Job 31-33
Christian Standard Bible
31 I have made a covenant with my eyes.(A)
How then could I look at a young woman?[a](B)
2 For what portion(C) would I have from God above,
or what inheritance from the Almighty on high?
3 Doesn’t disaster come to the unjust
and misfortune to evildoers?
4 Does he not see my ways
and number all my steps?(D)
5 If I have walked in falsehood
or my foot has rushed to deceit,
6 let God weigh me on accurate scales,(E)
and he will recognize my integrity.(F)
7 If my step has turned from the way,
my heart has followed my eyes,
or impurity has stained my hands,(G)
8 let someone else eat what I have sown,
and let my crops be uprooted.(H)
9 If my heart has gone astray over a woman
or I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 let my own wife grind grain for another man,
and let other men sleep with[b] her.
11 For that would be a disgrace;
it would be an iniquity deserving punishment.(I)
12 For it is a fire that consumes down to Abaddon;
it would destroy my entire harvest.(J)
13 If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants
when they made a complaint against me,
14 what could I do when God stands up to judge?
How should I answer him when he calls me to account?
15 Did not the one who made me in the womb also make them?
Did not the same God form us both in the womb?(K)
16 If I have refused the wishes of the poor
or let the widow’s(L) eyes go blind,
17 if I have eaten my few crumbs alone
without letting the fatherless eat any of it—
18 for from my youth, I raised him as his father,
and since the day I was born[c] I guided the widow—
19 if I have seen anyone dying for lack of clothing
or a needy person without a cloak,(M)
20 if he[d] did not bless me
while warming himself with the fleece from my sheep,
21 if I ever cast my vote[e] against a fatherless child
when I saw that I had support in the city gate,(N)
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my back,
and my arm be pulled from its socket.
23 For disaster from God terrifies me,
and because of his majesty I could not do these things.(O)
24 If I placed my confidence in gold
or called fine gold my trust,(P)
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth is great
or because my own hand has acquired so much,
26 if I have gazed at the sun when it was shining
or at the moon moving in splendor,(Q)
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed
and I threw them a kiss,[f]
28 this would also be an iniquity deserving punishment,
for I would have denied God above.
29 Have I rejoiced over my enemy’s distress,
or become excited when trouble came his way?
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
by asking for his life with a curse.
31 Haven’t the members of my household said,
“Who is there who has not had enough to eat at Job’s table?”
32 No stranger had to spend the night on the street,
for I opened my door to the traveler.
33 Have I covered my transgressions(R) as others do[g]
by hiding my iniquity in my heart(S)
34 because I greatly feared the crowds
and because the contempt of the clans terrified me,
so I grew silent and would not go outside?
35 If only I had someone to hear my case!(T)
Here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me.
Let my Opponent compose his indictment.
36 I would surely carry it on my shoulder
and wear it like a crown.(U)
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
I would approach him like a prince.
38 If my land cries out against me
and its furrows join in weeping,
39 if I have consumed its produce without payment
or shown contempt for its tenants,[h]
40 then let thorns(V) grow instead of wheat
and stinkweed(W) instead of barley.
The words of Job are concluded.
Elihu’s Angry Response
32 So these three men quit answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.(X) 2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite(Y) from the family of Ram became angry. He was angry at Job because he had justified(Z) himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute him and yet had condemned him.[i]
4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were all older than he. 5 But when he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he became angry.
6 So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite replied:
I am young in years,
while you are old;
therefore I was timid and afraid
to tell(AA) you what I know.
7 I thought that age should speak
and maturity should teach wisdom.
8 But it is the spirit in a person—
the breath(AB) from the Almighty—
that gives anyone understanding.
9 It is not only the old who are wise
or the elderly who understand how to judge.
10 Therefore I say, “Listen to me.
I too will declare what I know.”
11 Look, I waited for your conclusions;
I listened to your insights
as you sought for words.
12 I paid close attention to you.
Yet no one proved Job wrong;
not one of you refuted his arguments.
13 So do not claim, “We have found wisdom;
let God deal with him, not man.”
14 But Job has not directed his argument to me,
and I will not respond to him with your arguments.
15 Job’s friends are dismayed and can no longer answer;
words have left them.
16 Should I continue to wait now that they are silent,
now that they stand there and no longer answer?
17 I too will answer;[j]
yes, I will tell what I know.
18 For I am full of words,
and my spirit[k] compels me to speak.(AC)
19 My heart[l] is like unvented wine;
it is about to burst like new wineskins.(AD)
20 I must speak so that I can find relief;
I must open my lips and respond.
21 I will be partial to no one,(AE)
and I will not give anyone an undeserved title.
22 For I do not know how to give such titles;
otherwise, my Maker would remove me in an instant.
Elihu Confronts Job
33 But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,
and listen to all my words.
2 I am going to open my mouth;
my tongue will form words on my palate.
3 My words come from my upright(AF) heart,
and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty(AG) gives me life.(AH)
5 Refute me if you can.
Prepare(AI) your case against me; take your stand.(AJ)
6 I am just like you before God;
I was also pinched off from a piece of clay.(AK)
7 Fear(AL) of me should not terrify you;
no pressure from me should weigh you down.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard these very[m] words:
9 “I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean and have no iniquity.(AM)
10 But he finds reasons to oppose me;
he regards me as his enemy.(AN)
11 He puts my feet in the stocks;
he stands watch(AO) over all my paths.”
12 But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.(AP)
13 Why do you take(AQ) him to court
for not answering anything a person asks?[n]
14 For God speaks time and again,
but a person may not notice it.
