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Job 20:16-37
King James Version
Job 20:16-37
King James Version
16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;
20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
21 But Job answered and said,
2 Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.
3 Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
4 As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?
5 Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
6 Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.
14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
16 Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
22 Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.
23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
24 His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
26 They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
27 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
31 Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.
34 How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
23 Then Job answered and said,
2 Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.
3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!
4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.
7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.
16 For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:
17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.
24 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.
20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
25 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.
3 Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
26 But Job answered and said,
2 How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?
3 How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?
4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?
5 Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.
6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.
9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.
10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.
12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.
13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
14 Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?
27 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
28 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
29 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
30 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
2 Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
3 For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.
4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.
5 They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)
6 To dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.
8 They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
9 And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.
10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
11 Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.
12 Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.
13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.
14 They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.
15 Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.
16 And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17 My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.
18 By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
19 He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.
21 Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.
22 Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.
23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
24 Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.
25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?
26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
27 My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
28 I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.
29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
30 My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.
31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.
31 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
6 Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;
10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;
20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
25 If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29 If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.
5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.
7 I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.
11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.
12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:
13 Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.
14 Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.
15 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.
16 When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)
17 I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.
18 For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.
19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.
33 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
4 The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
5 If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.
6 Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
12 Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth:
26 He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.
32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
34 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.
24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.
31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.
36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
35 Elihu spake moreover, and said,
2 Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?
3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?
4 I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.
5 Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?
8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.
10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;
11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.
13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.
14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.
15 But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:
16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.
36 Elihu also proceeded, and said,
2 Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;
9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.
14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
15 He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
19 Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.
20 Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
24 Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
25 Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
27 For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
28 Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
32 With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.
37 At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.
2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
Job 20:16-31:3
New International Version
Job 20:16-31:3
New International Version
16 He will suck the poison(A) of serpents;
the fangs of an adder will kill him.(B)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers(C) flowing with honey(D) and cream.(E)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;(F)
he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.(G)
19 For he has oppressed the poor(H) and left them destitute;(I)
he has seized houses(J) he did not build.
20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(K)
he cannot save himself by his treasure.(L)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
his prosperity will not endure.(M)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(N)
the full force of misery will come upon him.(O)
23 When he has filled his belly,(P)
God will vent his burning anger(Q) against him
and rain down his blows on him.(R)
24 Though he flees(S) from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(T)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(U) will come over him;(V)
26 total darkness(W) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(X) unfanned will consume him(Y)
and devour what is left in his tent.(Z)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
the earth will rise up against him.(AA)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(AB)
rushing waters[a] on the day of God’s wrath.(AC)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
the heritage appointed for them by God.”(AD)
Job
21 Then Job replied:
2 “Listen carefully to my words;(AE)
let this be the consolation you give me.(AF)
3 Bear with me while I speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.(AG)
4 “Is my complaint(AH) directed to a human being?
Why should I not be impatient?(AI)
5 Look at me and be appalled;
clap your hand over your mouth.(AJ)
6 When I think about this, I am terrified;(AK)
trembling seizes my body.(AL)
7 Why do the wicked live on,
growing old and increasing in power?(AM)
8 They see their children established around them,
their offspring before their eyes.(AN)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;(AO)
the rod of God is not on them.(AP)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.(AQ)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;(AR)
their little ones dance about.
