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Job Repents in Dust and Ashes

42 Then Job answered Yahweh and said,

“I know that (A)You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that (B)hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things (C)too marvelous for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will (D)ask You, and You make me know.’
I have (E)heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my (F)eye sees You;
Therefore I reject myself,
And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Yahweh’s Anger Towards Job’s Friends

Now it happened after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, that Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger burns against you and against your two friends because you have not spoken of Me what is right (G)as My servant Job has. So now, take for yourselves (H)seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a (I)burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will (J)pray for you. (K)For I will [a]accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as Yahweh told them; and Yahweh [b]accepted Job.

Yahweh Restores Job’s Fortunes

10 And Yahweh (L)restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and Yahweh increased all that Job had twofold. 11 Then all his (M)brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they (N)consoled him and comforted him for all the calamity that Yahweh had brought on him. And each one gave him one [c]qesitah, and each a ring of gold. 12 (O)And Yahweh blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; (P)and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 (Q)He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he named the first Jemimah and the second Keziah and the third Keren-happuch. 15 Now in all the land no women were found so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this, Job lived 140 years and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 (R)Then Job died, an old man and full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:8 Lit lift up his face
  2. Job 42:9 Lit lifted up the face of
  3. Job 42:11 Ancient currency, cf. Gen 33:19; Josh 24:32

Job’s Confession

42 Job responded to the Lord. He said:

I know that you can do all things.
No purpose of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, “Who is this who spreads darkness over my plans
    with his ignorant words?”
I have made statements about things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
You said, “Listen now and I will speak.
I will ask you questions, and you will inform me.”
My ear heard about you.
Now my eyes see you.
So I despise myself.
I repent in dust and ashes.

The Conclusion

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger burns against you and your two friends, because none of you have spoken correctly about me, as my servant Job did. So now, take seven bulls and seven rams for yourselves, go to my servant Job, and offer up a whole burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, so that I will look upon him with favor and not deal with you on the basis of your foolishness, for none of you have spoken correctly about me, as my servant Job did.”

So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Na’amathite went and did as the Lord had told them, and the Lord looked on Job with favor.

10 Then the Lord restored Job’s fortunes, after he had prayed on behalf of his friends. The Lord gave Job twice as much of everything as he had before.

11 Then all his brothers and sisters and all his acquaintances came to Job. They dined with him in his house, and they showed him sympathy and comforted him concerning the tragedy that the Lord had brought on him. Each of them gave him one qesitah[a] of silver and one gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first part, so he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.

13 He had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren Happuk. 15 In the whole land there were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived one hundred forty years and saw his sons and their children to the fourth generation.

17 Job died, old and fulfilled by a long life.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:11 A qesitah is an ancient unit for measuring weight. Its value is unknown.

Job’s Repentance and Restoration

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“I know that You (A)can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
You asked, (B)‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
(C)Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, (D)‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’

“I have (E)heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
Therefore I (F)abhor[a] myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”

And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves (G)seven bulls and seven rams, (H)go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall (I)pray for you. For I will accept [b]him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had [c]accepted Job. 10 (J)And the Lord [d]restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job (K)twice as much as he had before. 11 Then (L)all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

12 Now the Lord blessed (M)the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had (N)fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 (O)He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first [e]Jemimah, the name of the second [f]Keziah, and the name of the third [g]Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

16 After this Job (P)lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and (Q)full of days.

Footnotes

  1. Job 42:6 despise
  2. Job 42:8 Lit. his face
  3. Job 42:9 Lit. lifted up the face of Job
  4. Job 42:10 Lit. turned the captivity of Job, what was captured from Job
  5. Job 42:14 Lit. Handsome as the Day
  6. Job 42:14 Cassia, a fragrance
  7. Job 42:14 Lit. The Horn of Color or The Colorful Ray