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Job 8-10
Christian Standard Bible
Job 8-10
Christian Standard Bible
Bildad Speaks
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2 How long will you go on saying these things?
Your words(A) are a blast of wind.(B)
3 Does God pervert justice?(C)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(D)
4 Since your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to their rebellion.
5 But if you earnestly seek(E) God
and ask the Almighty for mercy,(F)
6 if you are pure and upright,
then he will move even now on your behalf
and restore the home where your righteousness dwells.(G)
7 Then, even if your beginnings were modest,
your final days will be full of prosperity.(H)
8 For ask the previous generation,
and pay attention to what their ancestors discovered,(I)
9 since we were born only yesterday and know nothing.
Our days on earth are but a shadow.(J)
10 Will they not teach you and tell you
and speak from their understanding?
11 Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
Do reeds flourish without water?
12 While still uncut shoots,
they would dry up quicker than any other plant.
13 Such is the destiny[a] of all who forget God;
the hope of the godless(K) will perish.
14 His source of confidence is fragile;[b]
what he trusts in is a spider’s web.(L)
15 He leans on his web, but it doesn’t stand firm.
He grabs it, but it does not hold up.
16 He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine;
his shoots spread out over his garden.
17 His roots are intertwined around a pile of rocks.
He looks for a home among the stones.
18 If he is uprooted[c] from his place,
it will deny knowing him, saying, “I never saw you.”(M)
19 Surely this is the joy of his way of life;
yet others will sprout from the dust.
20 Look, God does not reject a person of integrity,
and he will not support[d] evildoers.(N)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with a shout of joy.(O)
22 Your enemies will be clothed with shame;(P)
the tent(Q) of the wicked will no longer exist.
Job’s Reply to Bildad
9 Then Job answered:
2 Yes, I know what you’ve said is true,
but how can a person be justified before God?(R)
3 If one wanted to take(S) him to court,
he could not answer God[e] once in a thousand times.(T)
4 God is wise(U) and all-powerful.
Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?
5 He removes mountains without their knowledge,
overturning them in his anger.(V)
6 He shakes the earth from its place
so that its pillars tremble.
7 He commands the sun not to shine
and seals off the stars.(W)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(X)
and treads on the waves of the sea.[f]
9 He makes the stars: the Bear,[g] Orion,
the Pleiades,(Y) and the constellations[h] of the southern sky.
10 He does great and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.(Z)
11 If he passed by me, I wouldn’t see him;(AA)
if he went by, I wouldn’t recognize him.
12 If he snatches something, who can stop[i] him?
Who can ask him, “What are you doing?” (AB)
13 God does not hold back his anger;
Rahab’s(AC) assistants cringe in fear beneath him!
14 How then can I answer him
or choose my arguments against him?
15 Even if I were in the right, I could not answer.
I could only beg my Judge for mercy.(AD)
16 If I summoned him and he answered me,
I do not believe he would pay attention to what I said.
17 He batters me with a whirlwind(AE)
and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He doesn’t let me catch my breath
but fills me with bitter experiences.
19 If it is a matter of strength, look, he is the powerful one!(AF)
If it is a matter of justice, who can summon(AG) him?[j]
20 Even if I were in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;(AH)
if I were blameless, my mouth would declare me guilty.
21 Though I am blameless,
I no longer care about myself;
I renounce my life.(AI)
22 It is all the same. Therefore I say,
“He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.”(AJ)
23 When catastrophe[k] brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth[l] is handed over to the wicked;
he blindfolds[m] its judges.(AK)
If it isn’t he, then who is it?
25 My days fly by faster than a runner;[n](AL)
they flee without seeing any good.(AM)
26 They sweep by like boats made of papyrus,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.(AN)
27 If I said, “I will forget my complaint,
change my expression, and smile,”
28 I would still live in terror of all my pains.(AO)
I know you will not acquit me.(AP)
29 Since I will be found guilty,(AQ)
why should I struggle in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow,
and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 then you dip me in a pit of mud,
and my own clothes despise me!
32 For he is not a man like me, that I can answer him,(AR)
that we can take each other to court.
33 There is no mediator between us,
to lay his hand on both of us.
34 Let him take his rod away from me
so his terror will no longer frighten me.(AS)
35 Then I would speak and not fear him.
But that is not the case; I am on my own.
10 I am disgusted with my life.(AT)
I will give vent to my complaint
and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God,
“Do not declare me guilty!
Let me know why you prosecute me.
3 Is it good for you to oppress,
to reject the work of your hands,(AU)
and favor[o] the plans of the wicked?(AV)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh,
or do you see as a human sees?
5 Are your days like those of a human,
or your years like those of a man,(AW)
6 that you look for my iniquity(AX)
and search for my sin,
7 even though you know that I am not wicked
and that there is no one who can rescue from your power?(AY)
8 “Your hands shaped me and formed me.(AZ)
Will you now turn and destroy me?
9 Please remember that you formed me like clay.
Will you now return me to dust?(BA)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and wove me together with bones and tendons.(BB)
12 You gave me life and faithful love,
and your care has guarded my life.
13 “Yet you concealed these thoughts in your heart;
I know that this was your hidden plan:[p]
14 if I sin, you would notice,[q]
and would not acquit me of my iniquity.(BC)
15 If I am wicked, woe to me!
And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head.
I am filled with shame(BD)
and have drunk deeply of[r] my affliction.(BE)
16 If I am proud,[s] you hunt me like a lion
and again display your miraculous power against me.(BF)
17 You produce new witnesses[t] against me
and multiply your anger toward me.
