world, when he alone had been created;
she delivered him from his transgression,
and gave him strength to rule all things.
But when an unrighteous man departed from her in his anger,
he perished because in rage he killed his brother.
When the earth was flooded because of him, wisdom again saved it,
steering the righteous man by a paltry piece of wood.

Wisdom[b] also, when the nations in wicked agreement had been put to confusion,
recognized the righteous man and preserved him blameless before God,
and kept him strong in the face of his compassion for his child.

Wisdom[c] rescued a righteous man when the ungodly were perishing;
he escaped the fire that descended on the Five Cities.[d]
Evidence of their wickedness still remains:
a continually smoking wasteland,
plants bearing fruit that does not ripen,
and a pillar of salt standing as a monument to an unbelieving soul.
For because they passed wisdom by,
they not only were hindered from recognizing the good,
but also left for humankind a reminder of their folly,
so that their failures could never go unnoticed.

Wisdom rescued from troubles those who served her.
10 When a righteous man fled from his brother’s wrath,
she guided him on straight paths;
she showed him the kingdom of God,
and gave him knowledge of holy things;
she prospered him in his labors,
and increased the fruit of his toil.
11 When his oppressors were covetous,
she stood by him and made him rich.
12 She protected him from his enemies,
and kept him safe from those who lay in wait for him;
in his arduous contest she gave him the victory,
so that he might learn that godliness is more powerful than anything else.

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Footnotes

  1. Wisdom 10:1 Gk She
  2. Wisdom 10:5 Gk She
  3. Wisdom 10:6 Gk She
  4. Wisdom 10:6 Or on Pentapolis
'Wisdom 10:1-12' not found for the version: New International Version.

The Dispute about Greatness

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stood by me in my trials; 29 and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31 “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded[a] to sift all of you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” 34 Jesus[b] said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.”

Purse, Bag, and Sword

35 He said to them, “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “No, not a thing.” 36 He said to them, “But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted among the lawless’; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.” 38 They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” He replied, “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”[c] 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” [[43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]][d] 45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 22:31 Or has obtained permission
  2. Luke 22:34 Gk He
  3. Luke 22:40 Or into temptation
  4. Luke 22:44 Other ancient authorities lack verses 43 and 44
  5. Luke 22:46 Or into temptation

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.(A) 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest,(B) and the one who rules like the one who serves.(C) 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.(D) 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom,(E) just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom(F) and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.(G)

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked(H) to sift all of you as wheat.(I) 32 But I have prayed for you,(J) Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”(K)

33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”(L)

34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals,(M) did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[a];(N) and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives(O)

39 Jesus went out as usual(P) to the Mount of Olives,(Q) and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”(R) 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down(S) and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup(T) from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”(U) 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.(V) 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[b]

45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 22:37 Isaiah 53:12
  2. Luke 22:44 Many early manuscripts do not have verses 43 and 44.