Job

26 Then Job replied:

“How you have helped the powerless!(A)
    How you have saved the arm that is feeble!(B)
What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
    And what great insight(C) you have displayed!
Who has helped you utter these words?
    And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?(D)

“The dead are in deep anguish,(E)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
The realm of the dead(F) is naked before God;
    Destruction[a](G) lies uncovered.(H)
He spreads out the northern skies(I) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.(J)
He wraps up the waters(K) in his clouds,(L)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds(M) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(N)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.(O)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(P)
    aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(Q)
    by his wisdom(R) he cut Rahab(S) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(T) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(U)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper(V) we hear of him!(W)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(X)

Job’s Final Word to His Friends

27 And Job continued his discourse:(Y)

“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(Z)
    the Almighty,(AA) who has made my life bitter,(AB)
as long as I have life within me,
    the breath of God(AC) in my nostrils,
my lips will not say anything wicked,
    and my tongue will not utter lies.(AD)
I will never admit you are in the right;
    till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(AE)
I will maintain my innocence(AF) and never let go of it;
    my conscience(AG) will not reproach me as long as I live.(AH)

“May my enemy be like the wicked,(AI)
    my adversary(AJ) like the unjust!
For what hope have the godless(AK) when they are cut off,
    when God takes away their life?(AL)
Does God listen to their cry
    when distress comes upon them?(AM)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(AN)
    Will they call on God at all times?

11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
    the ways(AO) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(AP)
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:(AQ)
14 However many his children,(AR) their fate is the sword;(AS)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.(AT)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.(AU)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(AV)
    and clothes like piles of clay,(AW)
17 what he lays up(AX) the righteous will wear,(AY)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.(AZ)
18 The house(BA) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(BB)
    like a hut(BC) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(BD)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(BE)
20 Terrors(BF) overtake him like a flood;(BG)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.(BH)
21 The east wind(BI) carries him off, and he is gone;(BJ)
    it sweeps him out of his place.(BK)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(BL)
    as he flees headlong(BM) from its power.(BN)
23 It claps its hands(BO) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”(BP)

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 There is a mine for silver
    and a place where gold is refined.(BQ)
Iron is taken from the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.(BR)
Mortals put an end to the darkness;(BS)
    they search out the farthest recesses
    for ore in the blackest darkness.(BT)
Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,(BU)
    in places untouched by human feet;
    far from other people they dangle and sway.
The earth, from which food comes,(BV)
    is transformed below as by fire;
lapis lazuli(BW) comes from its rocks,
    and its dust contains nuggets of gold.(BX)
No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
    no falcon’s eye has seen it.(BY)
Proud beasts(BZ) do not set foot on it,
    and no lion prowls there.(CA)
People assault the flinty rock(CB) with their hands
    and lay bare the roots of the mountains.(CC)
10 They tunnel through the rock;(CD)
    their eyes see all its treasures.(CE)
11 They search[b] the sources of the rivers(CF)
    and bring hidden things(CG) to light.

12 But where can wisdom be found?(CH)
    Where does understanding dwell?(CI)
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;(CJ)
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.(CK)
14 The deep(CL) says, “It is not in me”;
    the sea(CM) says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.(CN)
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,(CO)
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.(CP)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,(CQ)
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.(CR)
18 Coral(CS) and jasper(CT) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(CU)
19 The topaz(CV) of Cush(CW) cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold.(CX)

20 Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?(CY)
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.(CZ)
22 Destruction[c](DA) and Death(DB) say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
    and he alone(DC) knows where it dwells,(DD)
24 for he views the ends of the earth(DE)
    and sees everything under the heavens.(DF)
25 When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,(DG)
26 when he made a decree for the rain(DH)
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(DI)
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.(DJ)
28 And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil(DK) is understanding.”(DL)

Job’s Final Defense

29 Job continued his discourse:(DM)

“How I long for the months gone by,(DN)
    for the days when God watched over me,(DO)
when his lamp shone on my head
    and by his light I walked through darkness!(DP)
Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
    when God’s intimate friendship(DQ) blessed my house,(DR)
when the Almighty was still with me
    and my children(DS) were around me,(DT)
when my path was drenched with cream(DU)
    and the rock(DV) poured out for me streams of olive oil.(DW)

“When I went to the gate(DX) of the city
    and took my seat in the public square,
the young men saw me and stepped aside(DY)
    and the old men rose to their feet;(DZ)
the chief men refrained from speaking(EA)
    and covered their mouths with their hands;(EB)
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,(EC)
    and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.(ED)
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
    and those who saw me commended me,(EE)
12 because I rescued the poor(EF) who cried for help,
    and the fatherless(EG) who had none to assist them.(EH)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(EI)
    I made the widow’s(EJ) heart sing.
14 I put on righteousness(EK) as my clothing;
    justice was my robe and my turban.(EL)
15 I was eyes(EM) to the blind
    and feet to the lame.(EN)
16 I was a father to the needy;(EO)
    I took up the case(EP) of the stranger.(EQ)
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
    and snatched the victims(ER) from their teeth.(ES)

18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
    my days as numerous as the grains of sand.(ET)
19 My roots will reach to the water,(EU)
    and the dew will lie all night on my branches.(EV)
20 My glory will not fade;(EW)
    the bow(EX) will be ever new in my hand.’(EY)

