The Lord Answers Job

38 Then the Lord (A)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

“Who is this that (B)darkens counsel by words (C)without knowledge?
(D)Dress for action[a] like a man;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.

“Where were you when I (E)laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars (F)sang together
    and all (G)the sons of God (H)shouted for joy?

“Or who (I)shut in the sea with doors
    when it burst out from the womb,
when I made clouds its garment
    and (J)thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 and prescribed (K)limits for it
    and set bars and doors,
11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
    and here shall your (L)proud waves be stayed’?

12 “Have you (M)commanded the morning since your days began,
    and caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that it might take hold of (N)the skirts of the earth,
    and the wicked be (O)shaken out of it?
14 It is changed like clay under the seal,
    and its features stand out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their (P)light is withheld,
    and (Q)their uplifted arm is broken.

16 “Have you (R)entered into the springs of the sea,
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have (S)the gates of death been revealed to you,
    or have you seen the gates of (T)deep darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
    Declare, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
    and where is the place of darkness,
20 that you may take it to its territory
    and that you may discern (U)the paths to its home?
21 You know, for (V)you were born then,
    and the number of your days is great!

22 “Have you entered (W)the storehouses of the snow,
    or have you seen (X)the storehouses of the hail,
23 which I have reserved (Y)for the time of trouble,
    (Z)for the day of battle and war?
24 What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
    or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

25 “Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
    and (AA)a way for the thunderbolt,
26 to bring rain on (AB)a land where no man is,
    on (AC)the desert in which there is no man,
27 to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
    and to make the ground sprout with (AD)grass?

28 “Has (AE)the rain a father,
    or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb did (AF)the ice come forth,
    and who has given birth to (AG)the frost of heaven?
30 The waters become hard like stone,
    and the face of the deep is (AH)frozen.

31 “Can you bind the chains of (AI)the Pleiades
    or loose the cords of (AJ)Orion?
32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth[b] in their season,
    or can you guide (AK)the Bear with its children?
33 Do you know (AL)the ordinances of the heavens?
    Can you establish their rule on the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
    that (AM)a flood of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
    and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has (AN)put wisdom in (AO)the inward parts[c]
    or given understanding to the mind?[d]
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
    Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38 when the dust runs into a mass
    and (AP)the clods stick fast together?

39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
    or (AQ)satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 when they crouch in their (AR)dens
    or lie in wait (AS)in their thicket?
41 Who provides for (AT)the raven its prey,
    when its young ones cry to God for help,
    and wander about for lack of food?

39 “Do you know when (AU)the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you observe (AV)the calving of the does?
Can you number the months that they fulfill,
    and do you know the time when they give birth,
when they (AW)crouch, bring forth their offspring,
    and are delivered of their young?
Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
    they go out and (AX)do not return to them.

“Who has let the wild donkey go free?
    Who has (AY)loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
to whom I have given (AZ)the arid plain for his home
    and (BA)the salt land for his dwelling place?
He scorns the tumult of the city;
    he hears not the shouts of the driver.
He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
    and he searches after every green thing.

“Is (BB)the wild ox willing to serve you?
    Will he spend the night at your (BC)manger?
10 Can you bind (BD)him in the furrow with ropes,
    or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11 Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
    and will you leave to him your labor?
12 Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
    and gather it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
    but are they the pinions and plumage of love?[e]
14 For she leaves her eggs to the earth
    and lets them be warmed on the ground,
15 forgetting that a foot may crush them
    and that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She (BE)deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
    though her (BF)labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
17 because God has made her forget wisdom
    and (BG)given her no share in understanding.
18 When she rouses herself to flee,[f]
    she laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 “Do you give the horse his might?
    Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him leap like the locust?
    His majestic (BH)snorting is terrifying.
21 He paws[g] in the valley and exults in his strength;
    he (BI)goes out to meet the weapons.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
    he does not turn back from the sword.
23 Upon him rattle the quiver,
    the flashing spear, and the javelin.
24 With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
    he cannot stand still at (BJ)the sound of the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’
    He smells the battle from afar,
    the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
    and spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
    and makes his (BK)nest on high?
28 On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
    on (BL)the rocky crag and stronghold.
29 From there he spies out the prey;
    his eyes behold it from far away.
30 His young ones suck up blood,
    and (BM)where the slain are, there is he.”

