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Job 40-42
New King James Version
Job 40-42
New King James Version
God’s Power and Wisdom
40 Moreover the Lord (A)answered Job, and said:
2 “Shall (B)the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who (C)rebukes God, let him answer it.”
Job’s Response to God
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold,(D) I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
(E)I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
God’s Challenge to Job
6 (F)Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
8 “Would(I) you indeed [b]annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9 Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with (J)a voice like His?
10 (K)Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
11 Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is (L)proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14 Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
15 “Look now at the [c]behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the (M)ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains (N)yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23 Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
God’s Power in the Leviathan
41 “Can you draw out (O)Leviathan[d] with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
2 Can you (P)put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a [e]hook?
3 Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6 Will your companions [f]make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8 Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10 No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11 (Q)Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
(R)Everything under heaven is Mine.
12 “I will not [g]conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13 Who can [h]remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
15 His rows of [i]scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16 One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
17 They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Strength dwells in his neck,
And [j]sorrow dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they [k]are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
27 He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29 Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
33 On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
34 He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”
Job’s Repentance and Restoration
42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 “I know that You (S)can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, (T)‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
(U)Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, (V)‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have (W)heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I (X)abhor[l] myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
7 And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves (Y)seven bulls and seven rams, (Z)go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall (AA)pray for you. For I will accept [m]him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had [n]accepted Job. 10 (AB)And the Lord [o]restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job (AC)twice as much as he had before. 11 Then (AD)all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.
12 Now the Lord blessed (AE)the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had (AF)fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 (AG)He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first [p]Jemimah, the name of the second [q]Keziah, and the name of the third [r]Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
16 After this Job (AH)lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and (AI)full of days.
Footnotes
- Job 40:7 Lit. gird up your loins
- Job 40:8 nullify
- Job 40:15 A large animal, exact identity unknown
- Job 41:1 A large sea creature, exact identity unknown
- Job 41:2 thorn
- Job 41:6 Or bargain over him
- Job 41:12 Lit. keep silent about
- Job 41:13 Lit. take off the face of his garment
- Job 41:15 Lit. shields
- Job 41:22 despair
- Job 41:25 Or purify themselves
- Job 42:6 despise
- Job 42:8 Lit. his face
- Job 42:9 Lit. lifted up the face of Job
- Job 42:10 Lit. turned the captivity of Job, what was captured from Job
- Job 42:14 Lit. Handsome as the Day
- Job 42:14 Cassia, a fragrance
- Job 42:14 Lit. The Horn of Color or The Colorful Ray
Job 40-42
New International Version
Job 40-42
New International Version
40 The Lord said to Job:(A)
2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty(B) correct him?(C)
Let him who accuses God answer him!”(D)
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am unworthy(E)—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.(F)
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer(G)—
twice, but I will say no more.”(H)
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(I)
7 “Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.(J)
8 “Would you discredit my justice?(K)
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(L)
9 Do you have an arm like God’s,(M)
and can your voice(N) thunder like his?(O)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(P)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(Q)
look at all who are proud and bring them low,(R)
12 look at all who are proud(S) and humble them,(T)
crush(U) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(V)
shroud their faces in the grave.(W)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.(X)
15 “Look at Behemoth,
which I made(Y) along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.(Z)
16 What strength(AA) it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!(AB)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(AC)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs(AD) like rods of iron.(AE)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(AF)
yet its Maker(AG) can approach it with his sword.(AH)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(AI)
and all the wild animals play(AJ) nearby.(AK)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
hidden among the reeds(AL) in the marsh.(AM)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream(AN) surround it.
23 A raging river(AO) does not alarm it;
it is secure, though the Jordan(AP) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
or trap it and pierce its nose?(AQ)
41 [a]“Can you pull in Leviathan(AR) with a fishhook(AS)
or tie down its tongue with a rope?
2 Can you put a cord through its nose(AT)
or pierce its jaw with a hook?(AU)
3 Will it keep begging you for mercy?(AV)
Will it speak to you with gentle words?
4 Will it make an agreement with you
for you to take it as your slave for life?(AW)
5 Can you make a pet of it like a bird
or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
6 Will traders barter for it?
Will they divide it up among the merchants?
7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons
or its head with fishing spears?(AX)
8 If you lay a hand on it,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(AY)
9 Any hope of subduing it is false;
the mere sight of it is overpowering.(AZ)
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.(BA)
Who then is able to stand against me?(BB)
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?(BC)
Everything under heaven belongs to me.(BD)
12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,(BE)
its strength(BF) and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[b]?(BG)
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,(BH)
ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[c] rows of shields
tightly sealed together;(BI)
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.(BJ)
19 Flames(BK) stream from its mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils(BL)
as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath(BM) sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from its mouth.(BN)
22 Strength(BO) 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.(BP)
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;(BQ)
they retreat before its thrashing.(BR)
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.(BS)
27 Iron it treats like straw(BT)
and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;(BU)
slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;(BV)
it laughs(BW) at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(BX)
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron(BY)
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.(BZ)
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal(CA)—
a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;(CB)
it is king over all that are proud.(CC)”
Job
42 Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things;(CD)
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.(CE)
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’(CF)
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.(CG)
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’(CH)
5 My ears had heard of you(CI)
but now my eyes have seen you.(CJ)
6 Therefore I despise myself(CK)
and repent(CL) in dust and ashes.”(CM)
Epilogue
7 After the Lord had said these things to Job(CN), he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,(CO) because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.(CP) 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams(CQ) and go to my servant Job(CR) and sacrifice a burnt offering(CS) for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer(CT) and not deal with you according to your folly.(CU) You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”(CV) 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite(CW) did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.(CX)
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes(CY) and gave him twice as much as he had before.(CZ) 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before(DA) came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him,(DB) and each one gave him a piece of silver[d] 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.(DC)
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.