21 “People listened to me expectantly,
    waiting in silence for my counsel.(EZ)
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;(FA)
    my words fell gently on their ears.(FB)
23 They waited for me as for showers
    and drank in my words as the spring rain.(FC)
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
    the light of my face(FD) was precious to them.[d](FE)
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;(FF)
    I dwelt as a king(FG) among his troops;
    I was like one who comforts mourners.(FH)

30 “But now they mock me,(FI)
    men younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
    to put with my sheep dogs.(FJ)
Of what use was the strength of their hands to me,
    since their vigor had gone from them?
Haggard from want and hunger,
    they roamed[e] the parched land(FK)
    in desolate wastelands(FL) at night.(FM)
In the brush they gathered salt herbs,(FN)
    and their food[f] was the root of the broom bush.(FO)
They were banished from human society,
    shouted at as if they were thieves.
They were forced to live in the dry stream beds,
    among the rocks and in holes in the ground.(FP)
They brayed(FQ) among the bushes(FR)
    and huddled in the undergrowth.
A base and nameless brood,(FS)
    they were driven out of the land.(FT)

“And now those young men mock me(FU) in song;(FV)
    I have become a byword(FW) among them.
10 They detest me(FX) and keep their distance;
    they do not hesitate to spit in my face.(FY)
11 Now that God has unstrung my bow(FZ) and afflicted me,(GA)
    they throw off restraint(GB) in my presence.
12 On my right(GC) the tribe[g] attacks;
    they lay snares(GD) for my feet,(GE)
    they build their siege ramps against me.(GF)
13 They break up my road;(GG)
    they succeed in destroying me.(GH)
    ‘No one can help him,’ they say.
14 They advance as through a gaping breach;(GI)
    amid the ruins they come rolling in.
15 Terrors(GJ) overwhelm me;(GK)
    my dignity is driven away as by the wind,
    my safety vanishes like a cloud.(GL)

16 “And now my life ebbs away;(GM)
    days of suffering grip me.(GN)
17 Night pierces my bones;
    my gnawing pains never rest.(GO)
18 In his great power(GP) God becomes like clothing to me[h];
    he binds me like the neck of my garment.
19 He throws me into the mud,(GQ)
    and I am reduced to dust and ashes.(GR)

20 “I cry out to you,(GS) God, but you do not answer;(GT)
    I stand up, but you merely look at me.
21 You turn on me ruthlessly;(GU)
    with the might of your hand(GV) you attack me.(GW)
22 You snatch me up and drive me before the wind;(GX)
    you toss me about in the storm.(GY)
23 I know you will bring me down to death,(GZ)
    to the place appointed for all the living.(HA)

24 “Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man(HB)
    when he cries for help in his distress.(HC)
25 Have I not wept for those in trouble?(HD)
    Has not my soul grieved for the poor?(HE)
26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;
    when I looked for light, then came darkness.(HF)
27 The churning inside me never stops;(HG)
    days of suffering confront me.(HH)
28 I go about blackened,(HI) but not by the sun;
    I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.(HJ)
29 I have become a brother of jackals,(HK)
    a companion of owls.(HL)
30 My skin grows black(HM) and peels;(HN)
    my body burns with fever.(HO)
31 My lyre is tuned to mourning,(HP)
    and my pipe(HQ) to the sound of wailing.

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes(HR)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.(HS)
For what is our lot(HT) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?(HU)
Is it not ruin(HV) for the wicked,
    disaster(HW) for those who do wrong?(HX)
Does he not see my ways(HY)
    and count my every step?(HZ)

“If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit(IA)
let God weigh me(IB) in honest scales(IC)
    and he will know that I am blameless(ID)
if my steps have turned from the path,(IE)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands(IF) have been defiled,(IG)
then may others eat what I have sown,(IH)
    and may my crops be uprooted.(II)

“If my heart has been enticed(IJ) by a woman,(IK)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind(IL) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.(IM)
11 For that would have been wicked,(IN)
    a sin to be judged.(IO)
12 It is a fire(IP) that burns to Destruction[i];(IQ)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.(IR)

13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(IS)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,(IT)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?(IU)
    What will I answer when called to account?(IV)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?(IW)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?(IX)

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(IY)
    or let the eyes of the widow(IZ) grow weary,(JA)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(JB)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(JC)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(JD)
    or the needy(JE) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(JF)
    for warming them with the fleece(JG) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(JH)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(JI)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(JJ)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(JK)
    and for fear of his splendor(JL) I could not do such things.(JM)

24 “If I have put my trust in gold(JN)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’(JO)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,(JP)
    the fortune my hands had gained,(JQ)
26 if I have regarded the sun(JR) in its radiance
    or the moon(JS) moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed(JT)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,(JU)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,(JV)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.(JW)

29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune(JX)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him(JY)
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life(JZ)
31 if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’(KA)
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler(KB)
33 if I have concealed(KC) my sin as people do,[j]
    by hiding(KD) my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd(KE)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent(KF) and would not go outside—

35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!(KG)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser(KH) put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,(KI)
    I would put it on like a crown.(KJ)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;(KK)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.(KL))—

38 “if my land cries out against me(KM)
    and all its furrows are wet(KN) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(KO)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,(KP)
40 then let briers(KQ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed(KR) instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.(KS)

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon
  2. Job 28:11 Septuagint, Aquila and Vulgate; Hebrew They dam up
  3. Job 28:22 Hebrew Abaddon
  4. Job 29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  5. Job 30:3 Or gnawed
  6. Job 30:4 Or fuel
  7. Job 30:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  8. Job 30:18 Hebrew; Septuagint power he grasps my clothing
  9. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon
  10. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did

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