40 And the Lord (BN)said to Job:

“Shall a faultfinder (BO)contend with the Almighty?
    He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

Job Promises Silence

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“Behold, I am (BP)of small account; what shall I answer you?
    (BQ)I lay my hand on my mouth.
I have spoken (BR)once, and I will not answer;
    (BS)twice, but I will proceed no further.”

The Lord Challenges Job

Then the Lord (BT)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

(BU)“Dress for action[h] like a man;
    (BV)I will question you, and you make it known to me.
Will you even put me in the wrong?
    Will you condemn me that (BW)you may be in the right?
Have you (BX)an arm like God,
    and can you thunder with (BY)a voice like his?

10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
    (BZ)clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
    and look on everyone who is (CA)proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
    and (CB)tread down the wicked (CC)where they stand.
13 (CD)Hide them all in (CE)the dust together;
    bind their faces in the world below.[i]
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
    that your own (CF)right hand can save you.

15 “Behold, Behemoth,[j]
    which I made as I made you;
    he eats (CG)grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins,
    and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
    the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
    his limbs like bars of iron.

19 “He is (CH)the first of (CI)the works[k] of God;
    let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him
    where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
    in the shelter of (CJ)the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
    the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
    he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes,[l]
    or pierce his nose with a snare?

41 [m] “Can you draw out (CK)Leviathan[n] with a fishhook
    or press down his tongue with a cord?
Can you put (CL)a rope in his nose
    or pierce his jaw with (CM)a hook?
Will he make many pleas to you?
    Will he speak to you soft words?
Will he make a covenant with you
    to take him for (CN)your servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
    or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
Will traders bargain over him?
    Will they divide him up among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons
    or his head with fishing spears?
Lay your hands on him;
    remember the battle—you will not do it again!
[o] Behold, the hope of a man is false;
    he is laid low even at the sight of him.
10 No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
    Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 (CO)Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
    (CP)Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
    or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment?
    Who would come near him with a bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face?
    Around his teeth is terror.
15 His back is made of[p] rows of shields,
    shut up closely as with a seal.
16 One is so near to another
    that no air can come between them.
17 They are (CQ)joined one to another;
    they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
    and his eyes are like (CR)the eyelids of the dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go flaming torches;
    sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,
    as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath (CS)kindles coals,
    and a flame comes forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck abides strength,
    and terror dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh (CT)stick together,
    firmly cast on him and immovable.
24 His heart is hard as a stone,
    hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty[q] are afraid;
    at the crashing they are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,
    nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 He counts iron as straw,
    and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
    for him, sling stones are turned to stubble.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble;
    he laughs at the rattle of javelins.
30 His underparts are like sharp (CU)potsherds;
    he spreads himself like (CV)a threshing sledge on the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
    he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Behind him he leaves a shining wake;
    one would think the deep to be white-haired.
33 (CW)On earth there is not his like,
    a creature without fear.
34 He sees everything that is high;
    he is king over all the (CX)sons of pride.”

Job's Confession and Repentance

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“I know that you can (CY)do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
(CZ)‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things (DA)too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
    (DB)I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
    and repent[r] in (DC)dust and ashes.”

The Lord Rebukes Job's Friends

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz (DD)the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take (DE)seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and (DF)offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall (DG)pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (DH)So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.

The Lord Restores Job's Fortunes

10 And the Lord (DI)restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job (DJ)twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his (DK)brothers and sisters and all who had (DL)known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they (DM)showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil[s] that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him (DN)a piece of money[t] and (DO)a ring of gold.

