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Job 7-9
English Standard Version
Job 7-9
English Standard Version
Job Continues: My Life Has No Hope
7 “Has not man (A)a hard service on earth,
and are not his (B)days like the days of a hired hand?
2 Like a slave who longs for (C)the shadow,
and like (D)a hired hand who looks for his (E)wages,
3 so I am allotted months of (F)emptiness,
(G)and nights of misery are apportioned to me.
4 (H)When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’
But the night is long,
and I am full of tossing till the dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with (I)worms and (J)dirt;
my skin hardens, then (K)breaks out afresh.
6 My days are (L)swifter than (M)a weaver's shuttle
and come to their end without hope.
7 “Remember that my life is a (N)breath;
my eye will never again see good.
8 (O)The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
while your eyes are on me, (P)I shall be gone.
9 As (Q)the cloud fades and vanishes,
so he who (R)goes down to Sheol does not come up;
10 he (S)returns no more to his house,
nor does his (T)place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore I will not (U)restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will (V)complain in (W)the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or (X)a sea monster,
that you set a guard over me?
13 (Y)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 I would choose strangling
and death rather than my (Z)bones.
16 I (AA)loathe my life; I would not live forever.
(AB)Leave me alone, for my days are (AC)a breath.
17 (AD)What is man, that you make so much of him,
and that you set your heart on him,
18 (AE)visit him every morning
and (AF)test him every moment?
19 How long will you not (AG)look away from me,
nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?
20 If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind?
Why have you made me (AH)your mark?
Why have I become a burden to you?
21 Why do you not pardon my transgression
and take away my iniquity?
For now I shall lie in (AI)the earth;
you will (AJ)seek me, (AK)but I shall not be.”
Bildad Speaks: Job Should Repent
8 Then (AL)Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you say these things,
and the words of your mouth be a (AM)great wind?
3 (AN)Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert the right?
4 If your (AO)children have sinned against him,
he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression.
5 If you will seek God
and (AP)plead with the Almighty for mercy,
6 if you are pure and upright,
surely then he will (AQ)rouse himself for you
and (AR)restore your rightful habitation.
7 And though your beginning was small,
(AS)your latter days will be very great.
8 “For (AT)inquire, please, of bygone ages,
and consider what (AU)the fathers have searched out.
9 For we are but of yesterday and know nothing,
for our days on earth are (AV)a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you
and utter words out of their understanding?
11 “Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
Can reeds flourish where there is no water?
12 While yet in flower and not cut down,
they (AW)wither before any other plant.
13 Such are the paths of all who (AX)forget God;
(AY)the hope of (AZ)the godless shall perish.
14 His confidence is severed,
and his trust is (BA)a spider's web.[a]
15 He leans against his (BB)house, but it does not stand;
he lays hold of it, but it does not endure.
16 He is a lush plant before the sun,
and his (BC)shoots spread over his garden.
17 His roots entwine the stone heap;
he looks upon a house of stones.
18 If he is destroyed from his (BD)place,
then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have never (BE)seen you.’
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way,
and out of (BF)the soil others will spring.
20 “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,
nor take the hand of evildoers.
21 He will yet (BG)fill your mouth with laughter,
and your lips with shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be (BH)clothed with shame,
and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter
9 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man be (BI)in the right before God?
3 If one wished to (BJ)contend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
4 He is (BK)wise in heart and mighty in strength
—who has (BL)hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
5 he who removes mountains, and they know it not,
when he overturns them in his anger,
6 who (BM)shakes the earth out of its place,
and (BN)its pillars tremble;
7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise;
who seals up the stars;
8 who alone (BO)stretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea;
9 who (BP)made (BQ)the Bear and (BR)Orion,
the Pleiades (BS)and the chambers of the south;
10 who does (BT)great things beyond searching out,
and marvelous things beyond number.
11 Behold, he passes by me, and I (BU)see him not;
he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
12 Behold, he snatches away; (BV)who can turn him back?
(BW)Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “God will not turn back his anger;
beneath him bowed the helpers of (BX)Rahab.
14 (BY)How then can I (BZ)answer him,
choosing my words with him?
15 (CA)Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him;
I must (CB)appeal for mercy to my accuser.[b]
16 If I summoned him 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 (CC)without cause;
18 he will not let me get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
19 If it is a contest of (CD)strength, behold, he is mighty!
If it is a matter of justice, who can (CE)summon him?[c]
20 Though I am in the right, (CF)my own mouth would condemn me;
though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
21 I am (CG)blameless; I regard not myself;
I (CH)loathe my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He (CI)destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When (CJ)disaster brings sudden death,
he mocks at the calamity[d] of the innocent.
