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Job’s second response

42 Job answered the Lord:

I know you can do anything;
    no plan of yours can be opposed successfully.
You said,[a] “Who is this darkening counsel without knowledge?”
    I have indeed spoken about things I didn’t understand,
    wonders beyond my comprehension.
You said,[b] “Listen and I will speak;
    I will question you and you will inform me.”
My ears had heard about you,
    but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore, I relent[c] and find comfort
    on dust and ashes.

Epilogue

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz from Teman, “I’m angry at you and your two friends because you haven’t spoken about me correctly as did my servant Job. So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to my servant Job, and prepare an entirely burned offering for yourselves. Job my servant will pray for you, and I will act favorably by not making fools of you because you didn’t speak correctly, as did my servant Job.”

Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah did what the Lord told them; and the Lord acted favorably toward Job. 10 Then the Lord changed Job’s fortune when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord doubled all Job’s earlier possessions. 11 All his brothers, sisters, and acquaintances came to him and ate food with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him concerning all the disaster the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a qesitah[d] and a gold ring. 12 Then the Lord blessed Job’s latter days more than his former ones. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named one Jemimah,[e] a second Keziah,[f] and the third Keren-happuch.[g] 15 No women in all the land were as beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave an inheritance to them along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years and saw four generations of his children. 17 Then Job died, old and satisfied.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:3 Heb lacks You said.
  2. Job 42:4 Heb lacks You said.
  3. Job 42:6 The verse is capable of several translations: I despise or relent, no direct object; repent of or concerning dust and ashes.
  4. Job 42:11 A monetary unit
  5. Job 42:14 Dove
  6. Job 42:14 Cinnamon
  7. Job 42:14 Jar for Dark Cosmetic

Job’s Repentance and Restoration

42 Then[a] Job answered Yahweh and said,

“I know that you can do all things,
and any scheme from you will not be thwarted.
‘Who is this darkening counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I uttered, but[b] I did not understand;
things too wonderful for me,[c] but I did not know.
‘Hear and I will speak;
I will question you, then[d] inform me.’
By the ear’s hearing I heard of you,
but[e] now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”

And then[f] after Yahweh spoke these words to Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath has been kindled[g] against you[h] and against the two of your friends, for you[i] have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has. So then,[j] take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will pray for you,[k] for I will certainly accept his prayer,[l] so that it will not be done with you[m] according to your folly, for you[n] have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has.”

So[o] Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did just as Yahweh had told them, and Yahweh accepted Job’s prayer.[p]

10 Then[q] Yahweh returned Job’s fortune when he prayed to him on behalf of his friends. Thus[r] Yahweh increased all that Job had twice as much as before.[s] 11 So[t] all his brothers and all his sisters and all those who had known him before[u] came to him, and they ate bread[v] with him in his house and showed sympathy to him and comforted him for all the disaster[w] that Yahweh had brought upon him. Then[x] each one gave to him one piece of money, and each one gave to him one ornamental ring of gold.

12 So[y] Yahweh blessed Job’s latter days more than his beginning. Thus he had[z] fourteen thousand sheep and goats and six thousand camels and a thousand pair of oxen and a thousand female donkeys. 13 And he had[aa] seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah and the name of the second Keziah and the name of the third Qeren-Happuk. 15 And beautiful women were not found in all the land like Job’s daughters, and their father gave to them an inheritance in the midst of their brothers.

16 And Job lived after this one hundred and forty years, and he saw his sons and his grandsons[ab] for four generations. 17 Then[ac] Job died old and full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:1 Hebrew “And”
  2. Job 42:3 Hebrew “and”
  3. Job 42:3 Literally “wonderful things from me”
  4. Job 42:4 Hebrew “and”
  5. Job 42:5 Hebrew “and”
  6. Job 42:7 Literally “And it happened”
  7. Job 42:7 Literally “My nose became hot”
  8. Job 42:7 Singular
  9. Job 42:7 Plural
  10. Job 42:8 Or “And now,” or “Therefore”
  11. Job 42:8 Plural
  12. Job 42:8 Literally “if his face I will lift up,” or “indeed his face I will lift up” (“if” used as an oath particle)
  13. Job 42:8 Plural
  14. Job 42:8 Plural
  15. Job 42:9 Hebrew “And”
  16. Job 42:9 Literally “Yahweh lifted up the face of Job”
  17. Job 42:10 Hebrew “And”
  18. Job 42:10 Hebrew “And”
  19. Job 42:10 Literally “all which for Job to twice”
  20. Job 42:11 Hebrew “And”
  21. Job 42:11 Literally “to faces”
  22. Job 42:11 Or “food”
  23. Job 42:11 Or “evil”
  24. Job 42:11 Hebrew “And”
  25. Job 42:12 Hebrew “And”
  26. Job 42:12 Literally “And it came to be for him,” or “And it was for him”
  27. Job 42:13 Literally “And it came to be for him,” or “And it was for him”
  28. Job 42:16 Literally “the sons of his sons”
  29. Job 42:17 Hebrew “And”

Job Replies to the Lord

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

I[a] know that You can do anything
and no plan of Yours can be thwarted.(A)
You asked, “Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?”(B)
Surely I spoke about things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to[b] know.(C)
You said, “Listen now, and I will speak.
When I question(D) you, you will inform Me.”
I had heard rumors about You,
but now my eyes(E) have seen You.
Therefore I take back my words
and repent in dust and ashes.[c]

After the Lord had finished speaking[d] to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has. Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you.(F) I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has.” Then Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

God Restores Job

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions.(G) 11 All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances(H) came to his house and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a qesitah[e](I) and a gold earring.(J)

12 So the Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named his first daughter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch.(K) 15 No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance with their brothers.

16 Job lived 140 years after this and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 Then Job died, old and full of days.(L)

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:2 Alt Hb tradition reads You
  2. Job 42:3 Lit me, and I did not
  3. Job 42:6 LXX reads I despise myself and melt; I consider myself dust and ashes
  4. Job 42:7 Lit speaking these words
  5. Job 42:11 The value of the currency is unknown.