12 And the Lord blessed (DP)the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had (DQ)14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also (DR)seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance (DS)among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and (DT)saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and (DU)full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:3 Hebrew Gird up your loins
  2. Job 38:32 Probably the name of a constellation
  3. Job 38:36 Or in the ibis
  4. Job 38:36 Or rooster
  5. Job 39:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  6. Job 39:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  7. Job 39:21 Hebrew They paw
  8. Job 40:7 Hebrew Gird up your loins
  9. Job 40:13 Hebrew in the hidden place
  10. Job 40:15 A large animal, exact identity unknown
  11. Job 40:19 Hebrew ways
  12. Job 40:24 Or in his sight
  13. Job 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Hebrew
  14. Job 41:1 A large sea animal, exact identity unknown
  15. Job 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Hebrew
  16. Job 41:15 Or His pride is in his
  17. Job 41:25 Or gods
  18. Job 42:6 Or and am comforted
  19. Job 42:11 Or disaster
  20. Job 42:11 Hebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(A) out of the storm.(B) He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans(C)
    with words without knowledge?(D)
Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(E)

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.(G)
Who marked off its dimensions?(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line(I) across it?
On what were its footings set,(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone(K)
while the morning stars(L) sang together(M)
    and all the angels[a](N) shouted for joy?(O)

“Who shut up the sea behind doors(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,(Q)
when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,(R)
10 when I fixed limits for it(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,(T)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?(V)

12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,(X)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked(Y) out of it?(Z)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.(AC)

16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?(AD)
17 Have the gates of death(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?(AF)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.(AH)

19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?(AI)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths(AJ) to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!(AK)
    You have lived so many years!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow(AL)
    or seen the storehouses(AM) of the hail,(AN)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,(AO)
    for days of war and battle?(AP)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,(AQ)
    or the place where the east winds(AR) are scattered over the earth?(AS)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(AT)
26 to water(AU) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,(AV)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?(AW)
28 Does the rain have a father?(AX)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens(AY)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?(AZ)

31 “Can you bind the chains[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(BA)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(BB) in their seasons[c]
    or lead out the Bear[d] with its cubs?(BC)
33 Do you know the laws(BD) of the heavens?(BE)
    Can you set up God’s[e] dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?(BF)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(BG)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[f](BH)
    or gives the rooster understanding?[g](BI)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars(BJ) of the heavens(BK)
38 when the dust becomes hard(BL)
    and the clods of earth stick together?(BM)

39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions(BN)
40 when they crouch in their dens(BO)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?(BP)
41 Who provides food(BQ) for the raven(BR)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?(BS)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(BT) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(BU)
Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?(BV)
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

“Who let the wild donkey(BW) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
I gave it the wasteland(BX) as its home,
    the salt flats(BY) as its habitat.(BZ)
It laughs(CA) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.(CB)
It ranges the hills(CC) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

“Will the wild ox(CD) consent to serve you?(CE)
    Will it stay by your manger(CF) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(CG)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(CH)
    Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
    and bring it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.(CI)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.(CJ)
16 She treats her young harshly,(CK) as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.(CL)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs(CM) at horse and rider.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength(CN)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(CO)
    striking terror(CP) with its proud snorting?(CQ)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(CR)
    and charges into the fray.(CS)
22 It laughs(CT) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(CU) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear(CV) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(CW)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(CX) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(CY)

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?(CZ)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?(DA)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag(DB) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(DC)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”(DD)

40 The Lord said to Job:(DE)

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty(DF) correct him?(DG)
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”(DH)

Then Job answered the Lord:

“I am unworthy(DI)—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.(DJ)
I spoke once, but I have no answer(DK)
    twice, but I will say no more.”(DL)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(DM)

“Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(DN)

“Would you discredit my justice?(DO)
    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(DP)
Do you have an arm like God’s,(DQ)
    and can your voice(DR) thunder like his?(DS)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
    and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(DT)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(DU)
    look at all who are proud and bring them low,(DV)
12 look at all who are proud(DW) and humble them,(DX)
    crush(DY) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(DZ)
    shroud their faces in the grave.(EA)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
    that your own right hand can save you.(EB)