12 They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;(AS)
they make merry to the sound of the pipe.(AT)
13 They spend their years in prosperity(AU)
and go down to the grave(AV) in peace.[b](AW)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!(AX)
We have no desire to know your ways.(AY)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
What would we gain by praying to him?’(AZ)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(BA)
17 “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?(BB)
How often does calamity(BC) come upon them,
the fate God allots in his anger?(BD)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
like chaff(BE) swept away(BF) by a gale?(BG)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’(BH)
Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!(BI)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;(BJ)
let them drink(BK) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.(BL)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind(BM)
when their allotted months(BN) come to an end?(BO)
22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,(BP)
since he judges even the highest?(BQ)
23 One person dies in full vigor,(BR)
completely secure and at ease,(BS)
24 well nourished(BT) in body,[c]
bones(BU) rich with marrow.(BV)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,(BW)
never having enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust,(BX)
and worms(BY) cover them both.(BZ)
27 “I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,(CA)
the tents where the wicked lived?’(CB)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,(CC)
that they are delivered from[d] the day of wrath?(CD)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
Who repays them for what they have done?(CE)
32 They are carried to the grave,
and watch is kept over their tombs.(CF)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;(CG)
everyone follows after them,
and a countless throng goes[e] before them.(CH)
34 “So how can you console me(CI) with your nonsense?
Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”(CJ)
Eliphaz
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(CK) replied:
2 “Can a man be of benefit to God?(CL)
Can even a wise person benefit him?(CM)
3 What pleasure(CN) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?(CO)
What would he gain if your ways were blameless?(CP)
4 “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
and brings charges against you?(CQ)
5 Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins(CR) endless?(CS)
6 You demanded security(CT) from your relatives for no reason;(CU)
you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.(CV)
7 You gave no water(CW) to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,(CX)
8 though you were a powerful man, owning land(CY)—
an honored man,(CZ) living on it.(DA)
9 And you sent widows(DB) away empty-handed(DC)
and broke the strength of the fatherless.(DD)
10 That is why snares(DE) are all around you,(DF)
why sudden peril terrifies you,(DG)
11 why it is so dark(DH) you cannot see,
and why a flood of water covers you.(DI)
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?(DJ)
And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?(DK)
Does he judge through such darkness?(DL)
14 Thick clouds(DM) veil him, so he does not see us(DN)
as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’(DO)
15 Will you keep to the old path
that the wicked(DP) have trod?(DQ)
16 They were carried off before their time,(DR)
their foundations(DS) washed away by a flood.(DT)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can the Almighty do to us?’(DU)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,(DV)
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(DW)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;(DX)
the innocent mock(DY) them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,(DZ)
and fire(EA) devours their wealth.’
21 “Submit to God and be at peace(EB) with him;(EC)
in this way prosperity will come to you.(ED)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth(EE)
and lay up his words(EF) in your heart.(EG)
23 If you return(EH) to the Almighty, you will be restored:(EI)
If you remove wickedness far from your tent(EJ)
24 and assign your nuggets(EK) to the dust,
your gold(EL) of Ophir(EM) to the rocks in the ravines,(EN)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,(EO)
the choicest silver for you.(EP)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty(EQ)
and will lift up your face(ER) to God.(ES)
27 You will pray to him,(ET) and he will hear you,(EU)
and you will fulfill your vows.(EV)
28 What you decide on will be done,(EW)
and light(EX) will shine on your ways.(EY)
29 When people are brought low(EZ) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
then he will save the downcast.(FA)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,(FB)
who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”(FC)
Job
23 Then Job replied:
2 “Even today my complaint(FD) is bitter;(FE)
his hand[f] is heavy in spite of[g] my groaning.(FF)
3 If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!(FG)
4 I would state my case(FH) before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.(FI)
5 I would find out what he would answer me,(FJ)
and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?(FK)
No, he would not press charges against me.(FL)
7 There the upright(FM) can establish their innocence before him,(FN)
and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.(FO)
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.(FP)
10 But he knows the way that I take;(FQ)
when he has tested me,(FR) I will come forth as gold.(FS)
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;(FT)
I have kept to his way without turning aside.(FU)
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;(FV)
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.(FW)
13 “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?(FX)
He does whatever he pleases.(FY)
14 He carries out his decree against me,
and many such plans he still has in store.(FZ)
15 That is why I am terrified before him;(GA)
when I think of all this, I fear him.(GB)
16 God has made my heart faint;(GC)
the Almighty(GD) has terrified me.(GE)
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,(GF)
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
24 “Why does the Almighty not set times(GG) for judgment?(GH)
Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?(GI)
2 There are those who move boundary stones;(GJ)
they pasture flocks they have stolen.(GK)
3 They drive away the orphan’s donkey
and take the widow’s ox in pledge.(GL)
4 They thrust the needy(GM) from the path
and force all the poor(GN) of the land into hiding.(GO)
5 Like wild donkeys(GP) in the desert,
the poor go about their labor(GQ) of foraging food;
the wasteland(GR) provides food for their children.
