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Job 5-9
New King James Version
Job 5-9
New King James Version
Eliphaz: Job Is Chastened by God
5 “Call out now;
Is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For wrath kills a foolish man,
And envy slays a simple one.
3 (A)I have seen the foolish taking root,
But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.
4 His sons are (B)far from safety,
They are crushed in the gate,
And (C)there is no deliverer.
5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest,
[a]Taking it even from the thorns,
[b]And a snare snatches their [c]substance.
6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble spring from the ground;
7 Yet man is (D)born to [d]trouble,
As the sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
9 Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.
10 (E)He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
11 (F)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 (G)He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
13 He catches the (H)wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.
15 But (I)He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
16 (J)So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold,(K) happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 (L)For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
19 (M)He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven (N)no evil shall touch you.
20 (O)In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the [e]power of the sword.
21 (P)You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And (Q)you shall not be afraid of the (R)beasts of the earth.
23 (S)For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.
25 You shall also know that (T)your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring (U)like the grass of the earth.
26 (V)You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
27 Behold, this we have (W)searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
Job: My Complaint Is Just
6 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 (X)For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
(Y)The terrors of God are arrayed (Z)against me.
5 Does the (AA)wild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low over its fodder?
6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
That God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and (AB)cut me off!
10 Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For (AC)I have not concealed the words of (AD)the Holy One.
11 “What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is my help not within me?
And is success driven from me?
14 “To(AE) him who is [f]afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 (AF)My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
(AG)Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
16 Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the snow vanishes.
17 When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and perish.
19 The caravans of (AH)Tema look,
The travelers of (AI)Sheba hope for them.
20 They are (AJ)disappointed[g] because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
21 For now (AK)you are nothing,
You see terror and (AL)are afraid.
22 Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’?
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’?
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?
24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue;
Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?
27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you (AM)undermine your friend.
28 Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.
29 (AN)Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my (AO)righteousness [h]still stands!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my [i]taste discern the unsavory?
Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless
7 “Is there not (AP)a time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
2 Like a servant who [j]earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
3 So I have been allotted (AQ)months of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
4 (AR)When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.
5 My flesh is (AS)caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.
6 “My(AT) days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
7 Oh, remember that (AU)my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8 (AV)The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So (AW)he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
(AX)Nor shall his place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore I will (AY)not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will (AZ)complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
13 (BA)When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than [k]my body.
16 (BB)I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
(BC)Let me alone,
For (BD)my days are but [l]a breath.
17 “What(BE) is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18 That You should [m]visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
19 How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, (BF)O watcher of men?
Why (BG)have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden [n]to myself?
21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
And You will seek me diligently,
But I will no longer be.”
Bildad: Job Should Repent
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you speak these things,
And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
3 (BH)Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If (BI)your sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them away [o]for their transgression.
5 (BJ)If you would earnestly seek God
And make your supplication to the Almighty,
6 If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would [p]awake for you,
And prosper your rightful dwelling place.
7 Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would (BK)increase abundantly.
8 “For(BL) inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
9 For (BM)we were born yesterday, and know [q]nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their heart?
11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds flourish without water?
12 (BN)While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who (BO)forget God;
And the hope of the (BP)hypocrite shall perish,
14 Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is [r]a spider’s web.
15 (BQ)He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
16 He grows green in the sun,
And his branches spread out in his garden.
17 His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place in the stones.
18 (BR)If he is destroyed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
19 “Behold, this is the joy of His way,
And (BS)out of the earth others will grow.
20 Behold, (BT)God will not [s]cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with [t]rejoicing.
22 Those who hate you will be (BU)clothed with shame,
And the dwelling place of the wicked [u]will come to nothing.”
Job: There Is No Mediator
9 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know it is so,
But how can a (BV)man be (BW)righteous before God?
3 If one wished to [v]contend with Him,
He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 (BX)God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 He (BY)shakes the earth out of its place,
And its (BZ)pillars tremble;
7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars;
8 (CA)He alone spreads out the heavens,
And [w]treads on the [x]waves of the sea;
9 (CB)He made [y]the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
10 (CC)He does great things past finding out,
Yes, wonders without number.
11 (CD)If He goes by me, I do not see Him;
If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
12 (CE)If He takes away, [z]who can hinder Him?
Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 God will not withdraw His anger,
(CF)The allies of [aa]the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.
14 “How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words to reason with Him?
15 (CG)For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.
17 For He crushes me with a tempest,
And multiplies my wounds (CH)without cause.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong;
And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.
21 “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself;
I despise my life.
22 It is all one thing;
Therefore I say, (CI)‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge slays suddenly,
He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, who else could it be?
25 “Now (CJ)my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away, they see no good.
26 They pass by like [ab]swift ships,
(CK)Like an eagle swooping on its prey.
27 (CL)If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
28 (CM)I am afraid of all my sufferings;
I know that You (CN)will not hold me innocent.