15 “Look at Behemoth,
    which I made(EC) along with you
    and which feeds on grass like an ox.(ED)
16 What strength(EE) it has in its loins,
    what power in the muscles of its belly!(EF)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(EG)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs(EH) like rods of iron.(EI)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(EJ)
    yet its Maker(EK) can approach it with his sword.(EL)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(EM)
    and all the wild animals play(EN) nearby.(EO)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
    hidden among the reeds(EP) in the marsh.(EQ)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
    the poplars by the stream(ER) surround it.
23 A raging river(ES) does not alarm it;
    it is secure, though the Jordan(ET) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
    or trap it and pierce its nose?(EU)

41 [h]“Can you pull in Leviathan(EV) with a fishhook(EW)
    or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose(EX)
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?(EY)
Will it keep begging you for mercy?(EZ)
    Will it speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
    for you to take it as your slave for life?(FA)
Can you make a pet of it like a bird
    or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
Will traders barter for it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its hide with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?(FB)
If you lay a hand on it,
    you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(FC)
Any hope of subduing it is false;
    the mere sight of it is overpowering.(FD)
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.(FE)
    Who then is able to stand against me?(FF)
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?(FG)
    Everything under heaven belongs to me.(FH)

12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,(FI)
    its strength(FJ) and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[i]?(FK)
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,(FL)
    ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[j] rows of shields
    tightly sealed together;(FM)
16 each is so close to the next
    that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
    they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.(FN)
19 Flames(FO) stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils(FP)
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath(FQ) sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.(FR)
22 Strength(FS) resides in its neck;
    dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
    they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
    hard as a lower millstone.(FT)
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;(FU)
    they retreat before its thrashing.(FV)
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.(FW)
27 Iron it treats like straw(FX)
    and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;(FY)
    slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;(FZ)
    it laughs(GA) at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
    leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(GB)
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron(GC)
    and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.(GD)
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
    one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal(GE)
    a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;(GF)
    it is king over all that are proud.(GG)

Job

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things;(GH)
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.(GI)
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’(GJ)
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.(GK)

“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’(GL)
My ears had heard of you(GM)
    but now my eyes have seen you.(GN)
Therefore I despise myself(GO)
    and repent(GP) in dust and ashes.”(GQ)

Epilogue

After the Lord had said these things to Job(GR), he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,(GS) because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.(GT) So now take seven bulls and seven rams(GU) and go to my servant Job(GV) and sacrifice a burnt offering(GW) for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer(GX) and not deal with you according to your folly.(GY) You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”(GZ) So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite(HA) did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.(HB)

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes(HC) and gave him twice as much as he had before.(HD) 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before(HE) came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him,(HF) and each one gave him a piece of silver[k] and a gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.(HG)

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
  2. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  3. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  4. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  5. Job 38:33 Or their
  6. Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
  7. Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  8. Job 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-8 is numbered 40:25-32, and 41:9-34 is numbered 41:1-26.
  9. Job 41:13 Septuagint; Hebrew double bridle
  10. Job 41:15 Or Its pride is its
  11. Job 42:11 Hebrew him a kesitah; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.

Born Again to a Living Hope

(A)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! (B)According to his great mercy, (C)he has caused us to be born again to a living hope (D)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to (E)an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and (F)unfading, (G)kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded (H)through faith for a salvation (I)ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by (J)various trials, so that (K)the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes (L)though it is tested by (M)fire—may be found to result in (N)praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (O)Though you have not seen him, you love him. (P)Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining (Q)the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!(A) In his great mercy(B) he has given us new birth(C) into a living hope(D) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,(E) and into an inheritance(F) that can never perish, spoil or fade.(G) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,(H) who through faith are shielded by God’s power(I) until the coming of the salvation(J) that is ready to be revealed(K) in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice,(L) though now for a little while(M) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.(N) These have come so that the proven genuineness(O) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire(P)—may result in praise, glory and honor(Q) when Jesus Christ is revealed.(R) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him(S) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.(T)

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