6 They gather fodder(GS) in the fields
and glean in the vineyards(GT) of the wicked.(GU)
7 Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked;
they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.(GV)
8 They are drenched(GW) by mountain rains
and hug(GX) the rocks for lack of shelter.(GY)
9 The fatherless(GZ) child is snatched(HA) from the breast;
the infant of the poor is seized(HB) for a debt.(HC)
10 Lacking clothes, they go about naked;(HD)
they carry the sheaves,(HE) but still go hungry.
11 They crush olives among the terraces[h];
they tread the winepresses,(HF) yet suffer thirst.(HG)
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.(HH)
But God charges no one with wrongdoing.(HI)
13 “There are those who rebel against the light,(HJ)
who do not know its ways
or stay in its paths.(HK)
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
kills(HL) the poor and needy,(HM)
and in the night steals forth like a thief.(HN)
15 The eye of the adulterer(HO) watches for dusk;(HP)
he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’(HQ)
and he keeps his face concealed.
16 In the dark, thieves break into houses,(HR)
but by day they shut themselves in;
they want nothing to do with the light.(HS)
17 For all of them, midnight is their morning;
they make friends with the terrors(HT) of darkness.(HU)
18 “Yet they are foam(HV) on the surface of the water;(HW)
their portion of the land is cursed,(HX)
so that no one goes to the vineyards.(HY)
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,(HZ)
so the grave(IA) snatches away those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them,
the worm(IB) feasts on them;(IC)
the wicked are no longer remembered(ID)
but are broken like a tree.(IE)
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman,
and to the widow they show no kindness.(IF)
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power;(IG)
though they become established,(IH) they have no assurance of life.(II)
23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security,(IJ)
but his eyes(IK) are on their ways.(IL)
24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;(IM)
they are brought low and gathered up like all others;(IN)
they are cut off like heads of grain.(IO)
25 “If this is not so, who can prove me false
and reduce my words to nothing?”(IP)
Bildad
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite(IQ) replied:
2 “Dominion and awe belong to God;(IR)
he establishes order in the heights of heaven.(IS)
3 Can his forces be numbered?
On whom does his light not rise?(IT)
4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
How can one born of woman be pure?(IU)
5 If even the moon(IV) is not bright
and the stars are not pure in his eyes,(IW)
6 how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
a human being,(IX) who is only a worm!”(IY)
Job
26 Then Job replied:
2 “How you have helped the powerless!(IZ)
How you have saved the arm that is feeble!(JA)
3 What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
And what great insight(JB) you have displayed!
4 Who has helped you utter these words?
And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?(JC)
5 “The dead are in deep anguish,(JD)
those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
6 The realm of the dead(JE) is naked before God;
Destruction[i](JF) lies uncovered.(JG)
7 He spreads out the northern skies(JH) over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing.(JI)
8 He wraps up the waters(JJ) in his clouds,(JK)
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
9 He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds(JL) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(JM)
for a boundary between light and darkness.(JN)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(JO)
aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(JP)
by his wisdom(JQ) he cut Rahab(JR) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(JS) became fair;
his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(JT)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper(JU) we hear of him!(JV)
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(JW)
Job’s Final Word to His Friends
27 And Job continued his discourse:(JX)
2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(JY)
the Almighty,(JZ) who has made my life bitter,(KA)
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God(KB) in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wicked,
and my tongue will not utter lies.(KC)
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(KD)
6 I will maintain my innocence(KE) and never let go of it;
my conscience(KF) will not reproach me as long as I live.(KG)
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,(KH)
my adversary(KI) like the unjust!