29 If I am condemned,
Why then do I labor in vain?
30 (CO)If I wash myself with snow water,
And cleanse my hands with [ac]soap,
31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes will [ad]abhor me.
32 “For (CP)He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
33 (CQ)Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.
34 (CR)Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so with me.
Footnotes
- Job 5:5 LXX They shall not be taken from evil men; Vg. And the armed man shall take him by violence
- Job 5:5 LXX The might shall draw them off; Vg. And the thirsty shall drink up their riches
- Job 5:5 wealth
- Job 5:7 labor
- Job 5:20 Lit. hand
- Job 6:14 Or despairing
- Job 6:20 Lit. ashamed
- Job 6:29 Lit. is in it
- Job 6:30 palate
- Job 7:2 Lit. pants for
- Job 7:15 Lit. my bones
- Job 7:16 Without substance, futile
- Job 7:18 attend to
- Job 7:20 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Jewish tradition to You
- Job 8:4 Lit. into the hand of their transgression
- Job 8:6 arise
- Job 8:9 Lit. not
- Job 8:14 Lit. a spider’s house
- Job 8:20 reject
- Job 8:21 Lit. shouts of joy
- Job 8:22 Lit. will not be
- Job 9:3 argue
- Job 9:8 walks
- Job 9:8 Lit. heights
- Job 9:9 Heb. Ash, Kesil, and Kimah
- Job 9:12 Lit. who can turn Him back?
- Job 9:13 Heb. rahab
- Job 9:26 Lit. ships of reeds
- Job 9:30 lye
- Job 9:31 loathe
Job 5-9
New International Version
Job 5-9
New International Version
5 “Call if you will, but who will answer you?(A)
To which of the holy ones(B) will you turn?
2 Resentment(C) kills a fool,
and envy slays the simple.(D)
3 I myself have seen(E) a fool taking root,(F)
but suddenly(G) his house was cursed.(H)
4 His children(I) are far from safety,(J)
crushed in court(K) without a defender.(L)
5 The hungry consume his harvest,(M)
taking it even from among thorns,
and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6 For hardship does not spring from the soil,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground.(N)
7 Yet man is born to trouble(O)
as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
I would lay my cause before him.(P)
9 He performs wonders(Q) that cannot be fathomed,(R)
miracles that cannot be counted.(S)
10 He provides rain for the earth;(T)
he sends water on the countryside.(U)
11 The lowly he sets on high,(V)
and those who mourn(W) are lifted(X) to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans(Y) of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.(Z)
13 He catches the wise(AA) in their craftiness,(AB)
and the schemes of the wily are swept away.(AC)
14 Darkness(AD) comes upon them in the daytime;
at noon they grope as in the night.(AE)
15 He saves the needy(AF) from the sword in their mouth;
he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.(AG)
16 So the poor(AH) have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.(AI)
17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;(AJ)
so do not despise the discipline(AK) of the Almighty.[a](AL)
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;(AM)
he injures, but his hands also heal.(AN)
19 From six calamities he will rescue(AO) you;
in seven no harm will touch you.(AP)
20 In famine(AQ) he will deliver you from death,
and in battle from the stroke of the sword.(AR)
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,(AS)
and need not fear(AT) when destruction comes.(AU)
22 You will laugh(AV) at destruction and famine,(AW)
and need not fear the wild animals.(AX)
23 For you will have a covenant(AY) with the stones(AZ) of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.(BA)
24 You will know that your tent is secure;(BB)
you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.(BC)
25 You will know that your children will be many,(BD)
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.(BE)
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor,(BF)
like sheaves gathered in season.(BG)
Job
6 Then Job replied:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!(BJ)
3 It would surely outweigh the sand(BK) of the seas—
no wonder my words have been impetuous.(BL)
4 The arrows(BM) of the Almighty(BN) are in me,(BO)
my spirit drinks(BP) in their poison;(BQ)
God’s terrors(BR) are marshaled against me.(BS)
5 Does a wild donkey(BT) bray(BU) when it has grass,
or an ox bellow when it has fodder?(BV)
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow[b]?(BW)
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me ill.(BX)
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,(BY)
9 that God would be willing to crush(BZ) me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!(CA)
10 Then I would still have this consolation(CB)—
my joy in unrelenting pain(CC)—
that I had not denied the words(CD) of the Holy One.(CE)
11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?(CF)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?(CG)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,(CH)
now that success has been driven from me?
14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend(CI)
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.(CJ)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,(CK)
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,(CL)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat(CM) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema(CN) look for water,
the traveling merchants of Sheba(CO) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
they arrive there, only to be disappointed.(CP)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
you see something dreadful and are afraid.(CQ)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
pay a ransom(CR) for me from your wealth,(CS)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?(CT)
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;(CU)
show me where I have been wrong.(CV)
25 How painful are honest words!(CW)
But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
and treat my desperate words as wind?(CX)
27 You would even cast lots(CY) for the fatherless(CZ)
and barter away your friend.