Hardships assault me, wave after wave.[u]
18 “Why did you bring me out of the womb?(BG)
I should have died and never been seen.
19 I wish[v] I had never existed
but had been carried from the womb to the grave.(BH)
20 Are my days not few? Stop it![w]
Leave me alone, so that I can smile a little
21 before I go to a land of darkness and gloom,(BI)
never to return.
22 It is a land of blackness like the deepest darkness,
gloomy and chaotic,
where even the light is like[x] the darkness.”
Footnotes
- 8:13 Lit Such are the ways
- 8:14 Or cut off; Hb obscure
- 8:18 Or destroyed
- 8:20 Lit grasp the hand of
- 9:3 Or court, God would not answer him
- 9:8 Or and walks on the back of the sea god
- 9:9 Or Aldebaran
- 9:9 Or chambers
- 9:12 Or dissuade
- 9:19 LXX; MT reads me
- 9:23 Or whip; Hb obscure
- 9:24 Or land
- 9:24 Lit covers the faces of
- 9:25 = a royal messenger
- 10:3 Lit shine on
- 10:13 Lit was with you
- 10:14 Lit notice me
- 10:15 Or and look at
- 10:16 Lit If he lifts up
- 10:17 Or You bring fresh troops
- 10:17 Lit Changes and a host are with me
- 10:19 Lit As if
- 10:20 Alt Hb tradition reads Will he not leave my few days alone?
- 10:22 Lit chaotic, and shines as
Job 8-10
New International Version
Job 8-10
New International Version
Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite(A) replied:
2 “How long will you say such things?(B)
Your words are a blustering wind.(C)
3 Does God pervert justice?(D)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(E)
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(F)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead(G) with the Almighty,(H)
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(I)
and restore you to your prosperous state.(J)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous(K) will your future be.(L)
8 “Ask the former generation(M)
and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(N)
and our days on earth are but a shadow.(O)
10 Will they not instruct(P) you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(R)
Can reeds(S) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
they wither more quickly than grass.(T)
13 Such is the destiny(U) of all who forget God;(V)
so perishes the hope of the godless.(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile[a];
what they rely on is a spider’s web.(X)
15 They lean on the web,(Y) but it gives way;
they cling to it, but it does not hold.(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
spreading its shoots(AA) over the garden;(AB)
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(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(AD)
19 Surely its life withers(AE) away,
and[b] from the soil other plants grow.(AF)
20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(AG)
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(AH)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(AI)
and your lips with shouts of joy.(AJ)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(AK)
and the tents(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”(AM)
Job
9 Then Job replied:
2 “Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(AN)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(AO)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(AP)
4 His wisdom(AQ) is profound, his power is vast.(AR)
Who has resisted(AS) him and come out unscathed?(AT)
5 He moves mountains(AU) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(AV)
6 He shakes the earth(AW) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(AX)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(AY)
he seals off the light of the stars.(AZ)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(BA)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(BB)
9 He is the Maker(BC) of the Bear[c] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(BD)
10 He performs wonders(BE) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(BF)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(BG)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(BH)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’(BI)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(BJ)
even the cohorts of Rahab(BK) cowered at his feet.
14 “How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(BL)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(BM)
I could only plead(BN) with my Judge(BO) for mercy.(BP)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(BQ)
17 He would crush me(BR) with a storm(BS)
and multiply(BT) my wounds for no reason.(BU)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(BV)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(BW)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[d]?(BX)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(BY)
21 “Although I am blameless,(BZ)
I have no concern for myself;(CA)
I despise my own life.(CB)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’(CC)
23 When a scourge(CD) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(CE)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(CF)
he blindfolds its judges.(CG)
If it is not he, then who is it?(CH)
25 “My days are swifter than a runner;(CI)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(CJ)
26 They skim past(CK) like boats of papyrus,(CL)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(CM)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(CN)
I will change my expression, and smile,’
28 I still dread(CO) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(CP)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(CQ)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(CR)
and my hands(CS) with cleansing powder,(CT)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(CU)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(CV)
32 “He is not a mere mortal(CW) like me that I might answer him,(CX)
that we might confront each other in court.(CY)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(CZ)
someone to bring us together,(DA)
34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,(DB)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(DC)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(DD)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(DE)
10 “I loathe my very life;(DF)
therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(DG)
2 I say to God:(DH) Do not declare me guilty,
but tell me what charges(DI) you have against me.(DJ)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,(DK)
to spurn the work of your hands,(DL)
while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(DM)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
Do you see as a mortal sees?(DN)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
or your years like those of a strong man,(DO)
6 that you must search out my faults
and probe after my sin(DP)—
7 though you know that I am not guilty(DQ)
and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(DR)
8 “Your hands shaped(DS) me and made me.
Will you now turn and destroy me?(DT)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.(DU)
Will you now turn me to dust again?(DV)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
and knit me together(DW) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(DX) and showed me kindness,(DY)
and in your providence(DZ) watched over(EA) my spirit.
13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
and I know that this was in your mind:(EB)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(EC)
and would not let my offense go unpunished.(ED)
15 If I am guilty(EE)—woe to me!(EF)
Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(EG)
for I am full of shame
and drowned in[e] my affliction.(EH)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(EI)
and again display your awesome power against me.(EJ)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(EK)
and increase your anger toward me;(EL)
your forces come against me wave upon wave.(EM)
18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(EN)
I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(EO)
19 If only I had never come into being,
or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(EP)
20 Are not my few days(EQ) almost over?(ER)
Turn away from me(ES) so I can have a moment’s joy(ET)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(EU)
to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(EV)
22 to the land of deepest night,
of utter darkness(EW) and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”(EX)
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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