8 For what hope have the godless(KJ) when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life?(KK)
9 Does God listen to their cry
when distress comes upon them?(KL)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(KM)
Will they call on God at all times?
11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
the ways(KN) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(KO)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
Why then this meaningless talk?
13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(KP)
14 However many his children,(KQ) their fate is the sword;(KR)
his offspring will never have enough to eat.(KS)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
and their widows will not weep for them.(KT)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(KU)
and clothes like piles of clay,(KV)
17 what he lays up(KW) the righteous will wear,(KX)
and the innocent will divide his silver.(KY)
18 The house(KZ) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(LA)
like a hut(LB) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(LC)
when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(LD)
20 Terrors(LE) overtake him like a flood;(LF)
a tempest snatches him away in the night.(LG)
21 The east wind(LH) carries him off, and he is gone;(LI)
it sweeps him out of his place.(LJ)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(LK)
as he flees headlong(LL) from its power.(LM)
23 It claps its hands(LN) in derision
and hisses him out of his place.”(LO)
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.(LP)
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.(LQ)
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;(LR)
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.(LS)
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(LT)
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,(LU)
is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli(LV) comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(LW)
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.(LX)
8 Proud beasts(LY) do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.(LZ)
9 People assault the flinty rock(MA) with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(MB)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(MC)
their eyes see all its treasures.(MD)
11 They search[j] the sources of the rivers(ME)
and bring hidden things(MF) to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found?(MG)
Where does understanding dwell?(MH)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(MI)
it cannot be found in the land of the living.(MJ)
14 The deep(MK) says, “It is not in me”;
the sea(ML) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(MM)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(MN)
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(MO)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(MP)
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(MQ)
18 Coral(MR) and jasper(MS) are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(MT)
19 The topaz(MU) of Cush(MV) cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.(MW)
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?(MX)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.(MY)
22 Destruction[k](MZ) and Death(NA) say,
“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone(NB) knows where it dwells,(NC)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(ND)
and sees everything under the heavens.(NE)
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,(NF)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(NG)
and a path for the thunderstorm,(NH)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.(NI)
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil(NJ) is understanding.”(NK)
Job’s Final Defense
29 Job continued his discourse:(NL)
2 “How I long for the months gone by,(NM)
for the days when God watched over me,(NN)
3 when his lamp shone on my head
and by his light I walked through darkness!(NO)
4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
when God’s intimate friendship(NP) blessed my house,(NQ)
5 when the Almighty was still with me
and my children(NR) were around me,(NS)
6 when my path was drenched with cream(NT)
and the rock(NU) poured out for me streams of olive oil.(NV)
7 “When I went to the gate(NW) of the city
and took my seat in the public square,
8 the young men saw me and stepped aside(NX)
and the old men rose to their feet;(NY)
9 the chief men refrained from speaking(NZ)
and covered their mouths with their hands;(OA)
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,(OB)
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.(OC)
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
and those who saw me commended me,(OD)
12 because I rescued the poor(OE) who cried for help,
and the fatherless(OF) who had none to assist them.(OG)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(OH)
I made the widow’s(OI) heart sing.
14 I put on righteousness(OJ) as my clothing;
justice was my robe and my turban.(OK)
15 I was eyes(OL) to the blind
and feet to the lame.(OM)
16 I was a father to the needy;(ON)
I took up the case(OO) of the stranger.(OP)
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
and snatched the victims(OQ) from their teeth.(OR)
18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
my days as numerous as the grains of sand.(OS)
19 My roots will reach to the water,(OT)
and the dew will lie all night on my branches.(OU)
20 My glory will not fade;(OV)
the bow(OW) will be ever new in my hand.’(OX)
21 “People listened to me expectantly,
waiting in silence for my counsel.(OY)
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;(OZ)
my words fell gently on their ears.(PA)
23 They waited for me as for showers
and drank in my words as the spring rain.(PB)
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
the light of my face(PC) was precious to them.[l](PD)
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;(PE)
I dwelt as a king(PF) among his troops;
I was like one who comforts mourners.(PG)
30 “But now they mock me,(PH)
men younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
to put with my sheep dogs.(PI)
2 Of what use was the strength of their hands to me,
since their vigor had gone from them?