28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.
Would I lie to your face?(DA)
29 Relent, do not be unjust;(DB)
reconsider, for my integrity(DC) is at stake.[c](DD)
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips?(DE)
Can my mouth not discern(DF) malice?
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(DG) on earth?(DH)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(DI)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(DJ)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(DK)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(DL)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(DM)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(DN)
5 My body is clothed with worms(DO) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(DP)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(DQ)
and they come to an end without hope.(DR)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(DS)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(DT)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(DU)
9 As a cloud vanishes(DV) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(DW) does not return.(DX)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(DY) will know him no more.(DZ)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(EA)
I will speak out in the anguish(EB) of my spirit,
I will complain(EC) in the bitterness of my soul.(ED)
12 Am I the sea,(EE) or the monster of the deep,(EF)
that you put me under guard?(EG)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(EH)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(EI) me with visions,(EJ)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(EK)
rather than this body of mine.(EL)
16 I despise my life;(EM) I would not live forever.(EN)
Let me alone;(EO) my days have no meaning.(EP)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(EQ)
18 that you examine them every morning(ER)
and test them(ES) every moment?(ET)
19 Will you never look away from me,(EU)
or let me alone even for an instant?(EV)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(EW)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(EX)
Have I become a burden to you?[d](EY)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(EZ)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(FA)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(FB)
Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite(FC) replied:
2 “How long will you say such things?(FD)
Your words are a blustering wind.(FE)
3 Does God pervert justice?(FF)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(FG)
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(FH)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead(FI) with the Almighty,(FJ)
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(FK)
and restore you to your prosperous state.(FL)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous(FM) will your future be.(FN)
8 “Ask the former generation(FO)
and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(FP)
and our days on earth are but a shadow.(FQ)
10 Will they not instruct(FR) you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(FS)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(FT)
Can reeds(FU) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
they wither more quickly than grass.(FV)
13 Such is the destiny(FW) of all who forget God;(FX)
so perishes the hope of the godless.(FY)
14 What they trust in is fragile[e];
what they rely on is a spider’s web.(FZ)
15 They lean on the web,(GA) but it gives way;
they cling to it, but it does not hold.(GB)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
spreading its shoots(GC) over the garden;(GD)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
that place disowns(GE) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(GF)
19 Surely its life withers(GG) away,
and[f] from the soil other plants grow.(GH)
20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(GI)
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(GJ)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(GK)
and your lips with shouts of joy.(GL)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(GM)
and the tents(GN) of the wicked will be no more.”(GO)
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(GP)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(GQ)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(GR)
4 His wisdom(GS) is profound, his power is vast.(GT)
Who has resisted(GU) him and come out unscathed?(GV)
5 He moves mountains(GW) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(GX)
6 He shakes the earth(GY) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(GZ)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(HA)
he seals off the light of the stars.(HB)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(HC)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(HD)
9 He is the Maker(HE) of the Bear[g] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(HF)
10 He performs wonders(HG) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(HH)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(HI)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(HJ)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(HK)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(HL)
even the cohorts of Rahab(HM) cowered at his feet.
14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(HN)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(HO)
I could only plead(HP) with my Judge(HQ) for mercy.(HR)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(HS)
17 He would crush me(HT) with a storm(HU)
and multiply(HV) my wounds for no reason.(HW)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(HX)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(HY)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[h]?(HZ)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(IA)
21 “Although I am blameless,(IB)
I have no concern for myself;(IC)
I despise my own life.(ID)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(IE)
23 When a scourge(IF) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(IG)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(IH)
he blindfolds its judges.(II)
If it is not he, then who is it?(IJ)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(IK)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(IL)
26 They skim past(IM) like boats of papyrus,(IN)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(IO)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(IP)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(IQ) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(IR)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(IS)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(IT)
and my hands(IU) with cleansing powder,(IV)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(IW)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(IX)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(IY) like me that I might answer him,(IZ)
that we might confront each other in court.(JA)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(JB)
someone to bring us together,(JC)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(JD)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(JE)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(JF)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(JG)
Footnotes
- Job 5:17 Hebrew Shaddai; here and throughout Job
- Job 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Job 6:29 Or my righteousness still stands
- Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.
- Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that
- Job 9:9 Or of Leo
- Job 9:19 See Septuagint; Hebrew me.
Job 5-9
King James Version
Job 5-9
King James Version
5 Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?
2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.
5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
6 Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;
7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
8 I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:
9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
10 Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:
11 To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.
12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
14 They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.
15 But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.
17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24 And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
6 But Job answered and said,
2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.
8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?
14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;
16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:
17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.
19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.
20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?
23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?
24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?
27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.
28 Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.
29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.
30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?
7 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints;
14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
8 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;
5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)
10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
11 Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?
12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.
13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:
14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.
16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.
18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.
9 Then Job answered and said,
2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
26 They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
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) 
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