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Job Repents in Dust and Ashes

42 Then Job answered Yahweh and said,

“I know that (A)You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that (B)hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things (C)too marvelous for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will (D)ask You, and You make me know.’
I have (E)heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my (F)eye sees You;
Therefore I reject myself,
And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Yahweh’s Anger Towards Job’s Friends

Now it happened after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, that Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger burns against you and against your two friends because you have not spoken of Me what is right (G)as My servant Job has. So now, take for yourselves (H)seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a (I)burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will (J)pray for you. (K)For I will [a]accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as Yahweh told them; and Yahweh [b]accepted Job.

Yahweh Restores Job’s Fortunes

10 And Yahweh (L)restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and Yahweh increased all that Job had twofold. 11 Then all his (M)brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they (N)consoled him and comforted him for all the calamity that Yahweh had brought on him. And each one gave him one [c]qesitah, and each a ring of gold. 12 (O)And Yahweh blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; (P)and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 (Q)He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he named the first Jemimah and the second Keziah and the third Keren-happuch. 15 Now in all the land no women were found so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this, Job lived 140 years and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 (R)Then Job died, an old man and full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:8 Lit lift up his face
  2. Job 42:9 Lit lifted up the face of
  3. Job 42:11 Ancient currency, cf. Gen 33:19; Josh 24:32

Job Repents and is Restored

42 Job replied to the Lord:

“I know[a] that you can do anything
    and nothing that you plan is impossible.
You asked,[b] ‘Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge?’
    Well now, I have talked about what I don’t understand—
        awesome things beyond me that I don’t know.
Listen now, and I will speak for myself;
    I’ll interrogate you and then inform me.
I’ve heard you with my ears;
    and now I’ve seen you with my eyes.
As a result, I despise myself and repent
    in dust and ashes.”

Job’s Friends are Restored

After these words had been spoken by the Lord to Job, the Lord spoke to Eliphaz from Teman: “My anger is burning against you along with your two friends, since you haven’t spoken correctly about me, as did my servant Job. So take seven bulls and seven rams and bring them to my servant Job. And bring a whole burnt offering for yourselves and my servant Job will pray for you. I’ll encourage him[c] by not responding as your disgraceful folly deserves, since you didn’t speak about me correctly as did my servant Job.” So Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamath did precisely as the Lord had spoken to them, because the Lord showed favor to[d] Job.

Job’s Prosperity Returns

10 The Lord restored Job’s prosperity after he prayed for his friends. The Lord doubled everything that Job had once possessed. 11 Then all his brothers and sisters and all those who knew him before arrived. They ate food with him in his house, mourned for him, and consoled him for all the trouble that the Lord had brought and placed on him. Some[e] gave him gold bullion[f] and some brought[g] gold earrings.

12 The Lord blessed Job during the latter part of his life[h] more than the former, since he owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen[i] and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first daughter Jemima,[j] the second Keziah,[k] and the name of the third was Keren-happuch.[l] 15 No one could find more beautiful women in the whole land than Job’s daughters. Their father gave them their inheritance along with their brothers. 16 Job lived 140 years after this, and saw his children and grandchildren to the fourth generation. 17 Then Job died at an old age, having lived a full life.[m]

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:2 Or You know that I know
  2. Job 42:3 The Heb. lacks You asked
  3. Job 42:8 Lit. I’ll lift his face
  4. Job 42:9 Lit. lift his face
  5. Job 42:11 Lit. A man
  6. Job 42:11 Lit. him one kesitah; a unit of gold weight, the value of which is unknown today
  7. Job 42:11 Lit. and a man
  8. Job 42:12 The Heb. lacks part of his life
  9. Job 42:12 Or 1,000 pairs of cattle
  10. Job 42:14 The name means day by day
  11. Job 42:14 The name means cinnamon
  12. Job 42:14 The name means power of antimony; i.e. an element valued for medicinal uses
  13. Job 42:17 Lit. died old and full of days