3 Haggard from want and hunger,
they roamed[m] the parched land(PJ)
in desolate wastelands(PK) at night.(PL)
4 In the brush they gathered salt herbs,(PM)
and their food[n] was the root of the broom bush.(PN)
5 They were banished from human society,
shouted at as if they were thieves.
6 They were forced to live in the dry stream beds,
among the rocks and in holes in the ground.(PO)
7 They brayed(PP) among the bushes(PQ)
and huddled in the undergrowth.
8 A base and nameless brood,(PR)
they were driven out of the land.(PS)
9 “And now those young men mock me(PT) in song;(PU)
I have become a byword(PV) among them.
10 They detest me(PW) and keep their distance;
they do not hesitate to spit in my face.(PX)
11 Now that God has unstrung my bow(PY) and afflicted me,(PZ)
they throw off restraint(QA) in my presence.
12 On my right(QB) the tribe[o] attacks;
they lay snares(QC) for my feet,(QD)
they build their siege ramps against me.(QE)
13 They break up my road;(QF)
they succeed in destroying me.(QG)
‘No one can help him,’ they say.
14 They advance as through a gaping breach;(QH)
amid the ruins they come rolling in.
15 Terrors(QI) overwhelm me;(QJ)
my dignity is driven away as by the wind,
my safety vanishes like a cloud.(QK)
16 “And now my life ebbs away;(QL)
days of suffering grip me.(QM)
17 Night pierces my bones;
my gnawing pains never rest.(QN)
18 In his great power(QO) God becomes like clothing to me[p];
he binds me like the neck of my garment.
19 He throws me into the mud,(QP)
and I am reduced to dust and ashes.(QQ)
20 “I cry out to you,(QR) God, but you do not answer;(QS)
I stand up, but you merely look at me.
21 You turn on me ruthlessly;(QT)
with the might of your hand(QU) you attack me.(QV)
22 You snatch me up and drive me before the wind;(QW)
you toss me about in the storm.(QX)
23 I know you will bring me down to death,(QY)
to the place appointed for all the living.(QZ)
24 “Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man(RA)
when he cries for help in his distress.(RB)
25 Have I not wept for those in trouble?(RC)
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?(RD)
26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;
when I looked for light, then came darkness.(RE)
27 The churning inside me never stops;(RF)
days of suffering confront me.(RG)
28 I go about blackened,(RH) but not by the sun;
I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.(RI)
29 I have become a brother of jackals,(RJ)
a companion of owls.(RK)
30 My skin grows black(RL) and peels;(RM)
my body burns with fever.(RN)
31 My lyre is tuned to mourning,(RO)
and my pipe(RP) to the sound of wailing.
Footnotes
- Job 20:28 Or The possessions in his house will be carried off, / washed away
- Job 21:13 Or in an instant
- Job 21:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 21:30 Or wicked are reserved for the day of calamity, / that they are brought forth to
- Job 21:33 Or them, / as a countless throng went
- Job 23:2 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew / the hand on me
- Job 23:2 Or heavy on me in
- Job 24:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon
- Job 28:11 Septuagint, Aquila and Vulgate; Hebrew They dam up
- Job 28:22 Hebrew Abaddon
- Job 29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Job 30:3 Or gnawed
- Job 30:4 Or fuel
- Job 30:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 30:18 Hebrew; Septuagint power he grasps my clothing
New International Version (NIV) 
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