41 [a] “Can you draw out (A)Leviathan[b] with a fishhook
    or press down his tongue with a cord?
Can you put (B)a rope in his nose
    or pierce his jaw with (C)a hook?
Will he make many pleas to you?
    Will he speak to you soft words?
Will he make a covenant with you
    to take him for (D)your servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
    or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
Will traders bargain over him?
    Will they divide him up among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons
    or his head with fishing spears?
Lay your hands on him;
    remember the battle—you will not do it again!
[c] Behold, the hope of a man is false;
    he is laid low even at the sight of him.
10 No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
    Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 (E)Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
    (F)Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
    or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment?
    Who would come near him with a bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face?
    Around his teeth is terror.
15 His back is made of[d] rows of shields,
    shut up closely as with a seal.
16 One is so near to another
    that no air can come between them.
17 They are (G)joined one to another;
    they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
    and his eyes are like (H)the eyelids of the dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go flaming torches;
    sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,
    as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath (I)kindles coals,
    and a flame comes forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck abides strength,
    and terror dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh (J)stick together,
    firmly cast on him and immovable.
24 His heart is hard as a stone,
    hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty[e] are afraid;
    at the crashing they are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,
    nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 He counts iron as straw,
    and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
    for him, sling stones are turned to stubble.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble;
    he laughs at the rattle of javelins.
30 His underparts are like sharp (K)potsherds;
    he spreads himself like (L)a threshing sledge on the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
    he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Behind him he leaves a shining wake;
    one would think the deep to be white-haired.
33 (M)On earth there is not his like,
    a creature without fear.
34 He sees everything that is high;
    he is king over all the (N)sons of pride.”

Job's Confession and Repentance

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“I know that you can (O)do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
(P)‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things (Q)too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
    (R)I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
    and repent in[f] (S)dust and ashes.”

The Lord Rebukes Job's Friends

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz (T)the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take (U)seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and (V)offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall (W)pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (X)So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.

The Lord Restores Job's Fortunes

10 And the Lord (Y)restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job (Z)twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his (AA)brothers and sisters and all who had (AB)known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they (AC)showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil[g] that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him (AD)a piece of money[h] and (AE)a ring of gold.

12 And the Lord blessed (AF)the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had (AG)14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also (AH)seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance (AI)among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and (AJ)saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and (AK)full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Hebrew
  2. Job 41:1 A large sea animal, exact identity uncertain
  3. Job 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Hebrew
  4. Job 41:15 Or His pride is in his
  5. Job 41:25 Or gods
  6. Job 42:6 Or and am comforted upon
  7. Job 42:11 Or disaster
  8. Job 42:11 Hebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of uncertain value

Prophecy and Tongues

14 (A)Pursue love, and (B)earnestly desire the (C)spiritual gifts, especially that you may (D)prophesy. For (E)one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but (F)even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

Now, brothers,[a] if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some (G)revelation or knowledge or prophecy or (H)teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And (I)if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be (J)speaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be (K)a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; (L)I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will (M)sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider[b] say (N)“Amen” to (O)your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, (P)do not be children in your thinking. (Q)Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be (R)mature.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:6 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 20, 26, 39
  2. 1 Corinthians 14:16 Or of him that is without gifts

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