24 (CK)The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he (CL)covers the faces of its judges—
(CM)if it is not he, who then is it?
25 “My (CN)days are swifter than (CO)a runner;
they flee away; they see no good.
26 They go by like (CP)skiffs of reed,
like (CQ)an eagle swooping on the prey.
27 If I say, (CR)‘I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad face, and (CS)be of good cheer,’
28 I become (CT)afraid of all my suffering,
for I know you will not (CU)hold me innocent.
29 I shall be (CV)condemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow
and (CW)cleanse my hands with lye,
31 yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will (CX)abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should (CY)come to trial together.
33 (CZ)There is no[e] arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.
34 (DA)Let him take his (DB)rod away from me,
and let (DC)not dread of him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak without fear of him,
for I am not so in myself.
Job 7-9
New International Version
Job 7-9
New International Version
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(A) on earth?(B)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(C)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(D)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(E)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(F)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(G)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(H)
5 My body is clothed with worms(I) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(J)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(K)
and they come to an end without hope.(L)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(M)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(N)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(O)
9 As a cloud vanishes(P) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(Q) does not return.(R)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(S) will know him no more.(T)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(U)
I will speak out in the anguish(V) of my spirit,
I will complain(W) in the bitterness of my soul.(X)
12 Am I the sea,(Y) or the monster of the deep,(Z)
that you put me under guard?(AA)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(AB)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(AC) me with visions,(AD)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(AE)
rather than this body of mine.(AF)
16 I despise my life;(AG) I would not live forever.(AH)
Let me alone;(AI) my days have no meaning.(AJ)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(AK)
18 that you examine them every morning(AL)
and test them(AM) every moment?(AN)
19 Will you never look away from me,(AO)
or let me alone even for an instant?(AP)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(AQ)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(AR)
Have I become a burden to you?[a](AS)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(AT)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(AU)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(AV)
Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite(AW) replied:
2 “How long will you say such things?(AX)
Your words are a blustering wind.(AY)
3 Does God pervert justice?(AZ)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(BA)
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(BB)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead(BC) with the Almighty,(BD)
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(BE)
and restore you to your prosperous state.(BF)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous(BG) will your future be.(BH)
8 “Ask the former generation(BI)
and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(BJ)
and our days on earth are but a shadow.(BK)
10 Will they not instruct(BL) you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(BM)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(BN)
Can reeds(BO) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
they wither more quickly than grass.(BP)
13 Such is the destiny(BQ) of all who forget God;(BR)
so perishes the hope of the godless.(BS)
14 What they trust in is fragile[b];
what they rely on is a spider’s web.(BT)
15 They lean on the web,(BU) but it gives way;
they cling to it, but it does not hold.(BV)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
spreading its shoots(BW) over the garden;(BX)
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(BY) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(BZ)
19 Surely its life withers(CA) away,
and[c] from the soil other plants grow.(CB)
20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(CC)
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(CD)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(CE)
and your lips with shouts of joy.(CF)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(CG)
and the tents(CH) of the wicked will be no more.”(CI)
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(CJ)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(CK)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(CL)
4 His wisdom(CM) is profound, his power is vast.(CN)
Who has resisted(CO) him and come out unscathed?(CP)
5 He moves mountains(CQ) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(CR)
6 He shakes the earth(CS) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(CT)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(CU)
he seals off the light of the stars.(CV)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(CW)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(CX)
9 He is the Maker(CY) of the Bear[d] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(CZ)
10 He performs wonders(DA) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(DB)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(DC)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(DD)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(DE)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(DF)
even the cohorts of Rahab(DG) cowered at his feet.
14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(DH)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(DI)
I could only plead(DJ) with my Judge(DK) for mercy.(DL)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(DM)
17 He would crush me(DN) with a storm(DO)
and multiply(DP) my wounds for no reason.(DQ)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(DR)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(DS)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[e]?(DT)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(DU)
21 “Although I am blameless,(DV)
I have no concern for myself;(DW)
I despise my own life.(DX)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(DY)
23 When a scourge(DZ) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(EA)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(EB)
he blindfolds its judges.(EC)
If it is not he, then who is it?(ED)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(EE)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(EF)
26 They skim past(EG) like boats of papyrus,(EH)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(EI)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(EJ)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(EK) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(EL)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(EM)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(EN)
and my hands(EO) with cleansing powder,(EP)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(EQ)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(ER)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(ES) like me that I might answer him,(ET)
that we might confront each other in court.(EU)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(EV)
someone to bring us together,(EW)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(EX)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(EY)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(EZ)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(FA)
Footnotes
- 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.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.