15 In a dream, a vision(AR) in the night,
when deep sleep comes over people(AS)
as they slumber on their beds,
16 he uncovers their ears(AT)
and terrifies them[o] with warnings,
17 in order to turn a person from his actions
and suppress the pride of a person.
18 God spares his soul from the Pit,(AU)
his life from crossing the river of death.[p]
19 A person may be disciplined on his bed(AV) with pain
and constant distress in his bones,(AW)
20 so that he detests bread,
and his soul despises his favorite food.(AX)
21 His flesh wastes away to nothing,[q]
and his unseen bones stick out.
22 He draws near to the Pit,
and his life to the executioners.
23 If there is an angel(AY) on his side,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what is right for him[r]
24 and to be gracious to him and say,
“Spare him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom,”(AZ)
25 then his flesh will be healthier[s] than in his youth,
and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.(BA)
26 He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.
That person will see his face(BB) with a shout of joy,
and God will restore his righteousness to him.(BC)
27 He will look at men and say,
“I have sinned and perverted what was right;
yet I did not get what I deserved.[t]
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and I will continue to see the light.”
29 God certainly does all these things
two or three times to a person
30 in order to turn him back from the Pit,
so he may shine with the light of life.(BD)
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will speak.
32 But if you have something to say,[u] answer me;
speak, for I would like to justify you.
33 If not, then listen to me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.
Footnotes
- 31:1 Or a virgin
- 31:10 Lit men kneel down over
- 31:18 Lit and from my mother’s womb
- 31:20 Lit his loins
- 31:21 Lit I raise my hand
- 31:27 Lit and my hand kissed my mouth
- 31:33 Or as Adam
- 31:39 Lit or caused the breath of its tenants to breathe out
- 32:3 Alt Hb tradition reads condemned God
- 32:17 Lit answer my part
- 32:18 Lit and the spirit of my belly
- 32:19 Lit belly
- 33:8 Lit heard a sound of
- 33:13 Lit court, for he does not answer all his words
- 33:16 LXX; MT reads and seals
- 33:18 Or from perishing by the sword
- 33:21 Lit away from sight
- 33:23 Or to vouch for a person’s uprightness
- 33:25 Hb obscure
- 33:27 Lit and the same was not to me
- 33:32 Lit If there are words
Psalm 102
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 102
Affliction in light of Eternity
A prayer of a suffering person who is weak and pours out his lament before the Lord.(A)
1 Lord, hear my prayer;
let my cry for help come before you.(B)
2 Do not hide your face from me in my day of trouble.
Listen closely to me;
answer me quickly when I call.(C)
3 For my days vanish like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.(D)
4 My heart is suffering, withered like grass;(E)
I even forget to eat my food.(F)
5 Because of the sound of my groaning,
my flesh sticks to my bones.(G)
6 I am like an eagle owl,
like a little owl among the ruins.(H)
7 I stay awake;(I)
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
8 My enemies taunt me all day long;
they ridicule and use my name as a curse.(J)
9 I eat ashes like bread
and mingle my drinks with tears(K)
10 because of your indignation and wrath;
for you have picked me up and thrown me aside.(L)
11 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I wither away like grass.(M)
12 But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;(N)
your fame endures to all generations.(O)
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her—
the appointed time has come.(P)
14 For your servants take delight in its stones
and favor its dust.(Q)
15 Then the nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,(R)
16 for the Lord will rebuild Zion;
he will appear in his glory.(S)
17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute
and will not despise their prayer.(T)
18 This will be written for a later generation,
and a people who have not yet been created will praise the Lord:(U)
19 He looked down from his holy heights—
the Lord gazed out from heaven to earth(V)—
20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning,
to set free those condemned to die,[a](W)
21 so that they might declare
the name of the Lord in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem(X)
22 when peoples and kingdoms are assembled
to serve the Lord.(Y)
23 He has broken my[b] strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.(Z)
24 I say, “My God, do not take me
in the middle of my life![c]
Your years continue through all generations.(AA)
25 Long ago you established the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.(AB)
26 They will perish, but you will endure;
all of them will wear out like clothing.
You will change them like a garment,
and they will pass away.(AC)
27 But you are the same,
and your years will never end.(AD)
28 Your servants’ children will dwell securely,
and their offspring will be established before you.”(AE)
Revelation 19
Christian Standard Bible
Celebration in Heaven
19 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude(A) in heaven, saying,
Hallelujah!(B)
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,(C)
2 because his judgments are true[a] and righteous,(D)
because he has judged the notorious prostitute(E)
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality;
and he has avenged the blood of his servants
that was on her hands.(F)
3 A second time they said,
Hallelujah!
Her smoke ascends forever and ever!(G)
4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God,(H) who is seated on the throne, saying,
Amen! Hallelujah!(I)
5 A voice came from the throne, saying,
Praise our God,
all his servants, and the ones who fear him,
both small and great!(J)
6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters,(K) and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying,
Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty,
reigns!(L)
7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,(M)
because the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has prepared herself.(N)
8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.(O)
For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.(P)
9 Then he[b] said to me,(Q) “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast(R) of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”(S) 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that!(T) I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus.(U) Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit[c] of prophecy.”
The Rider on a White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened,(V) and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True,(W) and with justice he judges and makes war.(X) 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame,(Y) and many crowns[d] were on his head.(Z) He had a name written that no one knows except himself.(AA) 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood,(AB) and his name is called the Word of God.(AC) 14 The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 A sharp[e] sword(AD) came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it.(AE) He will rule[f] them with an iron rod.(AF) He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God,(AG) the Almighty. 16 And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.(AH)
The Beast and Its Armies Defeated
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”(AI)
19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies(AJ) gathered together to wage war(AK) against the rider on the horse and against his army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs.(AL) Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.(AM) 21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.
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